It was so good to see you yesterday [via Skype]!
I really don't have much to say but I love you all so bad.
It's crazy that I can be so excited to go serve in Siena with Sorella Nilson and at the same time feel like my heart is being ripped out and eat by some large carnivorous animal. I keep telling myself it's better to love people and leave bits of me with them and cry my face off when I leave than to be a cold unfeeling monster that cares abot nobody. Ha.
You're beautiful. Be good and take care of yourselves.
xoxo
sorella bush
p.s. We watched A Muppet Christmas Carol yesterday morning. So good. And then started it again in Italian while we waited for Luca to pick us up. Tooo funny.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
forgiven
Hi family,
Forgiveness granted, your emails were lovely. And mom, I'm trying to send you a shiz ton of pics too so everyone should be happy.
First off, Christmas day. We're eating lunch at the Omer's. Our rough plan is for Sorella Beutler to call her fam around 3:30 our time and the tocca a me, so at the latest it will be 4:30 here or 9:30 for you guys. I would have everything on at least by 9:00, maybe earlier if you can wake yourselves up so I can call whenever the moment arrives. O mamma, Christmas?! How is it freaky Christmas!
Second item of business, Prez Wolfgramm didn't respond to my email, even though I threatened to throw up everywhere. Maybe I should have been more specific and said I'd throw up all over him. But we have zone conference tomorrow so I'll talk to him and figure it all out. My permesso di soggiorno doesn't even need to be renewed, so I'm legal here until the 29th of June I think. Not going anywhere.
Thanks for the present, not sure it will get here before I leave though. Word on the street is we have a sorella conference coming up, in some way or another Sorella Beutler will get it to me.
Guys, I'm just so happy these days. Seriously, I feel kind of like I'm in mid-stride, like I've figured out what I'm supposed to be doing and I know the Book of Mormon and I understand Italian and I freaky love these people. I love that I really do just feel like myself, but a much better version of me. I don't get the missionaries that lose who they are, and there are so many of them. Or they start teaching people and all of a sudden switch into missionary mode. Who wants to learn the gospel from them? I mean, it's not like jokes all of a sudden aren't funny now that we're missionaries. laughing isn't necessarily equal to irreverence.
In district meeting Monday this Anziano was talking about how when Christ was on the Earth it was still the Holy Ghost that ha colpito le persone, non Gesu' and before I knew what was happening, I said "Si, ma Gesu' non ha mai colpito nessuno, meno male." The native Anziani laughed. Ha.
I remember in Bergamo in my first two transfers with Sorella Jacobson, lamenting how I didn't feel like I had a personality in Italian. Don't worry folks, adesso basta e avanza. In missionary news Herlina is incredible! I taught her on scambio with Sorella Gomez two weeks ago and it was a beautiful first lesson, poi, last Thursday siamo tornate con Michele e abbiamo insegnato il piano di salvezza e era troppo bellllllo! This woman is elect. How do we know?
Sign Number 1: When we were talking about this life on earth, and the 5 steps Christ showed us we need to do, she said "hang on, what are they again, aspetta, voglio scrivere questo, and she went and grabbed a notebook to write the 5 steps down.
Sign Number 2: She started asking about her family members that are already dead and didn't get the chance to accept all this in this life. Told her not to worry, talked about missionary work in the spirit world and said we would explain more in the future. Basically I'm obsessed with her.
We went back last night with Luca and just read the BOM together and applied it. At the end she was telling us this great story about one of the old lady she works with who's anti anything not catholic and she was like guarda, soon enough you're going to have a Mormon in this house. Ha!
I also really love how when she talks about the things we've learned so far together she says it all makes her feel more sicura, best word choice. It breaks my heart a little bit that the first Sunday she'll be able to come to church will be the first Sunday I'm probs not here. I'll just have to visit her when I get back and then we can kick it in the celestial kingdom. We were talking last night about how crazy it is we met, because we were at a bus stop we hardly ever wait at and it was late at night, and she said that she never leaves the house at night, but she decided to run and grab some stuff from the store so we were waiting together. I get scared thinking about what if I hadn't started talking to her. O madonna. God is great.
My other new best friend is Onofrio, originally from Sicily, maybe I can tell you about him Christmas. Love that there's a cheese CSA!!! Guys, what if I just spend the rest of my days making cheese, I can't think of a happier life, ha.
