Hello family and friends:
Earthquake. I figured I'd talk about this first because it is probably
what is all on your minds. It didn't affect us here in Taranto. We are
too far away from Rome, but we hear about it wherever we go. My heart
breaks for the Italian people who were affected. And the only affect
it has had on our work is people asking if there really is a God and
why he would allow this to happen.
Last Monday, we had a great time in Alberobello. It is basically a
little village made out of little houses called trulli. It is made of
white stone and has a stone roof that is shaped like a dwarfs hat.
Supposedly these houses are supposed to keep one cooler in the summer
and warmer in the winter. They were very cool, and they had some fun
souvenirs and cute shops. Although every shop has the exact same
souvenirs, haha... So that got old after a little while. We took a lot
of pictures that I would have sent home but the wifi at the church is
not working and the emails with pictures don't send very easily.
Monday night, we did the rest of the less active finding that we had
started on Saturday and we didn't find any of those ones either. More
lost people... So sad. After that, we went to the hospital, again, to
visit a member who is there. I'm going on hospital visit #7 or 8 in
only 12 weeks of being here.
This week, we actually worked out more than just stretching and doing
sit ups and stuff inside. The anziani would meet us outside our house
and we would run laps to the church and back. I did it 3 times. The
first time, 1 lap, then 1.5, and then 2. I have to get back in shape
sometime and Sorella Gochnour wanted to go running so I'm being a good
sport about it. One day we also did jump rope and I did like 550. It
felt good to actually do something. I have to lose my pasta cheeks and
belly somehow.. ;)
Our district meeting counsel was really great this week. We just all
talked about Chapter 4 of preach my gospel about the importance of the
spirit in missionary work and how to recognize it. It was a really
great council and everybody did a great job of participating and
sharing their thoughts. One elder said, "Trying to do missionary work
without the spirit is like trying to make pasta without the water. It
just doesn't work." Of course all of us Italian missionaries
appreciated that thought since all we eat is pasta. :)
Fun thing that happened: well, not really... But Sorella Gochnour
dropped a Nutella jar and Italy hasn't learned about plastic
containers yet so it shattered and Nutella went everywhere. She even
cut herself while cleaning it up, the poor thing. Also, I'll be
bringing a small container of Nutella home with me... Because it is
better here. I don't know why, but it has a better consistency.
We went to San Giorgio to see Giusy this week and we had a bus flop
and a bus miracle. The bus flop was that I didn't know what stop to
get off at and I chose the one farthest away from her house. When we
started asking people where we needed to walk to get there... They
kept saying, but that is far away. (È lontano). We just kind of shook
it off because usually when they say it is far away, it isn't that far
away for us because we walk all the time. But it was indeed far
away... Haha... At least Sorella Gochnour was a good sport about my
mistake. Then Italians are funny when they give directions on how to
get somewhere. Whether they know where something is or not, they will
give you directions.. But only right, left, straight... No street
names so you are taking a risk of getting lost following what they
say. Luckily it ended up okay and we finally found her house. Then
when we were leaving, I couldn't remember where the bus stop to get
home was since I'd only been to her house once with Sorella Hess...
But after calling Sorella Hess and finding the grocery store she
talked about, we found the stop, sat down for not even a minute, and
the bus that only passes every hour passed not even a minute later.
Literally a miracle!
We also played volleyball with Sorella Mazzolari this week, her less
active son, the anziani's investigator, and a few other youth. It was
really fun and we got to know some of the members better too. Sorella
Mazzolari is literally becoming one of my favorites. She came to
English course this week too and invites us over to eat all the time.
She is so fun, and such a blessing for us missionaries.
Thursday morning was full of miracles. We made the cups to explain the
apostasy to Lucia, then went to try to find a potential who was still
sleeping when we arrived for the appointment we had made with her. So
we decided to try to find this less active who lived near by, ran into
Tanya's mom, and then walked to a bus stop where this group of people
stopped us, asked who we were and said they would pay us a visit
sometime. Miracles!
