Sorella Gisseman: Week 44 -- Staying in Palermo

Hello! Wow -- me actually writing a weekly e-mail for the first time in a while. Basically long story short -- it's been hard. Who knew training is hard?! But we are good now and only half the trams work now in Palermo because vacations so we wait a lot.

1. How has your week been?

This week has been good! Lots of things happened and I really can't even remember all of them.

2. What made you smile this week?

On scambio we were in this BEAUTIFUL city named Monreale visiting a less active and we finished with the appointment and stopped to talk about it and this man comes up to us and is like "Sorelle!!" And were like, um, what... but turns out he is a member from the north and took us out to lunch. How sweet. First time in my mission!

3. What was the funnest thing that happened this week?

Funnest? Boh... but here is the story. So we end scambio and my companion had planned in the morning and hadn't planned anything for the last hour of the day and usually there aren't a lot of people outside and we were in a weird zone. The day before we watched a video during companion study about technology and one of the things they said is that they just pull up area book, find an address near them, and go. So we're like, sweet, let's do it. We go to this address and it is a mom and her son and they let us in and I'm like, ok, wow, cool. And then the son asks for a Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants and I'm like, um yeah -- can I ask why? And it turns out that he just likes to study so he tells us to wait and brings out a fat stack of books all by one author with a lot of wack doctrine (like little bits of truth ripped apart) and we are talking about it -- whatever -- and so then we are like, ok, it's been real but we got to go. And he is like, wait -- I want you to have this book. And I'm like, um, I can't read it during the mission so maybe after and he's like, yeah, yeah, take it. And then I ask if we can leave with a prayer and he is like no, he will not be apart of it. Takes the books and leaves. The mom is like yes, please pray. So we pray and leave and I am translating what happened for my companion. And basically she has had experience with like dark stuff because people around her got into it and her Dad used to have to bless the house all the time so she is like something wasn't right in there and so we talk about it and I'm like, no your right it wasn't right. We talk about it were kinda spooked but like definitely wasn't right. The spirit was not there and wasn't with us. She tells me earlier in the week she had an impression something would try to follow us home and so she has been locking the door at night (like double lock so don't worry mom) and so were like spooked. I low-key saw a figure going up the stairs like also power of suggestion but still, BUT we obviously pray before we go into the house and she commands for anything not of God to leave us and we both got full body chills. So not quite a South American missionary evil spirit story but the closest I've gotten. Yikes....

4. What scripture has been standing out to you lately?

CHARITY SUFFERETH LONG. I memorized it in Italian and recite it all the time. All the time. Thanks for the idea @Sorella ohran!

5. Potomac Crossing Ward wants to put up a missionary plaque for you -- what scripture would you like to have on it?

You will have to help me find this one because for some reason all English got deleted off my Gospel Library and the Bible doesn't exist there in Italian. Ok, but I found it in Italian -- it's Romans 1:15-16 rough translation is: I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are in Rome. For I do not shame in the gospel of Christ for it is the power of salvation unto every creature. (You can decide how many words to use). Um, how hype! Who else can use that one, am I right?

6. What have you learned about yourself lately?

That I get meat sweats. Ok. so I don't know if y'all know but ya girl is trying to be vegan minus meal appointments obviously and special occasions (like the 4th of July). So I haven't really been eating meat for a hot second and we don't have that many meal appointments. BUT on the 4th of July we had a big feast at district council and the Anziani brought hot dogs and for some unknown reason, probably patriotism, I decided to eat one. I needed to feel that connection with my roots, ya know. It WRECKED ME. We were walking home and I was in so much pain and sweating SO MUCH like yeah, it's not but dripping. So basically, yeah, meat sweats are real and my body doesn't process meat well anymore.

7. What was the best thing you ate this week?

We had a ward pranzo so there was lots of good food. My fave was a quiche. But fun gross food. They make this salad here in Sicily which is just meat salad and the meat is like the meat scraped off the skull and also the hooves. Tried a bite because a member brought me the fork, lol. It wasn't bad, just the thought of it was bad. Also there was another salad- insalata ingrachiata (dirty salad) LITERALLY JUST COLD FRENCH FRIES AND CHICKEN AND MOZZARELLA AND OLIVES. WHAT!?!?!?!?!?

8. Have you met your new mission president yet?

Yes!!! This week on Wednesday we got to meet the Smiths!!!! They are so cute. Much different than the Pickerds. I am very excited to work with them. Sister Smith talked to us a lot about love and it is just a theme that keeps coming up. Loving the people. Loving my comp. Loving everyone. Working on it. One thing I've been trying to do is just listen. And that's hard because sometimes everyone just wants to talk so much, especially Italians, but I've been really trying to just listen and talk when they want me to and try to understand their needs and love them even when they talk for 10 minutes about nothing.

9. How has someone showed love to you this week?

For this ward party the Relief Society literally made us all our own pan of pasta al forno and these eggplant things -- so cute and sweet.

10. Do you know how much I love you?

Yes

11. What is your favorite hymn right now?

America the Beautiful

Other good stories from the past few weeks

-Gave a man a Book of Mormon a while ago, came back, and he was in 3rd Nephi. We are teaching him now. He is almost done. Elect.
-Our two girls on baptism dates are progressing still. One asked for a blessing last night and they both have accepted the commandments with EASE.
-A less active member we have been working with has come to church for the past 4 weeks! And she bore her testimony!! Sometimes they just need someone to love and listen to them!!
-Another less active member texted us Saturday saying she wanted to come to church. And at the ward activity she was saying she wants to go to the temple. Yes!

That's all I can remember for now. We got transfer calls and we will stay for another in Palermo!!!!

Love you all

xoxoxoxox

Sorella Gisseman