Hello my beautifuls!
First off...IAN!!! Oh man I'm praying for you like a crazy lady. I am so excited for you! The first few days in the MTC feel like an eternity but be patient with yourself and just chug along and you will LOVE it.
Okay fam, I am exploding with joy. The Gori family is killing me I love them so much! Cinzia is in, getting baptized on March 16th. Chiara had me pick what day she's quiting smoking, March 1st, and tomorrow we're going to invite her to get baptized in the 16th too! I am literally dying. I count down the days to when we get to see or teach them and then I get home and Chiara texts us (she's way more open in writing) and I melt on the floor I'm so happy. They are pretty much all I think about these days because I know I came to Siena above all for Chiara. She has no idea how wonderful she is and who she can become but God has just given me magic X-ray vision and has filled me with His love for her and it just makes me explode. This is why we knocked on thousands of doors last transfer... to show God we were willing to do whatever it takes and then He just plopped this miracle down in our laps.
Yesterday, thanks to the sweet tats sarah sent me I celebrated the birth of Copernicus yesterday by recreating the solar system on my back. Will try and send a pic soon, ha.
Finished the Book of Mormon in Italian again. This last time through I marked every time I saw the word heart, pretty sure I told you guys about my heart obsession. This time through I'm making remember and forget. Pretty cool.
Besides the Gori fam, our goal this transfer is to really get the branch excited about missionary work. We're teaching everyone the restoration to help everyone remember why we're members of the church and what it means and the incredible spirit that the Joseph Smith story brings. It just seems like the time has come, We need to get everyone on the same page and since we're having a baptism (!!!!!!!!) this transfer it will help get everyone excited and see that miracles happen, people can change, and everyone needs the gospel...so don't be scared.
I love it here. Siena is just magical. I really don't think I'll stay past the transfer so I'm just loving ths shiz out of my people. Have I told you about Bianka and Lorena, the two most beautiful Albanian girls who have ever lived? 25 and 23. The last peeps to get baptized in Siena. Lorena was baptized a year ago last November and then Bianka a year ago April. Lorena is married, 25 and Bianka is finishing up school this fall and seriously considering going on a mission this fall. She's becoming good friends with Chiara and we've been having lessons with her lately too and I just love her like crazy. Reason number 2 I came to Siena?
Plus we have Emily. She's from England and was baptized a bit over a year ago in England, now lives here in Siena and we see her every week too and she is wonderful. Reason #3?
So yeah, life is beautiful. Plus Luca came down to kick it with us in Siena today, ha. Should be a party. It's a beautiful sunny day so I'm thinking maybe a trip up the tower at the campo.
Love you allll! You're in my thoughts and prayers and I can't wait to add you to my Italy life and introduce you to my family here.
xoxo
la vostra missionaria contentissima,
sorella bush
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
questo mi garba
Family!!! Man, do I love you.
It has been a nutzo week and I was so happy to see your names pop up in my email.
Guys, remember how I am the worst at change! Well I do. I've been rereading my journals to remember that I was the biggest shlaump ever every time that I've had to change companions, excluding Sorella Nilson, because we're the same person. It's been a tough week, getting used to pure little Sorella Willis and realizing that Sorella Nilson isn't even in the same country as me anymore and then realizing that I have NO idea what to do with Siena. I'm praying my guts out and I'm just at a loss where to go and what to do , so I walk in circles. Ha. But really meno male I have the Gori's and Luca coming to visit next p-day.
I really don't even know what to tell you guys right now, my brain is kind of exploding with everything and I've just been trying to feel peaceful because I've been so overwhelmed by everything that I just feel like I've forgotten how to be a missionary for a second which is the dumbest because the clock is ticking! I really don't think I have more than this transfer in Siena and everytime I see the tower in the Campo my heart skips a beat. It's so beautiful and I don't know if I've done nearly enough for this place. I've trying to remind and convince myself that lulls happen and God is patient.
As far as coming to Italy plans have you looked at flying in through somewhere random? When I went to England everyone payed about 1000 bucks but I went through dublin and it was like 600... aaanyway.
