ANSWERS!

Milan Duomo
GOT LOTS OF QUESTIONS TO ANSWER THIS WEEK SO HERE IT GOES...

ANSWERS FOR POP
What is your favorite scripture of the week?
I DONT HAVE MY SCRIPTURES WITH ME RIGHT NOW OR MY SCRIPTURE STUDY JOURNAL, BUT I HAVE A POST-IT WITH SOME OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES FROM A CONFERENCE TALK THAT I READ THIS WEEK. I HAVE KIND OF MADE IT A THEME FOR MYSELF FOR THIS TRANSFER. IT IS FROM LAST CONFERENCE (WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED THE NEW ENSIGN YET) AND IT IS CALLED "UNSELFISH SERVICE". I STARTED THINKING ABOUT SERVICE THIS WEEK FOR TWO REASONS: 1) OUR PRESIDENT INVITED MY COMPANION AND ME TO COME TO THE MEETING WITH HIM AND ALL HIS ZONE LEADERS AND ASKED US TO BRAINSTORM WAYS THAT WE COULD IMPROVE OUR WORK DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON. I GOT REALLY EXCITED ABOUT BRAINSTORMING THIS, AND SERVICE WAS AN IMPORTANT TOPIC THAT WAS COMING TO MY MIND. 2)OUR WEEKLY SERVICE PROJECT IS TO GO WITH A MEMBER IN OUR WARD TO THE GROCERY STORE FOR ABOUT 3 HOURS EVERY SATURDAY AND JUST STAND AROUND UNTIL SHE IS DONE SHOPPING AND HELP HER CARRY HER GROCERIES HOME. I WANTED TO SOMEHOW CHANGE MY MINDSET ABOUT THIS PROJECT OR CONVINCE MY COMPANION THAT WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING ELSE.

ANYWAY, THE TALK IS CALLED "UNSELFISH SERVICE" AND IS BY DALLIN H OAKS. A QUOTE IN THE TALK BY PRESIDENT HINKLEY'S DAD WILL NEVER GET OLD FOR ME - "FORGET YOURSELF AND GO TO WORK". I THINK THIS WILL BE A HUUUGE KEY TO STAYING HAPPY EVERYDAY HERE. A GOOD QUOTE BY CS LEWIS THAT WAS ALSO IN THE TALK GOES - "THE MOMENT YOU HAVE A SELF AT ALL, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF PUTTING YOURSELF FIRST, WANTING TO BE THE CENTER, WANTING TO BE GOD IN FACT. THAT WAS THE SIN OF SATAN". THIS TALK NOT ONLY APPLIES THAT QUOTE TO GIVING SERVICE, BUT ON A MUCH GREATER SCALE TOO...YOU ALL SHOULD READ IT.

I ALSO READ THE PART IN "PREACH MY GOSPEL" ABOUT SERVING TO FIND PEOPLE. THEY HAD REALLY GOOD SCRIPTURES LISTED TO SHOW HOW SERVING OTHERS WAS A HUGE PART OF HOW CHRIST TAUGHT AND HOW PEOPLE WILL RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE CHRIST'S DISCIPLES WHEN WE SERVE WITH CHARITY.

AFTER READING THIS TALK I CAME UP WITH LOTS OF GOOD IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO USE THE HOLIDAY SEASON TO FIND MORE PEOPLE TO TEACH. I MADE A LIST OF THINGS THE MEMBERS COULD DO TO HELP US TOO DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND WE ARE GOING TO GO GIVE A 5 MINUTE PRESENTATION IN RELIEF SOCIETY, PRIESTHOOD, ETC. AND GIVE THEM ALL A LIST OF THINGS TO DO. IT'S QUITE A LARGE WARD SO I'M PRETTY SURE WE'LL GET AT LEAST A HANDFUL OF REFERALS FROM THIS PUSH. IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS THOUGH, LET ME KNOW.


