First week in Italy

Allora, sono qui!!!

Jet lag did me in at first. I passed out every lunch break. But we managed to get some good work done. Also, this keyboard is weird so it is taking longer than normal to type. Sor W is sweet and reminds me of Lindsey Wooley...like exactly. to the point that its weird. I think they sent me to her for a reason because she has had all kinds of health things too...like she got chickenpox...chickenpox, while she was here.

I was super stressed the first few days because everything i learned in the MTC was running through my head and I felt like I had to apply all of it at once on everyone, which maybe I should have just done it and I would have been a SUPER missionary, but I was too tired.

I don't even know where to start. um, i love Italy, of course. I love the people. Ladispoli is pretty small so most people have seen us--and by us I mean missionaries-- before. we are trying to come across as --normal-- you would be amazed the conversations that start with --come sta?-- but also maybe sometimes we come off as too normal because 2 people have asked us out for coffee. Some people still just run away.

I am understanding loads more than I thought I would, almost everything. It helps that they pretty much act things out as they say them. and I actually think of things to say back--usually Sorella williams has already said them, BUT I am not doing too shabby. We have been going around and trying to met all the members and menoattivi because I know no one and don't know the city and Sor W leaves fra un week. The members are tops. I love them all. There are a few girls who are returned missionaries and one who leaves in Aprile. They are forte. Really. and they love me and my red jacket and my red shoes. and I love them. Everyone kisses us on the cheeks and then later as we are talking to them they ALL tell us how they've been sick etc.etc. (which its a good thing we had to learn that vocab in the MTC) and it makes me laugh. Like, cool, thanks for THOSE germs sister so-and-so. but I joke, because did I mention I love them?

We visited sor. silva last night and she told us we were angels. she is the amazing one though. everyone is excited to have us in the ward. Its weird because with transfers coming we are loosing 4 sisters and gaining only 2 so a city is going to be closed to sisters. its just sad there aren't more of us to spare.

I love Italians. I love how they dress. I love how they eat. I love how they talk. Tutto e bello.

Also finally got my permesso papers, we just had to go to the post office three times (three different ones) until they finally ignored the tiny mistake that we couldn't possibly change. So I am not illegal!!! yay!!

We met an adorable lady my first night who works at the snack place nearby. We conveniently stopped by again and had a good discussion with her and her coworker. we asked her if we could come back and give her a Book of Mormon. We also met this great lady from India on the street, really hope she becomes an investigator because one she and her baby son are adorable and she said to come by whenever because she is always home and two because maybe shell cook Indian food for us, ha. ohhhh I miss it. she explained her religion, but all I got out of it was that some people wear turbans. so...vediamo. we will see.

W say buona sera and boun giorno to everyone, when we came to Rome for p-day though people where like, wait what? do i know you? in Ladispoli it usually makes people smile though. mostly I just want to shout from the rooftops at everyone. Everyone who passes by I am like ahhh you are beautiful and you need to know this great thing that I know about pray and hope and happiness!!! I talked to one older man on the bus...not a clue what he said to me, but I think we both were edified after.

The food here is good. my favorite thing is cornflakes and yogurt. I know. weird. But not weird. mostly delicious. and nutella. of course. And we haven't had a chance to do real grocery shopping yet. No gelato yet, i did have a mangum bar my first night, SO good. man. as Sharlie and Kimberly know from that time we tried to eat a whole box in Siena...we bought a giant pizza sort of on accident last night. We had two minutes until we had to be in but we were so hungry so we walked into a pizzeria and they were like, here take this, and all I thought was --im hungry, come no?-- and so now we have about three meals worth of potato and cheese pizza. could be worse.

Tonight we are going to see Archangelo. who just needs to get baptized because his whole family is and has been waiting magari 6 years for him. he went to stake conference and it was amazing and we thought about him the whole time (except for the part I fell asleep--che vergogna) because someone talked about making small sacrifices for huge blessings. which we have been telling him!! he seemed super happy after but he just doesn't want to give up smoking. We even presented him with a program. but he says he --likes smoking--. which is a lie, but what can you do. Hopefully we can help him see how he doesn't need it tonight.

English class consists of two old men who argue about Italian grammar and a younger fellow.

Oh, and we saw Julie B. Beck and her family at the Vatican. and the Anziani from our district. and another 2 sets of Mormons...at the Vatican. rather funny. including a member from Rome who acted as our tour guide because he is studying art history. whenever Sor Williams would Astop to take pictures he'd be like, Sorelle!!! Andiamo!!

CON MOLTO AMORE

I am happy and healthy

Sorella Laws

Don't forget the address:

Sorella Lauren Laws

Via Flavia, 21/7

00055 Ladispoli, Italia

Sorella Laws arrives in Rome

President and Sister Kelly with Sorella Laws.

