zone conference pictures via sister waddoups (THANKS!).
this week started off great. why? because we made PUMPKIN PIE WITH A REAL PUMPKIN! i have never felt some homemakey. who needs that canned stuff? not i. anyway it wasn't as good as mom's, (what is? ... even though she uses canned pumpkin ...) but it was sufficient. i decided that eating pie for breakfast is one of my favorite things to do. it feels like holiday time. so i did that and got an insta-smile for the rest of the week. PIE!
dad sent me his list of fave hymns last week and it quickly became one of my most prized possessions. fur reelz. i love that guy. so i made one too. i will write the titles, and an explanation my have to come later, like in person, because time is a tickin:
- come come ye saints
- lead kindly light
- more holiness give me
- mandate voci di gioia all'eterno
- all creatures of our god and king
- i know that my redeemer lives
- i am a child of god
- nearer my god to thee
- who's on the lord's side who
- how great thou art
- honorable mentions: the lord is my light, the lord is my shepherd, be still my soul
baldo fasted. he never has. but he did this week. loved it. in fact he told us that how we told him to fast (for two consecutive meals) isn't good enough. "a real fast is 24 hours." so next time he is fasting for 24 hours. what a guy.
tuesday was zone conference. i love zone conference. but i prefer when it isn't the last one and i am sad the whole time. haha! i wasn't sad the whole time. i am happy! remember?! but you know, all good things must come to an end so other good things can have a turn. i gave a training on finding that was pretty silly. i hope it helped everyone be more excited! if only everyone could feel what i feel right now about the necessity of the work. it is kind of the worst that right now i feel like i finally have everything under control--the language, the relationships with companions and members and investigators, teaching, studying, the culture, being away from everything i know and love--and now time is up. but that is the beauty of the mission, and life: the learning process. and like i read this morning in my studies, knowledge of divine and spiritual things is essential for eternal life. anyway i was and still am really grateful for the sweet feelings of gratitude that i felt during the conference. extreme gratitude.
teaching "like a baller".
her departing testimony at zone conference.
is this not one of the saddest pictures? poor poor paigey.
i assume this is singing the mission song together. i also assume this is probably paige's last time participating this tradition.
she's so cute.
we have been teaching this lady named vincenza. it all started with a private english course but it developed into gospel chats. she told us that she read ether 12 and together we just gushed over how beautiful that chapter is. she just opened the book up to that and it responded to her immediate needs. so cool how the book of mormon is still so relevant. and cooler that she got to learn that all by herself this week.
friday we ate more pumpkin pasta and loved life.
one of our other english course students/investigators called us this week from the hospital. she fell in the gap between the metro and the binario ( i can't for the life of me remember what that is really called in english ... probably because i never had to learn it ...) and snapped her leg. eeeeeeeeeek! yeah i just get the heebie jeebies thinking about it too. so we will visit her tomorrow! i'll send pictures haha!
the anziani found this man boppin' around a city called poggio mirteto a few weeks ago. turns out he is a member that just moved into town and was looking for information about where to find the mormon church. and so, wasn't it just a big fat coincident that the lord had the anziani be in his path that day? so he has just won everyone's hearts. he is a gem. he came to the mostra this week and explained the plan of salvation to everyone who passed by. president criscione, who is a camera man and has the hook-ups, got him a job to do voice overs because this guy has that kind of voice that makes you think that you are living in a movie preview when he talks because it is just so perfect. so marco, who felt alone and lost a few weeks ago, found his family here in rome 5.
i got my halloween package and have been on a candy high for days. but i do it in style with awesome socks and crayon pumpkin rings like a baller.
we had a pretty great little lesson with rita valenti this week. she told us about a huge miracle. if you recall, rita has a son who has been pretty against all this mormon stuff from the get go. she expressed some worry about being baptized against his will. she said she would be more comfortable being baptized if he was behind her for it. she told us how they had a chat and she was able to tell him how she feels about what we have taught her, how she has changed, and what she desires. his response: well then i guess you'd better get baptized. he has seen the change in her like everyone else has. so we hopped on that opportunity and told her that we recognize that as an answer to her prayers and invited her to be baptized. we explained that she needs to come to church 2 more times and that we have a few more things to teach her. i told her how much i would like to be a part of her baptism but that i am leaving really soon. she said she wants that too. so she accepted. so PRAY WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART THAT SHE WILL COME TO CHURCH! because she didn't come yesterday. urg. but i have high hopes. and i have never wanted anything more.
yesterday was stake conference. that sly guy president waddoups was inspired by the stake prez who called people at random to bear testimony and called up a handful of missionaries to come up and bear testimony about certain things. so yep, he called me to bear testimony about enduring to the end. what a guy! haha! it was pretty cray but kind of fun too. i also got to see diani marchetti!!!! she just is ... i don't even have the right word. bright. full of light and goodness. she gave me the biggest hug ever and said she loves me and my city. and i just hugged her back and said the same thing. i also saw the perego fam! they got permission from president to "kidnap me" on my last sunday and have me over to dinner. so that should be fun. i love that jenna. i will miss them!
well that is just about every single detail from my entire week besides the disneyland love talk that jackson and i shared, the party at mamma gigante's home yesterday with this crazy spikey version of zucchini, watching 80s church hits (families are forever) and giggling over a pizza, and the delightful rainstorms. but other than that, you know it all.
do you know that i love you?
oh, read this
and this
and now you have it all.
i didn't take many good photos this week, but this is worth it:
love,
sorella wightman
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