When In Rome....

Hello!                                                                                        Monday, February 23, 2015

It sounds like everyone is near to having a panic attack about my foot.  So let me just start off with talking about that.

My foot is fine!!!!! 

I talked to Sorella Waddoups, the President’s wife, at zone conference and she looked at it.  She said, “it’s gross but not infected.”  She sent a picture to the mission nurse who is very, very knowledgeable and very very very wonderful.  The nurse called me and gave me specific instructions about what to do, and she said it wasn’t infected.  So I’ve been packing the hole with gaze and it’s very small now. So DONT WORRY OK.  Trust me.  It’s all under control.  My foot is not going to get amputated.  I still use the crutches a little because if I walk too much it gets irritated and it’s hard for it to heal.  So I’ve just been using crutches a little bit but today I can walk on it easily and with no pain.  It’s definitely almost perfectly better.  This weakened I rested it ALOT and I barely walked at all.  So it’s all good.

So yeah, another important thing...I bought a phone.  Our phone broke (not our fault) and so we had to buy a new one.  We didn’t have enough mission money to drop 80 euro.  So I had to use my personal money but I can reimburse myself so it’s all good.  I just didn’t want you to freak out that my card was used at a random place in Italy to buy a phone haha.  But now we have a cool phone because they said we could buy a nice one!  So we have gospel library on it and stuff, which is exciting.

 

As you probs all saw, this week was zone conference!!!!!  Could you send me the pics from it on the mission blog?  I’m not allowed to look at the blog.  THANK YOU.  ‘Twas a super, stupendous zone conference.  I learned a ton!  The Sorelle from Sassari came down and slept at the house Tuesday night.  It was super duper super fun.  I love them all!!!!!!!!!!!  It was really nice to have them there.  Sorella Wineager sprayed us all with glow in the dark silly string and me and sorella Sartegna made some yummy snicker doodilieeeee cookies.  Tuesday they came and Wednesday was zone conference.  I said the prayer at the conference and then this Italian missionary told me my Italian was really good so that felt stellar.  I’m amazed with the language these days!  I’m obviously not even close to perfect, but it’s SO MUCH easier to tell people what I’m thinking in my head haha.  It feels so good.  I’m approaching six months in the mission so it’s about time! hehe.

 

Thursday we had an appointment with Gabriella.  She’s doing really, really well.  The Spirit was strong as we talked about the Plan of Salvation.  I just love telling people about the plan of salvation.  It’s the best thing in the whole wide world!!  It literally just makes so much sense. 

After Thursday I decided ENOUGH and I rested my foot on Friday and Saturday.  It made a huge difference. Obviously it killed me to stay inside... so I went CRAZY and organized our ward list in a crazy way.  It took me forever but I think it will help a lot.  I’ll send a picture of it.   

Guess what? I GOT THE VALENTINES DAY PACKAGE and FLAT STANELY.  The package was fantastic!  I literally love all the cards times a million.  Thanks to everyone to wrote stuff.  It feels so good to hear from everyone.  Sometimes I feel so far away on this small little island haha.  I’m glad to know everyone is alive and well.  Emma, thanks for writing me like four million letters.  I’m excited to write you back!!  oh yeah Emma, also I talked about you in a lesson this week!  We were talking to this lady and she asked us what kind of stuff the church does for little kids.  I showed her your "top 10 list" and translated it into Italian for her and showed her a picture of you and told her that you are a wonderful person because of all the things you have learned from your parents and from primary.  She wants to come to church and bring her niece!!  So look at you, you’re doing missionary work from Washington!!!  Whooo hoooooo.  ok back to the valentine’s day package.  The letters were awesome and IM SO GLAD THAT YOU PUT CANDY HEARTS IN THERE!!  I’ve been craving those since February started.  They are almost gone.... all the candy is fantastic and of course I was delighted to eat the fruity dinobites.  Good news, I found Smackers the cereal here and they are almost exactly the same as at home! Yum.  The package was great and literally made my week.  Thanks mama bear.

Today we are going to the beach and I have Stanley.  I’m excited to take pics with him!  Mom, did you mean he needs to be back in Washington by March 17th, or that I need to send him from here by that date?  Stanley is my best friend now.  Thanks for sending him to me, Emma.

FYI we just got news that ANZIANO BEDNAR IS COMING TO OUR MISSION!! IN APRIL. How exciting is that?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!? He’s going to tell us about ipads and EVERYONE from the mission is coming up. It’s going to be so stellar. 

This week was good despite having to chill in the apartment for far too long haha but we still saw miracles! The anziani gave us two numbers for some people to teach! and also my foot feels better! and also I made brownies for a youth activity for the ward and they tasted really,really good! and also I just love being a missionary!

Spiritual thought from zone conference: so obviously I learned a ton from zone conference but one of the coolest things was a really good point that the zone leaders made.  We’ve all read the scripture "the field is ripe, all ready to harvest" and it’s true! But sometimes as missionaries in Italy, we have the tendency to say "the field is ripe, all ready to harvest...except in Sardegna, because let’s face it, these people are all catholic" or "the field is ripe, already to harvest...except in Rome, because let’s face it, these people don’t even want religion."  It’s easy for us to agree that "the field is ripe" in Argentina, Mexico, or Brazil but also the field is ripe here! The field is ripe everywhere.  Heavenly Father has said it is, and He doesn’t lie.  As missionaries it’s important to remember, and also as members.  The field is ripe, all ready to harvest..in Kennewick Washington, in Denver Colorado, in Utah, in Korea, in Japan, in Arizona, in Seattle, wherever you all may be.  I’m excited for this next week to keep working hard to help everyone.  The time is now!

 

I love you all!!

Sorella Brunson