Where are you Christmas?

It’s been a mixed fortnight …

 

P-Day Grocery Shop - One for me or One to share?

So, week one, after P-Day on Monday we held an FHE with the Maccione family!!!! THEY ARE SO CUTE!!! It went really well! :)

On Tuesday we had DDM and started advertising for the Smettere di Fumare program we are starting up (stop smoking in 7 days program ran by the church...). Sorella Nagliati and myself will run it and so I’m hoping it goes well and maybe we can get some potentials from it!!

OH a funny story about that... we made the biglittinis for it (handouts) and left them for the man at the internet shop to print and copy them, so we could pick them up the next day... ANYWAYS when we got there to pick them up, he had edited them and stuck a picture of Jesus (Catholic picture) next to the red line through the cigarette picture and he said 'I change it a bit cause I think you like this' …he was dead serious ahhaha!! And we were like “errrrrrrrrm we'll stick with the original!”  Haha IT WAS SO FUNNYYYYYYYYY!

ALSO, this week we started RUNNING in the morning for exercise time because our neighbour gets soooooooooooooooo mad when we make noise before 8am! OOPS! haha

On Wednesday the STLs came for an exchange. IT WAS SO FUN!! They are super sweet!!! Sorella Marsh and Sorella Clyde!!! (love them!!) :):) So, I went in the morning with Sorella Clyde and we went to Ghizlanes house (we teach her English and leave her with a spiritual thought). This time we just showed her the 'grazie e lui - because of him' the Mormon Message video! and her husband was there too for the spiritual thought with their 2 year old son.  It was SO! So! good!!!! Before I left the apartment for the appointment I felt prompted to bring a 'piano di salvezza' pamphlet with me. (no idea why but I just did). At the end of our appointment he started asking about what happens when we die?  So we discussed that with him, then I pulled out the pamphlet all chuffed with myself hahaha! We left them with the commitment to read and pray about it!!! IT WAS AWESOOOOOOOME! We shall continue to follow up with them :):)

In the afternoon I was working with Sorella Marsh - we did loads of finding!!! We found this really cool lady... she was smoking and we did a sondaggio (question thing). So we asked her ' how many times have you smiled today?' and she said 'about 5' and we asked why? She said she has a daughter and sooooooooooo then we do what missionaries do best and linked it to the gospel and spoke to her about the family!! :) She seemed super interested and told us she would love for us to meet with her to hear more. She told us she is an atheist but just because nothing has given her reason to believe or she hasn’t yet found a philosophy that seems right to her and she said 'maybe this is it?' so WE HAVE SUPER HIGH HOPES FOR HER!!! :) 

And while I was doing this, Sorella Nagliati went to a family that have never been taught, but were in the area book! She said it went AMAZINGLY and we are hoping to see them this week too!!! So we have VERY high hopes!!!!!

Thursday was the usual... lots of finding and advertising. We had an appointment with a member, but she cancelled on us... then we went to the chapel for English course and I played the piano for a bit, while a YSA was on the guitar!! It was really cool :) then on the way home on the bus with the Anziani the CRAZY MAN WAS ON THE BUS!!!! Soooo, we have a local crazy man that everybody knows hahahahahah and he was talking to us (more like shouting hahaha bless him) and he offered us chocolate and stuff ... and he kept giving it to Sorella Nagliati and then he wanted to give her almonds and she was like 'I’m allergic' hahahahahha and he said “NO, NO, NO, TAKE, TAKE!” Hahahahahahhaha it was hil!!! He then started singing and shouting and calling us beautiful and crazy stuff. It was so funny! But we were so glad the Anziani were with us though!!!!

When we got home on the night, we found the apartment in total darkness, we had no power!!!!!!!! When we woke up in the morning we still had no power hahaha!! So, I asked the man next door and he fixed it for us.... it was super strange (because that’s the 2nd time our power has messed up! Sorella Nagliati thinks it’s our neighbour who live in the apartment beneath us…(the one that gets mad at us) hahahaha, so it’s a mystery, but I think it’s hilarious!

