Email - November 30, 2011 Buon Giorno!

Buon giorno tutti!

 I'm just havin' a grand ole time here in the MTC. I can't believe we're starting our third week today! Time is weird here. Someone the other day put it best when they said the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days. It's so true. I am learning SO much every day here and I have never felt closer to my Father in Heaven. I know that he his really helping me to learn the language and more about the Gospel constantly while I am here.

So, first, Thanksgiving. It was pretty great. It was almost like another p-day for us. We had a morning devotional and it was Russell M. Nelson. He talked about giving thanks. He talked a lot about how Russia was opened for the church back in the early 90s. And it was really quite an amazing story. Too long to type, but if you can find it anywhere, read it. Quite a miracle that was... Then after that we had our Thanksgiving dinner of turkey stuffing and potatoes! It was pretty good. Nothing like the Thanksgiving dinners we have at home, but I was grateful people were willing to come in and work on Thanksgiving so we could have that meal. We went around and all said what we were thankful for. Then we did a humanitarian project. The entire MTC participated and we made 8000 medical/injury kits that are being sent to Sudan. It was a great project for Thanksgiving day. Our branch was in charge of making the boxes. We got done before everyone else so we sang Christmas hymns until we were released. It was happy. Then we had a lot of free time/study time and we just hung out in our classrooms with our branch and played games and studied etc. Have I mentioned I love our branch? There are some amazing people in it. One Anziano, Anziano Mustafaraj, is from Albania. Yesterday at lunch he was telling us about some of the crazy things that would happen to him in Albania and the rough life he's had there (to give you an idea, he had a bullet wound...). It amazes me that he is here serving a mission. He's awesome. Then Thanksgiving evening, we just ate sack meals that we had prepared earlier and had an evening program. It was SO much fun. They had a little Thanksgiving pilgrims and indians skit, we sang "over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go," sang a lot of hymns, and then they brought out popcorn for everyone and we watched 17 Miracles. That movie is so fantastic. We all cried. But it was so fun being in the gym with all these missionaries on Thanksgiving. Much different than at home and I missed my family, but pleasant all the same.

So our last "investigator" is now our second teacher. He is awesome! We learn so much for him and he's really trying to help us become better teachers and missionaries and italian speakers. We started teaching a new investigator, Luigi. He's awesome. But it's hard teaching him because he's atheist. It's hard to convince someone to believe in God when they're so caught up in the logic of man. God doesn't work like that. So we're working together to help him. Any tips? Ye former missionaries? :)

My italian is getting better and better every day, I think, haha. I'm really doing my best to learn all I can and I'm studying hard. I LOVE studying. Sometimes I forget. But I really love it. There's so much I want to study but I feel like there isn't enough time! With trying to learn a language and studying what we'll be teaching and how to teach it etc. etc. it's hard to find the time for it all. But this last week during one of my personal study sessions I started reading "Jesus the Christ" by James E. Talmage. Have you read it?! I'm in love with it and I'm only on the second chapter. It is beautiful writing and so full of things I didn't know or realize. Read it if you get the chance! You're testimony of Christ will grow even stronger!

Sundays here are my absolute favorites. We get to watch Music and the Spoken Word with all the women, then we have Relief Society. This week the MTC President spoke. He had some really good advice for us missionaries. Then we have lunch, sacrament, then study time. After the Sunday fireside, they play different films you can watch. They're usually conference talks or church films. This week we watched The Testaments. I love that movie! My testimony of the Atonement grew so much after watching it. I feel that since I've been here, I've gained more of an appreciation and realization of what Christ went through for us, and I am so incredibly grateful for it. And I can't WAIT to get to Italy and tell them all about it!

One of our teachers loves talking about Italy with us, and every time he does I get super extra excited. They have amazing stories about the people of Italy and how wonderful they are! I can't wait to get to know them.

Another thing they've been really emphasizing this past week is how the Lord prepares those in your mission to receive the Gospel. I know that there are people that are ready and waiting for me, and all I have to do is find them and share what I know with them. That is such a happy thought!

I'm running out of time, but I love you all and I hope you are all well! Thanks, family, for all the DearElders! Those help me a lot while I'm here and I love hearing about you! I'm hoping I'll have time today to write you all back individually. Love you!!!

Sorella Forbes

A brief testimony in italian cuz I said I would: So che questa chiesa e l'unica chiesa vera, e che Dio ci ama. So che Gesu Cristo e il mio Redentore e Salvatore, e sono grata di Lui. Nel nome di Gesu Cristo amen!

