- we went to scicli. normally it is really probably really fantastic and magical and wonderful ... but we went during pranzo and there wasn't a soul to be seen. oops. we toured some cool cathedrals and sorella haynie had her first italian gelato and her first experience of seeing the joy that beyonce brings into my life since love on top was playing in the gelateria. whoa man, i was happy! i don't know why but beyonce, she just speaks to my soul.
- we witnessed an italian catholic wedding (aka we saw a bride and groom enter into a cathedral). it was exciting!
- after all the wedding and cathedral fun we visited a member family. the husband is italian and the wife is brazilian and the hair dresser who was there too and is also the wife of the branch president in gela (sooooo many people in one sentence, sorry, are you with me?) is from ghana. so i, an american, was in heaven. love me some flavor. their son is a monster. they literally tied him to a chair during our lesson ...
thursday
- haynz (sorella haynie) did her first door approach and owned it like a champ. in fact, the almost impossible happened ... SHE LET US IN!!! greenie power.
- we met with a student from english course to read the book of mormon together. he speaks english fluently so we did it all in english, something that i haven't done since valentine so my english teaching skills are a dull to say the least. he came all prepared with his space doctrine questions. ha! it was a good time. aliens, ufos,
blah blah blah. missions are so so silly!
- i made a treasure hunt for my english course. i think sometimes i treat these students like those teeny little monsters that i love so much at the daycare. the thing is i think they actually really like it.
friday
- this terrible thing happened. WE FORGOT AN APPOINTMENT!! that has never happened to me ever in my mission. which is weird since i have the brain of an old grandparent and forget why i walked into another room frequently. but the appointment forgot too so it all worked out. heavenly father really had my back for that one.
- we made dinner for a family in our ward so the mom could relax a bit and also because our investigator lives with them. we made meatballs because that is my specialty ... i know right? paige wightman makes
meatballs. i am weirded out by it too but i refuse to hide my candle under a bushel.
- on the way home from our dinner service project i slipped on some garbage in the street and fell right on my knee. man it was reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllly funny but it also hurt kind of really really reaaaaaaaaaaaaally bad. but the funny kept it from hurting too much. italian garbage used to be a good friend of mine (you will never believe how many gems i have found just laying around) but that was a low blow.
saturday
- i limped around the ragusa hills with my giant legged companion. that sorella haynie she is a gem (even better than the garbage gems previously mentioned). she was so worried about me all day and kept saying, "if it hurts really bad you can cry" ha ha i loved it!
sunday
- we woke up bright and early to catch the bus to palermo for stake conference at 6 am. woah ... biggest trial of my mission was waking up at 5.
- remember how i hate driving long distances usually? that has changed. in fact i want to travel the world by bus if i can be surrounded by italians. goooooood times!!! the bus even broke down for about an hour and we all considered it a blessing because it let us be together for more time.
- stake conference was AMAZING!!! two area seventy came. anziano boom and another great great guy whose name escapes me (grandmother brain is kicking in) and they could not have been more inspired with their talks. also the stake president, presidente nudo, i love him. he cries a lot which always gets me. he spoke about how we need to attach ourselves daily to the lord and to apply the atonement more fully into
our everyday lives and weaknesses. two sisters from the stake spoke, one about charity and the other about motherhood. i loved those talks too. also president and sorella kelly bore their testimonies and they were kind of goodbye and thank you for everything themed since they leave so soon. a few tears leaked. man i love those two. imma missem. president asked me to translate for the wife of anziano boom so we got
front row seats. score! and she was a sweetiepie. i thourougly enjoyed watching the little italian babies come and give her drawings and hugs and kisses. a few more tears leaked just watching them. italians have to be the most loving people on the planet, and sorella boom was blessed to witness that on sunday.
monday
- both sorella haynie and our district leader ran into street signs while walking around this day. i really really tried to be more like sorella haynie and not laugh when others hurt themselves but that is a weakness that i am trying to turn into a strength still.
tuesday
- members were just taking us all over the city, introducing us to their friends and families and less active members. it was like a missionary dream day. there truly is no better way to do missionary work. it is truuuue!
today
- we needed to go to some government building to make haynz legal so we had such fun for 2 hours waiting in a waiting room. good thing president called (to talk about my going home stuff ... what what what?????!!! ick i just got here silly!!) and said that that is no way to spend pday and commanded us to add two hours to pday. if you insist prez.
