Ciao a tutti!
I hope my love for all of you is manifest in the fact that though it is raining today, we still got on our bikes and biked out to the Internet Point to come write our emails this week. What was that about March going out like a lamb? Maybe that was a reference to Easter or something. Boh. ("Boh" means "I dunno" in Italian, unofficially)
Oh, Sorella Bishop who I met at the sisters only conference last week? The one I have the picture with? Yeah, forgot to mention that apparently she was a CP at Disney, too! She was friends with Mickey or something I think. Yeah.
I was craving strawberry PopTarts this week. Of all things. Totally weird, I know. Oh, and maybe mom if you could chuck in a pack of Tide pens in your next package, that would be great. And Dad, I'm glad that Squeaky doesn't like shopping with you because that means more fun for me when I come home and she and I can go shopping together! I'm happy that she's reading so much. I feel like all the reading I did as a kid not only filled my brain with things to think about, but I feel like it made me a better speller. Tell her she should read all the Amber Brown and American Girl books we have. I always loved those and they were quick and fun to read. Oh, and dear Auntie Liesl, I've been thinking that I might start calling Leah " little half shiblum" from now on. Alma 11:17. Look it up. :p
So the Saturday before last there was a YW activity at the church and the YW president asked us if we would come, so we stopped by. I don't really know why she wanted us there, but I think it's mostly because they all just really like us. I love them right back. The YW president and all of the girls except 2 or 3 are Peruvian, and so at this activity they were speaking a mix of Italian and Spanish (I was reminded, though, that "perro" in spanish means "dog") and they're all just funny. Well the sister of the YW president is also in our ward and was there helping out. I don't know what it is about them, but they all just love me and think I'm hilarious. Go figure. Anyway, in the midst of the whirlwind of languages I told them that my first initial is K, so that makes me K. Soh aka queso (sound it out). Oh man. I still haven't decided whether or not that was a good thing because on the one hand they all like me and will never forget my name, but on the other hand now they all call me "Sorella Queso" or, even better, "Sorella Formaggio". It could be worse, I suppose.
Mom, I've been thinking about the comment you made in one of your letters about how the rule there is that missionaries can't come over for dinner unless there is an investigator present. We have the same rule in our mission. We can eat lunch with members, but at dinner there has to be a non member or less active there. I feel like in the church we have such a weird view of missionaries and missionary work. I mean, who knows what the heck a missionary does all day unless they've been a missionary? Why do we even have a "feed the missionaries" calendar? I talked about this with Sor Walton, too, because we both said that for us growing up feeding the missionaries was more like a form of service, like "aw, those poor missionaries are eating Ramen every meal. We should have them over and stuff them to the gills so they don't keel over on their bikes this week." Now, as a missionary, I look at eating with members as "Great! An appointment to teach this family and bring them closer unto Christ and help them figure out how to share the gospel with their friends". We have plenty of food and eat pretty well. We get money every month that covers all of our needs (unless you count kebabs and gelato as "needs"...). I really, honestly have no idea what the members here think we do all day. I think they think we just sit around our apartment all day reading our scriptures or something. No!!! We're out in the park talking to strangers! We're out on our bikes riding to appointments! We are working! And as an advisory to any members out there, if you invite the missionaries over for dinner and they eat and hang out at your house and play with your kids and don't try and teach you something (spiritual thought, message, whatever), that should be a warning sign that those missionaries aren't very committed to what they do. Yesterday we had a meal appointment and I was STRESSING out because we didn't even start eating until almost an hour after we got there and then it took us another hour to eat and we hadn't even gotten to the lesson yet! Missionaries are for TEACHING. That's our calling! That's what we want to do! Yes, I LOVE members, but I can't afford to spend 4 hours of the Lord's time hanging out with people who are active members when I could have spent that time finding and teaching other people who need the gospel and don't have it. Anyway, my point is that when they say they want you to have an investigator at dinner, really they mean they just want to use their time teaching somebody who needs them more than you do. And I know I've brought this up before, but let's maybe not get caught up in defining what a "referral" or "investigator" is. A referral is anybody who will talk to the missionaries and not slam the door in their face. An investigator is anyone who has every asked a question about the church. Sometimes we think "oh, that person smokes and drinks and doesn't go to church so they're not ready for the missionaries. But my other friend who is super active in her church and doesn't do any of those things and already believes in Christ is super ready, maybe" but when you think about it, which one of those people needs Jesus Christ more in their life? Okay, I feel like maybe this hasn't been the most effective paragraph/use of my internet time ever, but once I started it I couldn't just delete it or else I would've been left with an empty email.
I'm sorry, I feel like this email hasn't been very good. I guess the real point is that as a missionary I've been required to think a lot about things I never thought to think about before. I was telling Sor B the other day that I kinda feel like those really old trees in LoTR that take forever to talk, but in the sense that it takes me forever to think about things. I have a post-it on my desk with a whole list of things that I need to think about. I just don't have the time to think about them. I really could probably just sit on my bed all day thinking and it still wouldn't get me very far. Oh well.
Shoot! My time is up and I didn't even talk about conference!!!! We didn't get to watch the Sunday afternoon session because it started at 10pm our time, so we'll just have to wait until the Liahona/Ensign comes out and we'll read them then. I'm sad to lose Sister Beck, but I'm excited for the new RS president!
Anyway, sorry again about the lame email this week. Things are picking up in Torino. Antonio got a job and so hasn't been able to see us this week, but the last time I talked to him on the phone he told me he'd already read half of the BoM! He's still going strong! And we have met lots of new people so there's hope yet! I love you all! Thanks for your love and support!
Un ABRACCIONE from the city of miracles!
Sorella Soh
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