Lunedì ---- I don't actually remember what we did for P day on Monday.. awks! We probably played board games again.... wow I can't believe I have forgotten already and I didn't even write it in my planner.. all I wrote was 'p day' with a balloon next to it. Awks! But I'm sure I had fun! haha! Then we did a FHE in the evening with Tessi and Vittor! It was reaaaaaaaaaally cute!!! They are a family from Nigeria. They are AWESOME! I love them! They have a lil cutie pie boy and a new born baby girl! SO CUTE!
Martedì ---- We had DDM! I did the addestramento! I did it on the importance of not being over-bearing and the need for simplicity when teaching or street contacting. I began with 2 visual / practical examples. I have a ukulele. I told Sorella Nagliati everything she needed to know on how to tune it. Then I told her to go and do it. I then told Anziano Molner how to make scones.. and the recipe and quantities etc etc and said.. 'Okay, if I had all that stuff here.... do you think you could just do it without writing anything down or asking questions' and the answer was no, 1) cus it was too much info at once and 2) cus some ingredients he didn't even know what they were, cus he's German and he doesn't know some of those words, cus he calls them something different! Then Sorella Nagliati couldn't do the Ukulele thing... Because My instructions were too fast and I hadn't explained simply! THEN! I spoke about the importance of being simple and profound and used examples--- I used a talk that Dad sent me a while back about the 5 fingers and 5 principles... then the other 5 fingers for how to strengthen the testimony (or in the case of simpatizzanti.. how to gain a testimony) I think it went really well! We then had a discussion about examples of where we weren't simple in our teaching and how we could have changed and controlled the teaching situation better. It was really cool... I think they all liked it haha! After that, we had the KINDER EGG SURPRISE PREDICTIONS!!!!!!! I'm a firm believer of those things. I got the same one that I had when I was in Rome 3 (some spinning top things....) and last time I got that I was moving... and then this happens! IT'S TRUE! Also... Anziano Tew got the same as me and he is moving to Sicily too! hahahahah tell me it's not true, I dare ya? :P Then Anziano McColloum brought us all ROOT BEER from the American Base... Because he had to go to sort his permesso stuff out! So, I put my order in for him to get me some Maple Syrup sooooooooo HE IS THE BEST CUS NOW I HAVE MAPLE SYRUP! wheyyyyyyyy hahahah!
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| Anz McColloum, Anz Kawai and Myself |
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| A last Pescara District Photo |
Although there was one thing happened on Tuesday, which annoyed me... at the end of the day we were on the bus... and I got a hunch that I should talk to this lady who was on our bus.... but I couldn't figure out how to do it without it being random or weird or creepy... so I told myself ok... if she looks at me I'll smile and go from there.... but then she didn't... and as I was getting off the bus... SHE LOOKED... and so I asked her how she was.. and she said she was tired cus of work... then she complimented me and I said thank you... then I gave her a mormon.org card and as quickly as I could, I tried to explain who we are, then our stop came and it was so rushed and rubbish and I was so annoyed at myself.... so yeah! I learnt a lesson. DON'T WAIT TIL LAST MINUTE. If you get the hunch ACT ASAP! I was super sad about it for the whole day after, but hopefully one day she'll look at that card! :)
Mercoledì ---- We began the day with finding!!! And we used one of Anziano Molners (DL) finding ideas!! We used the Book of Mormon cards and the Joseph Smith cards! Sorella Nagliati used the Joseph Smith one and I used the Book of Mormon one... I just asked people in the street if they liked reading.. then asked if they had ever seen the book.. then explained the book. Not a ton of people were very interested BUT I was able to give a really nice lady a Book of Mormon!!!! Sorella Nagliati asked people if they liked history... then asked if they know what happened in 1820.. then explained... then with that she was also able to give a Book of Mormon out!! 2 Book of Mormons in 1 day is amazing!! :) Then we had lunch with Franca ... THE CUTEST MEMBER EVER!!! We went to her home on Christmas day!!! She tells us to call her Nonna (grandma) she's the CUTEST! :)
Then we had a lesson with Emmanuela.. about hope.. we shared a Mormon Message and bore our testimony.. and she fed us too!! We did good for food that day! :) In the evening we did more finding!!! And we had another miracle! We were doing casa in casa! (door to door) and this guy opened his window and shouted and asked what we wanted and I was like shouting back, telling him who we are and about our messsage (not the most ideal situation, but you gotta do what you gotta do haha) then he was like 'okay wait a sec I'm coming down' then I was like errrrrrrrrrr, cus this has never happened before and I didn't know if he was going to get mad!!! But he came down and I just explained who we are... we spoke a little about the Restoration and gave him a Book of Mormon and he said we can come back on Saturday evening (next week)!!! So that was amazing and we were both SO happy after that!!!!!!
