21/02/07

Hey everybody, Well I just got your letters yesterday night from the weekend, it was presidents day Monday so everything was closed. What did you speak on at the singles ward dad? Yea I’ve gained quite a bit of wait since I got here, I weighed in yesterday at 175 which is up like 18 I think from when I first entered the MTC. But I work out everyday, I started lifting with some of the ex BYU football players a while back, and I still run & school these kids at basketball everyday. So I’m not getting fat, just eating a lot. I can’t believe how cold it is there, we barely need jackets most days, all the snow had melted and then we got down poured Monday. And it’s all slowly melting so it looks like spring in February. I can’t believe this is my second last PDAY in the MTC, the times gone by so fast. I didn’t get a chance to write you all Sunday like I usually do because we had a few problems happen this week with people in the District, so as zone leaders we were in a few meetings, and then checking up on companionships, so by the time we were done our personal study time was over and it was dinner. One of the sisters in my district has a hernia in her stomach so she had to leave on Tuesday and I had to approve it and then get it approved by the president. And so she’s in and out of here everyday. One of the sisters hustled me in 2 litres of coke...a cola :D so that made my dad yesterday. OOOOOOOOO yea I had talked to me Branch Pres about getting my Patriarchal Blessing a few weeks ago. I had it done yesterday by Patriarch Jenkins. It was amazing. The first 10 seconds of it hit me like a brick wall because I really felt like this pertained to me. I’ll send it or a copy home when I get it, and probably shouldn’t write it in an email. But yea it’s done so that’s good. Sorry I haven’t mentioned anything about my car, thanks you all for everything to get it sold, I appreciate it. If you’re busy you’re not homesick, so I try not to think about it. Well Mom I’m glad to hear you have a new calling, I just did a talk on Sunday about callings. So what exactly are you doing? Are you still dads assistant and still employment specialist? We all have to do our part to build up the kingdom so just work hard in those callings. Well this past week has been pretty uneventful, we taught the 3rd lesson in Italian which went REALLY well. The conjugations were better, we answered questions better. Somebody has an Andreas Bocelli album and I was listening to it. I can actually understand a lot of it which was pretty cool. The songs aren’t as good when you understand them ahaha Italian is a beautiful language, and I’m looking forward to eating some good food. Well hopefully everything else is going good there, thanks for all the letters they make nights here more fun. Keep the faith work hard, I love you all and I will talk to you later on, oh yeah I get my flight plans Friday, and like I said I will be able to call. So March 5 in the Am, if you have any questions email them to me this week and I will get back to you with the email next week, and then I’m off to Italy. OK TAKE CARE LOVE ANZIANO COSTA

14/02/2007 (Valentines Day)

Hey everybody. 2 more p-days to go and Im in Italy. Thats crazy. Wellthis weeks been different. The older district left on Tuesdaymorning...at 350am..so as zone leaders me and Tilini were up at 330signing them off and out, checking their rooms. Surprisingly we werenttired yesterday. If were 100% obedient the Lord takes care of you, so Iguess somebody was looking out for us. So they left and then we justchilled in the hallway for a few hours before the day started. Its weirdbeing the oldest district and the zone leaders. We taught the 2nd lessonin Italian which went pretty bad. We didnt prepare for it properlly. Wetried keeping it to basic and it just ended up leaving it open to tomany questions, which would be great if it were in english. We also hada native Italian come in and talk to me and my companionship on Mondayto. For an hour you just speak in Italian with him which was reallycool. He helped us out a lot because you see how crisp they pronounceeverything unlike english.Wow monday seems like a week ago..anyways lastnight we had Elder Hinckley (pres Hinckley's son) talk to us in adevotional. He is really cool, he just relaxed didnt take himself toserious. They had a time for questions at the end and this girl asked'how do you know if youre working to hard?" we were all expecting somespiritual response, but he just answered the best truest way possible"if you fall over and pass out" . I think it was good because a lot ofthe people here take themselves to seriously. So that was really nice tohave him come in. He was talking about Pres Hinckley, apparently hesdoing ok but he was talking about how most likely he wont be thepresident when we get back from out missions, hes 97..so 2 more yearsand hed be 99. His wife spoke to, she was just talking about likeappearance, manners some funny stories. She told us a quote by presidentHinckley, something he told a bunch of the missionaries after someonewas sent home "dont be stupid" which was funny. Well thanks for all theletters. There's been a lot going around here, fortunatly Ive been luckyenough to be the only one in the district not to come down with anythingso far. Weve been prepping for Sunday, Me and Tilini have to teachpriesthood because our branch pres has to go to a meeting, hiscouncilors to. Its really starting to hit us all that this time in 3weeks well be in Italy. I sent off some letters Monday morning to. Not awhole lot has been going on since Saturday when I wrote you all last. Weget a new district which Tilini and I have to give an orientation andtour tonight. So after this well go prepare that. Theyre all Catania. 7elders 2 sisters, which I think I told you on Saturday. So I heard yallfed the missionaries on Tuesday night, thats good. Keep feeding them.Ivemet like 3 or 4 missionaries going to our mission (in Ottawa). But itssuch a big mission, so youll probably meet some greenies that I met inthe MTC. Hahaha Des I had a good laugh when you said Tilini makes melook small. Dude is huge. I always try and take him down but hes like abrick wall, he plaed for the BYU football team, d-line. Yea I want togoto Hawaii when I get back, hes been telling me I have to come,because apparently they never seen a haulee boy (white boy) like me, cuzi hang out with all the togans and samoans, and apparently I actuallyfit in with them hahah. The polynesians remind me of my friends backhome. I printed off some pictures today, so Ill wait probably until a mylast week and send all of them off. British Airways doesnt have abaggage weight restriction anymore effective Monday (last monday) so wedont need to worry about that all that much anymore which is cool,because we have a lot of books. And every book we have is big, andnecesary. Well like I said its been a quiet few days so theres not muchelse to write. I hopeall of you are working hard, and studying. Have funremember me in your prayers, Love Anziano Costa -Alma7:23.

