This week has been super super hard for me mentally for some reason. Like the week itself was a good week, but I just don't know what has been up. I've had a really hard time having the spirit so I am trying to figure that out and I think I'm doing better but could definitely use all the prayers so that I can be a happy girl again!!!!!!
So I didn't talk about P-Day last week -- just had pictures, but we went to the Amalfi Coast and hiked and it was beautiful!!!! We went with the sorelle from Caserta and it was like a 3 hour hike and then we thought it was done but then we just had to keep walking another 1 or 2 hours to the bus. Also the bus ride was insane, like the worst road for car sickness you could imagine. But super worth it. It was foggy and a little rainy so no one else was out but it cleared up at the good part of the hike so it was okay. Then we had a lesson with Sorella Baiono, a member, and E that night. We had scambi (splits) the next day and I stayed in Pozzuoli and Sorella Sullivan came here with me. She literally talks to everyone and that was awesome to see. We like circled back around to these people but our goal was to teach the restoration in 2 minutes a lot so we asked if we could explain a little about our religion and she said sure, invited us in her shop, and offered us coffee. There were evangelists which are super intense and she pulled out her Bible and they tried to argue about things we believes. It was wack but super funny. Also we tried both of the main pizzerias in Napoli. So two pizzas, two days in a row LOL. And scambi ended.
This week we had some good lessons (like 3 in one day which is incredible and super nice. We have built the work up a little and now are getting to reap the rewards a little, so to speak). We had another lesson with E about the Book of Mormon. Was awesome. Also on Sunday we had our ward Christmas party and that day we had two investigators and E in church! And a returning member!! It was awesome. We had to get more chairs for Gospel Principles a few times.
Also we actually cooked Italian food on our own -- cute -- and a cheesecake. This week our kitchen got fixed which was awesome. So on Monday we came home from P-Day because we were at Amalfi and the landlord came because we went over to her house earlier a few days. Shwe told us they would probably come on Monday so we were expecting to come home and it be finished. so we come home and the kitchen is a disaster, like they taped things off and kind of hung plastic around and everything was covered in dust and we couldn't get to anything in our kitchen and he'd only painted like half of the ceiling. So the next day we had scambi and so poor Sorella Sullivan came to our nasty, nasty, nasty apartment because it was literally covered in paint stuff. so we talked him (the repairman) before we left and he came into our house at like 9:00 and so we were still getting ready and Sorella was in the shower so I just -- and I can't really speak with him -- so I figured out that he was going to come back at 9:30 and paint the whole thing but then he didn't come back until like 10:15 so we just waited for him. Then we left for the day which was fine, and then we weren't going to come back until night and he told us he was going to do tutto, everything. So when we came back he said he would be gone by the evening, but here the evening is like from 8:00...I don't know...I don't really understand the time... you start saying buona sera at like 3:00 but you don't start saying buona notte until like 11:00. I don't get it. so he said he'd be gone by then so we come home at like 9:00 and he's in our apartment so we can't go in our apartment and it was a disaster. So we called the anziani and they said, "you're fine, just go get a snack or something" so we went down the street and got hot chocolate and a little pastry which was fun and we just chatted because it was scambi. Then we go back at like 9:30 and he's still not out of our apartment. And we were like, ok, let us help you, you need to leave. So he finally gets out of our apartment at 945 and he painted everything but they used crappy paint and he did such a bad job. there are paint splatters all over our floor. So, ok, you couldn't walk anywhere because the dust was everywhere. So we studied in the bedroom. It was just a mess. Anyway, the next day when Sorella Brandt got back from scambi at like 2:00 we did our studies and then we just cleaned the house for hours. Like for hours. Just scrubbed everything down, and we still didn't get all the paint of the floor because it's just obnoxious because you literally have to get on your hands and knees and scrub it with a sponge. I was like, wow, that sucked.
For P-Day today we had zone P-Day and played ultimate frisbee and then got pizza, did a little Napoli shopping, and got gelato.., just a Napoli classic P-Day. :)
We love the jammies and the slippers you sent us, Mom. I am sorry that you are sad we are gone but you get to have Alyssa over and also Penny-Pup, your new granddog!!!!!! I like the things you said about Helaman 5:12 because it's true -- we all get winds in our life regardless of good we are and that sucks. But we better go charge up our generator and buy some snacks to get through and be prepared when those winds come. We put the Christmas tree you sent on the fridge. It's cute - I should've taken pics so I will next week. Love you so much.
