blindingly white running shoes!

Ciao cara famiglia,

Il mio pacco è arrivato, non dovete preoccuparvi. Grazie!! Love the shoes, love my PENS love it all... and Ian, that necklace is beautiful! I put it right on and we went to teach a lesson where our lovely Rocio came to teach with us and she was telling me how cool it was and I was like mio fratello l'ha fatto per me, so she told me, puo dire a lui, se vuole che c'è anche una brava sorella che si chiama Rocio e a lei piacerebbe tanto... moral of the story you're a hit over here, little bro.

Birthday ended up pretty normal. A nice day that at the end didn't feel like my birthday, but I made a DELICOUS cake, nice and moist and sweet, very unitalian. We ate everything fresh you can think of at our Capelli dinner and Sorella Capelli gave me some pretty rad, slightly ridiculous monster earrings. They're the size of my face but green so I love them. We were both crazing hamburgers so bad but didn't plan well enough and were dying of hunger so ended up eating kebab, but then a new convert heard and made us hamburgers on Friday for lunch!

Thursday we headed to Verona, I can never get sick of riding on trains, even when it is blazing. Training with Prez Wolfgramm was really awesome. He talked a lot about the gospel of Christ in connection with the plan of salvation and the tools we've been given as children of God, to recognize the truth so we can return to Him, and how we as missionaries can utilize these tools, aka help peeps feel the spirit. But he connected it back to the Natural (wo)man vs. the spiritual and our mission of fighting off the natural man and graphed our spiritual vs. natural selves in different stages of the plan of salvation, which I really loved. Have I told you guys that I'm obsessed with this idea of fighting the natural man? I just love the idea of being stronger than our natural selves and really crushing our weaknesses to become the peeps God knows we can become. So good. Which reminds me, I did some examining of the Christlike attributes in Preach my Gospel and totally am lacking in the patience still, well shoot. Studying back up on that. One thing I really loved was a phrase that said waiting for the blessings the Lord has promised. Sometimes I feel out of control of too many things, but I need to remember that God can't lie. The scriptures, and my life, are full of His promises, so if I do my part I know He will do his, we just don't know when.

Last week was really just a magical week, and ended with our first baby branch meeting. We were in 36 (there were 36 people at the meeting). I said the first official prayer in the Bergamo 3rd Branch. Pretty cool. We're starting to work on tons of reactivation along with our normal finding, teaching shiz. Things are happening here in Bergamo. We met with our Branch Prez and he told me I have to stay here longer, there's too much for me to do. Didn't really now how to tell him that I'm for sure leaving in two weeks. But I'll do my part up until I'm on the train heading out. It was kind of great to work all morning and then go to church. We did some casa, helped these people move who told us they would come to English class and want to buy us gelato for our help. Then we found a cool Brazilian dude with lots of crazy piercings that is trying to find time when he doesn't work light years away that he can meet with us. There was one funny moment when Sorella Simkins was mid testimony bearing and he looks up at me, over at her and says, ma che belle voi siete...ha.

A couple highlights. Our El Salvadorian cousins, Deysi and Fatima. I love them! We found Deysi one day after we had been doing casa and I was unlocking our bikes. She was on the other side of the road and we kept looking at each other and finally we crossed over to talk to her. Chatted for a few minutes, got her info, turns out she lives in a palazzo we had just knocked, told us when we could come back. We try calling a few times but nothing (she tells us later she lost her phone) stop by once and she's not there but her cousin comes down to talks to us because Deysi had told her about is. Got Fatima's number, tries to see them for a week and a half and finally went last Monday. I already told you how they inderstood so well. Well we went back Thursday, even though both our trains from Verona were late. We got back at about 9, when we should be getting home, but instead raced up (literally uphill all the way) to where they live and had a great lesson on the Book of Mormon. They asked good questions, which is always refreshing. We called them on the train to tell them in would probably be too late to come and they were like no, fa niente! Venite pure! So we went. We can't see them this week because of crazy work schedule but we've dropped notes in their post a few times and they love it. Then we decided to do a bit of parco before an appoitment we had with Rosemary and her fam and found this beautiful little family, he's Bolivian and she's from El Salvador. Turns out she's cousins to Deysi and Fatima too. They have a beautiful little girl and our conversation turned to families and temples at the end and she loved looking at the different pictures we had. They're in the middle of crazy moving so they can't really see is for a week and a bit, but we biked by them yesterday, stopped and said hi. I love how many times we see people again and again after meeting them once, like God is saying, Hey listen to these sorelle, what have you got to lose?

