Another Three-some - Feb. 10th, 2010

So real transfer announcements (as opposed to the transfer announcements that I tend to get in the middle of transfers early in the mornings) were made last night and....drum roll...Sister Prina is coming to join Sister Simons and I here in Milano 2!!! Yeah, I am pretty excited. I screamed for like a minute when the Zone Leader told me. Kind of weird though that I have been in a threesome now for all but 9 weeks of my mission. They say that having a companion is supposed to train you for marriage...what exactly am I being trained for if I always have 2 companions?? I'm trying not to read too much into it...

Anyway, she arrives tomorrow morning. It will be interesting to see how different it is being companions in the field than the mission. I'm excited to have her good eating habits again. Sister Simons and I have been cooking together during this transfer and it has been pretty fun. We went grocery shopping last week right after we had both eaten entire pizzas (sick right? Italians and missionaries think it is normal though. I guess its a little different because the crust is super thin here. Still though, I tried to get someone to share one with me but they all thought I was crazy) and so didn't end up buying much food because we were both about to explode. Thus, we have been forced to be super creative this week. It ended up being the best food I've probably eaten all mission though. My favorite thing we made was a cake with coconut milk, a can of pineapple and the juice, craisins, flour, sugar, a bit of butter...sooo good. We have been trying to cook more with spices and less salt too.

Our attempts in finding this week have been a roller coaster of excitement and disappointment. One day we decided to do street contacting at a big open air market that is open every Saturday morning near our house. In about one hour we were able to set up about six appointments for the following week (this week). Turned out that most of the phone numbers and addresses given to us were fake, (or we can give them the benefit of the doubt and just assume my Italian is still really bad and I didn't write down the phone numbers and addresses correctly...).

On the bright side, though, one evening in one apartment building we were able to get in three times to teach lessons. For those of you who served in South America or somewhere where this is normal...its not normal here. At all. We are lucky if 3 people even open there door rather than just yelling at us through their door to leave. One lesson was to a group of three 40 year old woman who had left there children behind in Russia and Ukraine to come here and work and send back money to support them. It was pretty sad listening to them talk about their children they hadn't seen in years. Same situation, though, with a lot of the foreigners in our ward. Many of them, especially the Philippinos have left little children behind with grandparents. Yay for the plan of salvation eh?! Eternal families anyone?

We have also met a lot of super interesting people this week from doing all of our finding...a Peruvian Ballet dancer that is here for a show at Le Scale (the main opera house), a 98 year old man that helped build some important Duomo (or main cathedral) in Sicily somewhere, a man that has been inactive for about 20 years and isn't even on the ward records (started a conversation with him and his wife by complimenting his Merrel shoes. If he gets reactivated and his wife gets baptized we owe it all to you, Pop, for instilling in your children a love for high-priced outdoors apparel).

Learned a lot in the scriptures this week...since we have not really had many investigators to plan lessons for I have been able to take more time to just read the scriptures and apply them to my life. And your lives...here's a thought I had for Jo, Mom, Cory, and me in a year. Or anyone else who is looking for a job or something to do after graduating. Read 1 Nephi 16:18-32. The spirit can help us provide for our physical needs. And our fathers can help us receive this guidance from the spirit (vs 23-25). Also see the talk "Father and Sons: A remarkable Relationship" by Ballard. In the talk it explains that we must trust our fathers because he loves us and wants the best for us. PLUUUS, key point, he is ENTITLED to receive inspiration on our behalf. But, we must tell him we want him to by asking. This can not only help us but help him because it motivates him to be better (not that you need to be better at all Pop, that was Ballard's thought, not mine. Clearly his dad wasn't as awesome as you are). Before all of this seeking guidance from the spirit, though, we must arm ourselves first so that we are prepared or eligible to find the provisions for our physical needs (ie...study hard for tests, prepare good resumes, etc). See vs 22 I think for that reference. The spirit knows exactly where we need to go to find the right job, education, etc. that will help us provide for our families. If we don't seek the guidance of the spirit ourselves and with our dad's help it will be like searching for something with a blindfold on.

And mom - I did study your new favorite scripture in Mosiah 4:14 but had too many thoughts so I'll send you a written letter hopefully.

Christi - you said it was easier for you to apply the scriptures to real life when you were on a mission. Maybe when you read the scriptures you should do again what you did on the mission and think of someone you know that needs help and try to find a scripture or story that would relate to them. For example people at work, family members, Riv, etc. Then share the scriptures of course.

We've had a bit of snow and rain here the past week but nothing like you all are getting out there in DC. I'm pretty dang jealous. Well, maybe not... Do the missionaries keep working when everything is closed down there or are they shut into their apartments too?

The best funny story I can think of for the week was a lame excuse that someone gave us at the door for why they couldn't listen to us...He answered the door, then after we explained who we were he was like "I'm sooo sorry but I really need to use the bathroom. I cant wait anymore. I really gotta go. OK, bye."

Love you all lots and lots. Can't wait til I get the package with the pics :) Thanks for all of your hard work to get that delivered finally. I was told it was the vitamins that caused the problems this time.

Happy Valentines day!
Sorella C.