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
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