Giovedì ---- We had a lesson with a lady called Ghizlane! She's not quite a simp... her husband is an ex simp... but we go to see her anyway and teach her a little english and leave her with a message. This time we spoke about the Plan of Salvation. She loved it!! :) Then we did a member lesson with Sorella Ciconne! It went really well!!! :)
Venerdì ---- This was a day FULL of appointments!!! We didn't go home all day! We even packed ourselves a lil lunch!! haha! We saw Diana (New Convert) SHE IS THE CUTEST!!! then Luigi.. a member referral! It didn't go as well as we would have liked... But we hope that he will want to see us again... After then WE SAW THE SCELSOOOOOOOOOS!!!!!!!! :):):) I LOVE THEM SO SO SO SO SO MUCH!!!!!!!! we did the plan of salvation lesson! she LOVED it!!!!! ahhhh I'm gonna miss that family SO MUCH!!!!!!! <3
Sabato ---- TRANSFER CALLSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! We did our normal personal and comp study and it was the longest morning EVERRRRRRRR waiting for the call... we both felt there would be some kind of big change but weren't sure what! Anyways.... the phone rings.. and it's PRESIDENT... so obv we got the 'oh - nos' Then he told me I am being transfered to SICILY, RAGUSA and will be follow up training..... and SORELLA NAGLIATI IS STAYING IN PESCARA AND TRAINING A GREENIE!!!!!!!!!!!! sooooo I have like a 12 hour train and boat ride to get there this week!! WOO HOO! haha! after the call we both cried and hugged for like ... ever!!! We are so sad to be leaving each other, but so excited for the change! :) Sorella Nagliati is gonna be AMAZING!!!!!!! she really is! I'm so excited for her and her greenie is the luckiest greenie ALIVE for reals! :) Then in the afternoon... we went to print pictures off for each others dedica..... I had a little bit of a mare with mine.. cus the lead doesn't work in some computers cus .. well I dunno why but yeah.. so I had to send mine through wifi to the Fotomania shop manager's email.... but then each photo was sent to him individually and it took FOREVER hahahaha!! soooo with this happening... Sorella Nagliati took the opportunity to have a gospel conversation with him. It pretty much led to the full 1st discussion which was awesome! And she invited him to church... he said he would come and we were excited, but we didn't wanna get our hopes too high... Then after that we went to meet the Anziani to prepare our part for the Missionary Work Camminato (I think is how it is spelt) ... it means fireside!
Domenica ---- we took pizza to church, cus we weren't going home all day.. that was fun haha! So we were waiting for the fotomania guy (I forget his name oops) and he didn't come... so we were gutted, but unfortunately we have kinda got used to people saying they will come and just not turning up.. BUT then halfway through sacrament meeting...... HE WALKED IN!!!!!!! I was SO SOSOSOSO SO SO SO HAPPY!!! it really was a miracle!!!!!!!!! He LOVED it! The talks were perfect! About testimony!!! :) then as he left he picked up all the pamphlets :) and left with a tear in his eye and a committment to start the lessons!! I'm really sad that I'm gonna miss that!!! But I'm really happy that Pescara is finally looking up after our efforts! :) Then after church we met with a less active called Mijriam! SHE IS SUPER CUTE! and is SO ready to come back! We are really excited! Then we had the fireside!!!! We did Role Plays of how not to run a FHE with missionaries and a friend... and how TO run a FHE in the same situation! It was supposed to be one hour.... but went on.. and on.. and on... and was 2 hours! :) They really love to get involved here! :) We did our little act! The 1st one (IT WAS SO AWKWARD ) Sorella Nagliati was my daughter.. I played the role of the mom and Anziano Duffin was the dad (aawwwwwwwkkkks) then the 2 missionaries and Anziano Lurcer was the friend. We role played a really deep one about the spirit world, but going in way too deep and asking way too deep qs and then Sorella Nagliati told a story of her visit to the spirit world... it was just ridiculous, but it's what missionaries often experience here! Then for a refreshment, I brought out a turkey for the lols just to go over the top! haha! It was hil! Then the second one was a perfect one (or near enough). I shared a message about faith, asked appropriate qs and shared a mormon message vid! :) the members loved it!