Then on Friday we went to Belinda’s house. We went to help her make art things for her daughter. We made Arty Christmas things for her :)  THEN!!! A MIRACLE MOMENT! One of our investigators that we had fasted for, so that he could find a job before January, so he could get a house! WELLLLLLL HE CALLED US THIS WEEK TO TELL US HE HAS A JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How amazing is that!!??????????????? We are SO SO SO HAPPY!!! We just hope he realizes that it was an answer to his prayer and not just coincidence!!!!!

Then on Saturday the Ascoli Anziani and Pescara Anziani had baptisms and I was asked do to a musical number for the baptisms! I did 'If the Saviour stood beside me' and 'Saviour Redeemer of my Soul'. The baptisms were beautiful!! :)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND WE GOT OUR TRANSFER CALLS!!!!! Sorella Nagliati and myself are both STAYING IN PESCARA FOR CHRISTMAS YEYYYYYYYY!!!! :):):):):) Anziano Mika is moving... and Anziano Woolsey goes home.... So MY PREDICTION WAS RIGHT. Anziani DUFFIN AND LURSCHOUR (if that’s how you spell it) ARE TRAINING!!!!!!! That means our ward are getting 2 new greenies, so I will not be the newest missionary anymore :S !!!!! eeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!!! Super excited though!!! Also Anziano Robi (DL) is moving to Sicillia to be ZL and we are getting a new Anziano (the one Ammon knows from EFY... I can’t remember his name, but he came in with me!) And Anz Molner (our German anz) will be our new DL! So a lot of changes within the district!!! But we are super excited!!! :)

The District Before Transfers - Not sure why Sorella Nagilat and myself are so far from the Anziani

The District - Post Transfers

So, week two of this fortnight has been AH-MAY-ZINGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!

On Tuesday, WE HAD A LESSON WITH an Investigator, who dropped us a few weeks ago, but he requested to see us again J So we figured that we would go all the way back to the start and reteach The Restoration. Ensuring that we focus on the basics, A Belief in God, Jesus Christ and a Belief that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God. So we asked him the grand question of ?Do you believe that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God?' (with the assumption that he would say yes, so we could then explain… well ... 'if you have a testimony of that, then you know that this is Christ’s gospel, and that prophets receive revelation from Prophets, and the Word of Wisdom is inspired revelation etc etc. BUT he pulled a bombshell out on us. He isn’t sure about Joseph Smith. SO unfortunately our lesson plan didn’t entirely work out, but it was a good job we were prepared for it! We spoke about receiving revelation and answers to prayers… and feelings of the Spirit! We shared a few talks from apostles and prophets and shared our personal experiences. Sorella Nagliati spoke about how she came to know that the Book of Mormon was true and I spoke about how I came to know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet. After that, we re-invited him to baptism AND HE ACCEPTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, we are praying so hard that he recognises when he receives his answer from Heavenly Father about Joseph Smith. So, if all goes well he will get baptised on the 10th January! :D SO EXCITED! The spirit was so strong in that lesson and we were just SO HAPPY.

Then at our English course the topic we were teaching was 'At the Restaurant', it was hilarious, as per-usual! And then we got them to practise Jingle Bells (the English course students are supposed to be singing Jingle Bells in English for our ward activity this Saturday. It’s gonna be HILARIOUUUUS! :) Then I did a spiritual thought about prayer and one of the guys who attend, PRAYED!!!!!!! And it was a really cute prayer!! :)

ALSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Another fasting miracle!!!!! So, at the beginning of last transfer Mom and Dad joined Sorella Naglaiti and myself in fasting, so that we would find a family.  So, for a while the work was slow, none of our simps (investigators) were progressing and we just had a really tough time in general!!! WELL.......  WE HAVE FOUND THIS AMAZING FAMILY!!!! The Mom is called Monica. Her husband is called Danilo and her daughter is called Odeght! :) She is Peruvian and the husband Italian! The daughter is 11! THEY ARE GOLDEN!!! We found them doing area book finding! They were never simps, just potentials and we did a getting to know them (lesson 0) and they gave us dinner and yesterday we taught the Restoration and invited them to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and before we could even invite them, he asked for the Book of Mormon and told us he is going to read it and that “it’s the best gift we could have given” them!! We gave one in Spanish for Monica too! She speaks perfect Italian but it’s easier for her to understand in Spanish!!! SO YESTERDAY WAS AMAZING!!... and they fed us!!! Lasagne ! It was lushlushlush!!! :):):):):):):)

