So Sorella Smedley forwarded me her's and so I will try and fill in a few things, but I will just have to write a great "letter" in my journal for this week . . .
For the rest of Tuesday, I had told my class that I had never taught basic before and they were very patient with me. and then Vincenzo SanFilippo helped me out with the spiritual thought at the end on the beginning of the Plan of Salvation and then he said the prayer.
Wednesday: Wednesday morning we went to the market and bought sweet awesome Aviators as a comp item with Anziano Andersen because we have been together for 4 transfers now and probably there will be a fifth. He even went prancing through the market with them on thinking her looked like the Mafia, but he definitely look American. We got done with emails, we went to McDonald's cause we were all starving! We then split up and Sorella Smedley and I went to Kiko makeup and got some sweet awesome deals there before going to do shoe shopping because it is a great past time of hers. She loves shoes and she got a nice pair of Chinese store boots. You have to live in Italy to appreciate Chinese stores. After that we went to go see the Castorina family for dinner. We played memory, but with the commandments. Then we watched as the kids played Just Dance3. I had never even heard of it but it was hilarious!! I got video of it so you guys will be able to see it. Emanuele, Giorgia's little brother knew all the songs by heart and he was so cute :) We then ate dinner after their dad got home and then got a ride home. And Etna was erupting so we all went on the roof and took some bad pictures of it before my camera died. Pretty sweet.
and now i have no more time to edit the letter, so enjoy the view of Sorella Smedley haha
Thursday we went to go see Sorella Calogera. She is not active at all because she is legitimately crazy. Like when we were at her house, I wanted to leave cause I felt so uncomfortable being with her. I've seen crazy people, I've been around crazy people and this lady is seriously crazy. We left not long after we got there cause I think we were all really uncomfortable. After, the other Sorelle had an appointment, so instead of going all the way home for lunch, Sorella LeCates and I just stayed in the city for lunch. I ate a little pizza that was really good. We ate, studied the language a little bit then window shopped for a little while till our next appointment. Our appointment was with two new investigators!! Their names are Pieta and Giosue. We taught them the Restoration and gave them a Book of Mormon. We felt like it went well. They let us come back but sadly we haven't been able to see them again since then. After that, we had a lesson with Massimo. We taught him the Plan of Salvation. I taught like the whole lesson! I was proud of myself! Sorella LeCates only had to step in when I didn't know what to say or didn't understand his question. He drank in everything we said and is still reading the Book of Mormon everyday. He's awesome. We love him a lot. Then we had a dinner appointment with Bobbie, who is a lady in the Sigonella branch. The Sigonella branch is the military branch so everyone is American. She came and picked us up and took us to her house. We had American food!!! Roast, Mashed potato's, broccoli and then had ice cream and brownies!! It was amazing and nice to be able to understand what was going on. Their family is really sweet but they yell at their kids so much its ridiculous, but I Have to remember that they are a military family and raise kids a lot different than I would. Then we went home and planned.
Friday: Fridays are the days were we do weekly planning. Weekly planning takes forever but it needs to be done, so we do it. So we planned in the morning until we went with the Anziani to teach Massimo. We watched the Restoration video with him. He really enjoyed it and the Spirit was really strong, the problem was Anziano Marengo.... He is Anziano Andersons companion. Anziano Marengo is VERY obnoxious and annoying and is almost on the verge of disrespectful, but whatever. He talked the ENTIRE time with Massimo after the movie! Sorella LeCates afterwards was very stern in saying that she was upset and that he needed to remember whose investigator he is. She doesn't like Anziano Marengo either. That is when I received your letters!!! Thank you so much for them!! I loved reading them and feeling of your love. I always love getting letters from you guys. Then we went to a dinner appointment with the Anziani and Sorelle. I didn't know the family but they apparently were an in-active family. We ate Pizza and bread stuff that was really good, but I was so full! Italians know how to eat that's for sure. I was so tired that night for some reason, right after we finished planning and I got ready for bed, I went to bed and fell asleep within seconds it felt like. I was tired.
