Mission pictures

Alison and her group at the airport in Italy

Alison and her group on the day they arrived in Italy

Alison with her group

Alison and her mission president, President and Sister Wolfgramm

With the President and his wife and her companion Sorella Oakes

T

Alison's email October 24, 2012

Hey Family,
I was able to hear Conner singing, he did so good. I loved it thank you for sharing that with me. I know yesterday we were on the bikes for 3 hours riding around the city doing finding work because our 6 lessons fell through. But it was good exercise and I think if I was not in the shape I am I probably would be have a hard time.
  Oh and do not worry about the bikes haha, my bike needs a new seat because it is always falling off, but mom I just laugh about it when it falls. I think if I laugh things off I feel ten times better and I do not have to worry about things as much. Oh yes we have been taking the bus like crazy this last week. It takes us on bus to get to surrounding cities sometimes an hour or just 45 minutes. But yes, and we were riding our bikes two days ago and we passed the most beautiful place. The country houses for the rich. But the funny thing was we had to ride past the goats and all the farm animals. I feel like I am constantly exploring this city. Yes mom I am taking pictures, but we are only allowed to take them on Pdays, at least that is what my Mission President has said, so on Pdays I take as many as humanly possible.
  We get to see Rosa tomorrow, so I will tell you how that goes because I am hoping she does not have any other crazy part of her religion. Well we are hoping, you know all those baptisms that I said we were going to set well they did not happen but we have at least 2 with them. Oh I think I remember telling you about Tina, well she went to another baptism and right after she turns to Helen our other investigator and said I want that I want that. I want to be baptized in this church. HAHA I love her, she is like a little child at times.
  I am glad you were able to hear from the missionary who baptized you. I hope that the people I baptize will not forget it and I hope I will not. Anyway, what I realized yesterday is the power of just singing a song can truly help me. I was riding my bike and after 60 or so people had rejected the message I just sang a hymn to myself and it just started to make me smile. My companion started crying because of how hard it was and I told her what I did, that singing can help she did it and the remaining 2 hours of work went by smoother. It was just nice that I was able to help her in a small way since she always does so much for me. The other day we were talking to this lady and she said that she would just look at the website because of how nice we had been to her and she could see the light of christ in our eyes and not a minute later we were talking to another women and she said she could see the light of christ in our eyes. I guess that was a nice little pick me up.
  Well I think I am starting to like being out here, I know it is hard because they do not think it is important, it is hard talking to the athiests but I know this is what God would want me to do. I love you all and hope that everything is still well.

Love

Ally  

MOM and DAD
I still had a little bit of time and I wanted to just tell you a little about what I have learned so far on my mission. First is to continue the extra five miles even when you know that you have not had an success, to continue to try and eventually it will all work out despite how you feel. Second to have patience beyond description. I mean I am wanting to teach and so many people are rejecting the teachings that I know are true and sometimes I just wish they would get it. Next in the patience line of thought is to be patient with my companion. I mean we all have flaws, but I need to just let a few things slide and now let them bother me or this mission will not be a fun experience for me. Third to just love the people despite how they treat you, despite what they say because people can be truly rude. Yesterday a young woman with her dog was mocking us, it was actually funny because she was talking bad to us to her dog and I am like yes the dog truly understands you. Fourth to pray every second of the day, I mean in my mind or out loud, but it has helped. Fifth to just be happy, people are more willing to talk to you when you are happy. Sixth that everything takes time, I want things to happen now and then I want things now and it is not my time. There are so much more and when I think of them I will tell you, but there are a few.

Love

Ally

Alison's email Oct. 17, 2012

Hey Mom and Dad and family, 

We live on the top floor so we get the exercise each time we go up. I actually have no idea what me address is I know how bad that might sound but I really have no idea. I literally am just going places and hoping I remember them. It is a gorgeous city. I think I am just going to send you the photos in the mail because I have no idea how to do it here. I do have a gorgeous view. Downtown Verona is like a dream!! I go there at least three times a week for teaching or more times and it just gets bigger and bigger. The buildings are old but so pretty. I could walk them often. Well the thing is we also get a few surrounding cities as well and we have not had time to go to them yet, but when I have seen the entire city then I will tell you. Because you would love to see it. 

