30 June 2010
Well hello again!
I am no longer in Sicilia. Sad! I'm now in the Puglia, the heel of the boot,
in Taranto.
Well, let's see what else happened last week. The Varicella kind of took
over everything, we were able to make phone calls and even had an
investigator that made progress but that was pretty much the whole week--we
didn't do much. But we did get to watch some Disney movies for language
study, that made the time go a little faster...and we got a whole lot of
food from the mission home and the Crawford's apartment because they were
all getting ready to move out and had to get rid of everything. Tomorrow the
world changes and we become the Rome mission. Kind of fun...I need a second
plaque thing to hang up in church guys! hehe.
Oh dear. Well. The Anziani brought us peanut butter bars on Friday, that was
exciting...And told us transfer calls wouldn't be until Saturday morning,
even though they already knew everything they wouldn't tell us anything. But
I knew two transfers ago, or felt like, that I was coming to Taranto so that
really wasn't a big surprise when I got the call on Saturday morning. So I
packed and packed and Sorella Taranto came over to check out Sorella
WIlliams pox in the morning to see if we could go on Sunday. I guess when
they got to Catania somebody blessed the Sacrament with a rash on their
hands and all the members freaked out so they didn't want to repeat that
with us. But it was decided that she could come, but she pprobably wanted to
wear makeup so people didn't ask too many questions. That was good news.
Sunday morning we rode with the Assistants to Palermo. It was an awesome
conference! It was so fun to see all the members from Ragusa (and Catania
too since it had been a while). BUT!!! Esther and Justice were there!!! And
Vittoria! That was so exciting, they are so wonderful and they were excited
to see all the sisters that had taught them. They're doing great, Esther is
trying to learn Italian and they're getting involved in the Branch (the WARD
now) and it was just awesome. Good good people. All the babies that were
three months old when I got here just turned one. Giorgio Cascone not only
has hair, but it's curly. And Sofia Sorrentino keeps getting cuter.
So, the Stake President is Presidente Nudo (you've got to watch the
pronunciation so you're not saying naked, Fratello Puglisi told me once) who
was the district president for the past year. And his first counselor is
Presidente Sorrentino from Ragusa, which was cool to hear, Pres never wanted
to live in Sicilia ever, he's from Napoli, but his wife is Ragusana, and
they decided to stay because he felt like he had a great work to do in
Sicilia to help the church move forward. And he really does--he's been a
great Branch President and now he's in the first Stake Presidency in
Sicily!!! Woohoo. It was hard not to start cheering, I know it's church and
stuff but I don't know how they stayed so quiet in there, it was great. And
they didn't announce the new bishops, they'll announce them on Sunday, so I
don't know who Catania's is--but Anziano Fernandez Ruiz informed me that
Fllo Cascone, who was the branch mission leader when I was there, is the new
bishop of Ragusa. Cool. We had Anziano Kopischke and Anziano Caussé from the
Area Presidency. (During the broadcast a couple weeks ago President Packer
said that a seventy can do anything that an apostle can do, so it's okay).
They had a lot of inspirational talks--President Taranto told them that they
need to work hard now, they can't just be happy to have a Stake and basta,
that would be like having the best soccer stadium in the world and never
getting down in the field and using it. We've got to play. It was a great
conference, it was so exciting, I am so glad that I got to be there for
that.
Then we went to the Crawford's after to take all the stuff from their
fridge--it was weird, the apartment was all empty.
And Monday morning I left! The bus was at 10 am. Anziano Fernandez Ruiz, who
was one of my district leaders when I was in Ragusa and he was in Gela, was
my travel buddy. Itwas fun to catch up with him a little bit. Anz Hansen was
riding to Taranto too, but they stuck him on a different bus. And we got to
Taranto about 6,30 pm. Yeah. Sad to leave my city and my island but I have a
new city and a peninsula so I guess I'll be okay. And riding a bus might
sound awful but riding a bus through Southern Italy really isn't all that
bad. The bus got on the ferry from Messina to Reggio Calabria, and we got to
get off the bus and walk around the ferry and take pictures and stuff. That
was kind of fun. Kind of sad to look back and watch the Sicilia getting
farther and farther away. But then we got back on the bus and the Calabria
is BEAUTIFUL. It's so green and full of trees and farms and it's kind of
like a fairy tale land. It's gorgeous. Too bad sisters don't get to serve
there anymore. It's so pretty. Taranto is not super green. It's a little
polluted thanks to the post WWII era mills that they've got in their ocean,
that they should really take out and clean things up and make it a hot spot
for tourism instead, secondo me and Anz FR. But oh well. It's not too smelly
in the city itself. It's small. A lot smaller than Catania. But the
buildings are a lot taller. And I'm sure I'll like it. We've got a lot of
things that we need to work on...like I don't feel that you should drop an
investigator who genuinely wants to learn because they won't have time to
see you three times a week until September. There's a lot of time until
September, they might change their minds if you wait so long! Anyway, stuff
like that. But I'm working on reading the area book and getting to know a
little about the people we are working with. We didn't go out on Monday
because we didn't get home until 7 or later, I dunno, and I unpacked and we
talked about the work.