Did you guys do a family Christmas card guy this year? send me one if you did, I carry last years in my scriptures for when peeps ask to see my family. Random thing, my Patagonia boats are awesome, kinda wearing down but have held up so well considering I wear them constantly in all weather. Could someone look and see if the Addie Riding Boot still exists, in a size 9, because I would love another pair, black or brown. They're the greatest.
Okay, well, see you Tuesday!! Have a lovely Christmas Eve, hope there's snow, salute the Andrew family for me. And the cool peeps in the university ward and obvioudly Sarah. I wish she wasn't heading west for the holidays like I assume she is so she could be part of the family skype, ha.
love yooooou!!!!!
sorella bush!
Forgiveness granted, your emails were lovely. And mom, I'm trying to send you a shiz ton of pics too so everyone should be happy.
First off, Christmas day. We're eating lunch at the Omer's. Our rough plan is for Sorella Beutler to call her fam around 3:30 our time and the tocca a me, so at the latest it will be 4:30 here or 9:30 for you guys. I would have everything on at least by 9:00, maybe earlier if you can wake yourselves up so I can call whenever the moment arrives. O mamma, Christmas?! How is it freaky Christmas!
Second item of business, Prez Wolfgramm didn't respond to my email, even though I threatened to throw up everywhere. Maybe I should have been more specific and said I'd throw up all over him. But we have zone conference tomorrow so I'll talk to him and figure it all out. My permesso di soggiorno doesn't even need to be renewed, so I'm legal here until the 29th of June I think. Not going anywhere.
Thanks for the present, not sure it will get here before I leave though. Word on the street is we have a sorella conference coming up, in some way or another Sorella Beutler will get it to me.
Guys, I'm just so happy these days. Seriously, I feel kind of like I'm in mid-stride, like I've figured out what I'm supposed to be doing and I know the Book of Mormon and I understand Italian and I freaky love these people. I love that I really do just feel like myself, but a much better version of me. I don't get the missionaries that lose who they are, and there are so many of them. Or they start teaching people and all of a sudden switch into missionary mode. Who wants to learn the gospel from them? I mean, it's not like jokes all of a sudden aren't funny now that we're missionaries. laughing isn't necessarily equal to irreverence.
In district meeting Monday this Anziano was talking about how when Christ was on the Earth it was still the Holy Ghost that ha colpito le persone, non Gesu' and before I knew what was happening, I said "Si, ma Gesu' non ha mai colpito nessuno, meno male." The native Anziani laughed. Ha.
I remember in Bergamo in my first two transfers with Sorella Jacobson, lamenting how I didn't feel like I had a personality in Italian. Don't worry folks, adesso basta e avanza. In missionary news Herlina is incredible! I taught her on scambio with Sorella Gomez two weeks ago and it was a beautiful first lesson, poi, last Thursday siamo tornate con Michele e abbiamo insegnato il piano di salvezza e era troppo bellllllo! This woman is elect. How do we know?
Sign Number 1: When we were talking about this life on earth, and the 5 steps Christ showed us we need to do, she said "hang on, what are they again, aspetta, voglio scrivere questo, and she went and grabbed a notebook to write the 5 steps down.
Sign Number 2: She started asking about her family members that are already dead and didn't get the chance to accept all this in this life. Told her not to worry, talked about missionary work in the spirit world and said we would explain more in the future. Basically I'm obsessed with her.
We went back last night with Luca and just read the BOM together and applied it. At the end she was telling us this great story about one of the old lady she works with who's anti anything not catholic and she was like guarda, soon enough you're going to have a Mormon in this house. Ha!
I also really love how when she talks about the things we've learned so far together she says it all makes her feel more sicura, best word choice. It breaks my heart a little bit that the first Sunday she'll be able to come to church will be the first Sunday I'm probs not here. I'll just have to visit her when I get back and then we can kick it in the celestial kingdom. We were talking last night about how crazy it is we met, because we were at a bus stop we hardly ever wait at and it was late at night, and she said that she never leaves the house at night, but she decided to run and grab some stuff from the store so we were waiting together. I get scared thinking about what if I hadn't started talking to her. O madonna. God is great.
My other new best friend is Onofrio, originally from Sicily, maybe I can tell you about him Christmas. Love that there's a cheese CSA!!! Guys, what if I just spend the rest of my days making cheese, I can't think of a happier life, ha.
