Sorella Gisseman: Week 33 -- Palermo

What's up?! Coming at you live from PALERMO. So basically just the other side of Sicily. This city is pretty lit -- definitely will have to come here for the post-mission giro. It's beautiful and there is literally soooo much to see, so much history, and also a lot of trash but I mean hey, what can you do?

I wanted to first do a little wrap up of my transfer in Catania. So a few last week blown in (both of us coming in new to the area together) open up (opening a new area) and then one and done transfer miracles. OK, so this past week it wasn't like I had a ton of people to salute, so we just had normal missionary work to do. I'm literally still sad I had to leave Sorella D -- she is literally THE BEST but that's okay. When I got the call I was honestly pretty sad and a little discouraged because I felt like I hadn't really done any good for Catania yet, but then we had a pretty lit week. Anyways, long story short, I was able to see somethings that we had actually made happen in that transfer nonostante (despite) we didn't have a phone for a week and I was in Napoli for like 3 days and we were opening up a new companionship.

1. This week we had our second meeting with this man named F. He is a super sweet man but a man and that is never a good thing so obviously we always pass them off, but we wanted to make sure he was ready. He has lots of questions and we really hope he actually wants to learn but you never know, so we planned for this lesson to tell him that next time we would meet with the anziani and do a pass off. So we meet with him after a wack morning of finding (some guy selling bracelets was talking to us about Mary and the lineage of Jesus but he didn't really speak Italian and was using some interesting hand gestures). So we meet with F and we are like, ok, we want to finish teaching the story of how our church started, and then he asks the question, ok, but how does someone do this percorso like to become a member of your church, basically. And we explain the gospel of Jesus Christ and how we have the missionaries (but missionari like masculine but also if a group is both male and female you use masculine so we were kind of just talking about missionaries in general), that teach the lessons to help people through this percorso. And he straight up is like I want to meet with the Anziani. Like before we even ask or do anything. And the best part is that the way he was found is that I made a joke to him while we were crossing the street about how I wait for Italians. And he didn't really want to take the Book of Mormon or anything, because he has studied with other groups in the past and says he never does the reading but he said it's different now and he is actually reading!!!! WOW

OK, that was my favorite story so know the others like aren't as good so we can just bullet point

-K is a less active member that I literally found on a bus. We have been meeting with her and she really needs the missionaries right now and her husband I think has potential and just crazy because she has completely slipped through the cracks in the ward and we found her on a bus. Miracle.

-And then, like, one other super cute lady who I met on scambio on the metro who literally asks us for passages in the Book of Mormon. Lit.

-The just fun things in our last days together -- the last person we talked to in the park named L asked US to exchange numbers and then we saw her the next day. Lit.

-Getting the last bomba of the transfer and a girl starts talking to us, we teach her the restoration, she gives us a cookie that her nonna made and wants to meet. Blessed.

OK, now just a lil about Palermo:

-So we have an African branch here so for Easter we got to eat lunch with them after church. It was so cute. The culture is very different, so its kind of like a different kind of missionary work but we will figure it out. Luckily my companion has been here for 3 transfers so she understands it. A slight goal is to learn pidgeon (sp?).

-Two cute lil miracles -- PEOPLE HAVE ACTUALLY LET US HELP THEM CARRY THEIR BAGS! I remember when I was with Sorella SI think she literally said that no one has ever let her serve them and we have 2, one told us to come back to her house whenever we want and has a cousin in the UK who is a member, and the other asked us where our church is and we are going over there tonight at 18.30. Lit.

1. How was your journey to Palermo? Were you the only missionary traveling there?

It was good! I was with 2 other missionaries!!

2. How is your new companion and your apartment?

Cute and new!! We just moved into a new apartment so that's nice but its still a diasaster so that's not. But we are

slowly but surely cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. My comp is Sorella E, she is 1 transfer younger than me, also ginger,

and has been in Palermo now for 4 transfers,

3. How was the branch/ward today?

Our Italian ward - it was 9.20 and the ward starts at 9.30 and no members except for the 2nd counselor had

showed up... but overall cute. It's hard because half the ward is technically in bagheria, a nearby area, and there

are missionaries there now that just got blown in opened up so I still don't know what ward members are mine!

Then our African branch is so cute. Like so cute. We had lunch with them after.

4. What do you like about Palermo so far?

I ate a cannolo and it was pretty good. Also the people are really nice. Like on the train you can talk to anyone.

They might not be interested but you can easily start conversations so that's good.

5. Have you tried any new foods this week?

Brioche with gelato inside from briosha, and the a real Palermo cannolo.

6. How did someone show you love this week?

Sorella D was just the cutest to me the whole time I was packing and leaving and making sure I wasn't too

stressed. I miss her. RIP

7. Tell me about your funnest and happiest moments this week.

OK, so I explained a little -- this lady named D let us help her with these bags and then invited us in, gave us

snacks, of course, and it was just a tender mercy for the end of the night and a good start to a transfer.

8. Do they speak regular Italian in Palermo, or a different dialect/language?

No one in the south speaks only Italian unfortunately. They speak a different dialect, even then Catania which

is only like 3 hours away.

9. Do you know how much I love you?

Always

10. What stood out to you in your studies this week?

One thing that I studied a lot was the resurrection (with Easter), because the application of the atonement I

study frequently because like I need it every moment, but the resurrection I just kind of push off to the side.

But one thing I read in the Bible Dictionary is that 'to obtain a resurrection with a celestial, exalted body is the

center point of hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ'. And like, wow, it's so true. Also, fun fact, I read that and

other things Easter morning and then we got invited to go up and bear our testimonies and I just like went off

about resurrection and the glories of resurrection. Hope it made sense (but like another baby miracle that I feel

like my language is good enough to even try to attempt that).

OK, a cute thing that is in Palermo is this market called Bellaro and literally just fresh fruits and veggies and

everything for so cheap. I bought 3 kili of oranges, 1 of apples, 4 peppers, garlic, 2 onions, celery, and strawberries

for like 6 euro!!! We love that so we are trying to get back on the Whole 30 path. I am planning on making a

ragu this week. Maybe I can make you all a cute how to video because it's like so good and so worth it and will

work so well with Whole 30.

LOVE YOU ALL

xoxoxoxo

Sorella Gisseman

I wrote my name next to my "Mom's" name

Saying goodbye at the train station...

We have been trying to eat at this place called Crisperlerria for like a while but it was closed
but we finally made it and the thing we wanted wasn't even ready yet but they gave it to us
for free so like that's good.