Tuesday we went out and we did a lot of things. They didn't really have
anything planned for the week so we did a little bit of house for a while
and met a lady from Romania who said we can come back, and the old man she
takes care of told us to come back and talk to his daughter when she's
around. And we visited a less-active who has a lot of hurt feelings because
the church didn't help her when her husband made her daughter get an
abortion. And we met another less-active who we'll try and see later this
week I guess. And then in the afternoon we tried to see somebody in some
hospital thing, but she wasn't there anymore, since it was a week after the
referral was received, and so we don't have any way to contact her. SIGH.
And we also taught English course, the Sorelle are still doing it here, the
Anziani no, and I'm not sure why, although we did have 8 people that were
there yesterday...But I don't like teaching it that much that I think we
should do it ALL summer. Vediamo. In August sicuramente we won't do it.
I think I'll like Taranto. It's probably a good city, I've only heard good
things about it. We'll see what we can do to talk it up and get things
moving. It's weird to not be in Catania speaking Italian 24/7 with Slla
Williams. We'll get this city moving though, we've already talked to three
people in the last two days that have said we could come to their houses,
that's pretty miraculous.
Oh, and my companion has doctor's order to go running every morning because
she has problems sleeping. She hates it. So I've gone running with her the
past two mornings. Not far or anything, I'm not a runner. And my legs are
kinda tired because after not walking for a week and a half it's kind of an
adjustment to restart. But that's cool. Hopefully we'll get a new remote
control to our A/C soon though, so we can use it.
Well, I love you! The church is true and the work of the Lord really is
moving forward. It's amazing!
Have a great week, love,
Eliza
I am no longer in Sicilia. Sad! I'm now in the Puglia, the heel of the boot,
in Taranto.
Well, let's see what else happened last week. The Varicella kind of took
over everything, we were able to make phone calls and even had an
investigator that made progress but that was pretty much the whole week--we
didn't do much. But we did get to watch some Disney movies for language
study, that made the time go a little faster...and we got a whole lot of
food from the mission home and the Crawford's apartment because they were
all getting ready to move out and had to get rid of everything. Tomorrow the
world changes and we become the Rome mission. Kind of fun...I need a second
plaque thing to hang up in church guys! hehe.
Oh dear. Well. The Anziani brought us peanut butter bars on Friday, that was
exciting...And told us transfer calls wouldn't be until Saturday morning,
even though they already knew everything they wouldn't tell us anything. But
I knew two transfers ago, or felt like, that I was coming to Taranto so that
really wasn't a big surprise when I got the call on Saturday morning. So I
packed and packed and Sorella Taranto came over to check out Sorella
WIlliams pox in the morning to see if we could go on Sunday. I guess when
they got to Catania somebody blessed the Sacrament with a rash on their
hands and all the members freaked out so they didn't want to repeat that
with us. But it was decided that she could come, but she pprobably wanted to
wear makeup so people didn't ask too many questions. That was good news.
Sunday morning we rode with the Assistants to Palermo. It was an awesome
conference! It was so fun to see all the members from Ragusa (and Catania
too since it had been a while). BUT!!! Esther and Justice were there!!! And
Vittoria! That was so exciting, they are so wonderful and they were excited
to see all the sisters that had taught them. They're doing great, Esther is
trying to learn Italian and they're getting involved in the Branch (the WARD
now) and it was just awesome. Good good people. All the babies that were
three months old when I got here just turned one. Giorgio Cascone not only
has hair, but it's curly. And Sofia Sorrentino keeps getting cuter.
