Tuesday 12 May 2015

Ragusa 30/4/15 - 11/5/15 Snakes Alive & Whoa, we're half way there!!

Week 1 of the fortnight
Okay so sadly I really don't have a lot to say, since the last email I wrote was only 4 days ago, so I will try my best to think of something, but these past couple days (secondo me) have been pretty uneventful..

Well, after emailing on Thursday, Sorella Reber, the Anziani and I went to explore the Caves of Ibla! (IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL and so SO hot, but we had so much fun! Then in the evening we went to see Sorella Angelini! We are still waiting on a response regarding someone bringing the Sacrament to her! Hopefully that will work out. She is so sweet, but so so old and frail, so it’s basically impossible for her to come to church! 
P-Day ~ Cave Exploring

P-Day ~ Cave Exploring

P-Day ~ Cave Exploring

Friday... We saw Rosemary, Rita and the Puglisis (FOR PRANZO) oh yeahhhhhhh! So.. we did weekly planning! It went rather well :) Then we went over to the Puglisi’s for pranzo and to do a spiritual thought (obv) and they are just the sweetest couple ever!!! They defs have a place in my heart!!! <3333 Then after that we went straight to Rosemary’s! We did a BOMB lesson. Then we went to see Rita!!!! I LOVE THAT WOMAN! So we read chapter 7 (I think).. or maybe 6 of Moroni and then we spoke about church again and she told us she really, really, really, really, wants to come, so I promised her we would get her a ride!! Then she told us it was Destiny’s (her son) birthday tomorrow (Saturday) and I asked what they were doing for it and she said nothing, cus it’s difficult at the minute with the Dad being ill etc SO! (that info is crucial for later) THEN we did some finding! :)
Saturday... We began by MAKING CAKE!!!! .. because May is the month of the party! It was Destiny and Iolanda’s birthday (Destiny - Sat and Iolanda Sun) SO! We got baking for them! We went to Rita’s to drop the cake and some of the balloons from the package that was sent to me from home :) and he LOVED IT!! He was so excited to see the balloons and to play with them (he turned 6) and he loved the cake too :) Rita was so grateful! I LOVE THEM AHH! Then we did follow up finding, but they were both ill :( Lots of people seem ill... actually talking about that! It could be allergies! My hayfever has been playing up big time! I should probs go to the pharmacy to get something for it! Then we had Correlation and the Anziani’s simp came and gave me some MORE music!! hahaha .. he printed it off for me and wanted me to play ha! It was Nuvole Bianche (one of Ludovico’s... my fave!) 
Sunday... Churchhhhh! I spent the morning calling around to try and get a lift for Rita! Last minute I know, but I was waiting the night before to hear back from somebody and didn’t hear back til the morning! Now if the missionaries at home ever ask for something last min .. I will never complain!!! The members here are amazing! I was super stressed trying to sort it cus I really, really, wanted Rita to be at church! Then Iolanda and Sorella Campo agreed to take her! :) Then Gabe (the Anziani’s simp) took her home! RITA WAS AT CHURCH FOR ALL 3 MEETINGS!!!! The members were so, SO, happy to see her!!! and she loved it! Destiny loved primary too!!! .. And we sat with them in Sacrament meeting! IT WAS SUCH A BLESSING THAT IT ALL WORKED OUT SO WELL AND THAT THE MEMBERS WERE SO WILLING AND READY TO HELP!!! :):) THEN! We had pranzo at la famiglia Cascone! (the amazing family that introduced me to sweet ricotta ravioli!!!!!) That was a lush pranzo!!! THEN! We did Family History finding! Then had an appointment with Sorella Rollo (Sorella Cascone’s mom) and after that..  SHE FED US TOO!!!! WE WERE SO FULL, but Sorella Rollo is LITERALLY the CUTEST old lady you will EVER meet!!!!! <3<3<3<3<3<3 AHHH RAGUSA!!!!!!! a PIECE OF MY HEART WILL BE LEFT HERE FOR SURE AND I will have to return one day after my Mission! THE MEMBERS ARE SIMPLY amazing!
Well I guess these last 4 days weren’t uneventful after all!!!
I can’t believe that today I celebrate my half way mark! It’s difficult to imagine life without having had this opportunity!!! The mission is the best!!! 
Week 2 of the Fortnight
First…..I LOVED SKYPING YESTERDAY! ANYWAYS! I just loved it and it was amazing. I loved seeing my family and it was so cool that we could all Skype together (including Ammon). I’ve watched the video I took from the Skype call of my family singing Happy Birthday to me like 300 times already :):)
SO! My week...
Monday – So, for P-Day we had a retail therapy day! BUT also, a miracle happened..... this started today built over the course of the week… but to save confusion I'll explain it all here...
ANYWAYS! So on P’day we went to the mall to go shoppingggggggg (it was a really successful trip, because not only did I get a really, really, really, cute dress and 2 cute skirts and a watch..... BUT) ... when we finished shopping, we were waiting for the bus back... the bus was late and I was really worried that we had missed it... we were waiting for over an hour and I felt awful, cus by this time P’day was over and I just felt stranded and slightly responsible.. so, to use our time as wisely as poss, we made some calls to set up some appointments since we didn’t get to do this on Sunday.... then we did 'bus stop finding' (well!!!! there was no one there, but we tried :S ) anyways, time goes byyyyyyyyy and this lady comes and sits next to us and we just naturally start speaking to her in Italian... then she tells us she is from Romania and she prefers to speak in English (OF COURSE I DIDN’T MIND THAT! Haha!) So, we talk and then we talk on the bus and she tells us she is Orthodox, that her children are in Romania and she is here with her husband working to get money for the kids. She was just incredible and she talks about religion with such passion. Anyways, after an awesome conversation for about 40 mins, we exchange numbers and she said it was a pleasure to meet us etc and we just feel incredible about her, on cloud 9 tbh! SO! During the week we call her to set up an appointment to give her the BOM in Romanian! So she accepts and we met yesterday (after skype .. WHICH WAS INCREDIBLE!)