Sunday 7 December 2014

Superheroes, Scones, Sciopero and Hobo Week!

Come staiiiiiiiiiiii?????

Well well well! Let me start by telling you all about my fortnight!
Week 1
Monday - IT WAS P’DAY! Me, Sorella Nagliati, Anziano Duffin and Anziano Mika went to Ikea aaaaaaaaand played Hide and Go Seek. It was so fun!! The other Anziani decided to play tennis instead... so it was just the 4 of us. It was so funny though, cus we had to be so discreet about it, so that people didn’t get mad or didn’t think we are weird. Then after a few rounds of that, we went to get meatballs and chips... but the hot dinner area wasn’t open. I WAS DISTRAUGHT… but Anziano Mika promised we'd all go back again for dinner insieme!! So.. I LOOK FORWARD FOR THAT DAY! … which better be soon, as the likelihood that he gets transferred this transfer is high, since this is his birth city and he’s been here for 4 transfers.. I think.. I cant remember! ANYWAY! so yeah eventually we'll get round to that!! We were craving it so so bad, but then it was shut hahaha

Tuesday - We had DDM! This week I did the spiritual thought about prayer, used the visual of the ribbon in each hand (on the end) and said 'Ok, tie a knot in the middle.. but you can’t move your hands'.  The idea was that it was impossible... but with the help of me; who knows how to do it (cross your arms then let go) ... Wow it’s hard to explain on the internet but I hope you understand haha! The idea was that we can’t do it without the help of another... and all we need to do is ask. Then I read a few scriptures! It went well I think! Then we had a few fun things: 'funny story of the week', 'language tip' and 'fact of the week'.  Then the addestromento (if that’s how you spell it) was by Anzino Kawai! It was really good! All about the importance of member missionary work! He shared with us a really good quote! "There is no substitute for a member - oriented proselyting program.  I believe it is the key to success" (by President Monson) He then gave us the 'FLOCS' keys to achieving good work with the members: Fearlessness, Love, Obedience, Creativeness and Sacrifice. Told us the 'golden hours' for FHE/spiritual thoughts with families... teaching appointments, finding while passing by members houses and street finding.  Then Anziano Woolsey made a pumpkin pie! It was really good!! Then Anziano Mika and Anziano Duffin made a chart of Disney characters, Super Heros, Harry Potter characters, match up for princes and princesses, cars, super powers and random stuff like that! Apparently, I am Jane from Tarzan, Wonder-woman and Hermione.  My match- up is Prince Charming. I am a 'mini with a GB flag on the top' (obvs) "rolls eyes"; my super power is 'the hoover lady'... I can hoover really well.. okaaay.... BUT the super powers were hilarious! They did stupid ones for us and really good ones for themselves … the little sneaks!!! One was 'the silent assassin' HAHAHAHAHAH funny story … will have to tell you another time.   One was 'the wonderful hi 5er' Anz Kawai is really good at Hi5’s; one was 'The Cat Impressionist'; Anz Moner can do really good cat impressions.  None of which are true, but they just thought it was hilarious... which it was hahahah! They’re mad! Then we had an appointment booked with a less active, who we were supposed to meet outside a shop.... she didn’t turn up, so that was the gist of Tuesday... wooo! haha

The day started crazy, cus we had nooooo electricity!  We didn’t know what to do and neither did the Anziani, so we had to call our landlord. He got here real quick and it turned out that cus we had the washing machine and dishwasher on at the same time we lost power.  He just had to re-set the mains... we didn’t know where they were, so I think he was a bit annoyed hahahaha. Apparently the Sorelle have asked before, so we left a note for the future Sorelle haha!! We had 2 appointments booked - one with a less active L and one with E (a member, she is SO NICE!!!) but they cancelled on us.. both of them. ALTHOUGH E invited us over for dinner for the Sunday, which was LUSH and it was at her non-member mother-in- laws house, so that was a great opportunity.  SOO that day... consisted of finding! We did casa and casa for a while (door to door) until 7.30pm, cus they got mad and started saying 'At this time?????' Not sure what’s wrong with 7 at night hahaha, but apparently it’s too late and we need to have mercy haha, so we ended up doing street contacting (oh our door to door are through the ringer things in apartments).  We also had a funny experience where a lady was like 'yeah come in!!' and we were amazed!! We got up there all excited.. she looked at us and immediately changed her mind hahahahaha - so that was weird!


How can you not love the missionaries - even after 7.30pm
Thursday - We had a lesson with G! We go to her house to teach English to and do a spiritual thought. She’s really nice! Her husband used to have lessons, but then didn’t have much time, as he’s a dental surgeon.  They’re a great family though and have SO much potential!! THEN we had an English course and it was SO GOOD!!! Me and Sorella Nagli teach the beginner course and on Thursday we only had 2 students!!! THEY ARE AMAZING!!! I can literally picture teaching them doctrine!!! One of them even prayed at the end for us and told us how he loves the spiritual thoughts we do and the way we view life and he said since knowing us, he is more grateful for things and knows how to pray from the heart! I WANNA TEACH HIIIM!!!! So HOPEFULLY this week we can set an appointment with each of them!!!

Friday - I still wasn’t feeling any better.... soooo Sorella Nagli wanted me to phone the mission nurse. Reluctantly I did (It’s just a cold!!!), then she told me she wanted me to go to the docs asap and get antibiotics! So we called our Ward Mission Leader for the number for a doc.. and his gf’s uncle is a doc, so we ended up going there. He gave us the visit for free. Didn’t even give me antibiotics, but some other medication and sent me on my way. It’s reimbursable though luckily!! then it turned out we totes crashed their date! They were supposed to go on a date.. She booked it off from work and everything then ended up taking us!!!!! We felt so so so bad!!!!!!! So we made them cookies and a thank you card!!! Sorella Millet (nurse) didn’t want me going out either, so we just studied and made food. I tried Yorkshire Puddings.... but we didn’t have a tray for them, so I had to do them single-y! They worked out well.... but took forever!!! and we don’t have gravy, so we tried with a stock cube and it was nasty and salty hahahaha. It was a weird experience!