Finally!!!
A companion for Sorella Laws.
Sorella Williams.

Arrivo!!!

I am here!!!

I will meet my companion in an hour and my first city is Ladispoli a suburb of Rome. Italy is great. It looks and smells just like it did two years ago. We drove by the temple site, it is going to blow people away when there is a five story temple there.

I gave away two Book of Mormon's in the Dallas airport. A nice man from Mexico, Luis, who gave me a business card and told me to come visit him in Canada. He told me he was impressed that I was going to Rome to teach a religion that isn't catholism. All the sudden I started telling him the Joseph Smith story, in the middle of the Dallas airport.

This man with an orange shirt, navy jacket, tan pants, and orange dress shoes (with an orange kerchief in the pocket) complained about his flight to us. and Matt, this hilarious British man who I laughed and joked with for two hours because our plane got delayed.

He showed me a picture of his dog and talked about teaching his kids how to read. SO funny. I made a Seinfeld-esqe joke about how they always say, "We'll be able to make up the time in the air" when a flight is delayed, because why don't they just go that fast all the time?? Are they just taking detours and then when they're late they think, "Oh, maybe I should make up some time."

Someone talked to me in Italian in Heathrow and I think I probably said, "capisco!" far too enthusiastically then he kept going and asked where a fotolandria was, I said I didn't know. I HAD MY FIRST ITALIAN CONVERSATION. ha.

Also spoke with a dapper British chap going on a field trip to Rome because he's studying architecture.

Why couldn't I be British??

Someone thought I was a tour guide because of my name tag.

And I'm SO not in Provo, when I ask people if they've heard of the Church they go, "what?" Also hard though, because I kept ending up next to British people and can't speak English all that well anymore.

The point is that I am good and safe and made all connecting flights and slept a little and am ready to hit the streets!!! And I love British people. Sorella Kelly keeps feeding me. I finally get a companion. Life is good. There are pictures of Anziano Knutson, Urry, and Lane on the refrigerator.

I want to run out into the street right now and talk to people.

I've been in the same clothes for 32 hours.

I AM IN ITALY!!

Everything is in Italian and people drive crazy. I heard someone go, "ho fatto bene" on the phone.

It was the first Italian I heard and I almost started crying. Sono qui.

Love you,

Sorella Laws

Going, Going, Gone.......Finally!!!

Yep, that's right Sorella Laws left the Salt Lake City airport at 8:25am today to start her 28 hour trip to Rome.

She was excited and more the ready to start her mission.

As someone at the MTC said,
Italy just need a few extra weeks to get ready for her.

Ciao again

Hello my wonderful family and friends. Guess who is still in the MTC?? Yes, your very own Sorella Laws, trooping on with more faith than ever.

The trees are beautiful. Isn't fall the greatest season ever? I want to sit outside all day even though it's freezing cold and just walk around and talk to people. Good thing that's what I'll be doing soon.

This week was probably the hardest. Which I am grateful for. I am convinced and have a firm testimony that Heavenly Father pushes us to our very limits so that we can learn how strong we really are. I felt that this week. He's taken a lot of things away. I think of the Sufjan Steven's song "and he takes and he takes and he takes" but it's when He's taking that we learn what really matters. Sure, I've never had my own companion. And then he took my district. And then he took my teachers, who have made a valiant effort to visit but it's never quite matched up. Then he took my health. And he took my mailbox away (don't worry I got it forwarded to my new district you can still write ;)). The scriptures talk about how the Lord will have a humble people. And I'll tell you there is nothing more humbling than diarrhea. Or setting the record for most stool samples given in three weeks. Grossed out yet? Welcome to my life. But I realized that I can do things I never thought I could do before. Like you mentioned, Mum, I used to be afraid of all things medical. Now Dr. Brown is like my uncle and the nurse, Ren, is my best friend (not just because we have the same name). The lady at the counter knows me by name and I am now on my fifth antibiotic in 3 months (for three different things, but stiiiiill).

But now for the good news. Because once Heavenly Father has pushed you as far as you can go he gives back. So Monday they ran one more test and the nurse came up to my room and I met with Dr. B again (I think I should send him Christmas cards from here on out, he may be the person I'm closest to in the MTC, ha) and he said the test was positive!! So, since you've been asking mom, it's some virus and I'm taking medicine that tastes like metal three times a day (every time I swallow it I have to run around in a circle and shove food in my mouth because it takes SO bad, good news is it's helping inspire me to eat, because I had kind of stopped doing that because it just hurt too bad).

So when do I get to leave? That's a question I get ten times a day. I don't know. I'm crossing my fingers they let me go before the antibiHello my wonderful family and friends. Guess who is still in the MTC?? Yes, your very own Sorella Laws, trooping on with more faith than ever.