..  so we could explain the book to her! SO! We met with her and she is just SO open it’s unreal! She tells us she will read it every night and how the words in Romanian touch her so, so, deeply and she was reading through it giving examples and she was just so excited and told us that it’s the first religious book she has ever had!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She never even had a bible, cus she couldn’t afford it!!! Anyways she said she wants to share it with her children too and she even mentioned changing religions depending on how she feels about this book! Then she asked us to teach her how to pray and if she could come to church! CRISTINA IS INCREDIBLE and I feel so, so, good about her! I never felt this good about any potential ever!!!! So my hopes are rocket high!
So that was the best thing about Monday... and other things I wrote down that I really liked were.. Red Velvet Oreos <3 Chips Ahoy <3 and that was it hahahaha; so as you can see it was a great, great day! :)
Tuesday- DDM WAS GREAAAAAAAAAAT! This district is the bomb. They’re all incredible! Obv I still miss the Pescara district (original version ha), but this district are just as amazing!!! DDM went on for so, so, so long, but we all really did have a spiritual feast! The role play was done by Anziano Kelly and really it was like a whole new addestramento haha, but it was amazing and the spiritual thought was done by Anziano Jorgenson and that also was like another whole addrestramento! Hahaha then I did the Italian tip, but I didn’t really have a tip, so I gave them a few Italian phrases and my fave one goes as follows: “Avere un diavolo per capello” (meaning to be very angry, but translated directly, it means 'to have a devil on each strand of hair’).  I’ve been using it all week. Hahahahah! Then Anziano Smith did the addestramento, which as per usual was incredible! Then I made the district some custard and we had it with bananas and lemon slices that were sent from home and they loved it (I think) haha! Then we rushed to see Rita... who cancelled on us :( pero vabbeh! Then we went to see Sorella Ragusa! :) Then after we went to see Gabe (salvo’s brother) to help him with his English practise for a test he took on Saturday :) Then English courseeeee!!!!
Wednesday - SCAMBIOOOOO IN SIRACUSAAAAA! I got to meet the Corso family (their son is serving in the Birmingham Mission). They are incredible! They are so, so sweet and I ate really well at their house! It was way hot in Siracusa! Hotter than here in Ragusa!!! There’s like, no shade there! I love Siracusa though .. I could happily serve there! :)
Thursday - we travelled hoooooooooooooooooome :)); met a really cool girl on the bus who lives in Modica (which is part of our area! :) and exchanged numbers :) We had a really good gospel conversation with her :) then when we got home, we saw Sorella Criscione, then Gabe again .. just before English course!! Theeeeeeeeeeeeeeen, English course. Some quotes I wrote down from English corso are 'We Italians, we are like mute without the gesture' (Salvo) 'Men do things faster. Women do things better.... no' (Gabe) I <3 them! Then after corso, we went outside and there was a SNAKE!!!!!! haha! crazyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!
A Snake outside the Chapel after English Class
Friday - We went to Comiso! :) To do less active finding! We had an appointment with the Minardo fam, but they cancelled us, so we did weekly planning instead.... outside a Catholic church (of course) and a bird pooped on Sorella Reber’s preach my gospel... (on a page we use at least once every week) hahahaha! Then we went and saw Sorella Guastella and left a note for Sorella Turtula! :) Then we went back to Ragusa to see the Puglisi’s and Sorella Angelini! :) OH and Gaudia was there too :) and we set an appointment for an FHE on WEDNESDAY!!! (for my b’day) hehehe woo! :) So, Friday was an awesome day! :) A quote from Sorella Puglisi, referring to her hubby 'Noi abbiamolo Spirito Santo, ma lui ha lo Spirito di patate'  SO FUNNYYY I love them, they’re hilarious!! You HAVE to meet them!
Saturday - we saw Mima (our neighbour). We wanted to show the Restoration DVD, but she doesn’t have a DVD player... so we'll figure something out for next time! So we shared the scripture in Alma about Faith :) She loved it and so did her son! Then we saw Rosemary! That went well.. Then we did findinggggggggggg!!!! As we were doing finding we went into an 'all over the world' kinda shop where they sell Asian food and African food and… custard (out of all the things in the world haha), so that was cool and as we were there we saw Mose!! He said he wanted to start seeing us again! :) Then the lady that works there is from Brasil! She told us she would love a Book of Mormon in Portuguese, so we will get that to her! She seemed genuinely interested! :)
Sunday!!!! Churchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Pranzo with the Chine’ssss!!!!!!!! :) <3 and SKYPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! <3 <3 <3 say no more (oh and the lesson with Cristina, which I already explained :) Then we saw a crazy lady and she was telling us all about how Michael Jackson “ha spagliato” because he changed colours hahah it was a really weird convo, but whatever! 
Sorella Reber and I about to Skype home to our Families
Well well well that .. was my fortnight!!!! I hope you loved reading all about it!
I know the gospel is true.
I love this gospel.
I love this opportunity that I have to meet these incredible people with incredible spirits!
I love ITALY!
I love the ISLAND OF SICILIA!
I LOVE RICOTTA!
I LOVE YOU ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!
Heavenly Father really loves us!
Keep being good! Keep laughing, praying and smiling! 

All my love,


Sorella Robertson