Saturday - We went to see a less active called L who lives a trek and a half a way!!!! We got there and they had prepared a pranzo (lunch) for us! They are originally from the Dominican Republic and gave us their traditional food!! IT WAS SOO GOOD!!! and the guy (non-member) made a drink just from milk and freshly squeezed oranges... I was scared to try it, but it was superrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr good!!!!!! By the time we got home it was late! so we did some finding! That was it.

Sunday - WE HAD CHIESAAA! Then dinner at E’s mother-in-laws! With her husband A (non-member), daughter V and her mother-in-law! EVERYTHING WAS FRESH!!!!!! The pasta!!!!!! The bread!!!!!! Literally EVERYTHING!!!! It was so so good and she fed us SO SO much!!!!! We even got fed rabbit! It was weird and I was sad to eat it, but it was actually quite nice!!! We did a spiritual thought with them and it went really well!!! :) Then we did phone finding (where we go through our phone of numbers we don’t know and call them to see if they’re interested.  We called LOADS... and got 1 appointment!!!!! So I’ll let you know how that goes!! :) 

I have nooooooo idea about transfers!!! Me and Sorella Nagli think we’ll both stay... or at least hope!!!!!
………………………………………….
So Week 2 of the fortnight or as we called this week Hobo week!

Hahaha yeah that’s right... the last week of the month we call Hobo week. Just for one reason.... we run out of money! Espesh with us having to go to Rome twice this month, we are dried out hahaha! Thank goodness for personal funds!

This week has been tough. On the way home from Rome, when we were on the coach someone’s ringtone went off... It was Amy McDonald - This is the Life! It made me think of home, when I went to her concert with my family!

NEWS OF THE WEEK. I'm actually ashamed it has taken this long, BUT... I gave my 1st Book of Mormon away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) A guy who attends English course..... We are not sure of his name yet, but he always wears a hoodie that says 'Florida' on it, so we just call him that for now and he thinks it’s hilarious hahaha. We will learn his name this week though haha!! We did a spiritual thought all about the Book of Mormon, bore our testimony of it and I felt prompted to give him one. So I did!! :D and he accepted!! :D And we had a good old convo about church etc and he said 'if I say I don’t have time I will be lying and I don’t want to lie,  so I will maybe come to church.' This was on Tuesday though and we didn’t have his number to follow up, soooo he didn’t come! BUT now we have his number and we will follow up this week! I’m excited to see what happens!! He’s SO SO SWEET!!! 

This week, as suggested by Sorella Nagliati, I made scones again! It’s offish! IM THE SCONE QUEEN!! Hehehe … she loves them and I don’t do a bad job! hahaha


I'm the Queen of Scones - Sorella Nagliati loves 'em!

On Wednesday.... there was a scioperò (I think that’s how you spell it). It means that the buses go on strike, sooooooooooooooooooo we couldn’t go anywhere. We had to do finding local to our house! The funny thing is... the drivers drive the buses around the normal route and just don’t stop hahaha … it’s so strange!!! 

Then Thursday we had a lesson with D !!! She’s a recent convert. SHE IS THE SWEETEST thing!! I love her!!! She makes us cookies and cakes too aw! So cute! We did the gospel of Jesus Christ and it went really well!!

Friday we had weekly planning and as we had a really tough couple of weeks - we decided to change. We are doing the 'Be purified' thing.  It was a talk given by a Mission President I think. We fast and ask for revelation as to what we need to change - stop - or do! Then for 40 days, we work on the things we receive. I wish I had the letter/talk to explain. It’s really good, so we are trying that! I’ll try and find the letter (on lds.org of course!)

A funny quote of the week. We were in our English course on Thursday and we are doing verbs. 'I go' and they take turns in making a sentence and one guy says (he’s from Morroco?) 'I go.... to hell' and he was DEAD serious. It was so hard not to laugh.. I mean, of course that’s not funny... but it just sounded so funny and weird hahahahahahahah! I told him he won’t and not to worry … then we proceeded.

We then went to the Di Iuglio family and shared a spiritual thought.  Since we are struggling with investigators, we have decided on working with the members, so we can build a friendship and trust with them! :)

Then on Saturday we did finding in Pescara... had Correlation and Ward Council (that took up most of the day) . We also had the thanksgiving meal! It was so so good to eat a proper cooked turkey! I didn’t do Yorkshire Puddings cus we didn’t have the correct pans!


I tried making Yorkshire Puddings but we didn't have the right pans

Today we have had so much rain already!!! Well Hello December! ha!

That is pretty much all of my antics for this week! I’m sorry it isn’t much. This week we have prepared for a better week, so hopefully we won’t have many or ANY bidones!!!

Although it is hard being here sometimes, I know that this is where I need to be right now! I know that somewhere here in Pescara there is at least one person waiting for me and Sorella Nagliati! I know it! We just need to make sure we are in the right place at the right time! I know that this gospel is the only true gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that without a single doubt! I know that I am part of an eternal family!!!! Yesterday we had the primary presentation! IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL! We had to join them in singing 'I Have a Family Here on Earth' in Italian.. of course! and I LOVED IT! and thought of each one of my family! Then they played a beautiful video about families and I felt so so close to mine! I know Heavenly Father loves us all! I know that one day we can return to live with Him TOGETHER! How great is that!!??? I just love this gospel!