Mom I totally support the short hair, I've been silently voting for is for a while :)
Dad stop getting sick!
Ian, already sent you a message, still love your guts.
My hilarious English class students have been teaching me Sienese phrases and today I made pici for lunch. But I just walk around saying mi garba to everything. Piece is so 2012, ha!
Love you all so bad, kind of jealous I wasn't at the temple with you and all our freaky posterity, but I have all summer, temple road trips galore.
xoxoxoxo
s.b.
p.s. Sorella Willis, from Florida! Niente di Utah questa volta.
It has been a nutzo week and I was so happy to see your names pop up in my email.
Guys, remember how I am the worst at change! Well I do. I've been rereading my journals to remember that I was the biggest shlaump ever every time that I've had to change companions, excluding Sorella Nilson, because we're the same person. It's been a tough week, getting used to pure little Sorella Willis and realizing that Sorella Nilson isn't even in the same country as me anymore and then realizing that I have NO idea what to do with Siena. I'm praying my guts out and I'm just at a loss where to go and what to do , so I walk in circles. Ha. But really meno male I have the Gori's and Luca coming to visit next p-day.
I really don't even know what to tell you guys right now, my brain is kind of exploding with everything and I've just been trying to feel peaceful because I've been so overwhelmed by everything that I just feel like I've forgotten how to be a missionary for a second which is the dumbest because the clock is ticking! I really don't think I have more than this transfer in Siena and everytime I see the tower in the Campo my heart skips a beat. It's so beautiful and I don't know if I've done nearly enough for this place. I've trying to remind and convince myself that lulls happen and God is patient.
As far as coming to Italy plans have you looked at flying in through somewhere random? When I went to England everyone payed about 1000 bucks but I went through dublin and it was like 600... aaanyway.
Mom I totally support the short hair, I've been silently voting for is for a while :)
Dad stop getting sick!
Ian, already sent you a message, still love your guts.
My hilarious English class students have been teaching me Sienese phrases and today I made pici for lunch. But I just walk around saying mi garba to everything. Piece is so 2012, ha!
Love you all so bad, kind of jealous I wasn't at the temple with you and all our freaky posterity, but I have all summer, temple road trips galore.
xoxoxoxo
s.b.
p.s. Sorella Willis, from Florida! Niente di Utah questa volta.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
so I have very little motivation to write this email today, sorrrrry
I'll try not to be too boring.
Life is great. Feels so surreal that Sorella Nilson (from Alpine, Mom) is going home. Blurg. We had way too much fun to be allowed more than one transfer together.
I just bought our fast train tickets to get up to Milano tomorrow morning and I'll see Sorella Beutler at the station, kiss her face, and then find Sorella Willis, my new companion. I know zero about her, just that she's coming from Collegno near Torino (where Sorella Beutler is headed off to) and came in the group after Sorella Beutler. The one thing I've heard is that she's crazy patient so her trainer told me on scambio a few weeks ago she's destined to always have hard companions because she just loves them comunque, and now she has me, ha! Life here is beautiful, as always.
Dad I read your letter to the Gori's and they loved it and said they loved you guys too and were ready to adopt me. Ha. We're going back tonight and hopefully getting ourselves organized for them to set a more realistic baptismal date (that's before I leave Italy) and a plan for Sandro and Chiara to quit smoking. I feel like tonight is going to be magical; best last night as a missionary Sorella Nilson could probs ask for. They called last night, Cinzia called, and was like we have a plan. We'll have our lesson, you guys will chat it up with chiara alone for a bit then, we're going to have dinner with the Rotelli's! And Sandro and Tina have a request and have made me the mouth of the message, but you could you please bring.... 300 cinnamon rolls! ha! It's going to be great.
Um, Mexico looked freaky amazing. Like really guys, we're going back next January right? So excited for IAN!!!!!AHH! Temple, miss it. I would recommend sending him off with a flash drive to keep his pics on too, I think I'm going to try and buy one because my camera is full up.
Canoecopia! So soon!