The trees are beautiful. Isn't fall the greatest season ever? I want to sit outside all day even though it's freezing cold and just walk around and talk to people. Good thing that's what I'll be doing soon.

This week was probably the hardest. Which I am grateful for. I am convinced and have a firm testimony that Heavenly Father pushes us to our very limits so that we can learn how strong we really are. I felt that this week. He's taken a lot of things away. I think of the Sufjan Steven's song "and he takes and he takes and he takes" but it's when He's taking that we learn what really matters. Sure, I've never had my own companion. And then he took my district. And then he took my teachers, who have made a valient effort to visit but it's never quite matched up. Then he took my health. And he took my mailbox away (don't worry I got it forwarded to my new district you can still write ;)) The scriptures talk about how the Lord will have a humble people. And I'll tell you there is nothing more humbling than diarrhea. Or setting the record for most stool samples given in three weeks. Grossed out yet? Welcome to my life. But I realized that I can do things I never thought I could do before. Like you mentioned, Mum, I used to be afraid of all things medical. Now Dr. Brown is like my uncle and the nurse, Ren, is my best friend (not just because we have the same name). The lady at the counter knows me by name and I am now on my fifth antibiotic in 3 months (for three different things, but stiiiiill).

But now for the good news. Because once Heavenly Father has pushed you as far as you can go he gives back. So Monday they ran one more test and the nurse came up to my room and I met with Dr. B again (I think I should send him Christmas cards from here on out, he may be the person I'm closest to in the MTC, ha) and he said the test was positive!! So, since you've been asking mom, it's some virus and I'm taking medicine that tastes like metal three times a day (every time I swallow it I have to run around in a circle and shove food in my mouth because it takes SO bad, good news is it's helping inspire me to eat, because I had kind of stopped doing that because it just hurt too bad).

So when do I get to leave? That's a question I get ten times a day. I don't know. I'm crossing my fingers they let me go before the antibios are done, because they go for ten days. We shall see. But I WILL get there.

New Italian missionaries come tomorrow and the Anziani have taken to calling me Sorella Nonna (because I am the grandma).

Like I said, when the Lord takes he also gives. I have more friends than ever before. The two Italian districts and Herm Rod's district all love me more than I deserve. In Volleyball we played my zone versus Herm. Rod's zone. The score is not important.

Anziano Flitton told me his ring would glow like the LotR ring if you put it in the microwave for 5 seconds. I knew he was lying to me but I wanted so badly for it to be true.

And I had an interview with Frat. Calder (teacher over my new district) last night and I realized. That he hasn't left me alone or without teachers. Because Frat. C. was already late and he took like half an hour to talk to me about how I was doing and how he was grateful to have me in his class. He asked me if I was happy and I had to pause, because yesterday was hard, but then I said, "yes" and he said, why? and I proceeded to tell him how lucky I felt that the Lord trusted me enough to call me on a mission and how He's given me so much and that he loves me enough to push me to be the best I can be.

I promise you that if you want to be a good teacher, the key is asking questions. It makes people say things they didn't even know they knew. And how much more powerful is it if it comes out of their mouth instead of yours?

And that's how you find out what they really need. Is by asking. It really is that simple.

Everyday I see reasons why it's good I am still here. I got to take Herm. Rodrigues in for her procedure. And when she woke up, it was hilarious. She kept asking the same questions over and over and asking me if I'd ever had an IV before. I got her to recite Joseph Smith's vision in Spanish. It was fun. The night before she had to drink gross stuff to clear out her stomach and I coached her through it and came in with inspiring scriptures now and again. We missed the devotional but we found out it was Elder Ballard so we sat outside and listened for a little bit. Then we decided we wanted to meet him and since we weren't in the gym we could leave whenever we wanted. So we walked around and got stopped by two "body guards" (aka 20-something-year-old guys who work at the MTC) so we walked through our building to the other side and long story short we saw him drive by and we waved and he may or may not have waved back. YAY! Ha. It's a small thing, but it was special for us.

Not being able to eat cheese is killing me. But at least I'm not gaining MTC weight.

We have been practicing 100% obedience so when they say "lights out" we sprint for the light switch. One night there was a huge mark in my journal because I had thrown it and my pen aside and run to the lights.

Laws School graduation is this week. I prepared a final that's pretty hilarious.

Mom, SHERI DEW came!! And she rocked our worlds. She talked about how the most important thing in our missions and life missions are: 1. Knowing who we are as sons and daughters of God. 2. Understanding the Atonement of Jesus Christ and 3. Knowing how to receive personal revelation. If we can do these, we are unstoppable.

