Recently I've been getting questions
from all of you as to what actually happens during my mission that constitutes
a mission aside from all the wacky or super cool stories that crop up during
the week. I will discuss that after all the wacky and super cool stories that
cropped up during this week.
Pizzas Eaten: 30!
Gelato: 19
Books of Mormon: 46
Sections:
- What I Consider to be Another Miracle
- My Scambio: Anziano Andersen Addition
- The Rattos
- I Got Asked on a Date
- Almost got Fed to Death
- Missionary Work
What I Consider to be Another Miracle
Oh boy! I love pizza, and the only thing
I love more than pizza is free pizza! last week on Monday I was waiting in line
with all my Anziani buddies and a man from the front of the very long line to
get in to the pizza resteraunt we were waiting for to open it's doors for the
lunch crowd came back to talk with us. After we talked with him for a bit he
told us he was a returned missionary (albeit 20 years returned) and then he
just got to know us a little better. He left and we thought it was funny how
quickly we got recognized on our Preparation day but as we were discussing it,
he came back and tried to give us 50 Euro to pay for our lunch. The three
Anziano I was with didn't want to take the money saying it was alright, we were
OK but Ivan persisted to give the money to us.
I ended up with 50 Euro and the bill at
the end of the meal. I don't regret anything and the pizza was awesome. The
resteraunt also had the most expensive pizza in the world on it's menu costing
around 8,500,000 Euro. Don't know what was on it, but I'll let you know if
anyone does buy the pizza.
My Scambio: Anziano Andersen Edition
Come Wednesday, we have a thing called
"district council" where one of the missionaries in our district
gives a lesson on something we all asked for more information on or even to
just teach us something that usually can only be learned through experience.
Anyhow, after our meeting with The Ratto couple, Anziano Andersen and his
companion who was in the MTC with me, Anziano Blanchard, and my companion and
I, we switched companions. It was Anderson and Andersen (that's really fun to
explain to people) and we headed back to Battipaglia. It's a little town a few
hours away from anything super fun but with some of the best Mozzarella in all
of Italy. I was happy.
Well, Battipaglia is very small so
everyone who lives in the city knows us if not because we've stopped them three
times to ask them a different question, then because we are always wearing white
shirts and messenger bags with a blue book. We taught two people with interest
in a lesson the hour I got back and it was really cool because one of them
didn't have any thumbs but had really nice handwriting, and she loved to write.
She also has dyslexia and loves to read, so we said we would give her a copy of
the Book of Mormon the next time we had a meeting and she was ecstatic.
The Rattos
The Rattos are the senior couple in my
Zone. They are from Argentina and were supposed to be in Brazil for their
mission in the first visitors center for the temple they were building there
ever. But because of reasons, the center was not going to be done for a few
more years, so they were instead told they needed to come to Italy after they
already learned Brazilian. They love to cook for us and they try to do that at
least once or twice a transfer when they know we're running low on food and
money to buy more.
They are some of the funniest and most
christ-like people that I know with hearts of gold. I'll include pictures of
everything I've mentioned so far at the end of the email.
I Got Asked on a Date
I love Italians as a people, I really
do. They're very honest, upfront and don't like to waste time with unnecessary
niceties when a simple "Wow, that sucks! " will suffice. Of curse
this does hinder my efforts to teach when everyone I try to stop just puts
their hand in my face and says "Non me interessa" and then walks away
thinking we were Jehovahs witnesses. But sometimes we get some awesome people
who listen ad want to know more about what it is that we do. This happened late
at night on Saturday when we ran into a group of Raggazzaci who were all part
of a band. They were all about 17-18 years old and had interest in the English
course we taught.
While my companion was talking with the
guitarist and drummer, their singer started talking to me, in as much English
as she could muster, which was impressive because she only needed a few words
from me to make complete and sensible sentances. After we had been talking
about music and other things like that and how we were missionaries, Antonella
asked me if I liked dancing. "I'm not very good at it, but I do enjoy a
dance every now and again." was my reply. She was super happy and than grabbed
my hands and asked if I wanted to go dancing with her in about an hour at a Bar
just across the street.
It was at this point my companion looked
over and saw me holding hands with this girl and my somewhat confused
expression that turned a little into fear when I saw him looking because I knew
what this looked like and I would have to explain it to him afterwards. (I did
and he gets it so we're all good). I then re-explained to her how we are
missionaries and are not allowed to do anything like that for the next few
years but we would love to see them at English course. Disappointed but
understanding, she invited us to a show they were having in the coming weeks.
We then excused ourselves to make it home in time for the curfew of 9 that we
have and invited them again to come to English course.
I Almost Got Fed to Death
Italians love to eat. Literally so much,
and for a period of like two to three hours at a time for their lunch. I used
to wonder why it took that long but now I know. After church yesterday we were
invited to go to lunch with one of the bishopric counselors and his family. We
got there and for the first course we had heaping pile of pasta (and it
was heaping for me, that's not just an expression it was a ridiculous amount of
food) and then seconds of similar size after that. I thought we were done. I
was very wrong. Following the pasta was a ull sixed chicken fried steak with a
plate of salted and oiled lettuce. Still not done. Then there was a dessert of
pound cake. Still not done. After that we had a couple oranges dropped on the
table in front of us.
As my Mom knows I'm not much of a fruit
fan. Or anything that is technically considered "not meat or carbs in some
way" but I really liked these oranges. They were so juicy it was
ridiculous trying to take two bites a slice, and it was easily fixed with just
dropping the whole slice In your mouth. After this meal appointment I had
trouble sitting, let alone breathing. But that was when my companion (who goes
home in about 8 days) told me we have 4 more meal appointments like this
planned for the coming week at various members houses.
Missionary Work
The way work here goes is fairly simple.
We teach about 10 lessons a day, missionary discussions that is, to people we
find on the street and then try to get their numbers but almost never succeed
because they don't want to do anything that involves learning or changing. Or
so they think. I hand out roughly 20 English course cards every day and almost
nobody shows up to the course and if they do, it's only for the one time. I've
mentioned English course before, but I don't believe I've told you how they
work. Basically, my companion and I ask what the class wants to learn today,
see where they are at skill-wise and then teach something that everyone can
learn from and nobody feels over or under-whelmed by what they learn.
I don' t teach May formal lessons
because the people here have a tendency to forget or to put something more fun
oooooooover a meeting with the missionaries but I usually teach one or two
lessons a day on average in a formal setting (excluding church because I teach
the youth).
I've found telling people that claim
they love God but don't go to church or follow his commandments that
"faith without works is dead" they get really quiet because I'm using
the Bible to call them to repentance. They try to bruxh us away because
"you're too young to know what you're talking about" but when you can
quote from memory more Bible than most of them have ever read in their lives
they stop talking condescending and start walking very quickly. "Be bold
but not overbearing" is a fun way to say "call them out but offer
your help and don't cross the line".
Pictures:
1. Me in front of one of the many castles Italy has to offer
2. Literally all of Battipaglia
3. Sorbillos pizza
4. Me just after getting asked to dance
5. The most expensive pizza in the world (menu
edition)
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