Monday night we got to see our beautfiul inactive return missionary Patrizia. We've left her some different General Conference talks in her mail. She's working like crazy right now because her sister is home in Bolivia so she has to stay with the old peeps they work for pretty much 24-7. But we had a nice little lesson with her and Rocio becuase they're besties. She made us eat RIDICULOUS amounts of Haagen Dazs, it's her fav ice cream. And it made me think about Grandma Sandi. I told them about how it was my Grandma's favorite too. Patrizia's getting closer and she promised us this week she would read the Book of Mormon. We're going to eat Bolivian food with them tomorrow night. Pian piano. I'm still confident she'll come back. Not the normal just me trying to be optimistic about everyone, but I have this feeling and I am positive. 

Both of our huge Bolivian families are coming along nicely. We had lunch with Lilianna's family on Sunday with Elcia Calvachi, Samuel's mom. Lilianna was a referral from Elcia and we had a family home evening type thing together months ago. When they first got to Elcia's they were almost cold and told us firmly that they were catholic, but by the end they wanted us to come do something with their kids too. We finally did a week and a half ago and had a really great restoration lesson. Went back Sunday and talked about the Book of Mormon. They seem really well prepared to listen and learn. The oldest daughter is finishing up her crazy end of high school exams and her friend who's Chinese and Buddhist is always there studying with her and this time they both were part of the lesson and were both really engaged and said they would start reading the Book of Mormon after exams finish. 

There are little miracles happening constantly, I just need to keep keeping my eyes open for them. Saturday night there was an activity in the Church for folk dancing. Super funny. And Bishop Botta told us we could do this kind of dancing, which usually included everyone standing in a circle and taking certain steps in different directions. Bishop actually insisted that we dance. It was so so fun. The elders brought their investigator who is an African refugee and doesn't speak Italian yet who is so nice. One of the elders was like, "Sorella Bush, feel free to ask Jonathan to dance."  I told him I wasn't sure that was really allowed but I would anyways. So I got Jonathan to dance towards the end, poor kid when we had to change dance partners kept trying to go the other directions and didn't get what the Italians were explaining to him, but he finally got it all figured out and enjoyed himself. After this funny line dance we used the same music to teach everyone the Cotton-Eyed Joe, too funny. Someone recorded it on his phone and said he was putting it right up on Facebook. Yikes. Ha. 

Okay, love you all, time for some breakfast. I would kill a man to go stand up boarding today, it is still blazing here and I'm coming to terms with the fact that I will not be submerged in water for another year. Oh well. Take advantage of the gym Ian, tell me how you like Inner Fire mom, I've always wanted to try it out.

Love love love love love

sorella bush 

tanti auguri!

Okay, peeps another P-day and this time I am 24!  Whoa! All the Italians think I'm 20 and insist that it's better that way (to look younger), ha.

Life is so good. The last few days have been crazy. It is BLAZING here now and we have so many appointments that I feel like we're eaither teaching for speed racing on our bikes to the opposite part of the city. Long story short, I am a sweaty swamp monster.

I think the package is taken care of, I faxed the form off on friday and the office emailed me and said that I got a package. Hopefully it's the one from you guys. And customs was only 13 Euro which is kind of a miracle itself.

