I'll give you guys a little update of my week. We can start on last P-Day. What did we do? I can't remember, so I'll skip past that. OK, anyways, Tuesday we had District Council and then immediately after I went to Palermo. I went to the airport and took a plane to Rome and then I met up with Sorella S, my cutie companion from my eighth transfer, and then we flew to Palermo and the next day we did our permesso travel and then we flew home on Thursday. So I was gone a long time from my area this week but it was so fun. It was so fun to spend time with Sorella S and catch up with her. It's been three or four transfers so it was neat to see how much we've changed, how much we've grown, and then just...I don't know. I love Sorella S. Oh, one fun thing is that I, like, obviously took a Book of Mormon but I also took the My Family booklet because that's something that President wants us to be working on and I was, like, sweet! I have so much time in travel, how can I be effective? And so one thing is that I have to have this My Family booklet done before next zone conference (which is next week!) and so, guess what everyone? Well, mostly just Grandma's side of the family -- I need stories of Grandma Cherril, Grandpa Dan, also Mom and Dad, and also in Family Search the information about living relatives I don't have, so I don't have marriage dates of Grandma Cherril, Grandma and Papa, Oma and Opa. I don't have their birth places or birth dates of those people either -- anyone that's living or deceased but married to a living person, I don't have those. So if everyone could send me that information that would be great because I need it.
Anyway, I started working on this booklet and I just, like, use it as an opportunity to start a conversation with people, to ask them to help me, like "How do you say 'my grandfather was drafted? How do you say that when someone has to go to war, when they have to participate in the military in a time of war?'" and then they explain it to me and I started some really cool conversations that way. I talked to this guy on the entire plane ride from Rome to Palermo, just talking about faith and it was really cool. He was a doctor, a really successful doctor, and he was talking about how he is always so busy and he doesn't know if he's put his time in the right places and we were just able to talk about that and I kind of asked him, "If you could change anything, would you?" And he had to think about it and I was able to bear testimony of, like, obviously we're always going to have hard commitments that we have to fulfill in life and things we have to do, but we are promised that if we put God first everything will go well and I was trying to tell him that, like, even though he has made these decisions and maybe they're right and maybe they're wrong, but if he puts God first he will have that peace and he won't have to worry about it. And it was really cool. And it's silly cutie because it all started from me just completing My Family booklet. That's another thing I worked on a lot while I was gone -- this My Family booklet and I love reading all the stories! Especially because Oma and Opa have written up bios for their parents and they were just so fun to read, and it's crazy how much love I feel for these people that I don't even know and that I'm so excited to meet one day!
So, reminder -- if everyone can send me family stories, especially about Granddad and Marie, and Grandmother, and Grandma Cherril and Grandpa Dan, and all of the important dates for them..... Also Oma and Opa, and Mama and Daddy, and everyone's birth dates and marriage dates and any fun stories, too. Also, Mama, I was looking at pictures and you look so much like Marie -- I saw this picture and I was like, oh my gosh, she looks so much like Marie! And also I was looking at pictures and it was interesting because, like, I'm pretty sure young Papa looks like Christopher and, like, Daddy looks like Oma's Dad, and Oma kinda looks like her Mom. And I feel like Angie looked a little like Enid Trumbo, and so it's cool to see all these things but I don't look like anyone!
Anyways, Palermo. So we got in and I ate this amazing place and then we went home and we were able to be there as a support for the sorrellae, which was really cool. And then the next day we went to the permesso office which they've changed since I've been there. Before I would go there and they'd be like, "hey, what's up?" They would recognize me because I was there so often taking people for their permessos. But they have changed everything and so you have to wait outside a gate, you can't enter the facility. They call names and everyone is gathered around the gate to see whose name they call. It's a mess! And then you get in and they metal detect you! But I was able to get my permesso and it literally expires on March 20 and I'm like, are you kidding me??? So that means that I won't be able to reenter the country before 3 months after that, so it's a good thing that we're touring then.
What else...... We finished our permesso and then we got to see so many people and it was so awesome! I was kind of, like, we're going to have so many hours, what are we going to do? But we went and got lunch and then we were able to go see A, a less active I worked with who came back to church when I was there but she's been struggling a little bit because her daughter moved back to Palermo and so she felt like she needed to spend time with her daughter and she's one who just knows but forgets sometimes, like other things come first but she knows. She said she had been praying for sorellae to come because she doesn't get visits, and she just needs to be called out sometimes! We were able to go and she said she had been praying for sorellae to come and she promised she would be in church on the 22nd (I made everyone promise they would be in church on the 22nd!) because we'll be there. She said yes, of course I'll be there ! I'll be there every week until then. She just needed some...I don't know...it's just incredible, the fact that we were able to be together and to go since they hadn't visited a lot of the people we had been visiting. Also, then we went to go see L who is having such a hard time. But she came back to church when I was there and she's still coming to church so that's awesome. She is just having such a hard time but we were able to go be with her for a little bit and help her out with some things, and then we went to F and E (the ones who made the African dresses) and no missionaries have been there since I left! They said they felt abandoned, and I was like, oh my gosh! So it was cool that we were able to see all those people. And then we went and visited D who is doing really well and her husband is back so it was super fun. And also our ward mission leader who is incredible and his wife just went inactive and we stopped by his shop and told him we were thinking of him and praying for him and you could just see how heavy it was for him. It was so fun for us because we got to see all these people that we loved so much, but they also needed us and it was so cool that even though you're on permesso travel, we did get to be God's hands. Yea!
