Buongiorno tutti!
This week, a lot of things happened... So this email might drag on. I
hope I have time to write everything. Transfer calls happened, so if
you want to try to find where I'm going in the midst of all my
stories, go ahead. Or you can just read through all of it in order. I
still have to build the suspense. But yes, I have been transferred.
This week, we had DDM in Ostia. It was fun to visit another city for a
few hours and see another Italian church building. They all just feel
like home as soon as you walk in. We did transfer predictions, and
Sorella Hunter and I both got orange robots so everyone thought we
were staying together. One of the anziani made lasagna for lunch and
it was so good. We also had a great addestramento about love,
perseverance, and enthusiasm and how all three of those words and
characteristics are necessary for missionary work.
When we got back to Ladispoli, we went to the beach to meet with a
potential who ended up not showing. But all was well because we met
Emmanuele. He is the friend of a less active's son and he wanted to
talk to us. At the beginning, I was a little hesitant because he
seemed a little aggressive about it and I didn't want to argue, but as
we continued talking.. He actually had some really good genuine
questions and he wanted to know what we think. There were lots of
theoretical questions that I had never thought of before. Also he was
impressed that I knew what his name meant.. "God with us". Thank you
church Christmas video. ;) haha..
This transfer I've become aware of how much I just trust people and
have faith in what they say if it makes somewhat logical sense to me.
It also makes me a bit gullible, but mostly I just trust people easily
so when the prophet says something. "Okay, the prophet said it. It
must be right." But this week, so many people have been asking
questions that I just never thought to ask or things I just never had
the need to ask. And I didn't always know the answer to their
questions, so it also helped me see how much faith I have just because
the things I do make me feel good inside. I guess I don't see the need
to question it. Maybe faith is one of my gifts of the spirit. We tried
to explain to Serena this week that there isn't a logical explanation
to everything we have questions about. Sometimes, we have to rely on
the feelings we have in our heart and wait patiently until we know
more.
I guess we've become regulars at the pizza place because they know
what we want right when they see us and we walk in. 2 o'sarracino's
please. Haha.. I promise we don't eat pizza that much. Maybe once a
week. ;) We got home from getting pizza and tried to wash our hands
when we realized our apartment didn't have water. Haha.. Nice, huh? So
we just prayed really hard and examined how much water we had left in
our water bottles, and it came back on at 10:00. It happened again the
next night, but I guess it happens to the entire building during the
summer where the water will just turn off for like 2 hours a day.
Wednesday morning was rough. Every night during daily planning,
Sorella Hunter and I make solid plans for the next day. But that
morning, everything fell through and I was just getting sick of it
always happening and then us getting stuck doing street finding ALL
THE TIME. I feel that I've been trying my hardest to be bold, to work
hard, to be obedient, and talking to everyone we can, but sometimes it
is a refining fire, I suppose. I realized I need to be more grateful
for the little miracles everyday. Sometimes the little ones we see are
the ones that are easy to forget. But I know that God makes blessings
rain down on us when we are in his service.
Sorella Hunter was a great example to me this week by talking to some
people who wouldn't have been the first people I would have talked to.
One day, we were sitting next to this hobo while waiting for Slla
Sears to pick us up for an appointment, and I heard a voice in my
head, "Talk to him. He's a child of God too." So we did, and we
probably made his day since other people try to avoid people like
that. He actually plays the guitar pretty well. He was also proud
about how he stopped using the drugs he used to and now only drinks
beer. I think he probably realized that it completely ruined his life,
and stopped. It was just cool to feel the spirit remind me that he is
also a beloved son of God.
1 year down happened Friday. I can't believe it has been a year.
Depending on the day, I feel different about the fact I've been gone
for a year. Some days, I'm like.. "No! I absolutely love my mission,
and I never want to leave." And other days, "yeah, it would be nice to
see my family again.. I kind of miss them." It is a constant
contradiction.
President kind of gave me a hint about transfer calls in his email
this week because he said that I have "blessed" Ladispoli in the past
tense. So then I had anxiety Saturday morning and all of Friday
because I wanted to know where I could be headed. But then I realized
this, "The best case scenario will always happen, because God is in
charge. It just might not seem like the best case scenario to you at
the time, but that is because we can't see the situation in the long
run as clearly or as accurately as God can." Not that I had any city
that I didn't want to go to. I've realized this past week that I've
changed the most here in Ladispoli. Hard things have happened here,
and I've come closer to Christ. But as I keep thinking about things
and the order in which they happen, I've come to realize that life is
just easier when we come to trust God. Because he knows what he is
doing. That was pretty much the theme of my week.