Bikes, I think I might be alright with the bikes, but holding down your skirt as you ride is never fun, but I think I am just beginning to laugh at myself because I look pathetic. And no one follows the rules when it is a red light people still cross the streets, bikers always ride where ever ther want. But oh well. 

We are teaching a few people, we set another baptism date yesterday and her name is Tina she always says she wants to be more holy, and be pure again and to come unto christ. We have a woman named Mary like I said last time but she sayd she has not had time to read the Book of Mormon yet which I am feeling sad over. We are teaching this woman named Lorenza Bee who told us she is so grateful to have found the right church but when we went to see her yesterday her caretaker said she was sick and could not see us so I hope she feels better. We are teaching this woman named Rosa, hahah this story is a kicker, so we went to do finding work and were riding around the streets when we found her. We asked her a few questions and then went into her house. We were bold, we told her we know that the is a true prophet today, this book is true, this is the only true church and more. And she kept saying amen to it all and then she said I know that there is a true prophet to and she pointed to her wall and said this is him. We looked over at the wall and sorella Oakes just busts up laughing it is a man in a hippy outfit and has huge goofy glasses and is doing the peace sign. I had to keep myself under control which was hard. Anyway we told her he is not a true prophet and she was like I was not even 100 percent convinced he was I guess I might need to change my believes and I do not even like him. HAHa I busted up laughin after. We are going to teach a woman named abigal we met on the bus the other day. We sat down with her for 20 minutes yesterday gave her a book of mormon and she said that she thinks this could be the true church. Then we are teaching a girl named praise, her family is less active but they really want her to be baptized and are coming back to church, we are going to give her a date for baptism friday. The work I think is going well!!

I am so glad that I can see your photos and hear about your life! I love you all so much and I do hope that is will get easier being away. If I think of anything else it will be in the letter I will send. I love you all dearly and please keep telling me about home I love it!!

Love 

Allie. 

Alison's first email from Verona, Italy Oct. 10, 2012

GEEZ so many questions, I am joking. Well I am in Verona and I am white washing. So it is a little scary that my companion and I both do not know the city but I know that it will all work out. Not let me tell you something that I thought was strange, we are not alot to have dinner, I mean not missionary in the italian milan misson can have dinner. We just take snacks with us. Next I have not had real italian food, so I guess I just hope that one day I learn how to cook. From the moment I got of the plane that zanzare have been my best friend. They seem to think biting my legs is a part of there culture and I would send you a picture but I have no idea how to so I might get my film developed and send pictures that way. My first day we got stuck on the elevator  in our apartment. We were trying to get all our stuff up to the fifth floor and it was a funny day. You take buses everywhere, it is different. And I do not think I can get used to everyone smoking omg, mom and dad I just want to walk up to people and be like you are going to kill yourself anf others by this. But I contain myself. I love teaching lessons, though I do not much I still can help. We taught a wonderful lessons today on the plan of salvation and let me tell you I felt the spirit so strange. Oh when we got to the city there were no investigators. Since my companion and I are both new to the area, we are always getting lost, I mean lost!! We have to always pull out the map and try to find our way, it i crazy! The first day we got here we went to the duomo in milano and I loved it. I tried to speak with everyone but let me tell you the people they are nice but when they do not want the infomation it is funny. They do this little hand signal anyway yeah. I need the names mom of our ancestors. You keep forgeting to send them to me. Oh my mission is a bike mission so that is why I needed the money. And yeah it worked out fine, it converts and the bank we have does not charge. We finally got our shower fixed, it was having problems. Well I love you all so much and it is kind of late and I love you all!! Yeah mom I do not know how I feel about riding a bike with a skirt. And yes at times I do feel inadequete but I know it will go away, when I eventually learn this language!!

Love 

Sorella Hanson

Sister Alison Hanson arrived in Italy Oct. 3, 2012

Alison's Mission President, President Wolfgramm, called Brent today.  He said she made it to the mission and when she got there she was sick with motion sickness. Brent told him that it is normal for Alison to get sick with motion sickness.  The President said she was better and was out in the Market in Milan doing some proselyting.  She has been assigned to Verona, Italy and that her companion is Sister Oaks from Provo, Utah.  Her p-day is on Wednesdays so she will not be able to write to us today, it will be next week and so it will be a while before we hear from her. She will be having a dinner tonight with the group of new missionaries and the Mission President. We are so excited for her!!