Guys. I'm in Italy. Whoa. This is real life.
Things are going well, I don't really know where to begin. Maybe a baby bit about the first few days. Your last letter was perfect, Dad, because I'm not that great at being patient with myself and I'm not that used to being totally new at something. But being a real missionary is something very very new.
I was frustrated with how little I felt like I was understanding (peeps talk fast here. Really fast!). I felt like I never knew what to say and was so tired. The lovely thing was that Friday evening the Elders in our ward had a baptism, Justin, who's about 17, was baptized and watching him come out of the water I was flooded with the feeling that this is why I am here. You could tell he knew what he had just done would change his life, and I know that I'm here to help people realize that.
Then we had Ward Council. The Bishop called on my to give a baby spiritual thought and my companion (Sorella Jacboson from Salt Lake) said every one was more or less shocked with how well I spoke. After the meeting the bishop said "Ma come mai Lei parla italiano?" They say they've never had a new missionary speak as well as I do. I always use you as my excuse, Dad, I just tell them that you served in Catania 30 years ago and they assume you've been teaching me, because I also gave my testimony in sacrament meeting.
But oh my gosh I love the ward. There are two here and they're in the process of forming a third branch, the first city that's not a capital to have more than two. And they are all stellar. By the way, Sorella Bunker is in Torino being trained by Julie Allen's niece.
Sunday we had lunch with the Capelli family and I am still trying to get used to eating huge lunches and practically no dinner. But between the families we ate with Sunday and had Family Home Evening with Monday, I feel like I got so much better and just speaking, and they're all really patient when I say something wrong or don't know a word.
I love teaching, these last few days I've gotten better and speaking in lessons with our investigators. We have an Italian family we're teaching who we saw last night and are great. The daughter is 10 and hilarious and the mom studies and teaches about Gregorian chant. When the missionaries knocked on the door the dad answered and invited them back because he was touched by the prayer they said together and he said he'd more or less given up on finding the truth. We read Alma 32 together and talked about faith and drank tea (it was super cold yesterday with their first snow of the winter). Also, everyone worries that I'm freezing to death but when I wear my fleece with the sweater Mom made I really am fine. This afternoon we're going to look for a real coat, but I may just hold out this week because Spring isn't too far away here.
The thing that's the hardest for me right now is just talking to people. On the street, on the bus, at their door. Mamma mia. And I had this revelatory moment this morning where I realized that this will probably be hard for me forever and it's going to take time for me to really figure out what I'm doing. With every knew thing there's a learning period. Even my first weeks at BYU were somewhat miserable.
And I'm not miserable at all here. I love the people and the language and this city. I love that I just ate fresh pears with pecorino cheese.
Um, other thoughts for you. Saturday night we teach a free English class at the church and there's a family that comes and one of the Elders was tried to talk with a bit but it's never worked out or been the right time and then Monday night Sorella and I were out knocking doors in this mess of apartment buildings and this lady buzzed us into the building and it was them! So we talked a baby bit about the Book of Mormon and left one with them and they want us to come back to talk more and eat pizza. Pretty exciting.
So excited about Ian's papers. I can't wait to see where he goes.
My companion is great and every time I say, I'm sorry I didn't do this or said this wrong or whatever she's always like, "You've been in the field for 2 days...DO NOT worry about it. Pian piano.
Our apartment is pretty great and I make lunch everyday (that someone doesn't feed us) while she calls and makes appointments because I hate the phone. Ha. One day I'm sure I'll have to. Oh so maybe send me some recipes? I've just been making stuff up and it's working out fine but yeah.
OH! My address. Please send me letters!
Sorella Bush
Via Maglio del Rame 13
2412 Bergamo
Italia
Vi voglio un mondo di bene. Hope you are all well and being good. Can't believe I'm missing Canoecopia. Give everyone a firm handshake or a kiss on the cheek for me.
xoxo,
Sorella Bush
Ma come mai Lei parla Italiano = How in the world do you speak Italian?
Pian piano = little by little.
Pecorino = a hard cheese made from sheep's milk, usually from the Lazio region around Roma.
Vi voglio un mondo di bene = I love you all very much (lit. I want a world of good for you).
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