So...
About last minute preparations for Trayser. Books. I wish we knew if he was going to the Provo MTC or not because if he waits and gets all of his books there they are like 60% off. But if he goes to Spain I have no clue what is in that MTC (as far as books). But all of them in the approved missionary handbook are useful. Has he gotten a new set of scriptures? If not tell him to get a new set. I am really happy that I got a new clean set for my mission. Also if he goes to the MTC in Provo, he could get the set there...again 60% off. When he does get to the MTC tell him to get the 501 Spanish verbs book. It is really big and heavy, but it is the best language study book! Filtered water bottle. If he wants he can, but honestly I haven't used it much. We just buy water bottles. Passport pouch. Never touched it. I was thinking this week about luggage, the best luggage has the wheels that spin, so you can roll it any way you want. Like I said about hygiene, they have basically everything, but you should stock up on deodorant. They just have spray here, you can find stick but it is expensive and not very good quality. Put together a medicine bag, like we did for me. Lots of NyQuil and DayQuil. Bring your own sheets (both fitted and flat) but a light set. Bring your own towel. And I liked having my little blanket that granny made me. Make sure he brings a journal! Also if you haven't gotten him a camera...(if he goes to Provo) I can just give him mine. (it is purple, but it works!). Tell him to bring a thumb drive, he can put music and pictures on it. Every apartment has a little DVD player that reads thumb drives. Send him with some good pictures of him doing his coyboy thing. Eurapeans really like that. Also send a picture of him at his baptism. Family pictures. I think all of the missionaries in the world got one of those family history books, so you could do like you did mine, make a copy of his scrapbook. Even take pictures from when he was a little kid. They are all just curious to know what American life is like! Pictures of the ranch. They love that we are real cowboys! Be careful about backpacks. I know that here they told the Elders that they can't use them, for terrorist reasons. I know lots of Elders here have bought some man bags, they are pretty much just little side bags that you can put a BoM and your wallet in. If he wants, I can get him one before I leave.
If I think of anything else I will let you know!
I think I just want to tell you that you are amazing.
So this week!
This was Sorella Rost's last week so we did a lot of running around and seeing people and preparing things. Watching her stressed me out! I am getting worried that my bags are going to be overweight. I don't know what to get rid of!! I have this huge debate about my clothes. They are all old and worn out. But I don't want to have to buy a ton of clothes when I get home! Decisions decisions.
WE FOUND GRASS!!!!!
So Monday we got a txt message from N___ and C___...N___'s mom had a heart attack on Sunday morning and had to get emergency surgery. So they packed everything up and Monday evening they drove to Tuscany. But they sent us a txt message that said "N____ recieved his answer that he wants to be baptized. His mother could have died yesterday morning, and we were in church. We will call you tomorrow. Good Night Angels" N___ got his answer! They want to be baptized. But they never called us. And we have tried to call them, but their phones are dead. And we are just really concerned because 1. they have a really old unreliable van and they drove up in the middle of the night 2. Maybe his mother ended up passing away.
Tuesday we had amazing lesson with that guy that we met last week, the one that lost his son. I wish I could put words to the sweet spirit that was in that room as we bore testimony about the plan of salvation. I think everyone cried at least a few tears.
Wednesday we went to Catanzaro. A nearby city...they only have elders there, it is kinda small. But they need some help so we went to go do some finding. And it was sooo good. We found some really awesome people and gave away 2 Books of Mormon! And someone bought us gelato! But down side...is that we missed the last bus back to Crotone, and we were stuck. In a city with only Elders. Awkward. So.....the Elders brought their mattresses to the church and we slept in the church! YOLO! fun!
sleepover in the church!
Saturday morning we went to Cosenza to drop Sorella Rost off (she headed to Rome with another sister who is going home). And then I picked up Sorella Robinson and we headed back to Crotone!
Sunday was a fun day at church!
Afterwards we went and visited this lady named A___, who showed up to church about 5 weeks ago. She has come to all three hours every week! Hasn't missed a Sunday. She first came asking for money, but she keeps coming for the spiritual :) Yesterday we went and saw her and she was saying how someone in church told her that she wasn't a member of our church yet. Her reply was "it's not my fault that I am not a member yet! I have been coming for 5 weeks now! Tell me when I need to be baptized and I will!". So looks like we will be seeing a baptism soon :)
We also went to see Maria. We read with her 1 Nephi 3. And she loved the part where Laman and Lemuel are about to hit Nephi with a stick and then the angel comes. She is so cute! She also had a friend that came to visit her while we were there. She is younger than Maria...and she listened while we read the Book of Mormon. Afterwards we started talking about the gospel with her...and she is super awesome! In Gamba! I am excited to see her again.
playing peek a boo on the bus <3
Oh we also got transfer calls! I am staying in Crotone!!! :) I don't know who my companion is yet...I will tell you next week!
P-day in Santa Severina
So....fun fact about Italians. They have dreams! They have crazy dreams! That I have really come to believe come from God. And last night I had a silly dream, but it taught me something!
I had this dream last night that I was with a friend. We were together walking down this highway. We were dressed as missionaries with the name tag and everything. We were carrying Books of Mormon in our hands. At the end of the highway were waiting all of our friends and family. We were getting towards the end and we were getting a little giddy and excited. Kinda like Christmas Eve. We started walking a little bit faster. But then we saw this bush on the side of the road with these beautiful pink and white flowers! So we stopped. Chose the prettiest flowers. Smelled them. And then picked them and put them in the back of our Books of Mormon so that we could press and dry them. We started walking and we got to this driveway. It was like one of those steep driveways that you have to kinda climb up. Then after about 10 feet it leveled out. And there were all of our family and friends waiting for us! And they all came and hugged us. And we had a little party and sat and chatted for a while.
So if you imagine this driveway...it isn't leading to a house or a garrage, but it leads to a staircase. A long staircase....that leads to something that we can't see. And after we said hello to our families and stayed a while we kept on going on our journey and headed up the long staircase.
And then I woke up!
Now I know this is a really weird dream (that I probably didn't explain very well).
And this weird dream had some symbolism that I thought of!
Our missions took us on a highway out of town. Out of little Round Valley. And even though we are in different places, we are kinda on the same highway! Taking the word of God to the world! And now we are on our way back home...we are almost there! And even though we are so excited to go and see our friends and family, we need to remember to stop and smell the flowers. These beautiful little flowers that God has given us. D&C 4:4 "For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul". We still have some flowers to harvest! God has grown them for us and they are all ready for the picking!
Then we are going to get home and it will be so fun and exciting to see everyone again!
But then we have more to do along our journey. Up some stairs that lead to something that we don't quite know. But all we know is that we want it! And so even though those stairs are hard to climb we will climb them!
And the most beautiful thing is that we don't have to do it alone. We have each other! And it really made me think about how important it is to have good friends to travel this journey with! There are lots of people that are on this journey with me. So many of you friends and family. And I am so grateful for all of you! The journey is hard. But doing it together makes things a lot better.
I love you guys! Have a good week! And remember to stop and smell the flowers :)
Sorella Wiltbank
Italia <3
{I'm not sure what her fascination is with laundry... lol...
She sure sends home lots of pictures of Italian's clean clothes.
Maybe she's really missing having the convenience of a clothes dryer. (: }
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