How are you keeping up your enthusiasm?
SEE ABOVE. JUST TRYING TO MAKE A GAME OUT OF FINDING PEOPLE TO SERVE. ALSO, I HAVE THIS NEW GOAL TO MAKE MYSELF AS UNCOMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO FIND PEOPLE TO TEACH AND HAVE AT LEAST ONE GOOD AWKWARD STORY TO TELL EVERY WEEK. SO HERE IS THIS WEEK'S STORY...WE WERE WALKING FROM THE TRAM (SAN FRANCISCO STYLE TRAM) TO THE METRO WITH A CHUNKY OLD BRITISH MAN THAT I HAD STARTED TALKING TO ON THE TRAM. WE WERE CHATTING ABOUT HIS LIFE, WHO WE WERE, ETC. AS USUAL I WAITED TOO LONG TO EXTEND AN INVITATION AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD HIM SAY...OH NO, THAT IS MY METRO!! I FREAKED OUT BECAUSE I HADN'T GOTTEN HIS NUMBER OR GIVEN HIM OURS YET SO I REACHED INTO MY BAG TO GET A PASS-ALONG CARD. WHEN I LOOKED BACK UP HE WAS SPRINTING (I WISH I HAD A VIDEO OF HOW HE WAS RUNNING, IT WOULD MAKE THIS STORY 20 TIMES BETTER) TOWARDS HIS METRO TRYING TO GET ON BEFORE THE DOOR CLOSED. WITHOUT THINKING TOO MUCH, AND DETERMINED TO EXTEND MY INVITATION, I START YELLING - SIR, SIR! THIS IS FOR YOU!! SIR!! AND I WAS LITERALLY CHASING HIM THROUGH THE METRO STATION. HE BARELY GOT ON THE METRO AND THE DOOR CLOSED RIGHT AS I GOT THERE. THEN I LOOKED UP AND REALIZED HOW RIDICULOUS I MUST HAVE JUST LOOKED AND SOUNDED AS I NOTICED THE FACES OF THE PEOPLE ON THE METRO THAT LOOKED EXTREMELY BAFFLED. THAT EXPERIENCE ALONE WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO MAKE ME KEEP AT IT. STAY TUNED FOR NEXT WEEK'S AWKWARD MOMENT...

ANSWERS FOR BOBBY:
Is your apartment building pinkish stucco? I DON'T THINK SO. I THINK OURS IS BRICK. TO THE LEFT OF IT IS A MONGOLIAN RESTAURANT AND TO THE RIGHT A LITTLE BAR CAFE PLACE. And next door to the right is the building white on the first floor and red brick on the upper floors? It looks like a really nice building and neighborhood. On google maps I can do a full 360 degree rotation and see up and down the street. What floor do you live on? WE ARE ON THE 4TH FLOOR Do you have to walk up stairs? YES WE GET TO WALK UP THE STAIRS EVERYDAY!! 30 MINUTES IN THE MORNING IS HARDLY ENOUGH FOR EXERCISE. ESPECIALLY WHEN I JUST HAVE TO MAKE UP EXERCISES BY MYSELF AND GET REALLY BORED. I REALLY REALLY REALLY JUST WISH I HAD THAT SHREDDING VIDEO WITH ME. What are your neighbors like? DONT SEE MUCH OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN MY BUILDING. THERE IS ONE REALLY OLD LADY FROM FRANCE THAT TALKS A LOT WHENEVER WE SEE HER. I'M SURE THERE ARE A LOT MORE THAN JUST ONE REALLY OLD LADY THOUGH. THIS TOWN IS FULL OF REALLY OLD PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL OUT AND ABOUT, TRIM, AND SUPER SNAZZILY DRESSED. OUMA WOULD'VE LIKED TO LIVE HERE. THE ONLY NEIGHBORS WE REALLY KNOW ARE THE GUYS THAT WORK AT THE RESTAURANTS ON EITHER SIDE OF OUR BUILDING AND THE OWNERS OF THE ANTIQUE SHOPS THAT LINE OUR STREET WHO ARE ALWAYS HANGING OUT WITH THE RESTAURANT OWNERS AT NIGHT WHEN WE COME HOME. THEY ARE ALL PRETTY HILARIOUS AND HAVE A TON OF CHARACTER. Where do you go grocery shopping? GROCERY SHOPPING IS JUST A BLOCK OR TWO AWAY. THERE IS ONE STORE CALLED NATURALSI THAT IS SUPER CLOSE AND HAS REALLY GOOD NATURAL FOOD AS THE NAME IMPLIES. MY COMPANION LIKES THE NORMAL STORE THOUGH. I LOOOVE GROCERY SHOPPING HERE. THE STORES ALL SMELL SO GOOD AND HAVE SO MANY INTERESTING FRESH VEGETABLES, BREADS, ETC. I THINK I COULD REALLY LEARN TO LIKE COOKING HERE IF I HAD THE MONEY AND TIME AND SOMEONE TO EAT ALL THE FOOD THAT I COOK SO I DON'T GET FAT. How far is your church building? ABOUT 20 TO 30 MINUTES AWAY USING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. Any modeling scouts asked you to sign up with them yet? NOT YET. ILL HAVE TO LOSE ABOUT 50 POUNDS FIRST.