These days I feel like the Lord really is guiding us and taking care of everything. We keep talking to people and planning our time the best we can and he takes care of the rest. We have some super sweet new investigators. Deysi and Fatima are two cousins from El Salvador who understood the first restoration lesson SO WELL. We're going back tomorrow night when we get back from conference in Verona. Our less active anna maria had her family get here. They were still in Bolivia and she's been here for 9 years. She has two daughters 10 and 16. The younger one isn't baptized because when Ana Maria came here her husband stopped going to church. So we're working with both of the girls to help them re/find their testimonies. The only catch is they don't speak any Italian because they literally got here on Thursday. But they're so nice and super patient with us trying to remember the bits of Spanish we know. I watched the restoration movie with them in Spanish this morning and they really liked it, totally believe Joseph Smith was a prophet and God will answer their prayers if they ask him. 

We taught a really interesting lesson to a lady who's been studying with JW's  for the past year. We met her in the park and she thought at first we were JWs.  We explained who we were and she said she knew some members of our church. Turns out she knows the Bishop's sister and her family really well so she came to teach with us yesterday. It actually made me really sad because she was telling us how in this past year she's felt blocked, like when she tries to pray she's just talking to the table, who she didn't really want to believe and of the things they were teaching her but they had shown her things in the Bible (taken out of context) and in the end nothing was sitting well with her. But her friend shared some beautiful experiences, made the gospel real and she wants us to come back. We'll have to give her to the Anziani because they live out of our area, but I'm really hopeful for them.

Our wards are officially split and we now have church at 4:00 in the afternoon. Crazy town. Our new Branch Prez asked to have us in his ward and we're all excited to get working with the members and their friends and contacting the thousands of inactives that live in Bergamo. Sunday we did some pass bys and found a really cool young Bolivian who's whole family got baptized while he was still in Bolivia, 12ish years ago, and have been inactive since he's been here, but he wants us to come back Friday and he was going to tell his parents so everyone could come. Then we found an older Italian lady and her son, who isn't a member, and we got her number so we could set up a time to meet with them, hopefully next week becuase we are booked.

We've been practicing our bike stops. Which is when we awkwardly stop on our bikes to talk to people walking, but have found tons of people who have family members that are members of the church and are willing to meet with us. Including one lady whose 7-year old daughter lived with her sister and brother-in-law for 5 years in Bolivia. He's stake president there and the daughter who this past year came to Italy keeps telling her mom she wants to be Mormon.

Tonight we're partying with the Capelli's for my burfday which means I'll be eating well. I'm going to buy the stuff to make mom's chocolate cake this afternoon and niente. The primary kids that were here who we did service with this morning all sang to me, Sorella Botta kissed me on the cheek and one of the members called me and it's just kind of fun to have people thinking about me and being glad I was born. I am so glad I was born. So many adventures had and soooo many that await. Not I'm just living up  my last few weeks in Bergamo. I feel like once I change cities life will really start to fly even more. Crazy town.

Mom your dress is rocking. Wish I could hit up some Anthro sales with you. ha. It's funny to me that I literally wear the same clothes everyday. Keeps life simple I guess.

Love you all!!!

sorella bush

posta in arrivo

Hi, The internet was wigging out when I was finishing up last week and I don't know why it unattatched all my pics...ho hum...another week.

Okkkk, another week come and gone. I can't believe I will be 24 next Wednesday! I was laying in bed the other night, thinking about how I turned 23 in Hawaii, 22 in San Francisco, 21 in London, 20 at home and I'll turn 25 at home again. Gah.  Il tempo vola.

Last week was pretty crazy, we worked so hard and were biking all over the world. And now I'm exhausted. Also blaming it on the 12ish mile run we did two P-days ago and the fact that we never get to catch up on sleep and whatnot. So I felt like zombie missionary yesterday. I've really never felt so weak. It's annoying to have so many good intentions and just not be able to open your eyes! So yeah, working on overcoming my natural man.  Ha.

We had a beautiful lesson with Marisol last week where we brought Samuel our new convert. It was so perfect. Marisol is really struggling with her 18 year-old son who thinks he knows everything, doesn't what to believe in God, does whatever he wants and is kind of wretched to his mother. Kind of like Samuel was for the last x number of years before he decided to change his life. He bore a super beautiful testimony about the example and faith of his mother and he talked a lot about the Joseph Smith story, and things are really started to click for her.

