When In Rome....

Monday, July 20, 2015

I LOVE THIS MISSION.

Hahaha shout out to my greenie brother...love that kid.  It’s fun to be training while he is a greenie.  The beginning of the mission is just like WOAH. In fact, this week I wrote down a list of things I forgot about Italy that my greenie reminded me existed because she was like, "what......?" 

Here they are....

1)  All the gals here wear wedges or heels.  I’m not even joking.  Today we saw a lady ON A BIKE in 5 inch heels.  I can’t even wear those things for short distances.

2)  Shop owners stand outside of their shops when no one is in them and stare people down. 

3)  There are pigeons everywhere and they are super gross looking. 

4)  There are cats everywhere and they are also super, super gross. Stray cats. bleeeh I hate stray cats. 

5)  There is no grass in Italy.

6)  Stop signs and red lights are optional. 

I love having a new missionary.  It’s the best. Although Sorella Embley is super pro so sometimes I forget she has only been in Italy for like two weeks. 

Comunque this week was stellar.  Sorella Embley had her first pizza...and my like 500th. It’s still so good every time though!  We also tried cannoli and they are SO GOOD YOU GUYS.  The food here is seriously so so so so buono.  

We have dinner once a week with the coolest family, Namalie and Kushan.  And they make us eat SO MUCH PASTA.  I’m surprised I’m not in a pasta coma.  They are way cool though.  A ton of the new members in the ward are referrals from them.  They are from Sri Lanka.  I am sending some pics of them.

This week we FINALLY were able to talk to all of our investigators. meno male.  Three of our investigators live up this HUGE HILL OF DEATH. 

Imagine this:  you are in an oven, a super hot oven, like the kind you cook brittle in or something, and as you are just hanging out in the oven someone tells you you need to walk up a really really really steep and long hill that will take years. That is VIALE EUROPA.

We’ve climbed up that baby like 4 times in the last two days.  Wowzers.  And three of our investigators live up that hill. hahah. It’s the refiner’s fire in every sense of the word because it’s so hot here.  But it’s worth it because the people we are teaching are sooooo awesome!!!!!!!!  It was great to finally meet them all.  We are teaching Patrizia and her daughter Jada.  While we were teaching them about the atonement this week they both started crying.  The Spirit was so strong!  Awesome.  Also a lady named Lucia and another lady with 5 KIDS who is way nice.  It’s weird because I met her and I was like, "Ohhh my gosh lady, you have 5 kids!  How do you live your life?!?!"  And then I remembered that I come from a family of five kids....hahahaha.  I’m just not used to big families anymore I guess. 

So yeah, it’s super hot here. THE HUMIDITY…it’s terrrribbleeee.  You just walk outside and even if you just showered 5 minutes ago BOOM you’re already a big ball of sweat again.  I feel like a sweaty suora.  Not only is it hot, but I have to tell you guys that Italians have one tiny, tiny fault and that is that they believe in colpo d aria.  To translate that....they believe that if you are really really sweaty and then you go in front of an air conditioner that you will get a neck ache and a headache and get super duper sick. AH. So we will be in church and someone will be like, "TURN OFF THE A/C!!" hahaha  and I’m just like, “NO NO NO NO NONO!”  meno male.  I bought an oldy fan at a Chinese store so I just walk around fanning myself like I’m 85 years old or something. hahahaha. 

Another funny story. This week I watched that scene, "feed the birds" from Mary Poppins.  Ok I didn’t really watch it but we walked by this old lady and she was feeding like 1,000 pigeons.  She was sooo old like at least 90. She told us she feeds the pigeons three times a day, and they come and wait for her.  I just wanted to start singing...."feeed the birdsssss ........." but I restrained.  awww she was a sweet heart but those pigeons are so gross...it takes a special person to appreciate them I guess. 

Ok, here is a really cool miracle story for you guys, and then I’m gonna go.  Mom.....you have two missionaries now so does that mean I can write half as long letters..? hehehe  I’m just joshin.

So obviously we’ve been working really hard on learning to teach because it’s tough when you first come here!  We’ve especially been focusing on learning how to teach the restoration this week.  Sorella Embley is a BOSS and was super ready to teach it Sunday night.  We had an appointment so it was perfect. But then we went...and got a bidone. cioe....the person wasn’t home. 

I said, "enough of this!" 

We marched across the street to a more secluded place and said a prayer.  We prayed for someone to teach the restoration to. 

Then we started walking.

and walking.

and walking.

and we talked to everyone, which was great! but no success.  Actually some super harsh rejections.  We kept walking and soon we were close to our house.  We still had about 40 minutes and decided we would get on the tram and go to this place where we had done some finding with the Anziani.  We went there, and I can’t lie, I was feeling super discouraged, just tired I guess.  We got off the metro and talked to the first person sitting on the bench.  She said, "sorry, I don’t speak good Italian, I’m from Romania."  But we didn’t give up.  We kept talking to her and asked her if she’d seen missionaries before.  We asked if we could sit by her and share a message with her, and she said YES! (Side note....as soon as she figured out we weren’t weirdos her Italian got perfect....hahaha.)  We shared the restoration with her and it went great.  When we were about to leave Sorella Embley said the prayer.  Afterwards, we looked up and this lady was crying!  The Spirit was so strong! IT WAS SO COOL.  Then we hopped back on the tram to go home and we were super pumped.  The guy sitting next to us wanted a Book of Mormon, and some other people were from the Philippines and their grandpa was a member of the church and we got their number too!  It was the best night ever. 

moral of the story....

PRAYER WORKS. 

This is Heavenly Fathers work. 

I’m thankful for Him and all the sweet people we met yesterday and this week.

I really am loving this city. I still miss Cagliari, but I love it here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The work is great. 

I can’t believe I’m hitting my year mark soon. 

Ty, want to switch? 

I love this mission and all of you! 

Buona settimana!

vvb

Sorella Brunson