Week 9 -- Baby Miracles and Going to Pompeii

Oh hey friends!!!!!!!

YAYAYAYAYAYAYA that Dallin finally proposed to Caitie!!!  And can you send me pictures of Jake's cute dog?

This week was a tough week but we are chillin'. We have so many potentials but we just can't seem to get appointments with them. Like we found this lady like last week. Asked US to come over and share more with her. And then we can't get in the door. But that's okay. It's just frustrated because we are working so hard but then have horrible numbers. Which don't matter but they do at the same time. There were lots of cute baby miracles that I am super grateful for. For example, we were having a super rough time finding people to teach and everyone was saying no, and it was super bright -- like I got a legit sunburn -- and then on our way home we talked to this lady who was super sweet and cute AND WE GOT TO STOP COMPLETELY IN THE SHADE. Incredible. And then one day was super hard.  We weekly planned and then studied and we tried to get food for pranzo and literally everywhere was closed and we were headed up to the church. So we spent so long trying to find food. And then we did the area book, so literally were inside until like 8 pm, so we just went on giro back home and we talked to this group of ladies -- we didn't do an approach or anything and totally got a phone number and she asked for our phone number which never happens! And then we also saw on the way home one of our investigators who has been not able to see us because she is so busy. Little things that aren't super significant but at perfect times to my spirits. 

We did a good amount of casa in casa (house to house) which is rough because the buzzers are outside so it's super easy to just be ignored. But I like doing it because it sucks so bad that I figure we have got to be blessed for it. We said a prayer with a lady at the door. That was cool. 

We went train finding one day and met this super cute girl, ended up teaching the restoration to her on the way and accidentally riding the train into Napoli. Oops. But she works with Scouts and said her purpose in doing that is to help them learn more about God even though it's not a religious group. So cool!

We had pranzo with a super cute couple in our ward. We had lasagna (my first!!!!) and some super good meat (it was veal :( ) but good. And then they do veggies (but Italians just oil their veggies like covered in oil. Weird) and bread which is incredible. And then some weird spinach pizza (but more like a pie thing) delicious and then DESSERT was incredible. I need to take pictures of all the food. Every time I eat Italian food, though, my body gets a little weird. 

We also did scambia (exchanges) this week which was like, wow. It made me appreciate my companion so much. She is so good about tying gospel topics back into the conversation but the Sorella I went out with is new and so am I so it was hard. I went out with a sorella who is serving in Caserta which is kinda a more ritsy city so no one talks to them so she loved Pozzuoli and was like "wow, I never actually get to talk to people I don't know what to say". And so it made me more grateful for how beautiful my city is (I mean literally on the water beautiful and people are like polite when they say they aren't interested, lol).

Today we are going to Pompeii for P-Day so I will be sure to take and add lots of pics to my photos! 

This week has been super super tiring but I am good. I had my first breakdown which is probably healthy because right now we are just doing a lot of finding and building up. No one has come to do anything with our stove, kitchen or anything and who knows why. But we aren't allowed to clean it until they do inspections so for now it's just a mess. Mom, have fun with your friends! Hopefully Temple Square will be good. 

1. What was the funnest/funniest thing that happened this week?

Eating Napoli pizza. Always.

2.  What was the spiritual highlight of your week?

Other than miracles...One day we were just sitting in the car and I don't understand what is going on so I was just thinking about how the Spirit has made me learn so many things with out me realizing it. I don't know if that makes sense. But in the MTCI was really thinking about and studying out the difference between God and Christ specifically in prayer, and I never read anything that gave me the answer but I learned it anyways. A new kind of learning. 

3.  How was church this week?

Good. Poor Sorella has to translate all the time and it's super hard for her. I just chill. Lots of Italian and it almost makes it harder that English is there, too.

4.  What was something interesting you did or saw this week?

Pompeii 

5.  What did you learn during your scripture study this week?

I've been reading in the war chapters in the Book of Mormon and one thing that has stood out to me is the boldness of Captain Moroni.

6.  Have you eaten anything unusual this week?

Yes, gross. We went to this lady's house who is less active and she was talking about how for dinner they made tripe, but in Italian and we were tying to figure out what it was and I knew from the beginning literally and then she brought some out for us to try. Her sauce was amazing. The tripe itself terrifying. They said I looked like I was gonna throw up so they didn't make me eat it, lol.

7.  How has someone shown kindness to you this week?

My sweet companion every minute. After I broke down we decided we needed to find more joy in the work and so we have been watching movies and doing back massages (because we both have wrecked backs) every night, lol. 

8.  What did you do for P-Day today?

Pompeii and pizza 

 

9.  Is there anything you would like us to pray for specifically for your investigators?

Just that we can get into these people's homes. We have so many incredible potentials that we need to start teaching but they are so busy. Same with the people we teach. Everyone is so busy.

10.  Do you e-mail your mission president each week like Alyssa had to do?  Does he respond?

Yes. 

11.  Do you do your P-Day activities with the other missionaries in your district?  Or your zone?

We did with our district and the Caserta district today but once we got there we split up because we're not supposed to be in huge groups 

12.  What is the train like?

Sometimes ok, sometimes nasty, depends on the train, but mostly always covered in graffiti. 

13.  Do you know how much I love you?

Always 

Pompeii -- I was expecting it to be like America where you show up and things are labeled and you have placards telling you what things are or the map gives you a little bit of history about it.  Nothing of the sort.  I don't even know when Pompeii happened.  So you can get a free map from some of these tour guides so that's what we did.  It had things labeled but it's a literal city, so like a lot of it is just houses.  There were certain things we were looking for and we just couldn't find them.  Like a third of the city is under excavation.  So instead of things being left in their original states, like obviously preserved and leaving the bodies there, or leave whatever was there in place, they didn't do that.  But that's what I was expecting.  Instead it's still really cool and you get to go in the houses but a lot of the frescoes have been taken out, and taken to museums I think, so there are some places that have really cool frescoes and you see how the houses are mainly.  There are cobblestone streets but I expected that.  There are a couple of statues.  And we only saw one temple and a couple of theatres.  The theatres were cool.  We saw one temple -- the temple of Apollo where they did human sacrifices.

Love you all and are praying for you always!!!

Sorella Gisseman  

On the way to Pompeii

Pompeii -- they had some of the bodies in this greenhouse-like building before you go in.

Map of Pompeii

Frescos

Sorella and I get along so well -- it's such a blessing.

With the sorellas from Caserte.

A street in Pompeii with so many houses.

Mosaic floors

A super cool room with frescoes.  I don't know what it was -- no signs.

A kitchen.

Mosaic floors

I don't know what this was but it looks like a hot tub.

Maybe a bath?  Or maybe a sacrifice table.

Ceiling

Statue of a centaur in the center of the city.

Temple of Apollo where they did human sacrifices.

In Pompeii -- there is a dog in the glass case, and the other things are household items that were found in the excavations.

A baby in the glass case.

A theatre

I bought this ring today like Grandma's. But these are famously from Napoli. I wanted one that was orange like Grandma's but they didn't have any in my size. I got the price down from 40 to 20£ and he also gave us some corn thing which is the good luck charm of Napoli, lol. LOL at the Nutella on my finger!