Friday 10 July 2015

Ragusa 22/6/15 - 5/7/15 Voglie di chip, cantando le Sorelle, fichi freschi e trasferimento delle chiamate


Week 1
Okay sooooo I just want to start off by telling you all how much I miss the chippy, but obv I miss you all way more. No doubt .. but I do miss my chippy chips too. I suddenly got cravings for them the other day, hahahahaha well now that's over lemme tell you all about my week...


Well Monday.... We just chilled out, emailed, spesa'd, then alla fine we did a serata famigliare con la famiglia Maggrograssi! It went really well. We used the idea from Sister Cherly A Esplin with the 2 cans... One full and one empty and crushed the 1st one then the 2nd one, which wouldn't crush (obv) then spoke about how the home and the family and our lives should be full of the light of the gospel, so that we can withstand the pressures of the world .. it went so well. They were going to invite a non member friend, but she couldn't come but anyway, the lesson went really really well. Then they fed us :))))) then Iolanda gave us a ride home, shout out to Iole :)))


Tuesday..... We began with DDM, which was aweeeesomeeee. Anziano Bellows did the  addrestramento about how we need faith and a vision, then we must pray with faith and set goals and make plans then we must be diligent and work. It was very simple but he has an awesome way of teaching. I really need to be better at taking notes in DDM's because I don't remember very much. :/ next transfer I will be better at this, so my emails can be better. Then after DDM FINALLY we all went to get horse sandwiches. It has been a district tradition for a long time, from when Sorella Nagliati was here, but me and Reber have been busy with appointments these last few weeks, so we haven't been able to go. BUT WE WENT THIS TIME and it was lush. After that, we had a few cancellations, then we had a lesson with Gabe all about the plan of Salvation. Gabe loves the plan of salvation and he has a ton of questions and he is awesome, so the lesson went really really well :) Then we had English course.


Wednesday..... Again, we had planned an awesome week then got bidones all morning, but in the afternoon we got to see V (the man at the pharmacy) and we shared a Mormon message with him. It is kinda hard to see him for full lessons as he is at work when we see him, but we are hoping that we will be able to see him with his family at their home soon!! :) After that, we saw L and S. Taught them some English and finished the Restoration lesson with them. They accepted to read the Book of Mormon. :))))) They are so awesome. We love them soooooo muchhhhhhh!!! Then ward council was cancelled because there was a power cut.


Thursday .... We went to the old folk's home to do the service. The old people there are so adorable!!!! Then after, we headed straight to Comiso... Another city in our area, that takes about 30 mins on the bus. We went to see Sorella Turtula. We showed her a video about Esther, all to do with courage :) She loved it! Then we sung 'oh mio Signore' with the ukulele. Then we saw Gabe again and spoke more about the plan of salvation :)

In honour of Elder Robertson's Birthday


Friday.... We planned for the week.... Then saw L and S again. We spoke with them more about the Restoration and more about the Book of Mormon. After, we went to see Sebastiano and we just spoke to him all about the things that are important to him and what he believes and how he feels about everything we have spoken about. He told is that he really is interested and that he wants to learn more, so that was awesome :)


Saturday... We did a mostra in centro all about the Book of Mormon. It was a really hard mostra to do, because a lot of people are content with the bible alone, but it was awesome anyway! Then we saw Rita and spoke about the plan of salvation with her and she had a lot of questions and we were able to really speak with her. Then we had a ward activity. Me and Reber sung a song with the ukulele. The members here are very talented and it was just so awesome and some members brought friends and then some English course students came too :)))




40 Second Video Clip of Sorelle Reber and Robertson


Sunday... We went to church and taught gospel principles about the Holy Ghost, which went really well. Then Fratello Lo Monaco did such an awesome talk about why every commandment is so important. Then we had prank with the Puglisi's. After that, we went to try and find the memo attivi that we had tried to call but their numbers were inactive. We found some success and had an appointment with one of the ladies for this week, so we are excited about that :)


This week has been another hard week and I'm sorry that there isn't much to this email, but know that I love each one of you with all my heart. I miss you all so much, but I know that this is where I need to be right now. I am very excited for transfer calls.
Have the best week ever!
Sorella Robertson
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Week 2:'One day more, another day another destiny. This long unending road to Cagliari...' (Sorella Reber was actually singing this the day before we received our transfer calls. She CALLED IT.Monday : We literally chilled out all day (after our lesson with Vincenzo of course #reversepdayswaggerrrrrr

Tuesday : We began with DDM and we started with transfer predictions. Most people said Bari, I think, with someone like a lil bit younger than me. Then I don't really remember anything else. After that we had pranzo and lingua then we went to see Sorella A. We shared the Mormon message titled 'coraggio'. It speaks about the courage of Esther and 3 other women in the church, who through different situations and trials have had to be courageous. We spoke about how we must rely on our Saviour Jesus Christ in order to put our faith into action and be courageous. I really like in the video where one of the women explain what courage is by saying 'to be courageous doesn't mean to be without fear, it means to act with faith'. We bore our testimonies to her that when we are given trials, it is to strengthen us. Whether it is to strengthen our faith, our character, strength, understanding and so on. We told her how through Christ we are able to overcome doubts, weaknesses, sin and trials and can face them with courage through our faith in him. :) It went really well. After that, we got 2 cancellations unfortunately, so we did finding, then went to teach Gabe with Sorella Campo (I love that lady!!) We discussed the talk 'Per sempre liberi, per agire sé' by Elder D. Todd Christofferson. (free forever to act for themselves), because last time we spoke about life on earth and judgement in the Plan of Salvation lesson. He had a lot of questions about moral agency. It's a really awesome talk. It speaks all about our moral agency and responsibility to act righteously, but it also emphasises the importance of not blaming others for bad things that happen in your life. It speaks of Christ and his Atonement and God and His mercy and also explains how mercy however, cannot rob justice. You should all read it, I like it! So did Gabe :) After that, we had English course and the Anziani did the spiritual thought :) 

