Letter #17 - 1/8/14

Greetings from....Montevarchi!

 

Sorella Lopez and I are both staying here in Montevarchi for another transfer! Guess that just means we have more work to do here so we are going to go out and find out what that is :)

It has been a really interesting week, our three new converts are still doing so well and we are so proud of them! The 16 year old even started seminary this week so we are so excited for her :) They have to do seminary via Skype here because everyone lives so far away from each other. I’m sure Abbi is really jealous :) haha

Last Thursday we had a scambio with the sister training leaders in Pisa! And we did finding in the rain the whole time, haha. It was really good though and I got the wonderful opportunity of riding a bike in a skirt for the first time – In the pouring rain! it was so much fun and quite hilarious actually seeing as I was riding a unisex child’s mountain bike...literally no joke this thing was tiny! The Sorella I was with handed me the keys to the bike lock before we went out and said, "I apologize in advance on behalf of my companion for your bike for the next two days" haha yeah. I'm sure the people of Pisa had a good laugh though so it was all worth it. We did finding and no one let us in but that’s okay because we were trying! An hour or two into it I was like "why doesn’t anyone want to talk about Jesus?!" And the other Sorella laughed at me, haha. But it was a really, really good experience and we had a lot of fun together.

And then on Sunday night I got a little sick. We ate at a member’s house that night and we ate dead fish. Like literally, the fish had probably been caught, killed and put on our plate all within a couple hours. It was nuts. It still had a tail, skin, spine, and everything. We had to peel the skin off and take the spine out and everything. So funny. But I ate as much as I could of it and then I woke up in the middle of the night that night throwing up. It was not super fun. Poor Sorella Lopez, I feel so bad she has to deal with me for another 6 weeks, haha. But I am totally fine now! But you better believe next time I will not eat the fish, haha.

Then I got my giant Christmas package! Thank you so much Mom and Dad! That thing was huge. Like literally missionaries were taking guesses of what was inside of it, haha. But i loved it all! The Sheldon and Amy dolls are sitting on my desk Dad! Haha. I was laughing so hard. And the clothes were so cute Mom! Thank you! and Sorella Lopez and I are loving the treats. They have helped us through some rough days already so thank you so much! :) And I LOVE the slippers! Put them on as soon as I got them :) Thank you so much you are all the best! I am totally set for like the rest of my mission now :) haha.

Well I better go but know I love and miss you all so much! The mission is literally the hardest thing I have ever done. And it is not always super glamorous and we definitely have our hard days but I know that it is the days that are the hardest that will precede the miracles. Thank you so much for everything you do for me! You are the best! Tell Abbi, Anna, Will and Charlie “hi” from me and that I love them! Have a great week and talk to you soon :)

 

Sorella Alli