Week 20

Hello from the city with the hidden secrets underground.

Okay. So, Catania got really cool this week. And I will apologize now
for a short email. We have zone conference tomorrow and with all the
sisters here, I am so distracted. But, I will do the best I can.

This week, I discovered a few things about Italians. But really it
just has to do with the fact that they are obsessed with their
families. They love their families. Italians literally live with their
families forever. People who were born in Catania will live in Catania
forever. It is so funny when people from English course say in their
heavy accents, "I was born in Catania, I live in Catania". Everybody
wants their families to be near them forever. It is a good finding
technique, but I just wanna say, "Fly free. Be independent." Haha..

I also tried Italian hot chocolate for the first time this week. It is
more like hot chocolate pudding, but they have white, dark, and milk
chocolate. I will be making some room for boxes of it in my suitcases
on the way home. It is called ciobar here.. And I am so excited to eat
more. Also, the different flavors make my life.

Monday night, we finished watching general conference. It was so good.
I think the ponderizing scripture thing is a really good idea. Last
week, mine was Alma 26:2 and this week, mine is Alma 7:24. I like to
pick short ones because it is easier to memorize. :) Also, that
speaker looked and sounded like an older Matthew McConahey... Don't
know how to spell that. Sorry if I completely ruined it for you with
that. Haha.. I also really liked Elder Bednar's talk. What a sweet
memory thing for the general authorities. Sorry, my English is slowly
going down the drain. But my Italian is not that great either so I
can't speak. Haha...

On Wednesday, Jennifer got some good news. Someone offered her a job
at a hotel cleaning. They also offered her lodging and an additional
salary on top of that. She just had to check if the school would
accept her boys. We haven't checked back up on how that went yet, but
keep her in your prayers. It is closer to Messina, but there is the
church there too. This situation would be so much better than what she
is in now. :)

Thursday, we had a lesson with a referral from the anziani. We walk to
the hospital where we are meeting her, and we call her. No answer. No
answer. No answer. So, we walk to the building and sit down and wait.
She approaches us, and we get to teach her half of the restoration.
Her name is Gabriella, and she is really interested. But then this
Catholic guy came over and went all doomsday on us. He kept saying how
the anti Christ is coming next year, and how we are all going to be
Catholic when the end of the world comes. Sorella Decker said, "I hope
not." Not to this man, but it was so funny.

On Friday, we went to a pranzo at a less actives house. We get a call
before we get there saying she invited friends. Okay.. And her 40 year
old son. We eat lunch and it is delicious. The conversation was a mix
between Sicilian and Italian, so I was not following at all. We left
and Sorella Decker says, "I can't believe her friends were trying to
set you up with Lucia's son." I flipped around real fast, and was
like, "what?" Haha... I had no idea. Absolutely no idea. I'm like, "he
could be my dad.. And I feel so violated." It was an interesting
situation. Haha.. That is an awkward laugh.

Then we went on a tour of the city to see if we could get to know one
of our ex Simps better and see how we could help her. Catania is so
cool! So, the city has been rebuilt like 3 times because it gets
destroyed by the volcano. Also, there are so many churches and pagan
idolatry here. And, there is an underground colosseum and a river
which the city is built on top of. Crazy? Yes. Okay, sorry to cut this
short.

I love you all! Gonna go get food. And then pday is over. Today, since
we spent half the day getting ready for zone conference, president
gave us permission to take half a day pday another day.. So, if you
get a short email on Friday, that is why.

Love you!

Sorella Flansberg