Dear family and cari amici:
This week has been so good! And this p-day has been amazing. I am in
love with Italy. :)
On Monday, as you saw from pictures... We went to Ortigia which is a
small island off the city of Syracuse or Siracusa. It was absolutely
beautiful, and I died a million times over. Giant piazzas, beautiful
buildings, lovely CLEAN streets, and so many picture taking
opportunities! It is the city where Archimedes grew up. Someday I will
go back with my nice camera and never leave. ;)
Tuesday, I went on a scambio with Sorella Thorpe. All but one of our
lessons ended up falling through, but I think the purpose of a scambio
is for more than doubling the amount of lessons we could have. It's
nice to have someone else to talk to, as much as I LOVE Sorella
Decker. The one lesson we did have was with Rossella. She is an
English course student and loves the missionaries. We read the intro
of the Book of Mormon and Moroni's promise, and then the spirit
prompted me to do an impromptu baptism invite... Scariest thing I've
ever done and so unexpected, but it felt right. And she accepted..
Without attaching a date to it. So fun to feel Heavenly Father working
through you. :)
Thursday was thanksgiving... And it turned into a really cold,
uneventful day. It was raining in the morning when we went to figure
out the bus times, and it stayed cold and windy all day. Humidity and
wind makes for freezing sister missionaries. We went to the Foulk
family for thanksgiving. They made turkey, Mac and cheese, mashed
potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, pulled pork, and A&W root beer.
They also invited an Italian sister over whose husband is on leave and
her mother. The sister speaks English, and then there were 3 kids all
together. The Italians brought lasagna and cannoli, so it was a nice
blend of Italian and American deliciousness. It was so nice of them to
invite us over. We had figured all the bus times out, so it would work
perfectly, and they dropped us off at the stop 15 minutes before the
bus was to get there. And we wait, and we wait, and we wait some more.
No bus. It is freezing. And we wait, and wait... And still no bus.
Finally an hour and a half later, we called the Foulk's back...
Feeling really horrible the whole time... And Zach came and rescued us
and took us back to Catania. We still feel really bad... But
thanksgiving memories. Next one... I'll be home. Ahh! Weird to think
about! They also gave us leftovers and they were just as good the
second day. Italians don't believe in leftovers, but they are missing
out.
It has been really cold the last few days, which calls for tights,
boot socks, wool skirts, and my wool coat. Yes, I finally broke it out
of my suitcase. And our house doesn't have heaters and we have a
window that will forever be stuck open. Haha... It makes it really
hard to get up in the morning.
My 6 months and Sorella Decker's 17 months happened this week. We
didn't celebrate... Because we were broke. Now that I have less than a
year left in this beautiful place, it makes me a little sad. My life
will be forever changed from this experience, and I wouldn't change my
decision to come for anything.
Transfer calls are haunting me. I am so torn on what I want to happen.
Sorella Decker leaves Saturday morning, and then I will find out what
is happening a few hours after she leaves. I don't want to think I am
leaving... And it is only the really selfish part of me that wants to
leave. But the work would fall apart here. So, I read a verse in 2
Nefi in Italian and it talked about reconciling yourself with the will
of God. I know that whatever is supposed to happen, will happen. If I
stay, I hope I get a younger missionary so I will not be the "greenie"
anymore. Stay tuned until next week. :)
Saturday night, we went finding. I've decided that it takes two kinds
of faith to go. One to actually leave the house into the cold air to
talk to strangers, and then two... The faith that it will work.
Finding definitely isn't my favorite thing not because I don't like to
talk to strangers or because I'm afraid of rejection.. But Catania is
a really hard place to find good places to go finding. If you go to
downtown, everyone is too busy to talk to you, if you go to the
historic parts, everyone is a tourist, and if you go to parks, you'll
talk to a bunch of creeps. Hopefully if I stay, I will discover a good
place to go.
Sunday... We spent a lot of time with the Bruno's who are now ward
missionaries. We went to see Jennifer together because she is sick.
Bro. Bruno gave her a blessing, and as we were leaving... (We usually
ask for a bacio from the boys. A kiss on the cheek. And in Italy, it
is perfectly acceptable for girls to baciare girls and boys to boys)
.. It is really just touching cheeks to greet each other. Anyways, we
ask Emmanuel for un bacio... And he does.. And then Bro. Bruno asks
and he says.. "Sei un maschio" or you are boy! Haha... He refused to
do it.. And it was the cutest thing I have ever seen.
In my studies this week, I especially enjoyed 2 Nefi 11. Nefi is
explaining why he likes Isaiah, and why he uses Isaiah so much.. And
he said because Isaiah has seen Christ as I have seen him. And I
realized that Isaiah is one of the most powerful testimonies of Christ
as the savior in all accounts of scripture. He also talked about how 3
witnesses are used to establish truth.. And how his soul delights in
proving to his fellow men that Jesus is the Christ. I loved this
because, my soul also delights in demonstrating that Jesus is the
Christ. That is why I am on a mission. Because Jesus Christ has
changed my life, and I want to show others how he can do the same for
them.
Well, I am glad you all had a great thanksgiving! Vi voglio un mondo
di bene. :)
Con amore,
Sorella Flansberg
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