Then on Saturday we had a lesson with Jenny. We showed her the Restoration video in Tagalog and then spoke a mix of English and Italian with her! We brought a member with us and she was AMAZING! Sorella Salvatore... I LOVE THAT WOMAN!!!  Jenny cried when we watched the video and told us something deeply touched her heart!!!! SO WE ARE SO SO SO SO EXCITED RIGHT NOW!!!! The Lord really does answer prayers and I have SUCH a strong testimony of fasting!! Especially since being on a mission!!

My Missionary Planner - All Festive

I LOVE BEING HERE!

SO! funny stories of the week.... about our crazy neighbours....(who live in the apartment below us) and he HATES noise. He even wrote a really rude letter to the previous Sisters. As I mentioned earlier, we can’t exercise in the apartment because of him, so we go outside jogging but it’s recently turned so cold! :(:( anyways! On Thursday I was in a super happy mood hahahaha and I was singing 'Where are you Christmas?' in the shower .. full works, with my “hoo face”  I pull and everything in a squeaky American accent (From the Grinch)... hahahahahhaahhahaha and when I got out the shower I heard this horrific noise and I thought it was Sorella Nagliati taking the mick,,,, but when I asked her she was like 'errrrrrr no?' then!!!! The doorbell rang.... it was our neighbours GF saying 'DO YOU HAVE TO SING EVERY MORNING TO WAKE US UP!!!!!?????? WE CAN’T CALL ETTOR BOSCO (ward mission leader) EVERY TIME THIS HAPPENS, SO WE ARE CALLING THE POLICE AND YOUR LANDLORD!!' so we were like errrrrrrrrrrrr uh oh!! and Sorella Nagliati was liiiike 'SORELLA I TOLD YOU, YOU CANT MAKE NOISE!!!' and I was like 'woops' and we were super scared the police would come or something.... but they never did! I think they were all talk and no action but now I think it’s hilarious ahahhaa!!!  I thought I was so funny... but our neighbour didn’t…oops"! We since figured that it must have been our neighbour making all that noise to take the mick hahahahha!

Another interesting story!

So, as we were waiting for Sorella Salvatore at the train station to pick us up to go to Jenny’s lesson, this guy across the road was smiling at us.... but I was getting really creeped out, so I told Sorella Nagliati... and she was like 'ha, weird!' Then the guy came over to us with an old man and the old man says 'hey, do you ladies know the price of silver right now?' and we were like 'errrrrrr... no?' and he was like 'oh, that’s a shame.... anyway this young man here wants to get to know you more...' then the old man walked off. We were like errrrrrrrrrrm hahaha 'ciao!' So he started asking us all these questions like where we were from etc! So we told him “we are missionaries” and gave him a pass along card... and he asked 'Is this your number?' and we were like 'yeah....' and he said 'and if I come to this address, you will be here?' (church address) and we were like 'yeah on Sunday 9-12' and he was like ok, ciao! SO WEIRRRRRRRRRRRD HAHAHAHAH, BUT SO FUNNY!

So, ‘The Stop Smoking’ course was a flop. Literally, no one turned up, but because we have advertised it we have to go for at least 2 more weeks, then we can forget about the whole thing.. awkward!

We have done pretty well this week with Dinner Appointments too! Yesterday.... we had lunch with the Colella family then with OUR NEW SIMPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It felt so good to say this week when we reported to our DL that we have '3 NEW SIMPS!!!!!' he was super excited for us!! Anziano Molner is GREAT!!!!!

Now on a spiritual note… when we were at the Colella’s house, our spiritual thought was about Kindness... since it’s the Christmas season! :) We used a talk by Joseph B. Wirthlin. Here are a couple of quotes I love. 'Kind words not only lift our Spirits in the moment they are given, but they can linger with us over the years' and 'Kindness is a passport that opens doors and fashions friends' I loved the talk!! You will all have read it, it’s great!!!