So yeah, that's how it's going here in Pozzuoli. We got transfer calls. We are staying (surprise) and we are the only companionship staying together in our zone.
I feel my Italian is sometimes so good, sometimes not good. Honestly, when I have the spirit I can speak and speak well but when I don't I cannot. So not feeling the spirit super strong has made it really rough this week.
I will be working on being able to give myself encouragement and pull myself up when I am down so if there are any tips on that, hit me up! Please pray for me to feel the spirit, and please pray for E!
1. How was church yesterday? And the Christmas activity?
It was good. A lady that we've taught a lesson to before is the sister of the second counselor in the bishopric and she came to church and she's super awesome. And E came and the other girl in the picture who is a super cute sister who just started showing up. We can't teach her because she's so busy. We've been trying to get in to go out to where she is to teach her but she's so busy because she works all the time. But it was awesome to have them there. The Gospel Principles class was so full. The Christmas activity was cute. They had a little nativity program and they were all filming and taking pictures. It was so cute.
2. What was the spiritual highlight of your week?
That's a tough one this week. The week just goes by so fast. I don't know if this counts -- we got invited into that one store with the evangelists and just, like, I was actually able to talk with them and defend questions which was cool.
3. What have you learned or what has stood out to you in your studies this week?
This week I finished the Book of Mormon and I was also reading the New Testament and I reread the story of Peter walking on water and I really liked it. It's like at first he has the courage to leave the boat and take the step and then he's doing it but he freaks out and I feel like that's me a lot because I just freak out about little things.
4. How has someone shown you love and/or kindness this week?
Roberta (the sister of the second counselor in the bishopric who came out) made us a plate of desserts at the Christmas party and hid them for us so we could have them to take home.
6. How is E doing?
She's doing good. We talked to her about the Word of Wisdom last week and she's been doing good with it. We're super excited and want her to get baptized before Sorella Brandt leaves. That would be so awesome. That's our goal -- the 29th of December. She's praying about it.
7. Do people decorate for Christmas similarly to how people in the US decorate for Christmas?
People do decorate for Christmas. They put up lights and have Christmas trees. They also have little straw houses. I don't know how to describe them. Like precipe? It's a Napoli thing, and you buy little figurines and put the figurine of baby Jesus in one section and then other figurines in other sections and they move around and have lights.
8. Is your district just you and Sorella Brandt and the set of elders in Pozzuoli?
Our district is just us and the elders.
9. What did you do for P-Day this week?
We did ultimate frisbee and some shopping.
10. What was the happiest part of your week?
I think literally eating three pizzas.
11. What was the funniest/funnest thing that happened this week?
Also probably eating three pizzas. They're so good!
12. Have you tried any new foods this week?
We had pranzo with a lady in our ward so I tried new foods there. athey love jam here, like marmalade, so they put it in a lot of desserts. Struffeli -- I think that's what it's called -- it's these little balls with sprinkles on top and it's like little fried balls, kind of like crackers, with sprinkles. It's a big thing and everyone was talking about how they were making it for the ward party.
13. How can we help you in your missionary service?
Just give me happy, how do I pull myself up type of things.
14. Do you know how much I love you?
Yes, yes, yes.
15. Have your feelings about Christmas changed or evolved through being a missionary?
I don't know. It's weird to not be home, like it doesn't really feel like Christmas. Even now when I think about Jesus -- always -- He isn't just Christmas -- so I feel like for me the main thing about Christmas is being with family and so to not have that it's a little weird. So I don't really know how my feelings have changed. I'm still excited to open presents -- I'm just a little girl. :-)
Sorella Gisseman
Scambi swap so we got a pizza at a famous Napoli place because it was in the movie "Eat, Pray, Love" but it wasn't that great. It was good, but not world famous good.
Scambi with Sorella Sullivan
We went and got hot chocolate and pastries when we couldn't go in the apartment.
We met back up in Napoli and got more pizza at the missionary classic, Palones
We made some pancakes because THE STOVE WORKS!
We made Italian food (someone gave us some meatballs that we just had to cook and someone gave us a bottle of Ragu)
We made a Nutella cheesecake for the ward party. I did the decorating!
The desserts at the ward party. The struffeli (sp?) are next to our cheesecake.
With E
P-Day metro
A view from the park where we played zone frisbee in this morning
Pizza for P-Day.. this one is from Sorbillo .. the best from Napoli and they also have one in new York. Tomorrow we will retry the one from the place near our house which Sorella thinks is the best and I will have a better consensus for which is truly the best next week.
Gelato!
No comments:
Post a Comment