Did you guys do a family Christmas card guy this year? send me one if you did, I carry last years in my scriptures for when peeps ask to see my family. Random thing, my Patagonia boats are awesome, kinda wearing down but have held up so well considering I wear them constantly in all weather. Could someone look and see if the Addie Riding Boot still exists, in a size 9, because I would love another pair, black or brown. They're the greatest.
Okay, well, see you Tuesday!! Have a lovely Christmas Eve, hope there's snow, salute the Andrew family for me. And the cool peeps in the university ward and obvioudly Sarah. I wish she wasn't heading west for the holidays like I assume she is so she could be part of the family skype, ha.
love yooooou!!!!!
sorella bush!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
okay, you guys are all grounded
I feel like it's been ages since I've gotten a real email from you jokers, so this will be short. Also because we're about to catch the train to Milano to see the Last Supper and then scambi with the Milano 3 sorelle.
It's actually been kind of a slow week. Sorella Beutler has been sick again so lots of time at home, I've read the first 200 pages of the Old Testament (how do people get by without the Book of Mormon? No idea.)
I did have one super amazing lesson on scambi last Wednesday night. We taught this woman we had found named Herlinda and it went so well. She accepted the baptismal invite, said the prayer at the end, there was just an incredible spirit and teaching with Sorella Gomez I felt like I was back with Sorella Simkins, because all we did was teach those main preach my gospel lessons all the time. We haven't had tons of progressing investigators here in Varese so it just felt good to feel like I was really working.
I love Sorella Beutler and I had a baby moment of revelation Monday that helping her grow was a big chunk of what I was supposed to do here in Varese. And back to Herlinda we realized that she's the cousin of a less active Ermila that we work with. Small world.
But someone has got to tell me your Christmas day plans so we can figure out when I need to call. Can't wait to see you pretty faces.
Also I'm talking with prez to get my release date sorted out. May 3rd means I don't go over the 18 months and June I go over 17 days or something. He has the power to extend people 30 days past so I'm hoping we'll get it sorted out. I told him the idea of having just three transfers left makes me want to throw up. Exact quote. Ha.
So excited about Ian's papers!!!!!! sos os os os os os sosooososososososossssssssooooooo
Okay...off to catch the train.
Love you all, be good!
xoxo
sorella bush
It's actually been kind of a slow week. Sorella Beutler has been sick again so lots of time at home, I've read the first 200 pages of the Old Testament (how do people get by without the Book of Mormon? No idea.)
I did have one super amazing lesson on scambi last Wednesday night. We taught this woman we had found named Herlinda and it went so well. She accepted the baptismal invite, said the prayer at the end, there was just an incredible spirit and teaching with Sorella Gomez I felt like I was back with Sorella Simkins, because all we did was teach those main preach my gospel lessons all the time. We haven't had tons of progressing investigators here in Varese so it just felt good to feel like I was really working.
I love Sorella Beutler and I had a baby moment of revelation Monday that helping her grow was a big chunk of what I was supposed to do here in Varese. And back to Herlinda we realized that she's the cousin of a less active Ermila that we work with. Small world.
But someone has got to tell me your Christmas day plans so we can figure out when I need to call. Can't wait to see you pretty faces.
Also I'm talking with prez to get my release date sorted out. May 3rd means I don't go over the 18 months and June I go over 17 days or something. He has the power to extend people 30 days past so I'm hoping we'll get it sorted out. I told him the idea of having just three transfers left makes me want to throw up. Exact quote. Ha.
So excited about Ian's papers!!!!!! sos os os os os os sosooososososososossssssssooooooo
Okay...off to catch the train.
Love you all, be good!
xoxo
sorella bush
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
i went to italy because i wished to live deliberately
Hi guys! Happy December! When did that happen, shoooooot. Time is getting faster all the freaky time and I don't know how it's possible.
We had branch conference on Sunday and the stake prez and everybody important was there. Varese is the only branch in the stake now and the prez spoke specifically about how to make Varese into a ward, what everyone has to do to make it happen, because it can and will happen.
