did you all survive the holidays? are you sad they are over? are you ready to strive to be better for 2013? are you glad that the mayans and the aztecs were wrong? yeah me too.
guys, it has been forever since we last "spoke." right? lots has happened. i have so many stories and so little time. also i left my camera card at home like a dummy but don't worry, my words will be your pictures.
the week(s) in a nutshell ...
-i met one of the first members in taranto. she is 100 years old and still kicking. i have learned that the italians know the secret to a long life: they walk everywhere. everyone, the babies, the teens, the adults, the elderly. they walk to the store, to the bank, to church, to have fun. family, sell my car. i don't want it. i have feet and a bike and another 100 years or so to live. also i think the pasta has something to do with it.
-we got transfer calls and transfers happened!! i am still living it up in taranto! holler. but my mamma left me for rome. my new companion is sorella smedley:
- she is from layton
- goes home in may
- was born (in the mission) in catania
- served for 9 MONTHS in rome, is besties with ugo perego (woo!)
- will probably die (again, in the mission) in taranto, lucky girl
- she sings like an angel
- played softball
- shook taylor lautners hand at a karate competition (is that the proper title?), long before all he did was remove his shirt for a living
- has a big family
- and is now my new bff italian style.
the people love her already and i am excited to see what we will do together with hard work and faith and mission power.
-sorella taylor left. it was the second hardest goodbye ever in my life. the first? when i had to delete beyonce off of my ipod. ha! jokes. but seriously, it was tough. i can't even write about it because then you will see how cheesy i can get and nobody wants to see that. but i love her. she is really great. and i will (and do) miss her a lot. i am forever grateful for what she did for me, my mission, and my life. basta.
-christmas eve was out of this world good. in every meaning of the word. we ate with the dellefoglie family. they are the party animals of the ward and had us and the anziani over. we played with their drum set, exercise equipment (my arms are still sore ... bad sign), ate a delicious dinner by candlelight, and shared some really great plans for the year 2013: the year to pay our savior back.
-christmas! woo! we did things but there were 2 things that were the best: 1) TALKED WITH THE FAM! and it still stands ... they are the best family on the planet and nobody will ever convince me otherwise. which is really saying something because i am very easily swayed. skype is a wonderful thing. and so is the de mola family (the family that we spent christmas with). 2) we got to turn some frowns upside down on christmas and i am convinced that that is the only way to spend christmas. helping others smile or in other words "inviting others to come unto christ". it is true. mission christmas is good times. i also opened my christmas letters and all i can say is THANK YOU to all you little sweeties that wrote and added so much sunshine to my little wannabe italian life. also b&c&paul ... you guys really out did yourselves.
-we watched movies with val. it's a wonderful life and the muppets. wow i love movies.
-we had to be home at 5 pm on new years eve. why? yeah we thought that too until it sounded like a WAR ZONE outside. italians and fireworks, one combination that i didn't see but heard ... and i'm scared.
-new years day. everything was closed and nobody was around. i thought for one minute that maybe the war zone/new years eve party we heard the night before actually was a war zone and we were the only survivors, but no, this must be why it was a cleaning day. our apartment is the cleanest thing in italy. besides the temple.
-valentine was upset for a minute ... a)because sorella taylor left and b) because we didn't tell him that the new sister is blonde.
-for the rest of the time i have been showing sorella smedley the wonder and beauty that is taranto. the ward LOVES her and so do i. it will be nice to start a fresh new year with a new companion and even some new work! woo!
your to do list
-read cast not away therefore your confidence by elder holland. gem.
-read for times of trouble by elder holland. another gem.
-read president uchtdorf's most recent conference talk (of regrets and resolutions) then set some killer resolutions because setting goals is the other secret to a long and happy, successful life.
-be happy that i carry a back up camera card and got this winner of a picture just for you. yeah my hair looks awful.
-remember that i love you so much and so does your heavenly father. he is aware of your strengths and weaknesses, successes and struggles, and he is anxiously waiting to bless you. LET HIM!
all of my love,
sorella wightman
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