Serving An 18 Month LDS Mission

In the LDS church, when a girl turns 21 she has the opportunity to choose to serve an 18 month, self-funded mission. I have wanted to go on a mission since I was a little girl. My parents both served a mission in Rome in the 1970's. In 2001-2002, my sister Letty served as a missionary in Hong Kong and my brother Algot in the Philippines. As soon as I turned 21 I submitted my papers. The Prophet and 12 Apostles determine through inspiration which of the more than 300 missions worldwide each missionary will be assigned. I was overjoyed when I opened my mission call and discovered that I was called to Rome, Italy! I feel immensely blessed and I feel that God has been preparing me to serve the Italian people. Each week, while I am on my mission, I will send my sister Letty an email and pictures to post on the blog. I won't see this blog till I come home, so I will be unable to directly respond to your comments until then. However, the sidebar will always have a current street address for me, and I promise I will respond to your letters! If you would rather write via email, just email your letter to my sister and she will print it out and send it me with her weekly snail mail!

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Letter #1 and Pictures from Catania, Italy

Hello Everyone,
I love you all so much. I arrived safely in Catania My new address is :
Via Nizzeti, 54
95030 Tremestieri Etneo (Catania)
Italia
It was soo much to travel here. I surprisingly did not have any problem leaving Bari. I was just excited and ready to go. I said goodbye to everyone.
Us before last transfer calls at a Sushi chinese buffet
Us with our simp (investigator) Michael. He always wears those glasses. He reminds us Fresh Prince of Bellaire or Blade Runner. He also has steps :)
My English course (students) gave me a beautiful scarf and everyone was just the best. They kept asking them if I was coming back. I told them yes. So plan on it everyone - picking Rose up in Italy trip. :) 
My English Course students
Me, Raffaele Petroni, Right Antonio Petroni. He sends his love!
La Famiglia Diciolla

La Famiglia Valentini and us Missionaries Marco, Slla Valentini, Valeria, Vescovo Valentini, Slla Fuller, Me, Anz Hurlburt, Anz Reed
Vescovo Valentinin and Slla Valentini
 I have a few fotos to send more about Bari and then I have tons of beautiful Catania.

Mom this is Me doing the same foto you have in Bari! Cute huh :)
We left Thursday morning bright and early on the bus. I was with Anziano Hurlburt who is going to Messina and Sorella Wightman who is going to Ragusa. (So don't worry mom I have a companion during transfers!)


Anziano Hurlburt
 
We were on the nicest bus. Sorella Fuller had made us homemade foccacia for the road and it was sooo good. She packed me a whole big lunch . The bus went an hour out and then it had a malfunction and we had to change buses. The second one was not as comfy and the driver chastized us for having soo much luggage. We then continued for our next 6 hours :) Most of it I passed out. I tried to read my scriptures and General Conference talks but I kept falling asleep. There was a French man in his 20s sitting in front of us. I tried to talk with him and he was super nice but he spoke no Italian or English. He kept trying to communicate though, over the hours. It was very fun. I gave him a pass a long card and told him that Lds.org is also in French and he thanked me and everything.
 
 
The trip was beautiful -Dad was right. We reached Calabria and we just drove along the sea. There mountains everywhere and we drove through tons of mountain tunnel underpasses. They would open out over the sea. and there would be green ledges in the mountains with little houses on them!! It was SOOO Beautiful.
 
 
The ferry was the best. We got on and off pretty fast and I got to taste the ocean :) We then arrived about an hour later in Catania.
THAT IS SICILY :) I am on the Ferry :)
We waited a bit with the Anziani until the Sorelle arrived (They had gotten lost) Catania also has a CAR!!! I Can't escape the car!! :) But we share with the Anziani.
 
 
The Sorelle need the car because we live in Tremestieri about 20 minutes outside of Catania. our apartment is only 20 min walk from the church but that is all there is. Also the buses do not really work in Catania. Our apartment is HUGE. It has a bedroom, a room where we study, a dining room, a kitchenette, a little bathroom with a just a toilet, a big bathroom, and 2 empty rooms that we just don't use :)
Our study room. It is a mess. And Sorella Ansted was trying to hide it.
This is our huge hallway. Bathroom at the end of the hall. All the doors on the right are rooms.

This is the pit in the back of our house. Usually people throw trash in it, but it looks really pretty.
We are probably both Sorella Ansted and I training next transfer we were told, so I am trying to learn Catania fast! We live just above a panificio (bakery) so our house smells soo good. And you can see the sea from our balcony!! I Love Sicily.

Our ward is huge and amazing. The members are super nice. We have Ward Missionaries (About 6) who are almost all new converts of a year or two. The work here is just booming. Almost all our investigators now are referrals from members or investigators. We dont have enough time in the week to see all of our investigators and new convert families (this is why we are getting 2 new Sorelle).
 
We are planning a Spaghettata for tonight. It is the 3rd in the last few weeks. The members love them. The Sorelle had the idea and now the ward has taken them over and keep begging to have more. We just meet together, eat spaghetti, have a little thought, and then they talk. Tons of investigators and English Course students come. And our ward missionaries just go around talking with everyone and making friends. We already know of 2 members who are bringing 3 friends tonight!! I Love wards :)
 
Tons of our members have beards because they are going to be in the Jesus films they are doing now (LDS .org) But it is funny to see. I am so excited for Easter. I wish you all a wonderful Easter! Love you bunches.
We also have the American base in our district and the senior couple that works there. Anziano and Sorella Ozier are the best. And they supply us with tons of peanut butter, and Oreos. It is wonderful :)
I WILL TRY to send fotos :)
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