There is something about going on missions that kills peoples dogs. I guess I am happy to join the ranks of those faithful missionaries who dont get to come home to their beloved pets. And I am sitting in an internet cafe in Rome with tears on my face, but its okay. I actually wasnt sad, mom, until you said how sad YOU were. I KNEW you loved her more than you let on. Dont worry though, when I come home in a year and some I will be following you around the house like she did.
Shes going to a better place full of tennis balls to destroy and bread. Lots of bread. Im glad shes not going to go on suffering. Will you rub her between the eyes for me?
You can get a puppy before I come back. I wont mind.
I remember when I made sugar cookies and she took just ONE off the plate. And we wouldnt have known but she looked guilty and there was a small bit of slobber. And that was when she was blind even. Smart thing. I was actually going to ask you to send me a picture of her, you still could if you wanted. Sor. Jenkins is not really the hugging type, but I will get a pizza to console myself. Thats what Laika would want anyway. Imagine me sending hugs to the family though.
The pizza here is. REALLY good. Like, I want to eat it everyday. I feel like a little kid all the time here because I just want to do everything and talk to everyone and I dont even know how to talk.
Speaking of children. They want ME to play the piano for the Primary Program this Sunday...Remember the last time I played a piano? Me either. Luckily its just one song. But still. Ahhh. Pray for me...No, pray for the children. Im only playing the right hand part.
Shes going to a better place full of tennis balls to destroy and bread. Lots of bread. Im glad shes not going to go on suffering. Will you rub her between the eyes for me?
You can get a puppy before I come back. I wont mind.
I remember when I made sugar cookies and she took just ONE off the plate. And we wouldnt have known but she looked guilty and there was a small bit of slobber. And that was when she was blind even. Smart thing. I was actually going to ask you to send me a picture of her, you still could if you wanted. Sor. Jenkins is not really the hugging type, but I will get a pizza to console myself. Thats what Laika would want anyway. Imagine me sending hugs to the family though.
The pizza here is. REALLY good. Like, I want to eat it everyday. I feel like a little kid all the time here because I just want to do everything and talk to everyone and I dont even know how to talk.
Speaking of children. They want ME to play the piano for the Primary Program this Sunday...Remember the last time I played a piano? Me either. Luckily its just one song. But still. Ahhh. Pray for me...No, pray for the children. Im only playing the right hand part.
Sorella Jenkins is...awesome. She is very different than Sor. Williams and makes fun of me all the time. Reminds me of home ;) We have spent a lot of time lost lately. Monday we had our district meeting in Rome and thanks to me we took the wrong bus and were an hour late andn asked everyone in the world for directions. Anz. Cardiff and Busico were making fun of us and I just said, "maybe if you were doing your job more people would know where the church was". Which pretty much sums up how our meetings go, lots of making fun of each other, but also lots of spiritual upliftment. It is so nice to be able to discuss the work with our five crazy anziani. Then we got lost that night because we took the train the wrong way. And it was one of the last trains of the night so it was all but empty. So I was like, "this is like a ghost train!" and Sor. Williams (who conveniently also loves film) goes, "maybe you should make a movie" i of course say, "okay" so I am walking down the aisle singing the song from Requiem for a Dream that is kind of creepy and they use for trailers a lot and then I see that there IS someone on the train so I go, "ciao° and then run away. Sort of embarassing, but also typical to my life. We talk too much the two of us and it takes us forever to finish planning, in a good way.
Sunday night we went and visited Sorella Favaloro. She is beautiful. We were sitting in her office-ish room that was full of books and dimly lit and she fed us cookies and juice and when she would look to the side the lamplight would hit her eyes and from her profile she looks like an Italian Meryl Streep so worn but still so full of life.
I love that men here were sweaters here with crazy designs. It is the best. Also the all-the-same-colour work out outfits everyday. And the old ladies in miniskirts in tennis shoes. Italy knows how to do fashion. My goal to day is to find some 10£ boats to get me through my winters here. Italians dont understand how you can wear normal shoes in the winter. I also need to find some long sleeve shirts and sweaters that arent cardigans to keep me warm. Today is pretty nice though. Its always alright until the sun goes down.
I am taking pretty good care of myself. Im trying to keep my back limber, because that seems to be the first thing that goes out, if you know of any good back exercises let me know. I also take vitamins now and again.
Dropping Sor. Williams off was sad. We went and got gelato and it was her last and my first. Gelato is good. I am not fat yet. In fact, some of my skirts dont fit because theyre too big. I dont think thats me though, I think theyre just stretched out. I have decided the winning combination for life is fruit and cheese followed by nutella and bread. Sometimes crackers are involved too. And it works for every meal. And seriously...Chesnuts. Eat them. Look up how to cook them though because Im still not really sure.
Yesterday was a series of tender mercies. I have been wanting so badly just to teach. We first went to Sor Silva she told us her conversion story and how when she first met the missionaries she was in a miniskirt and as she was telling us she just laughed and laughed about it. She told us how she had been praying since she was 12 or so to know because she didnt feel comfortable in the cold-darkness of the churches she was going to. Then she met a member who introduced her to the church. So because of this she has like three people she really wants to introduce to the gospel and we got to teach her how to help them. All the memebers here are stoked about missionary work because most of them were personally converted by a missionary or they were a missionary.
