21

Wow, I love that MTC picture of Audrey!  Great colors!  That doesn't look like the MTC, though... I guess things change in a year and a half.

Yup, it's my last day of being 20.  Starting tomorrow I'll be an adult... I guess.  Ha!  If you say so, society.

This week was nice because of the weather, sopratutto.  It's been cloudy and grey and cool and I LOVE that.  It's like happy birthday present from God.  Especially since it hasn't rained, and rain really ruins the work.

This week has started well.  We've met some cool new people to teach on the streets and invited tons to our fun English Class.  We got to teach yesterday and did lots of games about phone calls.  It's hard enough to communicate in another language face to face, but on the phone?  Without facial expressions or hand guestures or anything?  I remember how nervous I was in Padova with my first Italian phone calls.  Now it feels like second nature.  "Pronto!"

I haven't gotten any mail for a long time, but the Zone Leaders went to Milano yesterday and are passing through Reggio in about 30 minutes with all our mail.  We'll drop by the station and grab it.  They said there were lots of letters and packages, so I'm guessing I got all my birthday presents.  Thanks to everyone who sends me physical mail!  It's like gold out here.

An English Class student/friend of mine gave me the three volumes of Dante's Divina Commedia yesterday.  I don't know how many of you know about my burning love for Dante and his masterpiece, but it was the most thoughtful gift I've received from an Italian and I was so happy.  It'll be great to put on my bookshelf at BYU and peruse often.

I get to put in contacts tomorrow!  I'm so excited!  And then I'll have the perfect amount to last me the rest of my mission, and the mild weather won't bother me again.  (Let's hope that's not just wishful thinking.)

Much love to all my family and friends as I turn 21.  Thank you for following my Italian adventures so far.  I hope you've learned as much as I have since last August, whether that learning came from friends, family, leaders, books, trials, successes, or straight from God Himself.

Love,
Anziano Burton