This is my 23rd week in Torino. How do I know? Not because I counted, but because next week is TRANSFERS!!! So basically we're quasi at the end of my 4th (read it - FOURTH) transfer in the field. So here's the warning: any letters you planned on sending to my Torino address you better send TODAY or just send it to Milano. Otherwise it may take a while before I get it. Yeah. Of course, transfers are never set in stone, but I'm 97.26% sure I'm getting transferred next week. I won't know where until next Monday or Tuesday, but that's just how it goes. Crazy, right??
So transfers are a week from tomorrow (Thursday), and tomorrow we have zone conference! The Anziani in our ward are the zone leaders and guess what - they got a car! Our zone is the biggest in the mission, apparently, and so they finally got a car instead of having to take the train everywhere (apparently when they take the train to San Remo they have to take a little detour into France, so this is a good thing that they have a car). Which means that they are taking the car to zone conference and giving the other companionship in our district (the Anz from Collegno) a ride. And the Sisters? "Sorry, you have to take the train." Yeah. Feelin' the love. Anyway, I'm pretty excited for zone conference tomorrow because it's always really good to get to hear from President and get trained in things we're not good at!
The weather has been CRAZY this past week. It's cold and rainy out today, as it's been for the past few days. Friday night we were at dinner with the Gallarato family (Giuseppe's fam) and the bottom FELL OUT OF THE SKY. And not only was it pouring rain, it was also HAILING and raining. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen. There was water flowing down the street, but it looked like a giant washing machine had overflowed or something because there was white stuff all in the water - it looked like suds or something. Absolutely insane. I didn't have my camera, but I wish I had because I'd never ever seen anything like it before, ever. On Saturday it started raining again and we were on our bikes and it was so cold and we were all wet so we decided to stop by a member's house. Her husband died a while ago and so she lives alone, so luckily she was home. She warmed up some milk for us and gave us cookies and chocolate. Tender mercy! The first picture I've attached is of me right after we got home from her house. It was still raining when we left, so she gave us each a scarf to cover our heads with. She also gave Sor B a wool coat to wear home because all she had on was a sweater. We looked a little ridiculous, but then again we always look a little ridiculous, so it was fine. I love Mormons.
Happy late Easter! We didn't do anything particularly special for Easter, but we did get invited over for pranzo/lunch at a member's house. Mamma mia she made the best lasagna I've had so far on my mission. It was so good. And she made lamb. (cue movie clip from My Big Fat Greek Wedding: "HE DON'T EAT NO MEAT?!?! That's okay. I make lamb.") Italians take FOREVER to eat meals, especially on holidays, but it was really nice to be over and eat with them.
We have been biking so much this week. SO MUCH. SO. MUCH. BIKING. I'm so tired! And I'm a little worried that my leg muscles may just take over my body because we bike alllllll day long. Every morning when my alarm goes off I think to myself "No way. It cannot already be 6:30. I need to sleep for at least another 12 years." But biking is good because it means that we have places to go and people to see! Things are really looking up in Torino for us, and even after I get transferred I know that whoever comes to replace me will at least have something to go off of, so hopefully she won't be too upset with me :)
I'd like to apologize to Sorella Bunker's mom really quick because Senior Companion week has rolled around again aka Sor B's least favorite week of all time. BUT! Lucky us, we just happen to be in the city of miracles. Torino. Maybe you've heard of it. And yes. I have another incredible miracle story to share from last night. Hold on to your socks because they just might get rocked off.
So way back at the beginning of last transfer aka when I first started training Sor B, I had decided to go through and call all the people on the ward list. A lot of it wasn't very successful (remember the Mormon turned Jehovah's Witness who yelled at me on the phone? Yeah. Not pleasant). Anyway, it wasn't really fun, but it got me really familiar with all the people on the ward list and stuff. So, flash forward to last night. Sor B is in charge, it's raining and freezing cold, and we're biking around the city with no direction because our evening appointment cancelled on us. So we lock up our bikes and walk around and pick a few palazzi (stairwells) to do casa (door-to-door tracting) in. As we're walking around, I recognize one of the street names as a street where a less active lives. I tell Sor B this and she says "let's go visit her!" so we do. There are no names on the citofono (intercom thing), only numbers, so we randomly pick one and plan on asking if they know what number we should ring to find this woman we're looking for. Well, they did. Why? Because it's her apartment. Oh. Right. She couldn't hear us on the intercom because it was too static-y and so she just buzzed us in. We go up to her apartment and find that she's not an older woman like we thought, but a girl in her 20s. She invites us in and apologizes for the stuff all over her room because she says "I just got back from France". Oh. So she was in France. And here's the subsequent conversation:
Me: "Cool, how long were you there for?"
Her: "A year and a half". (What???? No wonder she hasn't been in church)
Me: "Oh! When did you get back?"
Her: "Today."
WHAT?!?! Are you kidding me?!?! She's been in France for the past year and a half, got back THAT DAY and we just happened to be in the area and think to stop by. Coincidence? I THINK NOT!!!! A quick look at the MFC.....MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!
Yeah. That happened.
Anyway, I'm out of time. It's been a good week and next week will be even better. Last week in Torino (probably)!!! Keep looking for miracles because they're there. It just took me going on a mission to figure that out...
LOVE YOU ALL!!!!
Sorella Soh
p.s. the second picture is of our district! Our battle cry this transfer: Destroy the Natural Man. L-R Anz Ostler (Torino 2, zone leader), Anz Walsh (Collegno, from England!), Anz Herrington (in the back, also training, District leader, Collegno), Anz Frustaci (Torino 2, zone leader), Me and Sor B.
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