So, the Stake President is Presidente Nudo (you've got to watch the
pronunciation so you're not saying naked, Fratello Puglisi told me once) who
was the district president for the past year. And his first counselor is
Presidente Sorrentino from Ragusa, which was cool to hear, Pres never wanted
to live in Sicilia ever, he's from Napoli, but his wife is Ragusana, and
they decided to stay because he felt like he had a great work to do in
Sicilia to help the church move forward. And he really does--he's been a
great Branch President and now he's in the first Stake Presidency in
Sicily!!! Woohoo. It was hard not to start cheering, I know it's church and
stuff but I don't know how they stayed so quiet in there, it was great. And
they didn't announce the new bishops, they'll announce them on Sunday, so I
don't know who Catania's is--but Anziano Fernandez Ruiz informed me that
Fllo Cascone, who was the branch mission leader when I was there, is the new
bishop of Ragusa. Cool. We had Anziano Kopischke and Anziano Caussé from the
Area Presidency. (During the broadcast a couple weeks ago President Packer
said that a seventy can do anything that an apostle can do, so it's okay).
They had a lot of inspirational talks--President Taranto told them that they
need to work hard now, they can't just be happy to have a Stake and basta,
that would be like having the best soccer stadium in the world and never
getting down in the field and using it. We've got to play. It was a great
conference, it was so exciting, I am so glad that I got to be there for
that.
Then we went to the Crawford's after to take all the stuff from their
fridge--it was weird, the apartment was all empty.
And Monday morning I left! The bus was at 10 am. Anziano Fernandez Ruiz, who
was one of my district leaders when I was in Ragusa and he was in Gela, was
my travel buddy. Itwas fun to catch up with him a little bit. Anz Hansen was
riding to Taranto too, but they stuck him on a different bus. And we got to
Taranto about 6,30 pm. Yeah. Sad to leave my city and my island but I have a
new city and a peninsula so I guess I'll be okay. And riding a bus might
sound awful but riding a bus through Southern Italy really isn't all that
bad. The bus got on the ferry from Messina to Reggio Calabria, and we got to
get off the bus and walk around the ferry and take pictures and stuff. That
was kind of fun. Kind of sad to look back and watch the Sicilia getting
farther and farther away. But then we got back on the bus and the Calabria
is BEAUTIFUL. It's so green and full of trees and farms and it's kind of
like a fairy tale land. It's gorgeous. Too bad sisters don't get to serve
there anymore. It's so pretty. Taranto is not super green. It's a little
polluted thanks to the post WWII era mills that they've got in their ocean,
that they should really take out and clean things up and make it a hot spot
for tourism instead, secondo me and Anz FR. But oh well. It's not too smelly
in the city itself. It's small. A lot smaller than Catania. But the
buildings are a lot taller. And I'm sure I'll like it. We've got a lot of
things that we need to work on...like I don't feel that you should drop an
investigator who genuinely wants to learn because they won't have time to
see you three times a week until September. There's a lot of time until
September, they might change their minds if you wait so long! Anyway, stuff
like that. But I'm working on reading the area book and getting to know a
little about the people we are working with. We didn't go out on Monday
because we didn't get home until 7 or later, I dunno, and I unpacked and we
talked about the work.
Tuesday we went out and we did a lot of things. They didn't really have
anything planned for the week so we did a little bit of house for a while
and met a lady from Romania who said we can come back, and the old man she
takes care of told us to come back and talk to his daughter when she's
around. And we visited a less-active who has a lot of hurt feelings because
the church didn't help her when her husband made her daughter get an
abortion. And we met another less-active who we'll try and see later this
week I guess. And then in the afternoon we tried to see somebody in some
hospital thing, but she wasn't there anymore, since it was a week after the
referral was received, and so we don't have any way to contact her. SIGH.
And we also taught English course, the Sorelle are still doing it here, the
Anziani no, and I'm not sure why, although we did have 8 people that were
there yesterday...But I don't like teaching it that much that I think we
should do it ALL summer. Vediamo. In August sicuramente we won't do it.
I think I'll like Taranto. It's probably a good city, I've only heard good
things about it. We'll see what we can do to talk it up and get things
moving. It's weird to not be in Catania speaking Italian 24/7 with Slla
Williams. We'll get this city moving though, we've already talked to three
people in the last two days that have said we could come to their houses,
that's pretty miraculous.
Oh, and my companion has doctor's order to go running every morning because
she has problems sleeping. She hates it. So I've gone running with her the
past two mornings. Not far or anything, I'm not a runner. And my legs are
kinda tired because after not walking for a week and a half it's kind of an
adjustment to restart. But that's cool. Hopefully we'll get a new remote
control to our A/C soon though, so we can use it.
Well, I love you! The church is true and the work of the Lord really is
moving forward. It's amazing!
Have a great week, love,
Eliza
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