Sorella Gisseman: Week 27 -- Temple Dedication and Catania!

NOTE: Brie's e-mail address has changed to brienna.gisseman@missionary.org. Please note the changed e-mail address and keep sending her e-mails! She loves hearing from everyone!

So today we are in the church (my first P-Day ever in a church and using a computer to write emails), so maybe this will be a better email. Let's be honestly, though -- probably not. Also I am using an Italian keyboard stay tuned.

So on Monday we got our transfer calls (I had already started packing, lol), and I was super excited to being GOING TO SICILIA!!! But we had lots and lots and lots to do. We got to salute a few people (K., what a cutie, gave me a random baby angel statue.. love that; E. didn't respond to the text but messaged me on FB; I talked to M. on the phone; and I got to bear a little peace out testimony to English group). All cute things. Since we had found a lot of people the past week we needed to have lots of appointments but we also had lots to do. Yikes. So the whole week was spent packing and doing all the things that we had to. I honestly can't even remember everything because it feels like it was years ago. BUT anyways, so I packed up and peaced out and hopped on the train to go to Sicilia! Maria from English class gave me some cute treats so I shared them with the missionaries that were on the train with me when we were on the ferry part going to Sicilia!!!! So cute!!! I also talked to this man who said that Jesus went to India when he was 13 and he wanted to send me the book, so I said, "Hey have you heard about Jesus visiting the Americas after the resurrection?" and he said no and I said, Hey, I have a book for you, too!!!" LOL

I got to Catania, had English course...it's a little crazy, lol. Then the next day we literally have no work and no phone and basically are just stranded in the city with no directions or maps so that's good so we just booped around and found a little, and then that's basically all we have been doing the whole time because, like I said, we have no work and we don't have a phone to set up appointments with returning members or anything...so, yeah, any time we have we just go finding which is all the time because we have zero people that we are teaching. I was doing so well about managing the stress but it's starting to take me over only because no one knows anything and everything is inefficient right now and it's ok...please pray for me.

On the up side, after English course we were super hangry and the other sorelle in our apartment went and got us bombe (like a giant donut filled with stuff but like FILLED with stuff, whether pistachio or Nutella or crema or something I don't really know) and arancini and that was so sweet of them! Also the place that sells all that is SO CLOSE to our house it's dangerous. Uh oh! ALSO my companion is INCREDIBLE like in every way. Wow. And she is very patient with my Italian and we play off each other's strengths. Like I am good (like not good but I know how to do it but it's still super awkward) at street finding and she is super good at being smooth and natural and metro finding. I am excited for that aspect of this transfer. Stay tuned to see how much we SYL (because she is Italian), because we basically have been speaking Italian all the time.

Today we went to a castle. Catania is beautfiulllllllll. Apparently they haven't been doing fun P-Days here like we did in Pozzuoli but I am about to change that. Stay tuned!!!

Okay, TEMPLE THINGS!!!!

1. We got to watch President Nelson's devotional to the youth and it was so good! Also a cute thing is that one of our APs is the grandson of President Ballard and so President Ballard said, "and now my voice" and waved for him to come up and Anziano H got to translate for him!! It was really cute. Some interesting things from that one is that Sister Nelson talked really in detail about the process for President Nelson to receive revelation and something I have been thinking about a lot is how truly we are living in the FULNESS of the dispensation of times and revelation is HAPPENING NOW!! GOD IS SPEAKING!!! In relation to the 9th Article of Faith, he will yet reveal many great and important things.

2. Temple dedication!!! We got to do two sessions in the Catania chapel (also the Catania chapel is so beautiful) and it was really cool. For one of President Nelson's talks he talked about the timeline of the church in Italy and these saints are just incredible. That's all I have to say. They are all so cute and candid. Also all 12 apostles and the first presidency is HERE in ITALY, out of America, for the first time in HISTORY! So cool. Elder Rasband talked about the dream of Ezekiel and how there was a river flowing out of the temple and this represents the blessings and the healing power of the temple. (And it's incredible because there is a river-like water fountain going from the temple to the visitor's center here) and something he said was how the healing power of the temple has the power to mend broken families here. And I just thought of how many part member families there are here and if the members take advantage of the temple, I just felt so strongly that their families will be mended. My tip is, if you are not going to the temple regularly DO IT. IT WILL BLESS YOUR LIFE!!!!

Also questions...

1. How did you get to your new area? Train? Plane? Ferry boat? Car?

Train!! And then the train gets on the ferry but you can go above.

2. What is your apartment like?

Interesting. I'll be sure to send a video. The sorelle we share the apartment with did a great job getting things ready for us. And there is a family downstairs so in our part of the house we cannot make noise or even walk loudly before 8:30. We have already gotten complaints.

3. How is your new companion?

INCREDIBLE.

4. Have you had a chance to meet any of the members in your area yet? How are they?

A little but not really because it was the temple dedication! We did have a pranzo with a member couple from the base and she is from Puerto Rico and the food was SO GOOD.

5. How was the temple dedication??????????????? Are the members there so excited about the temple?

Incredible!!! I don't know about the members since we don't know them yet.

6. What are the handkerchiefs like that you made for the temple dedication?

They are embroidered and then we sewed lace.

7. What's the weather been like in Catania so far?

Beautiful. No need for tights. I wore them today and then took them off because it was too hot (at night a little less obviously).

8. Do you need me to send you more Dramamine? (I bet the elders were so grateful you had Dramamine with you and they were probably very sorry they teased you!!)

No! I have more.

9. What did you do for P-Day today?

Saw a castle thing and ate and that's it

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

Eating a bombe.

11. What was the highlight of your week?

The youth temple devotional.

12. What did you learn or what stood out to you in your studies this week?

I've really been studying finding because it's all there is right now. I need Paula's email again because I never emailed her but I need more info about her story because it's incredible and I didn't realize it until now.

13. Was it hard to leave Pozzuoli?

I was excited to leave...I have to go back to do travel/residency paperwork , i have to go back for permesso travel and I think THAT will be hard to leave that time.

14. Have you tried any new or different foods this week?

Yes! Bombe, arancini, still not a cannolo, stay tuned.

15. How did someone show love to you this week?

The sorelle getting things ready for us and getting us food when we first got here.

16. Do they speak an entirely different language in Sicily/Catania?

I haven't heard siciliano yet.

17. Do you know how much I love you?

Yes.

18. What can we pray for specifically for you, your companion, and your new area?

All the prayers!

19. What have you learned about yourself in the last few weeks?

I have grown a lot and definitely have a lot still to go. One fun thing, though -- my goal this transfer is self-discipline and it's been so much better already in this area. Stay tuned.

Love you all! Please pray so hard for us! We need all the prayers.

Sorella Gisseman

A carnival....