IT WAS GREAT!!!
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| Saying Goodbye to my Friends of Pescara |
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| Saying Goodbye to my Friends of Pescara |
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| Saying Goodbye to my Friends of Pescara |
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| The Fotomania Guy Came to Church :-) |
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| Saying Goodbye to my Friends of Pescara |
Oh yeah! I have a funny story of the week too! Soo me and Sorella Nagliati were on the bus and there was something super gross (I can't really remember what it was), but I said 'ew it gives me the heebie jeebies' and then later in the day there was another gross thing and she was like 'ew it gives me the flip wiggies' and I was like WOOOOTTTTTTT did you just say????? hahahaahhahah! and she was like 'the flip wiggies, you say that all the time?' hahahaha it was hilarious! aw I'm gonna miss my Nagliati!!! She's the cutest and the funniest!! ahhh!
I LOVE PESCARA!!! So many members I have grown to LOVE!! It is amazing here and the work here is looking up for the Sorelle!!! :)
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| One Last one of 'My Nagliati' ...and Elder McColloum |
I'm super excited.. and nervous about moving to Sicily but MY DREAM HAS COME TRUE!!! Hopefully I won't be there in the BLAZING heat!! I'm going there at the perfect time, so I am so so happy!! My new comp, Sorella Hamilton seems to be SUUUPER CUTE! I'm so excited to be in Ragusa with her! Ragusa was Sorella Nagliati's birth city.. that's where she was before she came to Pescara! So she's given me all the ins and outs of the area! :)
I know that this gospel is true!!!! There is nothing more true than this (other than the kinder egg predictions ... JUST KIDDING) but really, I love that I had the PRIVILEGE of being brought up with the knowledge of this gospel! I am so so eternally grateful for the plan that Heavenly Father has for us. It is perfect. He is perfect. Jesus Christ is perfect. This gospel is perfect. AND it is an ABSOLUTE privilege to be here as a servant of the Lord. I love how, as I teach or contact people here I can feel the love that the Lord has for these people. It really is amazing. I love this. I love my mission. It's often hard, but I know that it's the work of the Lord and that he helps me on a day to day basis.
OKayyyyyyyy so for this weeks antics!
SO Monday was a little bit stressful with packing for Ragusa.... somehow I have accumulated extra weight in my suitcases.... mostly paper and notebooks... I am thinking that perhaps I should send some stuff home... just so it is easier to travel with and so that I don't have excess baggage at the end of my mission... Then we did DDM bowling!! Tuesday.. Anz. Molner did DDM, it was SO good! I'm gonna miss that district so much - they were ALL SO AWESOME!!!!! amazing missionaries!!! It was all about journal writing. I am definitely inspired. SO far since then, I have written EVERY day. :) It was really inspiring and the way he taught it was incredible!!! :) I then wrote notes for the members. I got so attached to the members in Pescara. They are so great!!!
Wednesday we travelled to Romeeeeeee... :( My last trip with Sorella Nagliati!! :( She is so cute. She gave me this AWESOME Plan of Salvation thing her brother sent her for me and a BRAZILIAN football shirt!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is the cutest and I am going to miss her so so so so flipping much!!!! She helped me get through so much and just in general strengthened me so much. I will love her forever. She is amazing!!! And she is going to be such an amazing trainer!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhh. NAGLIATI!! Then on Wednesday night I called one of the AP's and asked him to pick up the package that was sent from home.... and bring it to the station in the morning... (they were going there anyways) and HE DID!!!!! I WAS SO HAPPY!!!!!