10/02/2007

Sorry everybody the LDS mail was down Wednesday, so I couldn’t email anybody and I sat in front of the computer waiting for it to load for like 30 minutes. Anyways this week has been good. The district that came in before us is leaving Tuesday so our Branch Pres had to call new zone leaders for the Italy missions in the MTC....so myself and Elder Tilini were called to be the new zone leaders for everybody. Were getting about 10 elders and sisters on Wednesday which means we will be orientation them…which will be our first shot at the job. Zone leaders basically look after all the districts, The district leaders write us letters on how their elders and sisters are doing and we need to comment on how they can improve, etc. We also are basically responsible for everybody, and organizing sacrament meetings (who’s praying, blessing sacrament, hymns, etc). So I guess that is the biggest news this week. I got the study journals which were in perfect timing, I just finished the last page of my old study journal the day I got it. So thanks mom for sending them. I appreciate that. I am really happy to hear that you’re all being more diligent in studying. The Lord will bless you, continue to work and he will eagerly bless you daily. I’m really proud of you all, keep working keep studying keep learning. We taught the first lesson in Italian on Monday to 3 investigators to, that was intense...teaching the gospel in a whole new language. We didn’t have perfect conjugations but our teacher said it was molto bene per la prema lezzione. Everything else is good to. About 23.5 more days until I’m off to Italy. I’ll let you all know now that I’m allowed to buy a phone card here for long distance. So I can call home when I’m in the Airport. I can get a long distance phone card for like 7$. So I get to the airport at 5am…and It would be between 8-10am you time that I would call. If I called from Utah, but there’s a few weeks till then so We can figure things out in the next few weeks. I got a really good email from Germain this week, that definitely put some things into perspective, and definitely helped me out. Thanks you all for the dear elders and all the support, I appreciate it. Keep y’all heads up and work hard. Voi in Italian means Y’all so ..I can use it in English :P. Love you all take care Anziano Costa

31/01/2007

What’s going on? Well things are going well, I just got the package on Monday morning, so thanks for everything. I just don’t have Brian’s new address. But that tie he sent me, wow...molto skivo (nasty). AHAHAH no its cool though I’ve been wearing a few times this week. Well the weekend was rough, we couldn’t teach one of our lessons and it just lead into a really bad weekend, and then we got our hair cut...so we all look pretty retarded ..and then Sunday morning our alarm didn’t go off, and our Pres always comes to our class Sunday morning so that wasn’t to good. But last night we sat and talked about everything and things are good again. Were staying positive, and we prayed about it. And then we figured something out that really improved our teaching. So things are good. I got all of your emails these past few days updating me. While its been -30 out there I’m still chillin in a lava lava and a sweatshirt :P. Mom, Dad it was great to hear from you both, sorry that I didn’t tell you. But the clothes all fit great, the shoes are great to, I just shined them both up Saturday night...yes that was the highlight of my Saturday night. But they looked brand new when I was done. OH Mom if you have any more of those Blue 'BLUELINE' 'accountant' books...they’re like blue all the pages are numbered, can you send me one or a few if you can. I used one for my study journal and it’s a great way to organize, because theirs is only 100 pages and you have an idea where everything is in it. So if you could let me know as soon as possible that would be great. Because I only have 15 pages left in mine and I need to figure something out if I can’t get another one. I sent you all letters on Monday morning, and the pictures/letters should be there any day now. I hope everything is good with you all. Italian is still going. Now were working on sounding better in our sentences, trying to remember all the words we need in sentences. Sadie looks cute, I sent off a letter to Uncle Rick and Aunt Gail this morning but it won’t get picked up until tomorrow. Thanks for all of the addresses mom, it’s a lot easier to write people. I have Sundays and Wednesdays to write...but only 30mins on Wednesdays to email. There’s not a whole lot to write about the MTC is pretty much the same everyday. We watched the movie 'the Testament' on Sunday night. If any of you can get your hands on that, try to Bishop or something. Its an amazing movie. Its about the atonement in the Bible and then what was happening in the BOM at the same time. It was amazing it’s pretty inspirational, so if anyone can get a copy definitely check it out. I must be quiet in the house, but stay focused, you’re never alone. I hope everything is going well, thanks for all the dear elders everyone. Well I have to go put my clothes in the dryer and I only have 1:00minute left. So I love you all, read your scriptures. You’re all in my prayers, don’t worry about me, I love you Elder Costa