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCH!!!!

amore amore amore

Well, guess who is still here? Yep. Me. The Sorella. 9 weeks ago I felt like I owned this place, just imagine how I feel now.

So I am the vagabond. The best part is that when I went to the doctor they were like, "Well, we'll give you some Gatorade" and they come back with a huge Coca Cola cup. So I am walking around the MTC in missionary clothes looking like I just got back from a 7-11 run and all the insegnati just look at me and go, "Who do you think you are?" And I just shrug, "Sono Sorella Laws".

When am I leaving? My response has started to be "forse mai." (maybe never). But no, I have high hopes for this week. They have me on probiotics now (yep, I'm eating germs) and so far it feels better. And I HAVE to leave next week because a new generation of Italians are coming in and it's bad enough being the mom right now, but if I stick around too long I'll be a grandma.

We don't really know what's going on except my stomach is ALWAYS making strange noises and sort of cramping and it's swelled up so that I look 4 months pregnant (I have no idea what 4 months pregnant looks like, so that's just an estimate) we've named the baby Giacomo. He's going to be a calciatore (soccer player)

It's hard to figure out how to spend my time, but I've been coming up with some good things. My two teachers are "floating" right now. So I write paragraphs of spiritual thoughts on the boards and Frate Tate corrects them for me. For some reason I am completely in love with writing on the board. It's better than anything.

I've been thinking a lot about the Five Things We Need to Do When Faced With Trials (based on the Savior's example) that you sent me mom. Here's how I think I've done:

1. Seek to do God's will. I knew on Sunday I wouldn't be leaving. I could feel it, not to mention I relapsed back into awful stomach land as soon as I tried to eat something besides rice and Ritz (because I had been getting better). And I just got on my knees and said, "Okay, I'm ready to do this your way." I KNOW that I will get to Italy, I have no doubt about that, but if it takes forever, that's alright too. (By the way, Pres. Shippen let slip that he knew who my trainer was and where my first city is, but I won't tell you where...ha). I've been studying a lot about faith and hope and the fireside we had on Sunday was about doing what the Lord wants you to do versus what other people think you should do. Because trust me, everyone thinks I should be gone by now (as much as they love having me here).

2. Learn not to complain. I've started catching myself, and when people ask how I'm doing I just smile. Ha.

3. Seek help from God. I've never prayed more in my life and feasted more on the scriptures. And it really works.

4. Learn to Serve.

This is the fun part. I've started what has been dubbed by Anz. Flitton "L'Universita di Leggi" (Laws University or Law School). This started last night by one companionship asking if I'd teach them Italian. I of course said yes. Next thing we know I'm standing in front of a whiteboard and there are 5 Anziani sitting in desks looking at me. Well I'm teaching animatedly in half English and half Italian and maybe being helpful. And halfway through someone asks how I'm feeling and I just thought, "Hey, this is the first time my stomach hasn't been angry since Friday." So, number 4 really works too. Also they were meeting with Fr. Tate as a progressing investigator and I was like, "Get him to read the Book of Mormon!!" "Don't be afraid of speaking Italian!!" "YOU CAN DO IT!!"

5. Forgive. Lately I've been yelling at my stomach in Italian. "Ma dai. Cosa voule mangiare!?!!!" but I've learned to forgive too.

But I am not yet as Job. And not even yet as the Visa waiters who have been here for 15 weeks. I can do this.

So when I told Fratello Skanchy I had to stay an extra week and I guess I could help out the other Italians he said, "well, you could always teach them swear words." Which I actually can't because I don't know any, but I realize that more and more the missionaries are learning Sorella Laws Italian...Which is sort of a problem. I've got everyone saying "Managia" (bummer) and "Dai" (c'mon!!) and "Forse si, forse no" (maybe yes maybe not)

Dai is a good one, because you yell it at people and it sounds like you're saying "Die."

They all love me, as I've written this about eight people have walked by and said, "Hi, Sorella Laws!"

Oh, Sor. Stebar and I took about 1 minute in gym and figured out what kind of dog everyone in the district is, just to lay it out for you:

our district leader (who is also German) is a bloodhound, he's companions with a golden retriever puppy and a bulldog.

zone leaders: husky puppy and beagle

sorelle: rough collie (lassie), pomeranian puppy, standard poodle, and they decided I'm a dalmatian

other companionship: greyhound and a terrier of some kind.

just wait til you get a picture, then you'll understand.

Oh, and Herm. Rodrigues has to stay too and I get to be her companion!! She has to go in for a colonoscopy so I am going to hold her hand and then film her when she comes too. I think this might be one of the reasons I was supposed to stay because she is way not excited about it and would have been assigned to a random companion if I wasn't here.

And I love everyone. Here, there, in Italy. I love you all.

Sorella Laws.