He then talked about us. He told everyone that they have two great sorelle here and they need to take care of us. He said "they won't be here forever and when they leave you will sorely miss them, so take care of them now, love them and work with them." It all made me wonder if I've really done enough for this place. I know I've worked hard but we can always work harder. My time here is coming to a close and pretty quickly, and I just hope that I've done at least part of what the Lord expected of me here, found some of the people he had been preparing.
I really do feel like I've been planting seeds like crazy. Talking to lots of people, building relationships with the members, and being an example to their friends and peeps we just meet in the street of what a member of the church is and does. Speriamo bene! Sorella Beutler is always quick to remind me of everything I've done here when I maybe start to wonder. Sometimes I hate when people say that if you only have one convert on your mission and it's you then you've succeeded, just sounds like a cop-out to me. But I also really feel like I've had great success in that department. I feel like I finally love and know the scriptures, I know how to talk to my Heavenly Father, how to go to Him always and be honest, how to try and be guided my the spirit in everything I do, how to love love love love love. I don't just believe that the restoration happened but I understand why and how it makes PERFECT sense, same with the plan of salvation. Oh, how I love the plan of salvation! Seriously.
This transfer had been really beautiful with Sorella Beutler. I have to be honest: I was pretty stressed for awhile training her. I knew she was struggling and questioning her capabilities and if she even thought she could make it, so I never wanted to add to her stress trying to master the language and get used to being away from her family so I just took everything else on, and tried to do it by myself.
As a result I was just worries about everyone all the time, about her, about our peeps, our members, people we had met once on the street, people we hadn't met but maybe were supposed to, who I needed to call, how to get lessons organized and members there and people in church. It was kind of suffocating. But now that I've gotten better at asking for help and Sorella Beutler is finding her place in Italy there's just a lot more harmony in what we're doing. She's taken the lead in more of our lessons lately and it's been beautiful. Other people have started telling her how much she's improved, so even though she won't ever believe me when I tell her she's starting to have patience with herself.
We had a really beautiful lesson Monday with Gina. We brought a member that's 24, served a mission in London and is the daughter of our branch prez, and her fiance and we just talked about the atonement, it was so beautiful. I love that I feel like I've got the ability to just always be myself, even as a missionary, that it's totally normal that I'm here, with my friend Gina, telling her about what it means that Christ suffered for her and how much God loves her.
We also started teaching this cool 50 year-old Italian lady, Laura. It's really interesting because she's Catholic, doesn't totally agree with the church but still feels Catholic because she doesn't know what else she would be. She was really excited to get the Book of Mormon after our first lesson with her Monday night. I'm praying that she'll just read and read and open her heart and the spirit will help her not be confused.
Side note, I was trying to explain to her how Mary isn't our mother and she was having a hard time grasping that, but guys, I don't get it? how does that make any sense???? Boh.
Anyway, we're still meeting cool peeps all the time. We've been teaching a lot more these days, thank heavens because it is freaky cold! The cool lady Giulia that I talked to at Thanksgiving came to church with her compagno on Sunday. I don't hardly know than but I love them! Mostly her. I'm hoping we can get ourselves organized to see them soon because she is super cool, has tons of questions and wants to see us to.
I can't believe Christmas is so close! We're being taken care of, no worries, people love us, even without the threatenings of the stake prez. Christmas eve will be with Gabriele's family and company, Christmas with the Omer's who bought us shoes last week. Sorella Betuler's boots broke, plus she's always cold and John, who's American, told us to take to his wife, Giuliana, and she took us to a good place to get boots. We picked out some good ones for Sorella Beutler, and then she said, "Sorella Bush, your turn, and I was like "No I'm good with these (love my Patagonia boots so bad, I'm praying they last the next few months, I've worn them hard).
She said "No, we decided it's a Christmas present." I didn't find any boots that felt as good as my Patagonia ones so I got these cute lace up green shoes I've been wearing everyday this week. Moral of the story, we're being taken care of. It really does scare me a bit how fast time goes, I'm just trying to love each day and come home satisfied and not totally frozen every night.
Love you all!! Any mission news and let Luca/Gabri know subito!!! I can't wait. Prez Wolfgramm thinks maybe Ian will go to Rome.... vediamo! How about Iceland? I've always wanted to go there and you could be my personal guide, va bene? Vi voglio un mondo di bene! Fate il bravo!
la vostra contenta missionaria,
sorella bush
He then talked about us. He told everyone that they have two great sorelle here and they need to take care of us. He said "they won't be here forever and when they leave you will sorely miss them, so take care of them now, love them and work with them." It all made me wonder if I've really done enough for this place. I know I've worked hard but we can always work harder. My time here is coming to a close and pretty quickly, and I just hope that I've done at least part of what the Lord expected of me here, found some of the people he had been preparing.