Saturday: Saturday, pretty much all our plans fell through, so we did house all day! And when I say all day, I mean all day. We did house by our house in the morning, then did street after Pieta and Giosue cancelled our appointment on their street, then did street until we decided to go see Driten and Klisman (Kristianas uncle and brother). The lesson with them went well but was also frustrating. Kristiana pretty much told us that she doesn't want to take the lessons anymore.... :( We think she's just tired. Itas good and sad. We were kind of discouraged on Saturday cause no one would listen to us when we did house, Kristiana didn't want to be taught anymore and we were exhausted. But Driten and Klisman are making great progress SO we were happy about that. We went to bed early that night.
Sunday: Went to meet Driten and Klisman so they could come to church with us. We were both happy that they both came. Driten even stayed for the Sigonela branch cause he speaks English very well. Klisman I think got board, but he listened and said that he enjoyed it. Sorella Mieori came to church too! That was exciting. She hasn't been to church in a few years so we were super happy she came. Had some more drama with the Anziani on Sunday too.... They confirmed an appointment with a family on the night we were to have English course without telling us, so instead of asking if we could teach English course alone, they just did it anyway. Sorella LeCates was not happy and told them that they needed to be responsible and let us know next time. Anziano Anderson felt horrible and apologized to us and even cancelled the appointment so that they could come to English course. After church we went and ate dinner with the Bay family. They are from the Sigonella branch and they are awesome! Again, we ate American food! It was amazing! After dinner we played games with their family and then shared a spiritual though before we had to go back home.
Monday: Had district meeting in the morning. This time the Bishop of the Italian ward came. He just got called on Sunday and seems like he'll be a good man for the job. He gave us advice about our investigators and shared experiences. Hes nice and told us that he thinks Angelo is only letting us continue to teach him because he enjoys being disrespectful to us, so he agreed with us about giving him to the Anziani. Anziano Marengo was excited about that because he'll get another number. The only thing I didn't like about district meeting is that it was 3 hours long!! I was growing impatient and was kind of getting frustrated. Also because Anziano Marengo was being a jerk and trying to tell us what to do with our investigators and then he was also trying to tell the bishop about our investigators when we are the ones who teach them! Sorella LeCates finally said, "Stai Zito!" Which basically means to shut up. She was really frustrated with him. To me, he seems like the type of missionary that only cares about the numbers and impressing those in authority. Its annoying. Then our appointment with Pieta and Giosue cancelled cause they weren't at their house. So we went and saw a non-active in the area and did street (contacting people on the street). Then we went had an appointment with Massimo. We taught him the Gospel of Christ and the Word of Wisdom. He kind of had a hard time with the WOW, because he smokes and drinks, along with everyone else in Italy. But he said he would try really hard to obey it and that he would use the Lord to help him. He's seriously the best. Then afterward we went home so that we could do language study and make cookies for English course.
Oh, just a side note... Mom, why does my eye twitch so bad?! Its been twitching like all the time for the past few days! Makes me crazy!
Ok, sorry. Tuesday: We had to go to the train station in the morning to get tickets because we were going to go to Ragusa for exchanges. So on the way there we did street and and then came back home for lunch and language study. For language study I wrote a story in English then translated it into Italian. I helped me a lot. Mom, that's a good idea for you to do as you're learning Italian. Try it. Then we went a taught Driten and Klisman. We ready from the Book of Mormon with them and talked a little about the WOW, but Klisman was being a brat and was smoking in front of us right after we told him not to. Dork... Whatever, its a good thing we couldn't stay very long cause Klisman wasn't really wanting to be spiritual, so instead we focused on Driten and we know he felt the Spirit. After that lesson, the Anziani came to get us and took us to English course. At English course, because it was Valentines day, we talked about their favorite Valentines day date that they went on. They leaned lots of new words. Angelo was trying to tell me how to tech my native language till I told him to sit down and stop talking and sit down. Seriously... Who tells and American how to speak English?! Ridiculous. Then we went home and planned.
Today: Today we are on in exchanges in Ragusa with the other Sorelle.
Hope you are all doing well. hope this letter makes sense. love you all a ton! muah!
Sorella LeCates
In July 2010 I was called to serve an 18 month mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Italy Rome mission. I've always wanted to see Italy and I can't believe I'm lucky enough to spread the gospel there!