How was your member dinner appointment? SOOO GOOD. THEY ARE ITALIAN, ORIGINALLY FROM A CITY DOWN SOUTH. What did they feed you? IT WAS REALLY LIGHT BUT INCREDIBLE. THEY HAD FRESH MOZARELLA BALLS THAT A FRIEND HAD BROUGHT BACK FOR THEM FROM NAPOLI THAT MORNING. WORD IS IS THAT THAT IS WHERE THE BEST MOZARELLA COMES FROM BECAUSE IT IS MADE FROM BUFFALO MILK INSTEAD OF COW'S MILK. THEN WE ATE PROCIUTO WITH IT AND SOME TOSSED SALAD WITH A REALLY GOOD PASTRY FOR DESERT. THE GUY WORKS AT SOME FANCY PASTRY SHOP AND HAD BROUGHT THEM HOME FROM WORK FOR US.

Are you feeling more inspired as to who you should speak with and are you making progress in leading the conversation towards the gospel? ISH. Who are your investigators and how are things going with them? WE JUST DROPPED MOST OF OUR INVESTIGATORS THIS WEEK AND ARE CURRENTLY DOWN TO JUST ONE PROGRESSING INVESTIGATOR, VICTORIA. SHE IS SALVADORIAN AND IN HER LATE 20S. WE ARE A LITTLE WORRIED THAT SHE JUST LIKES US FOR COMPANY THOUGH. WE AREN'T EVER GOING TO HAVE LESSONS AT HER HOUSE ANYMORE OR ANY WITHOUT MEMBERS PRESENT. SHE CHATS WAAAY TO MUCH WHEN WE DO ABOUT RANDOM THINGS. REMEMBER HOW I COMPLAINED ABOUT THAT HORRIBLE LESSON MY LAST WEEK AT THE TRC WHERE THE GUY JUST CHATTERED ON THE ENTIRE TIME. THAT IS PRETTY MUCH WHAT EVERY INVESTIGATOR LESSON HERE IS LIKE. SORELLA MILLER HAD A GOAL AT THE MTC TO STOP TALKING OVER PEOPLE BUT I WROTE HER A LETTER TODAY TELLING HER TO STOP WORKING ON THAT GOAL IMMEDIATELY. THAT IS A SKILL THAT IS MUCH NEEDED HERE WHEN TEACHING LESSONS. Are you doing well with your Italian? I CAN GENERALLY GET ACROSS MOST THINGS I WANT TO SAY, BUT I PROBABLY ONLY UNDERSTAND LIKE 70 ISH PERCENT OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING. How about Spanish and Arabic? CAN'T SPEAK EITHER OF THEM ANYMORE. MY MISH PREZ SAYS NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT THOUGH AND JUST WORK ON ITALIAN. Which do you need the most there? SPANISH IS USEFUL BECAUSE THE SOUTH AMERICANS WE TALK TO OFTEN TALK WITH A SPANISH ACCENT OR SPANISH WORDS MIXED IN.

Did the mission office give you a note from ME? (I left one with them). NOPE. I THOUGHT THAT WAS KIND OF ODD THAT THEY DIDN'T What do you have to do to get your residence card? I HAD TO GO WAIT AT SOME POST OFFICE FOR LIKE 2 HOURS WITH A BUNCH OF FORMS THE OFFICE HAD PREPARED FOR ME THEN PAY THEM LIKE 100 DOLLARS JUST TO SEND THE PACKAGE OF PAPERS TO WHOEVER IT IS THAT NEEDS THEM. NEXT WEEK I HAVE TO GO WAIT IN SOME OFFICE ALL DAY TO GET FINGERPRINTED.

Did you have any sort of Thanksgiving celebration? HECK YEAH WE DID. WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MEAL APPOINTMENTS OR ANYTHING PLANNED, BUT I HAD TOLD SISTER SIMONS ABOUT OUR THANKSGIVING LAST YEAR AND TURNS OUT SHE IS A BIG FAN OF INDIAN FOOD TOO. SO WE CARRIED ON OUR FAMILY'S TRADITION FROM LAST YEAR AND PICKED UP SOME INDIAN FOOD FROM A PLACE DOWN THE STREET (ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT THIS CITY IS THAT YOU CAN FIND ANY TYPE OF RESTAURANT OR GROCERY STORE YOU COULD EVER THINK OF WITHIN ONE OR TWO BLOCKS OF ANYWHERE YOU LIVE)