I really do feel like I've been planting seeds like crazy. Talking to lots of people, building relationships with the members, and being an example to their friends and peeps we just meet in the street of what a member of the church is and does. Speriamo bene! Sorella Beutler is always quick to remind me of everything I've done here when I maybe start to wonder. Sometimes I hate when people say that if you only have one convert on your mission and it's you then you've succeeded, just sounds like a cop-out to me. But I also really feel like I've had great success in that department. I feel like I finally love and know the scriptures, I know how to talk to my Heavenly Father, how to go to Him always and be honest, how to try and be guided my the spirit in everything I do, how to love love love love love. I don't just believe that the restoration happened but I understand why and how it makes PERFECT sense, same with the plan of salvation. Oh, how I love the plan of salvation! Seriously.
This transfer had been really beautiful with Sorella Beutler. I have to be honest: I was pretty stressed for awhile training her. I knew she was struggling and questioning her capabilities and if she even thought she could make it, so I never wanted to add to her stress trying to master the language and get used to being away from her family so I just took everything else on, and tried to do it by myself.
As a result I was just worries about everyone all the time, about her, about our peeps, our members, people we had met once on the street, people we hadn't met but maybe were supposed to, who I needed to call, how to get lessons organized and members there and people in church. It was kind of suffocating. But now that I've gotten better at asking for help and Sorella Beutler is finding her place in Italy there's just a lot more harmony in what we're doing. She's taken the lead in more of our lessons lately and it's been beautiful. Other people have started telling her how much she's improved, so even though she won't ever believe me when I tell her she's starting to have patience with herself.
We had a really beautiful lesson Monday with Gina. We brought a member that's 24, served a mission in London and is the daughter of our branch prez, and her fiance and we just talked about the atonement, it was so beautiful. I love that I feel like I've got the ability to just always be myself, even as a missionary, that it's totally normal that I'm here, with my friend Gina, telling her about what it means that Christ suffered for her and how much God loves her.
We also started teaching this cool 50 year-old Italian lady, Laura. It's really interesting because she's Catholic, doesn't totally agree with the church but still feels Catholic because she doesn't know what else she would be. She was really excited to get the Book of Mormon after our first lesson with her Monday night. I'm praying that she'll just read and read and open her heart and the spirit will help her not be confused.
Side note, I was trying to explain to her how Mary isn't our mother and she was having a hard time grasping that, but guys, I don't get it? how does that make any sense???? Boh.
Anyway, we're still meeting cool peeps all the time. We've been teaching a lot more these days, thank heavens because it is freaky cold! The cool lady Giulia that I talked to at Thanksgiving came to church with her compagno on Sunday. I don't hardly know than but I love them! Mostly her. I'm hoping we can get ourselves organized to see them soon because she is super cool, has tons of questions and wants to see us to.
I can't believe Christmas is so close! We're being taken care of, no worries, people love us, even without the threatenings of the stake prez. Christmas eve will be with Gabriele's family and company, Christmas with the Omer's who bought us shoes last week. Sorella Betuler's boots broke, plus she's always cold and John, who's American, told us to take to his wife, Giuliana, and she took us to a good place to get boots. We picked out some good ones for Sorella Beutler, and then she said, "Sorella Bush, your turn, and I was like "No I'm good with these (love my Patagonia boots so bad, I'm praying they last the next few months, I've worn them hard).
She said "No, we decided it's a Christmas present." I didn't find any boots that felt as good as my Patagonia ones so I got these cute lace up green shoes I've been wearing everyday this week. Moral of the story, we're being taken care of. It really does scare me a bit how fast time goes, I'm just trying to love each day and come home satisfied and not totally frozen every night.
Love you all!! Any mission news and let Luca/Gabri know subito!!! I can't wait. Prez Wolfgramm thinks maybe Ian will go to Rome.... vediamo! How about Iceland? I've always wanted to go there and you could be my personal guide, va bene? Vi voglio un mondo di bene! Fate il bravo!
la vostra contenta missionaria,
sorella bush
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