First Handwritten Letter

Family!
     I wanted to write you another letter because I ran out of time on the computer.  There were some things I wanted to tell you, but didn't have time for!
     First, my Branch Presidency is really great.  They're so involved and we see them often.  Brother Lamoureux reminds me of Patrick.  It's funny, but he also kind of scares me. Ha! Our Branch President, Brother Johnson, is really awesome.  He sat in on our District Meeting last night and had some really good insights.  Their wives are all so kind as well and never hesitate to give us hugs.  I love them all.
     We are in a branch with all the Italian Elders and the Portuguese Elders that haven't been able to get visa's yet.  They are all really great.
     We have been to some awesome meetings.  The first night we had a "teaching experience", we were split into groups of about 50 and rotated around to three different rooms.  In each room was an "investigator." We watched two Elders come in each time and talk to them a little bit, then they opened it up to the whole group to teach these people based on what we learned about them from the two Elder's discussion with them.  It was amazing to see how the spirit guides us to ask different questions and emphasize different things.  We could already feel it on that first night.
     Again, the spirit is so strong here!  I've never felt the spirit so strongly... I think I love it!
     Sunday was the best day ever.  Everybody kept telling us "just make it to Sunday", and they were right.  It was a nice breath of fresh air after the really rough first days here.  Music and The Spoken Word was amazing and beautiful, but cruel at times.  I was hit with homesickness real hard when they were showing different images of families.  I cried.  But, I looked around and everybody else was too. :)
     Relief Society was incredible.  Sister Esplin of the General Primary Board came and spoke and I cried again!  Someone should have told me I'd need tissues everywhere on Sundays!  I just love those meetings.  Sorella Clark and I were asked to say the prayers for the new Sisters meeting that followed.  I was nervous, but it went great.
     A few people I've seen while here:  Wendy Parker, she says hi.  Sister Brown, a friend of mom's.  I've seen Will West and Anna Thurston around.  Oh! Mom! I've run into some Temple Square missionaries and told them to look for you, Sister Lake was one and I can't remember the other ones.  Look out for them!
     I can't believe I made it through my first week!  It seemed like forever long, and there were a few moments of doubt, but after each lesson with Salvatore and each class with the amazing teachers, and the devotionals/firesides with all the amazing people, I know I can do this and my testimony grows stronger.
     We just got back from an AMAZING lesson with Fratello Bulloch.  We feel like we're on fire!  We talked about how the Doctrine of Christ and our purpose correlate.  Basically, he said, we are going to Italy to baptize.  Not to "plant some seeds", or make friends, or just help people become better.  We are going to baptize people because it has to be done and no one else can do it.  And he's right!  We are so incredibly lucky to know how we can receive a remission of our sins.  Good Christian people of other faiths can repent, but not completely.  They need to be baptized!  It kind of changes the perspective.
     Anyway...Nat and Tam!  Today I sat with three Elders going to Indiana and Columbus!  Nat, watch for Elder Jones and Elder Peck, and feed them!  Tam, Elder Culler.  They are the Elders in our districts roommates.  Really nice guys.
     Kaitie!  How's Deb and Carl?  I saw Elder Paulsen on Sunday...he says hi.  Miss you sister!  Send me an update!  How was Breaking Dawn?
     So, I'm finishing this letter on Thanksgiving.  We're waiting for the morning Devotional.  We have another one tonight, but we have no idea who's speaking!  They keep it a surprise until they walk in.  It's really exciting.  We'll have lunch (Thanksgiving Dinner) after this and then we'll have sack lunches for dinner. Ha.  We are also working on a humanitarian project.  What a great day!
     You wanted to know what my day is like.  Here is usually how it goes:  6:30 wake up, 7 personal study, 7:50 breakfast, 8:45 personal study, 9:30 class, 12:30 lunch, 1:30 gym time, 3 study time, 5:30 dinner, 6:30 class/teaching/language study, 9:30 back to residence, 10:15 quiet time, 10:30 lights out.  It's usually different everyday, but same activities, just scrambled differently.
        It's Russell M. Nelson!!!!  He just walked in!
Love you family!  Talk to you next week!
Kell/Sorella Forbes

PS On my address, change it to ITA-MIL 0124.  Were here for 10 weeks now, so the departure date is different.  I think it took me a few extra days to get some DearElders.  Tell Nat, Col, and Dad thanks for the DearElders.  I just got them last night.

PSS Don't expect to get responses to emails the same week.  I'll print them off so I can read them later 'cuz we don't have a lot of time on the computers.

PSSS  Elder Nelson says thank you to all the missionary families!:)

First Email

CIAO!

 It's me. Did you think I dropped off the face of the earth? I feel like I've been here for a month! But now I'm really beginning to think that's a good thing.

I won't lie. Those first couple of days were really tough. There were a few "What am i doing here?" and "what was I thinking?" moments those first couple of days. But now that I've made it through my first week here I look back and am so grateful for everything that happened those first couple of days.