Wednesday... was an early one. We left the house at 6:45am to get the train to Siracusa for the scambio. Once we got there, we had to walk to the Sorelle house. I have only done this walk once, so I had no idea and we were without a map, so it took 3 times longer than it should have. Lolllll awks. Oh, also it was SO HOT. So once we FINALLY got to their house, they made us lunch. Then we studied the lingua, then I went to be with Sorella Na Bita and Reber went to be with Sorella Furia. Me and Na Bita went to do a member lesson. Then did less active finding where we walked for literally 6 hours solid!! Haha. Then we had a less active lesson at church with a lady called Sorella Miano. She was so so so so so so so so cute!! :) Then me and Na Bita got cake and ate it all. :) 

Thursday.... We left with a good amount of time - just in case we got lost on the way to the station again...... but it took us only 30 mins hahahahahah. We bought breakfast from a fruit stand. I ate my 1st fresh fig ever. It was kinda weird, but the taste was super good. I'll attach a pic. Isn't that so sick? I ate figs for breakfast in Siracusa?!! 
Fresh Fig for Breakfast
Then when we got home, we saw the Angelini family, then Gabe. With Gabe we spoke about the tools that Heavenly Father has given us for our learning and for us to find answers. We based the lesson heavily on the Book of Mormon, shared some of our fave scriptures and told him how we apply them into our lives. Then asked him to try. It went really well and he seemed excited to try it out :) Then we had English course :)

Friday... We did weekly planninggggg .. Then had a day full of bidone, so that was great.

Saturday : As always, the day of transfer calls brings so many emotions! Sorella Reber and I knew that there was to be a change. We weren't sure however, how big it was going to be, although we all made our predictions. I was convinced that she was staying in Ragusa and training. Then I thought I would go to Palermo to replace Sorella Winegar and be with Sorella McFarland (Sorella Arnold trained her). We didn't have to wait too long (like we usually do). We set the phone ringtones for President, Sorella Waddoups and the AP's all differently, so we knew who it was when we heard it. (Cus normally if it's just the AP's, nothing much happens; if it's Sorella Waddoups, someone moves, but not much happens; and if it's President, someone's training, getting a leadership position or being blow in / blown out... That's my theory anyways.) So for President  Waddoups' ringtone we had the song 'Everything is Awesome'; for Sorella Waddoups 'Under the Sea' and the AP's .. just some funky jazzy song that comes with the phone. Hahah! Anyways, the phone rings at about 8:30ish and it is President, which really didn't surprise me, cus I was convinced Reber was going to train. Then I answer and he sings the American pride song... With it being July 4th and all. Then he was like 'Sorella Robertson, you don't even care do you?' .. and I awkwardly laughed and said 'not really' hahahahah awkssss. Then he was like 'fine, well for that.... You're out of Ragusa' hahahah, then he told me he was blowing me into Cagliari, Sardegna. Then I asked him who I was going to be with and he was like 'I don't know, because the Lord wants you to train'... and I was like 'whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!!!' and then he was like 'Yeah, can you do that for me?' I was like 'I'll try, okay, sure, shall I pass you onto Sorella Reber and he was like 'No, I'm not done with you yet.' Then he told me 'The Lord also wants you to be STL'. (Sister Training Leader). That's when all of my emotions just went numb and I felt like none of this was even happening. I sound so dramatic, but I literally just didn't know what to think or say. I am soooooo nervous, but so excited too! I don't know anything about my area, my district, my zone or my new companion, but I know that the only Sorelle in the Sardegna zone are me, my freebie, Sorella Hansen (she came in with me and she's awesome) and her greenie. :) So I'm excited! Me and my greenie will replace Sorella Brunson and Sorella Vasilachi, but in all honesty, that is all I can tell you. Oh and that maybe I can only take 1 suitcase hahahahah awks!!! When I know more I will let you know. :) So it looks like I've served/will serve in the best parts of the mission. :) 


Sundayyyyy... I bore my last testimony in Ragusa and said my last goodbyes. So sad :( but I have some pics to send this week. Then I started packing. I can only take 1 suitcase, so I need to choose well haha. Also, Thursday I fly to Rome to meet my new comp, then from Rome to Cagliari. I don't know anything else other than that. 
Goodbyes are going to be hard, I love Ragusa and the people so much.

Goodbyes are going to be hard, I love Ragusa and the people so much


I love you all and I love being a missionary :) 

I need to go though :( because Reber wants to shop today and we need to get the 11:20 bus..

You're all the best.Hugs and kisses. Sorella Robertson Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx