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Monday, September 7, 2015

Monday, September 07, 2015
Emergency Rooms and Sweaty Brows

It's been another fantastic week in the land of Italy.  You guys all really need to visit here. I mean I'm not bias or anything but I'm pretty sure this country is my favorite!

Let's just start this email off with a funny story to illustrate how crazy awesome this country is: 
We were walking to go visit a less active and it was the first time we had been up to her house.  I say up because it's up this gigantic hill.  Like kind of a mountain.  So we are walking, the sun beating down on us, and we finally reach the top of this mountain to this little village place where she lives. We weren’t exactly sure where her street was so we needed to ask someone for directions.  We asked this old man.  He gave us directions, then paused, looked at my companion and said, "Wow, you are really sweaty!" and then he took his hand and wiped the sweat off her brow.  Yes. It really happened.  Any American bubble you might have when you come into this mission will be popped.  Don't be surprised if I'm just all over you guys when I get home. 

Thank goodness we don't have to worry about wiping away our own sweat, because we really worked hard this week. We had one of the best weeks we have had since we both arrived in Messina.  The best part of the week is that Abigail has a baptism date!  Yes!!!!! It's for October 3rd.  We have been having the coolest lessons with her lately.  She knows a lot about the church, and she really knows it's true.  She has been working with the sisters for a long time.  Her story is so much like Joseph smiths.  Just listen to her life.  Her mom is Buddhist, dad is catholic, uncle is Jehovah witness, her sister doesn't believe in religion, and her grandma is lds (Mormon).  And not only this but all of these people try to get her to believe what they believe.  Gives me a headache just thinking about it. We went in to teach her and our message for her was 1) The gospel of Jesus Christ is simple and  2) YOU choose what you think is right through talking to Heavenly Father.  We promised her that if she reads the Book of Mormon, prays, and comes to church for this month, she will be ready to be baptized October third. And she accepted!  Whoop hooooo :)  They need to make an emoji that is more excited looking.  Just take this emoji, multiply it by ten, and that's how excited I am.  It's so cool the opportunities I have had to work with teenage girls on my mission.  I didn't expect it!  Seriously, in every city I've been blessed to work with a ton of teenage girls.  It's so fun and it makes me miss my sisters a little less. 

We did a scambio this week with the sorelle from Siracusa . I was with sorella Thorpe who is one of the funniest human beings I have ever met.  We were walking to an appointment when BOOM she fell to the ground.  I was like, "Ahhh you're bleeding a little" and she was like, "nah it's all good" and wanted to keep going.  It really wasn't that bad but I wanted at least to get a band aid on it so she wouldn't get blood all over herself.  We started walking around asking places for band aids. Nothing. Finally we were asking in a bar and this guy was like, "the hospital is right next door, just ask them." That seemed weird to us but I guess a hospital is bound to have a bandaid. We went to the front office to ask for a bandaid and they said, "You have to ask at the emergency room."  I'm like good lands.  So we walked to the emergency room and said, "Can we have a bandaid?"  They see the tiny scratch on sorella Thorpes knee and are like, "here, bring her over here." They have her go to a room and get all cleaned up and but some weird yellow stuff on her knee.  We were cracking up because all we needed was a bandaid and we ended up in the emergency room getting a medical procedure done!  Welcome to free health care.  I was trying to imagine walking into KGH hospital and getting put in a hospital room for a scratch on my knee.  So funny.  And in the end they didn’ t even give us a bandaid!  So after like 5 minutes of leaving the emergency room her knee started bleeding again.  We just said "pazienza " and kept walking.

Also this week we got a sweet referral from the anziani.  They had this random woman call them and say, "You need to teach my friend."  We went to the appointment too because they were both woman.  The woman's name is Raffaela and she's super awesome.  We explained the Book of Mormon and she was like, "whoahhh this is sweet!" and we were like "yup. We know!" So that should be grand. 

Other than that all the other people we are working with are doing great. I love them!  This city is so cool and crazy and I love it.  I'm so lucky I got to serve here.  I'm convinced I've served the coolest mission ever.  I guess maybe everyone feels that way. 

Oh so GREAT NEWS. My greenie has made it on the fridge.  Let me explain. The other week sorella embley forgot to write president. So as an apology I sent the mission office a picture of president waddoups and sorella embley cracking up together that was taken at the last zone conference.  I wrote "look, sorella embley doesn't hate president waddoups, they are great friends."  (I'll send you the picture).  Anyway, apparently everyone in the mission office thought it was hilarious because they printed it out and put it on the fridge in the mission home.  So yeah.  My greenie has made it on the fridge in the mission home #lifegoals. 

I'm really happy right now. I think it has something to do with living the gospel of Jesus Christ every day. Me and sorella embley this week were talking about how simple the gospel is. Ohhhhhh man it's so easy!!! If you want to be better, if you have problems, if you don't know what to do, you don't have to invent some grand plan to solve the problem or help your family.  We have been given all the tools we need to be successful.  Scripture study, prayer, going to church, family home evening.  If we just do the simple things the Savior and prophets have asked us to do IT ALL WORKS OUT. Every time. We don't need to fear. 
So don't fear! Just do simple things. Like my favorite scripture says, "Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great." 
Do the small things with your eyes on the Savior. 
Love you all! 
Vi voglio bene assai 
Sorella Brunson 


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