When I got here I was taken to my room, to the bookstore, and to my classroom by my host, Sister Lear who is going to Hong Kong. When I got to my classroom I met my teacher, Fratello (Brother) Merrill. He is awesome! And I met the rest of my district. La mia collega (companion) is Sorella (Sister) Clark from Boise, Idaho. I absolutely love her. She and I are like the same person. We have very similar sense of humors which is really great, because most people don't understand mine... haha. We work really well and hard together so it is great. The other Elders in my district are Anziano Collins from Virginia, and Anziano Thomas from Arizona. The other Sisters are Sorella Comollo from Salt Lake and Sorella Smedley from Layton. I absolutely love them all. We spend so much time together we already are so close and I can tell we'll all be friends for a very long time. The Anziani and Sorella Smedley have no experience with italian so we help them out where we can. We had a pretty low moment yesterday, however, when we lost Anziano Johnson. He went home. I'm proud of him but it was really sad and we're all going to miss him. My italian is crazy improving! We talk in italian as much as we can and we always pray in italian. And, this was the craziest thing when they told us we would have to do this, we already have been teaching and "investigator" in italian! We first taught him on Friday and I absolutely love our investigator. His name is Salvatore. The first time we went on Friday we asked him how he felt about God and tried to figure out what his religious background was. To summarize this real quick because my time is running out: we finally got him to pray with us on Monday and it was absolutely amazing. The spirit completely overwhelmed us and we were so excited we forgot to invite him to church. But he's been reading a little bit from the Book of Mormon and we invited him to church yesterday and he said yes! We were really excited. We've taught him the first lesson and a half and we'll teach him again on Friday. And then he'll become our teacher... ha! But i love this experience and it is really forcing us to learn quicker and to study and try our hardest.

I absolutely love my branch and all the Anziani and Sorelle. We have an AMAZING group of italian missionaries here and I am so excited about it! There are 12 Anziani and 6 Sorelle. Three of the sisters, including my companion, are going to the Rome mission and the rest are headed to Milano. Forza Italia!

I have so much to tell you but not a lot of time left! 

So we have really great meetings here. After everyone i leave feeling empowered, humbled, and uplifted like never before. My favorite was last night's devotional. We were blessed to be visited by Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve. Sorella Clark and I were planning on singing in the choir, but had somehow missed the memo where we needed to be there two hours early. ha! So i was really bummed at first because they were singing Come Thou Fount. But we were able to get seats on the fourth row! Which was WAY better than the choir seats. A few highlights: He talked about how Christ sent his apostles out to the world to preach His gospel, but the apostles today can't cover the entire world, so they called the Quorums of Seventy. But even they can't do it all so we are called! He called us his companions in this work, and said this is an apostolic work with apostolic authority that we are set apart with! How cool! I'm a companion of the twelve apostles! He also said how a lot of missionaries come home thinking their debt is paid, but that in fact they come home with even greater debt to our Father in Heaven because of the blessings that come from serving a mission. And we always need to be in the service of our God and grateful for the blessings. We need to turn everything over to Him, and He'll give us what we need back. I love this place where the spirit is so strong and am so grateful to be serving the Lord! I already feel the blessings that are coming from it. THE CHURCH IS TRUE! Next week, I'll tell you my testimony in italian...because i can do that now...

Love you all!!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

 

Sister Forbes

Goodbyes Are Hard To Do

Here She Goes!

Ready, set, go! Provo MTC here she comes!  
I love the last picture...it makes me smile!
When the Stake President finished his blessing he told Sister Forbes he was impressed to tell her she would be an amazing missionary.  True to Kell's fun personality and uniqueness, that's the pose she struck right then and there!  We call it the "Super Sister Missionary" pose!
love you sister forbes!!!!!

Officially A Missionary!

Arrivederci e ci vediamo!

Welp, here we are. This is it. My last night at home. It feels surreal. I have nervous butterflies, but I'm so excited. I report to the MTC tomorrow morning at 12:40. And I'm leaving in 45 minutes to get set apart. Aahhh! Sometimes you just need to yell. But it's a good yell. I can't wait for tomorrow, to get to meet my new companion, get that name tag, realize that I'm really doing this thing... haha.

Thanks to everyone who came to my farewell on Sunday. I was overwhelmed by all the familiar faces I saw and can't believe how nice people are. I love all of you!

I know that this is THE true church on the earth today, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (or as I'll be saying for the next 18 months... La Chiesa di Gesu Cristo dei Santi degli Ultimi Giorni!) I am so grateful for the Atonement, and that because of it we have a chance to return to live with our Father in Heaven. I know that Joseph Smith restored this gospel and that The Father and His Son appeared to him in the Sacred Grove. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a real and true prophet and that he gives us the guidance our Father wants us to have. I love this gospel, and I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to share it with the people of Italy. I love all of you!!! This is my testimony, and I share it with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Wish me luck! Ready or not...

Sister McKell Forbes was set apart as a missionary on Tuesday evening, November 15,
 by our Stake President, Richard Beard. It was a beautiful blessing and experience. We are excited for her and her great adventure that lies ahead!

Benvenuto al Blog!

Welcome to the blog! My mom and sister will be updating this blog while I am serving in Italy. I hope you will follow along and share in this amazing experience with me! I love you all!