Ive been just pinching myself to see if this week was really real.
One, I got diagnosed with celiacs disease. CRAZY! But really, I can see how it happened. It just makes sense to me. Adjusting to mission life wasnt easy - no way! It was crazy hard for me. And being sent here to southern Italy, especially right to the Napoli zone where in my last area I had a freah 3 dollar pizza (it was incredible) nearly every day and buff mozz and pasta here and there to top it off. It just makes sense. But hey! Ive been really good about not eating things with gluten this past month. This week was the worst. I was eating rice and vegatables and I started freaking out. I wanted some happy food! Probably just missing the carbs. Did you know that carbs make you happy? Yeah. So Ive been out on the hunt for happy foods without gluten. Anziano F taught me how to make a fritata (its like an Italian quiche/omlet) and it was good. Made me happy, so Im making progress. Thank you all for the recipes. You dont know how much it means to me.
Doing three transfers in the same district with the companion is a bit tricky. Slla M and I have most definitely felt it. We are the absolute BEST of friends! We love each other and work together really well but its been hard lately. Especially this week.
Wednesday we went to the station to head down to Bari for Zone Conference. I was sitting on the bench at the station just praying and pouring my heart out to Heavenly Father asking him to help guide me. Right then I looked over and I saw a harp. WHAT! Double take - I looked again. Real? Yes. Yes, it was real. I dont think I thought twice or anything. My legs just picked me up and suddenly I was walking towards the harp. There was this man sitting by it and I asked him if he played and he did, and that was his harp. So naturally we started conversation and turned out hes from Slovakia living in Southern Italy as a street harpist, lives in Bari, and speaks English perfectly! We found ourselves a spot in the back of the train where there was room to play and we played the harp together and talked about music and the gospel the entire way down to Bari. It was WILD! I cannot explain to you the happiness I felt in my heart when I heard the sound of that instrument I had to fight back the tears. Truly, the harp is an incredible instrument.
I played the harp for 12 years before my mission. When I sat down to play the harp I couldnt remember ANYTHING! It was so sad. Sorella M felt my pain. When I put my hand on the strings, I remembered the technique but had now muscle or caluses to help me and it felt so weird. It made me a little sad, but when I thought about my experience out here in Italy as a missionary. I wouldnt trade it for anything in the entire world, not even the worlds best harp skills or technique.
Like I said, I couldnt remember anything. So I pulled out my Italian hymn book from my bag and played "Mandate Voci di Gioia alEterno" (give your voice of joy to the Eternal) an Italian hymn. Its my favorite because it sounds so folk Italian. Believe it or not I have the lyrics memorized so I started singing as I played. Everyone in our cart enjoyed it! Sharing the gospel can be in many ways I guess.
Ive learned a lot about myself out here. One, is that I am a musician. Its just a part of me I cant take out. I cant describe the joy it gave me to play again.
Zone Conference was great. I love the Bari Sorelle, Sorella Mik and P, they are stellar missionaries and incredibly fun to be around. It was a good time. Sorella W and I talked a lot about my celiac problem and looked some stuff up, to educate ourselves. Its kinda over my head still. Still getting used to the concept of it all.
My favorite part of conference was when Anziano K from Ghana taught us Twi to show us what its like for our students learning English. It was hilarious! I love it out here.
I want you all to know that I am enjoying and eating up every second of my every moment out here in Italy. Being a missionary is unlike anything else. I have a joy and a happiness with in me that I have
never had before. Even when the raggazzi in English class wont listen to me, even when the crazy old toothless Italian man yells at me on the street and puts finger out pointing up and says "DIO E LUNICO! Sono Catolico." Theres just something more. I am so so happy. I think its Jesus. I love Jesus Christ, I know that he is my Savior and Redeemer. And I know he loves us all. A lot. More than we can imagine. If only we knock, he will open the door.
Ive seen myself transform into something so much better. Not only do I speak Italian, but I feel like Im becoming a better teacher and missionary all together and most especially I am becoming a better
person with a stronger character. Today when we went out as a service to help students with English this boy, S who was my age asked me why I was here. So I told him because I am a missionary. Clearly my answer wasnt good enough because he asked why Im a missionary, so I told him. I said because "I know that God lives and
loves me, and that he loves you too. And that the fullness of the gospel is on the church today." As I said that the look on his face changed, and he was quiet for a second. He wanted to know more about "i Mormoni" so I all of us went and got pastries afterwards and talked. It was great. We sat on the steps of the pastry shop by the
Catholic church and talked about Joseph Smith.
Alas, the gospel is true.
Im happy.
1. nun school
2. Padre Pio. I cant escape him, he was placed in our mailbox. Sorella
Mizzi saw this and screamed! "hes everywhere hes haunting me!" hhaha.
So true. This guy is EVERYWHERE! The way hes holding Christ says
something about my mission.
3. Rosselli house matches
4. Slla M and me
5. My harp experience
6. Learning Twi at Zone Conference
our advertisement for a Book of Mormon class here
my students today, when I taught english. These guys were
SOOO funny, we were dying. Italian boys.
us at the pasticeria (pastry shop) after teaching today
No comments:
Post a Comment