Ciao!
I'm going to start off by saying I can't believe I've already been in the field for a whole month. Only 21 more to go! haha But sometimes it makes me sad to think that I have to come home eventually. I love Italia and I love Catania. We have transfers in two weeks and in one week I’ll find whether I'm going or staying. I don't want to go yet =P I'm just starting to gain good relationships with the members and stuff. Even though with most of them, I can’t understand a word of what they're saying. The language is coming very slow. I feel like I can speak it and share ideas decently but when it comes to understanding and listening it’s pretty much me just listening to a moosh of words I don't understand and I just smile a nod. Whenever someone asks me a question I either say yes or ok haha. My trainer says I'm no different than any other missionary who’s just entered the field, and that he was the same way. So there's hope for me!
I'm sending some pretty cool photos I took last Wednesday. We went to a very old Greek/Roman theater here in Catania. It’s one of a kind. We are going to another one today in another city that’s supposed to be even cooler so I'll be sending some pics of that next week. Next are some pictures of the piazza duomo and the duomo. The duomo is the cathedral here in Catania. It’s huge and I have some way cool pictures of the inside. Outside there’s that picture with the fountain and the elephant on it. The elephant is the symbol of Catania. And that elephant statue is some 1500 years old and has survived earthquakes, wars and volcanic eruptions. It’s a sign of the resilience of Catania. There are two statues that I want you guys to pay special attention two. There’s the bearded guy with the key and the book. He’s Peter and he holds the keys of the priesthood here on earth. Wow, what a doctrinal truth! If only people understood their own doctrine, than it would be so much easier when we teach of authority and need of the priesthood of God on earth to do his ordinances. Then the other bearded guy with the sword and the book is Paul. The sword represents him as the defender of the faith! It’s cool to see statues of these awesome apostles because they are my forerunners! 2000 years ago they were doing the same thing as me in the same country! Awesome huh? The pictures of the inside of inside of the duomo are spectacular too. I found a cool little song carved into the wall of a tomb. I was wondering if someone back home could learn how to play it. It’s in treble clef. I have a lot of pictures and I realize I will have to send another email to get them all to you haha so be ready for a couple. Oh and I have a couple pictures of my companion taking a saw to a few of our mattresses.(Never found this picture in the ones he sent) Tomorrow night we will have 26 missionaries in our apartment and we don’t have enough so the Assistants instead of having us buy new ones our having us cut them into thirds. That was real fun
Other than that we found some really awesome people to teach this week. We do this thing called "gesso" or in English that’s "chalk" where we stand in the middle of the piazza duomo, the busiest place here, and draw on a sheet, with chalk, important events from the restoration and people come watch us and we talk to them. We have met some really cool people doing this, and have appointments this week. I will let you all know how it goes next week. We're pretty excited. It’s pretty interesting. Italians talk forever too. We have a couple members of our ward who just talk for hours. Italians can basically talk about anything, and I mean anything.
Let’s see. Uhhhhh this Sunday I got sick for my first time on the mission! It was miserable. I woke up with a way upset stomach but, trying to be a diligent missionary, decided I still must go to church! That was a bad idea. I sat there suffering the whole time and felt like I was gonna die. The Italians seemed to notice because they all were asking if I was ok, and I would tell them no. One of them, a R.M.(Returned Missionary) said I need to go home now. He said he didn't understand the deal with us Americans and always wanting to work. He said when he was on his mission his companion was rolling on the street and still wanted to go to an appointment. He convinced me to go home where I sat in my bed and starred at the roof for a couple hours. I had a fever too but all of it passed by the next day and I was good to go on Monday. It was just a fast stomach bug I guess. But I’m good now and that’s what's important.
Well I’ve written too long and must go. Have a wonderful week and I wish Scott the best of luck on the piano and Mike and Scott both good luck on the Pioneer trek. That’s quite the experience haha. Congrats on surviving elementary school Kristin. Feel old yet mom? haha Have a great week and I loved all the emails. It’s great to hear about all of you. Miss you all and Talk to you next week!
Buona Giornata! -Anziano Hill
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