Two Missionaries, One Purpose: Roma 3: Nuovi ed entusiasmanti inizi

I’m now in Italy! The real work has begun! My flights were delayed by like 6 hours, but I got there in the end!!! I was one of the lucky ones who arrived with all of my luggage :):):) Our delay was so ridiculous BUT we got there eventually. The good part about our delay at Heathrow was that I was able to share with my zone some of my favourite English snacks that I had been craving for 6 weeks!!!!! Hahaha. I was a bit popular that day! (it was soo good to have a galaxy ripple or 2 once again haha!!!)

When we arrived in Rome, they drove us past the temple!! (ITS HUGE) bigger than I expected! But because it was so late we didn’t get the traditional photograph stood outside it! ANY way we went to the mission home and ate, got interviewed by Pres. Waddoups and had our Golden Envelope which told us of our area and trainer!

I opened mine and it saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaid:

Roma 3 : Sorella Perkins!

Okay soooooooooooooooooo, I’m in Rome 3 (one of the roughest areas in the mission) BUT I’m a missionary so I’ll be protected, prayers for protection would defs be appreciated. BUT I have a really good trainer and she has told me where to avoid and like I said I’m a missionary and president knows what he’s doing!! Beth Arnold served here last transfer (when there used to be 4 Sorelle and 4 Anziani)... now there’s just 2 Sorelle and 4 Anziani (one Anziani was with my group in the MTC, so I know him, so that’s cool!!!)

Our apartment is a good size!!! It used to house 4 Sorelle! The "chapel" we meet in is an old prison, literally! hahaha its super interesting!!

We teach people who live in mouldy garages and abandoned building. NOT how I thought a mission in Rome would be like, but the people here are so great (members and those we are teaching) Oh yeah, my companion goes home after this transfer so I’ll deffs get a new companion after this transfer which is sad!| She’s awesome, she’s from Austrailia! She is so, so, cool! As this is her last transfer before she goes home I’m a bit sad about it. BUT she’s real cool and I’m excited essere qui! (to be here).

So on my first day here we taught English class, it was a pretty full class! It’s so cool and funny hearing Italians trying to speak English, I imagine they feel the same when I attempt Italian hahaha!

Yesterday I had my 1st Sunday in Chiesa (church) and had to share my testimony in Italian... SCARY! It went well though! I shared my testimony in sacrament meeting... I had it all written out.... then 2 new Anziani went up before me to bare their testimonies (But with NO paper) so how could I embarrass myself and take paper up? Soooooo I went without any notes AND I WAS FINE! I even impressed myself as mine was the longest too haha! crazy!!

We also taught a lady... the story about her is so so cool! Sorella Perkins (my collega) and Sorella Vickers (her ex collega) had a rough week one week and prayed that day to find someone ready for baptism. They went to a less active to drop something off for him but he wasn’t home. So they dropped it off with their neighbour..... WHO turned out to be SO ready for the gospel! They taught her 1st lesson that day, she came to church yesterday and LOVED it!!! And during church she actually turned to Sorella Perkins and said "I can’t wait to get baptised"!!!!!!!!
We taught her after church and also set a baptism date for her, she is just so ready and excited about it! Her name is V! She’s awesome!!!! We love her!!

Life here is VERY different to how I expected, it is a really interesting area with a lot of less actives and a lot of investigators also!! The people are great here!! I love being a missionary here, I know that I’m meant to be here!

Teaching the Gospel, it's what it's all about!

Happy to be in Rome

Well I can now say that I have had my 1^st real Italian pizza and gelato! Also I get to go and explore real Rome today which I’m super excited about!!