These next few months are going to flash by and I'm freaking out and every now and then I tumble into that am I a good enough missionary? Have I done all that I'm supposed to? And then I feel like Heavenly Father wants me to keep being better but not keep beating myself up because he's proud of me. That's the phrase that keeps running through my head/heart. He's proud of us.
We spent language study on Monday just sitting in the Campo in the sun waiting for our appointment there and I feel like it is a moment I will never forget. This place is magical. For lunch that day we went out with the Capece's so we just stuck around in centro but I had had pici with cacio and pepe, mmmmmm.
We had a funny dinner appointment with potentials this this weekend that involved going to Grandma and Grandpa's in the campagna and touring they're huge mostly closed up house over looking Siena and too many funny things that someday I'll tell you all about. I love strangers.
Dad I think I'm going to go Istrice. not sure why.*
Love you all, sorry this is all over the place. I have a few ties I bought in Firenze for Ian I hope to send off sooner rather than later. I've started trying to buy presents for people, man is that expensive business, maybs I'm done being a good friend. Does Ian have a brown suit? One tie is the pretty teal that has a little stripe of brown in it so hopefully he's not all black. Oh well. Any thoughts about the program for coming back to Italy?
xoxoxoxoxoxox
Life is great. Feels so surreal that Sorella Nilson (from Alpine, Mom) is going home. Blurg. We had way too much fun to be allowed more than one transfer together.
I just bought our fast train tickets to get up to Milano tomorrow morning and I'll see Sorella Beutler at the station, kiss her face, and then find Sorella Willis, my new companion. I know zero about her, just that she's coming from Collegno near Torino (where Sorella Beutler is headed off to) and came in the group after Sorella Beutler. The one thing I've heard is that she's crazy patient so her trainer told me on scambio a few weeks ago she's destined to always have hard companions because she just loves them comunque, and now she has me, ha! Life here is beautiful, as always.
Dad I read your letter to the Gori's and they loved it and said they loved you guys too and were ready to adopt me. Ha. We're going back tonight and hopefully getting ourselves organized for them to set a more realistic baptismal date (that's before I leave Italy) and a plan for Sandro and Chiara to quit smoking. I feel like tonight is going to be magical; best last night as a missionary Sorella Nilson could probs ask for. They called last night, Cinzia called, and was like we have a plan. We'll have our lesson, you guys will chat it up with chiara alone for a bit then, we're going to have dinner with the Rotelli's! And Sandro and Tina have a request and have made me the mouth of the message, but you could you please bring.... 300 cinnamon rolls! ha! It's going to be great.
Um, Mexico looked freaky amazing. Like really guys, we're going back next January right? So excited for IAN!!!!!AHH! Temple, miss it. I would recommend sending him off with a flash drive to keep his pics on too, I think I'm going to try and buy one because my camera is full up.
Canoecopia! So soon!
These next few months are going to flash by and I'm freaking out and every now and then I tumble into that am I a good enough missionary? Have I done all that I'm supposed to? And then I feel like Heavenly Father wants me to keep being better but not keep beating myself up because he's proud of me. That's the phrase that keeps running through my head/heart. He's proud of us.
We spent language study on Monday just sitting in the Campo in the sun waiting for our appointment there and I feel like it is a moment I will never forget. This place is magical. For lunch that day we went out with the Capece's so we just stuck around in centro but I had had pici with cacio and pepe, mmmmmm.
We had a funny dinner appointment with potentials this this weekend that involved going to Grandma and Grandpa's in the campagna and touring they're huge mostly closed up house over looking Siena and too many funny things that someday I'll tell you all about. I love strangers.
Dad I think I'm going to go Istrice. not sure why.*
Love you all, sorry this is all over the place. I have a few ties I bought in Firenze for Ian I hope to send off sooner rather than later. I've started trying to buy presents for people, man is that expensive business, maybs I'm done being a good friend. Does Ian have a brown suit? One tie is the pretty teal that has a little stripe of brown in it so hopefully he's not all black. Oh well. Any thoughts about the program for coming back to Italy?
xoxoxoxoxoxox
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