Monday 5 January 2015

Natale, Capodanno e rinnovato coraggio

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! SKYPING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS WAS THE BEST!!!!!
I was really sad when MY skype call was over because I literally could have spoken ALL DAY TO MY FAMILY!!!!!! AFTER, MY MIND WAS exploding all day!!!!! 
Skyping Home made me soooo Happy!

So after we Skyped... we all went to the Colella family for dinner and to watch Frozen"! It was so so good!!!!!!
Off to the Colella Family for Christmas Eve (Myself, Sorella Nagliatti & Sara)

The food was way different than what I imagined!!!! We had salmon.... some pastry bits... and some cheesy crepe things!!! Then a sweet bread (panettone)!! But it was great.
 
Christmas Day in Pescara
Then on Christmas day, we went to a sister in the ward called Franca Ricci!!! We ate SO much!!!! The food was so AMAZING, but I really did miss the traditional English Christmas dinner that we all have together though!!! :(:(

When we got home on Christmas day Sorella Nagliati and I had some hot chocolate that was sent in my Christmas Package along with marshmallows (and some of the other Christmas goodies) that we both got from Home!!!! It was great!!!! Also on Christmas day Sorella Nagliati and I were eating the After Eights that were sent from home and she was wondering why they are called After Eight hahaha I told her I would find out!

So I had to give a talk at church yesterday and it went really well!!! I wrote the talk out, but it was like way over 20 mins, so that was awks!!! This meant that I had to shorten it down, so, so much!!!! It's probs part to do with how slowly I speak Italian hahahaha awks!!

I have a really funny story from Sunday!!!!! We were on the bus and a random little old lady was trying to get on the bus and was really struggling and then this lady tried to help her and she screamed in her face to scare her off!!!! IT WAS SO FUNNY. It doesn't sound as funny writing it, but it was hilarrrrious!!!!! and the worst thing was - she had bags full of rubbish and orange peel and stuff and a suitcase! It was weird!! but it was so funny and I couldn't stop laughing!!!

As far as work is concerned.. no-one wanted to see us over the Christmas week because of it being Christmas!! but yeah!!! This week is looking like a good one!!

WEEK 2
On the Monday after Christmas for p'day we were together with the Anziani for pizza.  Then we went to play games at the chapel with some youth, the Anziani, Sara Colella and her brother Lorenzo. We played Uno, then Monopoly. It got a tiny bit intense hahahahaha (Anziano Duffin is quite the business man hahaha!) but it was so fun!!! Then we went to the Scelse family for a FHE!! Their house is the cutest little house. I was literally loving it so much!! And they are the cutest ever!!! Their little girl turned 8 recently, but hasn't been baptised yet and her Mom wants her to have all the missionary lessons before she is baptised, so we have been asked to start teaching them.  We will start the lessons this week!! I AM SO EXCITED! and I am so excited to get to know their family more!!! She wanted me to play the piano for her, so we could sing hymns and she cried!!!! It was the sweetest thing and the spirit was so strong!!! :)
With the Scelse Family
Then on Tuesday... WE HAD SNOW! Tuesday and Wednesday we went to Rome for a scambio with the STLs!!! It was good and kinda nice for a small change!! We did a lot of finding and found some really good potentials! It's cool to see how different missionary's approach finding!! These Sorelle are very bold and just go for it.. to start with I was a bit nervous... Because normally we do sondaggios (questions e.g. 'How many times have you smiled today' .. then lead on to a gospel principle).  This works really well.
 
Snow!!! I was hoping to avoid that for 18 months.

... But I found that by being bold, as they are - also works out so so well!!! So, this week we started doing 'Plan of Salvation finding'. We drew out the Plan of Salvation on paper and approached people asking 'Have you ever seen this before?' Of course there were some who didn't care and probs thought that we were weird haha, but it works so well and we even got to exchange numbers with a few people, who seemed really interested!!! One lady we met called Eleanor was particularly interested!!! We are planning to meet her this coming Sunday!!! And I gave her a Book of Mormon with my testimony written inside!! :) We felt so so good talking to her!!!! SO HAPPY!!
When we started finding we were feeling kinda down, then we met her and our attitude completely changed!!!!! She seemed GOLDEN!!! So we are so excited about her!!...

Anyway back to Rome.... coming home was a nightmare cus our route goes right through the mountains!!! AND THE SNOW WAS CRAZYYYYYYYYYY!!! and the roads were literally ICE!! so the bus went SO SLOWLY!!!!! but eventually we made it home in one piece!! haha :) A funny story from Rome was that a man walked up towards Sorella Marsh (one of the STLs) and myself and tried hugging us (yeah, it was weird), then we backed away, but then he started coming towards me.... and the only thing that I could think of to do was to say quietly but boldly 'NO!' It sounds silly and hilarious now, but it worked... all I said was 'NO!' - like telling a little child off and immediately he backed away!!! We really are protected by the Spirit!!!

Then on New Year's day we did our deep clean!!! That was fun! haha! Now our apartment is so fresh!

Then there was left over food from the ward's New Years' party and so we all went to the chapel for dinner to eat that!

Then a funny story from when we were waiting at the bus stop...... a man started talking to us... and was telling us he can speak like 6 languages!! and he was trying to show off and flirt (the old men here are hilarious... they literally flirt with anyone or anything) anyways! He told me that my eyes caught his eye and he had to talk to me.... which was awks! Then he was dancing for us and getting us to guess how old he is. hahahahahahhahaha - old people here are the funniest!!!! Then the bus saved us and we said our farewells! :) hahahaha

A real quick spiritual thought was a talk I read this week for Personal Study. It was from General Conference by Dieter F Uchtdorf called 'Living the Gospel Joyful'. I really enjoyed reading this talk!!! It spoke about how many blessings we can receive from keeping the commandments, how important EVERY commandment is and why we have these commandments! And how much Heavenly Father is anxiously waiting for us to choose what is best!!! I wish I could type up everything that I highlighted, but I forgot my Liahona!!! I'm sorry, but I really would suggest that if you have the time that you read it!! It was a great talk!!! I love it!!

Anyways!!! We are meeting with Sara again today for lunch and to play more games... whayyyyyyyyyyyyyy :):):):) She is SO CUTE!!!!!!

I love you all so so so so much!!!

Please keep your letters and email coming as I love to hear from you all :) :) :)