Well, the next day was Marisol's birthday so we met her in Centro and I bough us all some gelato. At the end she was saying how she was worried it was going to be a brutto birthday with how much she had to work and her family issues, but she said that instead because she got to see us it was in fact a lovely day.

The other computer Sorella Simkins is trying to use isn't working so I'm going to keep this short.

The wards split on Sunday and we'll officially be in our little branch. When they announced it in ward council, the Relief Society prez said "And we're not in accordance. What can we do?"  Ha. Everyone loves sorelle.

We're off to the Botta house today to learn the secrets of her pizza making and hike around the mountains. I'll add pics next week.

Love you lots!!!

xoxo

sorella bush


Note from the Amanuensis:  "We're not in accordance" is a verbatim translation from the Italian Non siamo d'accordo.  It means "We disagree."  In other words, the Relief Society prez was registering her disappointment of the sisters moving out of their unit.  Expect more of these.

tante notizie!

As Liz Lemon would say, Things are happening!!

Seriously, I don't even know where to begin!  Our work has literally exploded and we are being blessed out of our minds. Transfer 4 in Bergamo has offically started and beautiful things are going on.

First off we're getting ready for a ward split on the 17th. They're making a third branch here in Bergamo. The other two wards basically stay the same, one north and one south, but they're taking our Bergamo proper and making it a branch. Bergamo is made up of dozens of little paese that make up the whole area. Ana our new convert lives in Stezzano, but it's still technically Bergamo, if that makes sense. Anyway one of the Anziani called the Prez on Monday and we, the sorelle, are taking the new branch and the elders are staying with the normal wards. Luckily pretty much all our peeps are in Bergamo, and most of our new converts and less active members we work with are in Bergamo. It feels right and we're pumped to explode the branch with peeps.

One little bonus is we get to start teaching Carlos and Mari again. Did I tell you about them? This beautiful Peruvian family that we found doing Parco (just talking to people in the park) and handed over to the Anziani after 2 or 3 lessons because they were technically in the other ward (because Bergamo Centrale used to be split between the wards). They actually lived right across the hall from the Anziani. Well the Anziani haven't even taught them in the last three weeks since we handed them over.  Last Tuesday we were walking down the street and I heard someone yell Sorella BUSH! and I look over in time to see Carlos driving by and waving at us. We called him as soon as we heard we knew we were in the Bergamo branch, and he told us to come Thursday at 2:30.

Plus we've started seeing Marisol again, and she loved meeting us with. Silvia is pregnant and her mom is trying to convince her to abort and take no responsibility for her actions as a 28 year-old. So we're trying to help her take control of her life and stop listening to her crazy mom when we know so many wonderful Italian families that are trying to adopt. Juliet loves coming to church. Those were pretty much our only solid peeps until Sunday night, and now things are taking off.

First we met Matthew. The story is kind of crazy. We had a worthless morning of trying to find new people to teach about 6 weeks ago in the rain. We talked to basically two people, one of them was Gladys.  We can never get a hold of her and we kind of wrote her off. Then one evening last week we're waiting for Silvia to come meet us at the park and we go through all the old potential peeps we had saved in our phone. So we call Gladys and she tells us call the next day at noon after she's talked to her husband. Then we forget, for two days in a row. Noon is just not a convenient time, I am sorry.

So finally we call her Friday because I write a huge 12:00 on the inside of my arm. She tells us to come at 2:30 Saturday even though her husband said he had zero interest in listening to us. We get there and she's been called into work. We decided to do casa (knock on doors to talk to people) at their building and go inside and just talk to these crazy angry Italians that tell us to leave. We really felt like we were supposed to knock some doors but then we get inside and just nothing is happening, we waste like 8 minutes and head outside. I try and talk to this little Bolivian woman who was in fretta and hand her an opuscolo about the restoration as she walks away.