So then we came back. I, of course, ate a gelato while I was in Palermo -- it was SO good. Then we came back. And I was so tired when we got home. I got taken to the J's house and I hadn't eaten all day and they're like, here's some stuff (this stuff that Anziano J makes, it's yogurt and fruit and granola) and then we went home and I was like, I need real food, too! And I was so tired. We go home and we eat and then we go straight out to Torani (?) to do our English course and it was so fun! The owners are so nice, they gave us water and said "someone wanted to give you this cake!" and we were, like, what?!?!? So we're teaching English group in this bar and it's really fun but it's also kind of hard because we have a lot of levels and we only have one course, and we're also trying to start using this new English Connect program and so it's kind of tricky, especially to do that in a bar. And so we'll see how it keeps going. But I'm super excited about it and we have like four or five students, and we've had people text us and say they want to reserve a place. And then we went home. That was Thursday.
Then on Friday I can't remember...I'm tired. Oh, we got to go so F, a less active who is Italian and so no one else came so we just got to talk to her about all these different things for the whole time and just, like, our spiritual thought was really good and really powerful. And it was really cutie! I shared an experience we read in 1 Nephi 17:13-14 (I think) and it says, like, when you reach the land of promise you will know that it was by me (God) that you have been led. And we kind of talked about that and how he promises us in the verse before that, if we're obedient, he will prosper us. And we just talked about that idea, that when we're delivered from our affliction that we'll know that it's by Him that we have been led, that when we reach our destination, when we overcome something, we know that it's by Him that we were led. And I just shared an experience with her and, and we were planning that night so we had companion inventory and Sorella N was like, "I looked up at you when you were sharing that and I was just, like, Wow! What a powerful missionary!" and we just literally in that moment looked at each other and just cried. Like, we didn't actually cry but we were both welling up with tears. I just love my companion! That was cool.
On Saturday we did a bunch of things. These are just things I remember -- I'm so tired right now -- but this is such a miracle! So S and D are the ones who came to church last week and they are super awesome and they invited us over on Saturday. We went over at like 6:00, they picked us up and we went to their house and we sat down, and they have a piano and so they're like, does anyone play? And Sorella N plays really well so she went over and played a little bit, and then he's like, we broke the ice. What's the difference between your church and my church, the Catholic church? And we're like, "Well, this is actually what we talk about as missionaries. We teach these lessons and explain. We would love to teach this lesson." It was kind of an awkward silence and they were like, what? And I said, "Is it ok if we start with a prayer?" and so I said the prayer and then we started teaching the restoration and it went so well. And, like, they had so many questions -- good questions, too -- and just curious questions also. Like there's this weird tax thing in Italy that you give money to a church. And they were, like, "When I become part of your church do I change that?" and we said yes. Questions like that. And also, I don't know...it was just super awesome. It was just incredible because we were able to teach it in such a natural way. And for me, I just feel like....I don't know....this message -- they say like "match this message, become this message" -- and in that lesson I was just, this IS a part of me, this is so integrally who I am. This story, it's just so integral into who I am and how I think and I can't be without it, you know? It IS who I am. And I feel that and I know that other people can see that, they tell me it, you know? And I'm just so grateful for that. Anyways, we taught them and ate with them and it was so good. And they were "You're just our daughters, we love you so much!" They're just so cutie!
So the next day would be church and we were, like, yeah, we'll be there, and he said "I'll wear a white shirt. I didn't know I was supposed to wear a white shirt but I'll wear a white shirt and a tie, why didn't you tell me before?" and we're like, oh my gosh! They dressed really nice for church, too. We expected them for church but they didn't come. We thought they were coming, we thought they were coming, but they didn't come. So we checked our phone and they had texted us and he's like, "Hey sorellae, we're so sorry we weren't able to come. Something strange and incredible happened!" We had even talked about this the night before, because they asked us what time we woke up and we asked what time they wake up and they said like 6:00, 6:30, we can't sleep past it. And so in the text they said "For the first time in years we were able to sleep in until 9:00!" and we felt like, dang it! We're really happy for you but dang it! And so he said "Next week we'll set the clock." Then he texted us that same day and said, "I have the Book of Mormon in my hands right now and I want to understand this. I need your help understanding this." And we were like, yes!! They are so miracles and we are so excited about them.
Let's see....any other highlights...? I think those are the main highlights. So we're starting a new transfer. Today we went sightseeing in this cutie little city with these weird little houses. They're really cute. It's basically just a bunch of little huts with artisan shops. So cute. And it was super fun. We went with our sorellae and the sorellae from another area. Also, cutie Sorella B (my bambino) is going to my birth city, Pozzuoli! I think I already told you I'm getting Sorella T....? So we got transfer calls, I'm getting Sorella T who is my mission BFF -- are you kidding me?!?! I'm super excited. Also I'm doing a lot better this week. I think sometimes I just get stuck in this spiral and I just need to be shaken out of it and once I get shaken out of it I'm fine. And so I think I'm shaken out of it and it's fine. One thing that I would say is hard for me, you could say, is the balance between expectations and...I don't know. I've been really working on not having these expectations for myself but then I feel like I'm not being as effective, and I don't even know if that's true but it's just something that is a thing. But I'm working on that. And yeah, that's basically where we're at. And this was 20 minutes so I can sign off, sounds about right!
I love you all so much and I will talk to you soon. Girls and boys, we are about to enter the last six weeks! Crazy, right?! You know what that means? You better get ready for me to come home and you all better remember me! PLEASE WRITE TO ME! SHOW ME SOME LOVE!!!!
Ciao, ciao!!
This is F -- she helps us with our Italian
Sea glass!
Lunch!
Panelle Croquette
With L!
Can't go to Palermo and not get gelato!
Kinder Eggs but not transfer predictions
Alberobello
Comp item part 8
With E and F!
Waiting outside the gate for three hours for permesso
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