So that was all really cool, but then we went to see Lucia. And I
can't say that was my favorite experience of my mission. She was in a
grumpy mood and as soon as we started the lesson that we had received
revelation for using these cups we made for it, she went off on how
God doesn't love us, how we are in the world to suffer, and why do we
have to suffer for 2 people's sins. We tried to explain that God loves
us, how he sent Christ to the earth, and how she will see her husband
again someday, with which she went off about how we turn into dust
when we die and if we wanted proof, we could go dig up her aunt. Then
she said that we were too young to know anything about life and how
our church brain washed us and sent us here to brain wash her, and how
she was happy with her church. At that point, the spirit was long
gone, and so we just left and went to get ice cream. It was a rough
experience... But I still love her. Hopefully she will find the peace
and joy she is looking for.
That night, we had an English course party and played jeopardy with
our students. They all spoiled us and ordered us panzerotti. And we
ate a lot. I don't think anybody beat Anziano Friedman though. He ate
4.5 panzerotti, 3.5 of which were fried. Everybody was looking at him
like he was a freak of nature, haha.. It was pretty funny. We made
butterscotch brownies and they were so good! Definitely a keeper
recipe!
We had a great lesson with Cristina on Friday night! Things are
progressing in her situation and I know things are happening according
to God's will and his timing. He is taking care of her. We were able
to read the tree of life with her and apply it to her life and it was
a really great lesson. The spirit was so strong, and I think she was
touched by it. It was truly revelation that we received for her from
God about how to apply it to her life. So cool to see her testimony
grow. She also brought a friend to church this week, the same one who
came to the party a few weeks ago. She is so awesome! I love her to
pieces!
Saturday, we went to see our Samoan, Fia. And she made lunch for us.
We sang hymns for her while she was preparing our plates. And I was
counting my blessings that she didn't make us fish. She said she
usually eats fish everyday. So that was our second of three meal
appointments this week. We ate this vegetable soup which had a kick to
it from fresh peppermint?? Then a cucumber, tomato, tuna salad, melon,
and ice cream. We had a great spiritual thought with her about Christ
and the atonement and the joy that repentance brings into our lives.
We also waited under the midday sun for 40 minutes trying to get home
from her house.
That night we went to see Elena. She always tells us it will be a
short lesson, but 2 hours later, we finally leave her house. She just
loves to talk and talk and talk. But we had a good lesson with her
about the 10 commandments. She finally read the Book of Mormon! And we
talked about how the gospel helps us get rid of the natural man inside
of us and become disciples of Christ.
We had lunch with the Mazzolari's yesterday, and it was delicious, as
always. They prepared gnocchi for us and that was my first time having
them here in Italy. But they gave us a whole plate of those the equal
size of a plate of pasta, but they are a lot more filling than pasta.
So we were basically dying and rolling out of their house. We were so
full, and it got worse as the time went on. Haha.... But it was so
good!
We also made some goals yesterday to reach our vision of having 1
baptism a transfer per companionship. We have faith that it will
happen! We don't know who it will be, but we have some great
potentials. I really do believe that President Pickerd was inspired to
have that become a new standard of excellence. :)
Then this morning, something else just made my whole entire day. This
member from Catania is visiting her in laws here in Taranto with her
children, and she was at the grocery store this morning. She saw me,
recognized me, and came and said hi! I was so surprised because I
think I ate at her house maybe twice and didn't really talk to her
much because my Italian wasn't so great back then, but she remembered
me and remembered that I have a boyfriend. It just made my day to
think that people do still remember me. :) So fun! I mean I was there
for 7 months, but they remember me!
Well, I hope you all have a wonderful week! I love you all! Keep
praying for the lovely Italian people north of Rome as there are still
aftershocks from the earthquake.
Con amore,
Sorella Flansberg
Missione Italiana di Roma
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