Transfers are always crazy... everything is done on public transport... so my 2 suitcases... the package and a backpack on 1 coach... 2 metros... 2 buses.. and a train... and another coach..... IT IS CRAZY and every time it amazes me how it works. Missionaries are crazy hahahahha, but literally, it always runs so smoothly. It's a miracle every time! haha!!
Thursday. WE woke up at 5:40... to get to the station to leave on the train for 7:20... then we had a 14(ish) hour ride all together (from Rome to Ragusa). IT WAS CRAZY! but we made it! Sorella Arnold's greenie was on my train and when we stopped at her stop, I SAW Sorella ARNOLD FOR LIKE 2 MINS!!!!!! We hugged and spoke, but then the train left, but it was SO AWESOME AND COOL to see her!!!!!!!! She's the cutest! Can you believe she will be finished in May?????? I probably won't see her again in the mission though, cus she will train for 2... then she will only have 1 transfer left..... She could be death transferred to Ragusa though!!! (she's been here before... she served here with Nagliati!!) Anything is possible haha! Then my new comp, Sorella Hamilton got on my train in Catania (our zone area) and I met her, SHE IS SUPER CUTE!!!! and so so so ready to just get out there and work her hardest!!! Her Italian is AWESOME, which is a huge relief!! She really is so so awesome! It's gonna be a really good transfer! I'm super excited! :)
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| My New Companion is Super Excited to work with me and I am equally excited |
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| Meeting Sorella Hamilton on the Train at Catania |
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| In Ragusa |
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| With Sorella Hamilton in Ragusa...We will be so fit...So many Hills! |
Since I got here, it has been raining pretty much non-stop!! There are hills literally everywhere!!! I will be so so fit when I'm done here haha! We walked so far on Saturday... all up hill then yesterday I could barely move hahahahah, but once I get used to it - life will be the best! ha :) The ward here is so cute!! Lots of old people and a few young families! The chapel is brand new!! WE email here.. from the chapel, which is awesome!! 1) because we don't pay and 2) because we don't need to go to a smelly internet point!!! Also the chapel is like a 2 min walk from our apartment!!!! It's great!!!
Yesterday we taught Rosemary... she had a baptism date... she's been investigating for a while... even Sorella Arnold taught her.. and Nagliati! She's an african lady! WE went yesterday, but we figured we may need to push the date back a little. She's great and has a ton of faith though. She has so much potential!
But other than that... that was my week... We have planned an awesome week this week, so we are really excited!!
I read a really good quote that I really liked today. It was something like 'Jump off the cliff of comfort and let God open your parachute'. It's quite apt for these recent days! Both of us are pretty fresh in the mission and not perfect in the language, but I know that if we give our best.. which we are .. that the Lord will open the way!
I know that this church is true, senza dubbio. No doubt. This gospel changes lives. It blesses lives. It lightens lives. I know that Heavenly Father is constantly pouring blessings upon us. I know that he loves us and knows everything about us. I know that Jesus Christ is our Saviour and Redeemer. I am so grateful for his infinite atonement. Because of HIm, we can be together FOREVER. Because of him we can be purified. Because of him we can return once again, for eternities with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Because of HIm, hope is real. I love that I know this, that I have been raised in a family based on these gospel principles. I am so grateful that I have been BLESSED with the opportunity to share this with the people of Italy!! I love it and I love to see how it changes lives. I know that this is the work of the Lord. I am just so grateful right now, I can't even begin to comprehend.
I love you all so so so so so so much.
I know that this church is true, senza dubbio. No doubt. This gospel changes lives. It blesses lives. It lightens lives. I know that Heavenly Father is constantly pouring blessings upon us. I know that he loves us and knows everything about us. I know that Jesus Christ is our Saviour and Redeemer. I am so grateful for his infinite atonement. Because of HIm, we can be together FOREVER. Because of him we can be purified. Because of him we can return once again, for eternities with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Because of HIm, hope is real. I love that I know this, that I have been raised in a family based on these gospel principles. I am so grateful that I have been BLESSED with the opportunity to share this with the people of Italy!! I love it and I love to see how it changes lives. I know that this is the work of the Lord. I am just so grateful right now, I can't even begin to comprehend.
I love you all so so so so so so much.
You are always in my heart and prayers.
Keep being amazing!
I love you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