When you get a chance, write to us and describe the miracles. THE MIRACLES THAT I MENTIONED LAST WEEK. ITS KIND OF WIERD FOR ME TO USE THE WORD MIRACLES FOR SOME REASON, BUT RECOGNIZING MIRACLES IS SOMETHING THAT MY COMPANION IS REALLY GOOD AT. WHEN GOOD THINGS HAPPEN I JUST GET EXCITED, BUT SHE GETS THIS GLAZED OVER LOOK IN HER EYES AND LOOKS AT ME REALLY INTENSELY AND MAKES SURE I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE JUST BEEN BLESSED WITH MIRACLES. I THINK LAST WEEK WHAT I WAS REFERRING TO WAS THAT AFTER A BUMMER OF A MORNING WE GOT OUT OF THE MEETING A WOMAN THAT HAD CANCELLED ON US ABOUT 5 TIMES DURING THAT WEEK WAS WAITING FOR US OUTSIDE THE MEETING AND WANTED TO HAVE A LESSON BEFORE ENGLISH CLASS. THEN OUR OTHER INVESTIGATOR, VICTORIA, SHOWED UP FOR THE LESSON WE WANTED TO HAVE WITH HER BEFORE ENGLISH CLASS RIGHT WHEN WE FINISHED WITH THE FIRST LADY. AND SHE HAD BROUGHT A FRIEND WITH HER! AND WE GOT A MEMBER TO COME INTO THE LESSON WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE INCREDIBLE. WE BASICALLY JUST TALKED ABOUT THE BOOK OF MORMON AND DID A LITTLE EXAMPLE OF HOW TO APPLY IT TO OUR OWN LIVES BUT THEN IT TURNED INTO A LESSON ON THE RESTORATION SINCE HER FRIEND HAD NO IDEA WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT. WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE TO DO THE TEACHING OF THAT PART THOUGH - VICTORIA BASICALLY EXPLAINED IT ALL AND BORE HER TESTIMONY OF IT ALL TO HER FRIEND. THEN, RIGHT WHEN THAT ENDED, SOME GIRL THAT WE HAD FOUND DOING CAZA SHOWED UP FOR ENGLISH CLASS WITH A FRIEND AND THEY SAT IN ON THE LAST 5 MINUTES OF THE LESSON WITH VICTORIA. ENGLISH LESSON WAS AWESOME AND ON THE WAY BACK HOME WE TALKED TO TWO GIRLS WHO WERE REALLY INTERESTED IN THE CHURCH. ONE GOOD THING AFTER ANOTHER. I FEEL LIKE I ALREADY TOLD YOU ALL THAT THOUGH -IF SO, SORRY. (By the way, did you send us a letter? We didn't receive it yet if you did). NOPE. DIDNT SEND ONE. BUT I AM PRINTING PICTURES THIS WEEK AND WILL SEND THEM OUT NEXT WEEK FOR YA.

Where is your trainer from? ALL OVER THE PLACE. HER DAD WORKED FOR THE MILITARY. CURRENTLY HER DAD IS ON SOME ASSIGNMENT WHERE THEY MOVE EVERY 3 MONTHS. SHE LIVED IN SOUTHERN ITALY FOR 2 YEARS SO IS REALLY GOOD AT ITALIAN WHICH IS A BLESSING.

Where are you teaching English? AT THE CHURCH. Do you have a large class? NOPE. NEVER MORE THAN 8 PEOPLE AND WE SPLIT INTO TWO CLASSES WITH THE ELDERS. THEY TAKE ADVANCED AND WE TAKE BEGINNERS. How often do you teach it? EVERY TUESDAY.


THOUGHTS FOR CORY -
I CAN JUST IMAGINE YOU BEING ONE OF THESE CUTE OLD MEN HERE THAT SHOPS AT THE NATURAL FOOD STORE DRESSED IN YOUR NICE KHAKIS AND DRESS SHOES THEN RIDES YOUR BIKE HOME. YOU'D LOVE IT. AT LEAST COME CHECK IT OUT.

CHRISTI AND JO -
THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL THE NEWS AND THE ADVICE! FOR SOME REASON I GOT ALL TEARED UP WHEN I STARTED READING YOUR EMAIL, JO...MAYBE IT WAS JUST NICE TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE ME AND WHO UNDERSTAND ME. CRUST, I THINK I LIKE SEQUOYA BEST OUT OF THOSE BUT AM STILL SOLD ON SORELLA. MAYBE JO CAN USE THE NAME SORELLA IF YOU DON'T.

EVERYONE - SOUNDS LIKE AN AWESOME THANKSGIVING!!

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT. ESPECIALLY FOR PAYING MY BILLS MOM AND POP! BE GLAD THERE IS A STANDARD PRICE FOR MISSIONS...MY COMP SAID SHE HEARD SOME STATISTICS ABOUT OUR MISSION BEING ONE OF THE TOP 5 MOST EXPENSIVE AND MY SPECIFIC APARTMENTS BEING ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE.

CIAO
SORELLA C.