On Saturday morning, we got the call. And I'm going to TARANTO! I'm
going to be with Sorella Hess. She'll be in her 3rd transfer, so I'm
follow up training. And her old companion/trainer, Sorella Adamson,
who is in my MTC group is coming here to Ladispoli! :) We're just
doing a comp swap. Haha.. I'm excited. For all you who don't know...
Taranto is somewhere in the arch/heel of the boot of Italy. Also in
the area of Puglia where they have good food. Guys! I'm going back to
the south! I'm just plain excited, and I do have to admit that I
wasn't expecting it.
Saturday morning, we finally were able to have a lesson with Somma.
She is this Indian lady who comes with the Distante's every week to
church. We were able to have the lesson at their house with Lidia, and
it went really well. It was harder to teach her because she doesn't
speak Italian or English very well, but we used google translate when
necessary and I'm sure the spirit helped her. At the end of the
lesson, she said a beautiful prayer in Punjabi and her eyes just lit
up when we said she could pray in her native language because she
didn't really want to do it in Italian, which is understandable. Her
eyes also lit up whenever we talked about baptism. She is the cutest.
We were also able to see Teresa. We called her Saturday afternoon. She
was one of our potentials, and when we called, she gave us her address
and told us to come. That never happens, but we were like okay. And it
ended up being an interesting experience. She is always so happy when
she sees us, and she told us a little bit about her life and how it
has been hard for her but she prays to God to get through it. I guess
she gave us both Catholic names because she can't remember our real
ones. So I'm Maria and Sorella Hunter is Angela. Also, she fed us a
lot of food including this fruit salad that had pieces of whole lemon
and lime including the rind. Definitely not my favorite, but fun
memories nevertheless. She came to church on Sunday, and really
enjoyed it. And she just feels happy and inner peace whenever she sees
us or when she comes to church, so she feels the spirit! She is still
just confused that our church is not connected with the Catholic
Church in any way sort or form.
Saturday night, we went to see Antonetta. She is one of our
investigators who has not been making progress since I got here, but
all of my companions, especially Sorella Tellez, insisted that we go
see her. We tried to do a how to begin teaching thing with her about
how we are here to help bring others to Christ, but she is a firm
believer that we don't need churches. She claims she "goes to church"
every time she does something good for another person. I love her and
she always makes us good food when we go over, but hopefully someday
the sisters can help her see why it is important to go to church and
to do good things for others. While at her house, I learned how to
twirl spaghetti noodles properly with a spoon for the first time, and
she taught us to always make extra food when you cook for the
unexpected guests. The only problem was that no unexpected guests came
and since Italians don't believe in leftovers, we ate the extra. And I
was already full from Teresa's house.
On Sunday, the bishopric asked me to bear my testimony so I go up and
in the back row I see a member from Catania. Haha... It was a nice
surprise, and when he asked Sorella Hunter how long she has been out
(a question that she usually understands), but she didn't understand
because of the heavy Sicilian accent. But when I heard it, it was like
coming home. Mamma mia, I miss Sicily!
The Ostia Sorella came to sleep over at our house last night because
Sorella Rossi served in Ladispoli a year ago, and is dying, so it was
good to see them. But the house was very full for a little while.
And then we had an appointment with Jon in this park that looks like a
forest inside. He played his guitar for us and is actually really
good. I got eaten alive by mosquitoes. And I think it is time to carry
bug repellent in my purse again everywhere I go.
And then today we played tennis with an English course student, Gianni
and his family. It was so dang fun! They have turf instead of concrete
courts here so that was a fun new experience. Once I got warmed up, I
got in the hang of it and I couldn't even tell that I haven't played
in a year. It was so fun to get out there and hit tennis balls a bit.
I almost felt normal again. Even Sorella Hunter who has never played
before did well and had fun. Thank goodness she's a good sport. Gianni
was impressed by my backhand, and I had some pretty sweet serves. It
really felt like I had never stopped. :)
Well, sorry for a long email. And I didn't even tell you all of my
stories from this week. I have so many that I am now behind in my
journal. Love you all!
I love being a missionary and living in Italy. I'm having the time of
my life. :)
Con amore,
Sorella Flansberg
Missione Italiana di Roma
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