Then there is Niccoletta, she is an all'star. We met her in the park. Our appointment cancelled yesterday afternoon but when we called she said to come on over. She has completely faith and trust in God to run her life. She speaks like four languages and has a little boy who is 2 but huge and has long curly hair. So great. We went to tell her how we have great things to add to her faith and bless her life. We taught her an outline of the restoration and she agreed with everything that we said. And we asked if we could come back again this week and she said "sure, or two more times if you want". When she gets confirmation that this is right, she is going to be unstoppable. Shes on fire and has short blonde hair and blue eyes.
We have a few other investigators that are driving me crazy because their families are faithful members and they come to church and know everything about the gospel but dont feel like they can get baptized because they dont know enough. We pointed out that its the first step and the first convenant we make with God and how we need to take this step so that he can bless us. The whole free agency thing keeps getting in the way.
I want to put all these people in a movie. Anziano Busico who goes home in a week and thinks I am crazy belongs in a 50s movie as some Danny Zucko type character. Anz. Cardiff could be Clark Klent. Our branch president wears bright arygle sweaters. We asked him who the Quorum president was and he said, "He is the biggest guy in the branch" Sor Jenkins then asked, "okay. and does he have a name?" Funny. Niccoletta reminds me of the mom from About a Boy.
One day we were walking home and just the perfect amount of rain was falling and I knew Heavenly Father was thinking about me and helping me not be homesick.
Also if someone wants to send me the Brothers Bloom and Prince of Eygpt soundtracks...Wouldnt complain.
I LOVE you all. Lots. I love it here. I love the man in the fruit store that was super nice and helpful so much so that I didnt know what to say to him because I was like, "weird. its OUR job to be nice and helpful"
Happy Immaculate Conception Day (still dont know how they figured that one)
Sorella Laws
Sunday night we went and visited Sorella Favaloro. She is beautiful. We were sitting in her office-ish room that was full of books and dimly lit and she fed us cookies and juice and when she would look to the side the lamplight would hit her eyes and from her profile she looks like an Italian Meryl Streep so worn but still so full of life.
I love that men here were sweaters here with crazy designs. It is the best. Also the all-the-same-colour work out outfits everyday. And the old ladies in miniskirts in tennis shoes. Italy knows how to do fashion. My goal to day is to find some 10£ boats to get me through my winters here. Italians dont understand how you can wear normal shoes in the winter. I also need to find some long sleeve shirts and sweaters that arent cardigans to keep me warm. Today is pretty nice though. Its always alright until the sun goes down.
I am taking pretty good care of myself. Im trying to keep my back limber, because that seems to be the first thing that goes out, if you know of any good back exercises let me know. I also take vitamins now and again.
Dropping Sor. Williams off was sad. We went and got gelato and it was her last and my first. Gelato is good. I am not fat yet. In fact, some of my skirts dont fit because theyre too big. I dont think thats me though, I think theyre just stretched out. I have decided the winning combination for life is fruit and cheese followed by nutella and bread. Sometimes crackers are involved too. And it works for every meal. And seriously...Chesnuts. Eat them. Look up how to cook them though because Im still not really sure.
Yesterday was a series of tender mercies. I have been wanting so badly just to teach. We first went to Sor Silva she told us her conversion story and how when she first met the missionaries she was in a miniskirt and as she was telling us she just laughed and laughed about it. She told us how she had been praying since she was 12 or so to know because she didnt feel comfortable in the cold-darkness of the churches she was going to. Then she met a member who introduced her to the church. So because of this she has like three people she really wants to introduce to the gospel and we got to teach her how to help them. All the memebers here are stoked about missionary work because most of them were personally converted by a missionary or they were a missionary.
Then there is Niccoletta, she is an all'star. We met her in the park. Our appointment cancelled yesterday afternoon but when we called she said to come on over. She has completely faith and trust in God to run her life. She speaks like four languages and has a little boy who is 2 but huge and has long curly hair. So great. We went to tell her how we have great things to add to her faith and bless her life. We taught her an outline of the restoration and she agreed with everything that we said. And we asked if we could come back again this week and she said "sure, or two more times if you want". When she gets confirmation that this is right, she is going to be unstoppable. Shes on fire and has short blonde hair and blue eyes.
We have a few other investigators that are driving me crazy because their families are faithful members and they come to church and know everything about the gospel but dont feel like they can get baptized because they dont know enough. We pointed out that its the first step and the first convenant we make with God and how we need to take this step so that he can bless us. The whole free agency thing keeps getting in the way.
I want to put all these people in a movie. Anziano Busico who goes home in a week and thinks I am crazy belongs in a 50s movie as some Danny Zucko type character. Anz. Cardiff could be Clark Klent. Our branch president wears bright arygle sweaters. We asked him who the Quorum president was and he said, "He is the biggest guy in the branch" Sor Jenkins then asked, "okay. and does he have a name?" Funny. Niccoletta reminds me of the mom from About a Boy.
One day we were walking home and just the perfect amount of rain was falling and I knew Heavenly Father was thinking about me and helping me not be homesick.
Also if someone wants to send me the Brothers Bloom and Prince of Eygpt soundtracks...Wouldnt complain.
I LOVE you all. Lots. I love it here. I love the man in the fruit store that was super nice and helpful so much so that I didnt know what to say to him because I was like, "weird. its OUR job to be nice and helpful"
Happy Immaculate Conception Day (still dont know how they figured that one)
Sorella Laws
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