Then comes Matthew just two seconds later, he approaches us, speaking in English and asks if he can have a book too.  He is incredible. He gave him some info, got his digits and went on our merry way. We go to teach him Sunday night. He's from South Africa and his English is so clear compared to some of our Nigerians we've taught, and he's been in the Ivory Coast for the past six years, in Italy for only three weeks. He has a faith that I can't even describe. He wants to follow Christ and put God first. He understood perfectly the restoration and the plan of salvation and excepted a baptismal date for the 29th of June.

Then we have Rosemary and her family. Remember the beautiful Bolivian family we found eating gelato at the bus stop a few weeks ago? I'm sort of obsessed with them. We finally taught them this past Saturday and again yesterday. They are the most beautiful family. We saw the oldest daughter and the mom on Saturday and yesterday the other two daughters were there with the mom. My favorite is Marisella. She just turned 24 and has never been very religiosa because she could never understand the Bible and never felt anything going to mass. When we first met so loved the fact the we were the same age as her and had a personal connection with religion and God. She's pumped to read the Book of Mormon and I'm so excited for all of them. They're friends with a member in the 2nd ward who came and bore some sweet testimony at the end of our lesson.

Our last training with Prez talked a lot about baptismal invites, having the faith to do a soft invite (when you know these things are true, will you follow the example of Christ and be baptized in His church with someone with the authority to do so? or something like that) at the first lesson, like the apostles have told us to do. I used to be super-scared of being to that direct or something in the first lesson, but it helps people know we're here not just to have a nice chat but to help them increase they're faith and it gets them thinking about baptism.

Two more quick miracles.  First, Ivan.  We taught a lesson to them right after finding them, extended a baptism invite, and they accepted. Miracles happen when I get over what I think makes more sense and do like the apostles have tried to teach us.

Anyway. We found Ivan doing casa on Rosemary's street (which I'm pretty sure is a magic little street). I was going through all the buttons on the citofono and Ivan answered. I told him Siamo missionarie della chiesa di Gesu Cristo dei santi degli ultimi giorni, possiamo presentarci? and after half a dozen old Italians telling me that our message non mi serve per niente, I was so suprised when subito we was like si. There wasn't a woman home so he came down and talked to us outside. He's 24, Ukranian, and so elect. We had a beautiful restoration lesson, made plans to come back on Thursday. He hasn't been able to find work these months so he's at home taking care of the house part of everyday so we stopped by to give him a Book of Mormon in Ukrainian so he doesn't have to read in Italian. As soon as he knew it was us he ran down the stairs and was so excited to read in his own language. He can't wait for us to come back on Thursday.

Then his dad popped his head out the window to see who we were and waved and us. They're the happiest Ukrainian fam I've found yet it Italy. I'm full of hope for all of them. He has a cutie little bro who's maybe six. He came home with his mom when we were fnishing up the first lesson and Ivan tried to grab him as he walked by and he said Non toccarmi brutto! and it was hilarious.

Second miracle: Marta we found in the park yesterday.  Technically Bergamo 2 but I felt like since it's our area as of now we should get the lay of the land better. And there we found Marta. Bolivian, here for 12 years, currently out of work because the old dudes she worked for died and she's out in giro looking again. She said she'd seen our church here and in Bolivia but never been talked to the missionaries, instead the JWs always find her and talk to her, but she's never really had any interest in them. We taught her the restoration and she understood in perfectly, blew my mind. She's so prepared to learn about the gospel and was excited to get the Book of Mormon. Seeing her on Friday and she told us she'd think about being baptized at the end of the month. Wowa.

So these are the highlights of the past 3 days. Ha. Not to mention Daniela, a new convert is finally excited to go to the temple, after a year in the church she tried to tell us she's not ready, then we had a beautiful lesson. Ana knows her family can be eternal. Inactive members are calling us to see when we can come see them. Things are happening.

And I'm almost 24!  Gah. Time is flying!  Remember Hawaii... Ok, sorry this was a little crazy long, love you all SO BAD!

School's almost over!

xoxo

sorella bush