- haynz and i bought some summer time sandals on sale because we already have ridiculous summer sister missionary shoe tan lines.
do you know that i love you all very much. do you know that i am proud to represent my family and my savior as a missionary? because i am!! there is no joy greater than that which comes from aligning our will
with god's. remember elder cardon's talk in general conference? i read that this morning and am feeling all kinds of love for the atonement because of it. read it. reread it. and more importantly put it to the test. this is the joy that i am talking about. real, lasting, clean joy that is all possible because we have a savior.
tanti baci
sorella vostra
- after all the wedding and cathedral fun we visited a member family. the husband is italian and the wife is brazilian and the hair dresser who was there too and is also the wife of the branch president in gela (sooooo many people in one sentence, sorry, are you with me?) is from ghana. so i, an american, was in heaven. love me some flavor. their son is a monster. they literally tied him to a chair during our lesson ...
thursday
- haynz (sorella haynie) did her first door approach and owned it like a champ. in fact, the almost impossible happened ... SHE LET US IN!!! greenie power.
- we met with a student from english course to read the book of mormon together. he speaks english fluently so we did it all in english, something that i haven't done since valentine so my english teaching skills are a dull to say the least. he came all prepared with his space doctrine questions. ha! it was a good time. aliens, ufos,
blah blah blah. missions are so so silly!
- i made a treasure hunt for my english course. i think sometimes i treat these students like those teeny little monsters that i love so much at the daycare. the thing is i think they actually really like it.
friday
- this terrible thing happened. WE FORGOT AN APPOINTMENT!! that has never happened to me ever in my mission. which is weird since i have the brain of an old grandparent and forget why i walked into another room frequently. but the appointment forgot too so it all worked out. heavenly father really had my back for that one.
- we made dinner for a family in our ward so the mom could relax a bit and also because our investigator lives with them. we made meatballs because that is my specialty ... i know right? paige wightman makes
meatballs. i am weirded out by it too but i refuse to hide my candle under a bushel.
- on the way home from our dinner service project i slipped on some garbage in the street and fell right on my knee. man it was reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllly funny but it also hurt kind of really really reaaaaaaaaaaaaally bad. but the funny kept it from hurting too much. italian garbage used to be a good friend of mine (you will never believe how many gems i have found just laying around) but that was a low blow.
saturday
- i limped around the ragusa hills with my giant legged companion. that sorella haynie she is a gem (even better than the garbage gems previously mentioned). she was so worried about me all day and kept saying, "if it hurts really bad you can cry" ha ha i loved it!
sunday
- we woke up bright and early to catch the bus to palermo for stake conference at 6 am. woah ... biggest trial of my mission was waking up at 5.
- remember how i hate driving long distances usually? that has changed. in fact i want to travel the world by bus if i can be surrounded by italians. goooooood times!!! the bus even broke down for about an hour and we all considered it a blessing because it let us be together for more time.
- stake conference was AMAZING!!! two area seventy came. anziano boom and another great great guy whose name escapes me (grandmother brain is kicking in) and they could not have been more inspired with their talks. also the stake president, presidente nudo, i love him. he cries a lot which always gets me. he spoke about how we need to attach ourselves daily to the lord and to apply the atonement more fully into
our everyday lives and weaknesses. two sisters from the stake spoke, one about charity and the other about motherhood. i loved those talks too. also president and sorella kelly bore their testimonies and they were kind of goodbye and thank you for everything themed since they leave so soon. a few tears leaked. man i love those two. imma missem. president asked me to translate for the wife of anziano boom so we got
front row seats. score! and she was a sweetiepie. i thourougly enjoyed watching the little italian babies come and give her drawings and hugs and kisses. a few more tears leaked just watching them. italians have to be the most loving people on the planet, and sorella boom was blessed to witness that on sunday.
monday
- both sorella haynie and our district leader ran into street signs while walking around this day. i really really tried to be more like sorella haynie and not laugh when others hurt themselves but that is a weakness that i am trying to turn into a strength still.
tuesday
- members were just taking us all over the city, introducing us to their friends and families and less active members. it was like a missionary dream day. there truly is no better way to do missionary work. it is truuuue!
today
- we needed to go to some government building to make haynz legal so we had such fun for 2 hours waiting in a waiting room. good thing president called (to talk about my going home stuff ... what what what?????!!! ick i just got here silly!!) and said that that is no way to spend pday and commanded us to add two hours to pday. if you insist prez.
- haynz and i bought some summer time sandals on sale because we already have ridiculous summer sister missionary shoe tan lines.
do you know that i love you all very much. do you know that i am proud to represent my family and my savior as a missionary? because i am!! there is no joy greater than that which comes from aligning our will
with god's. remember elder cardon's talk in general conference? i read that this morning and am feeling all kinds of love for the atonement because of it. read it. reread it. and more importantly put it to the test. this is the joy that i am talking about. real, lasting, clean joy that is all possible because we have a savior.
tanti baci
sorella vostra
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