Thursday, January 31, 2013

Email from January 30, 2013


Ciao  Family,
I had not seen pictures of them yet, oh they are so cute!! I love them. This week we had all our less actives we are working with at church and we have 6. So it was awesome. I was so happy. One day this week it had snowed and was quite cold and we had a lesson with one of our investigators and after we had planned to do casa time and it was funny. We knew we had planned it but it was so cold and we did not want to. But of course we did and we got into a house and taught a lesson to two families (only the women were home with their children). So we were really thinking that if we did not remain there we would not have found them. And another lady told us to come back with a turkish book of mormon. I hope we have that one. We have a few in different languages.
  Yeah spanish and italian are pretty similar. The funny thing is in lessons with our investigators they do have in spanish and half in italian. It is funny because I think my brain now thinks it wants to understand every language so when we hear different languages, I can feel myself straining to understand. haha, but yeah when you talk to one day in spanish I probably can understand.
  Yeah Torino, it is quite large. They have a very nice metro system because it was made for the olympics when they were there, so it is new. And there are a lot of people, the buildings are nice. I do not know what else to say. If you asked my questions I could tell you. Oh there is this really tall building that we saw and people go up to the top and you see can see all of Torino and take pictures. But the centro is nice. It has a lot of the old buildings what you would probably picture as italy.
  Well I am glad that Parker s project is almost done. I did not even know that Tio Jose was dating someone. Well I am glad he found someone.
   Tell Conner thank you for the wonderful prayers. I love you all and I hope that you all are safe as well. Well enjoy your week, I know this is not really as early as usually but it is here. Love you
Love
Ali 

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Email from January 23, 2013


Ciao Family, 
I hope her parents let her, but they are still letting her come to church.  Well we had a interesting week. I got a cold! My throat still has a little bit of it, but it is pretty much gone. Since it only lasted a week that is fine. But some days it was bad. And I bet the people thought I was a weirdo. Because there are alot of philopeans ( I am sorry if I cannot spell that word right) and south americans, Sorella Gomez and I find ourselves talking to them more because we find it a little easier. But this last week we kind broke of our norm and started talking to literally everyone. Trust me it we seem to get a few more rejections, but literally we can say that we gave them the chance. 
  I think my highlight of the week was Sunday though. We have been trying to get one of our investigators to come to church I guess for a month and she came on Sunday!! I think I might have scared her by how excited I was that she came. Haha. But we also had a few other investigators there on sunday and let me tell you it was just awesome!!!! 
 Sorella Gomez:  She grew up in Mexico. All her family lives there, her parents, sister, brother, nephew, tutti! She went to Byu (she learned english in Utah) and studied Geography. She finished school, graduated and now serving a mission. She is just awesome and dedicated! 
 Milano Cimiano Ward: There are so many people. I loose track of who is who. I feel bad for that too. And some of the names are a little difficult for me to pronounce, because they are not italian names but spanish and filopino names. Haha do not worry I eat well. Non ho fame dopo ho mangiato con loro. But here we eat South American tood or Filopean food. Milano 2 area is the only area in milano that has the outer parts, so yes. I guess so. Milano is interesting. It is a mix of modern style buildings in centro and really there are a few of the buildings like Verona, but it does not have all the old ancient buildings. But there is a bone church in Milano and we went to it one P-day for like 5 minutes, it is kind of creepy. I have no idea if I have told you about this but a lot of people here love to wear fur coats. I do not think I have every seen so many! I would think they would smell. But I know I have mentioned the Metro before, but it is so different. Because one day were coming home from church in a car and I realized that I did not know Milan above ground. I know it below, because we leave under the earth in the metro everyday. Not literally, but figuratively of course. 
I am in Milan 2 not the same ward. I got a extra copy of my patriachal blessing in the MTC. So you do not have to worry about that. Well I am still  proud that Conner did so well. And I know he is amzing and has always tried his hardest. :) Oh Parker is going to get his soon, I am excited for him. Oh so we are doing a scambio this transfer in Torino. I am really excited!! 

Love

Ali 

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

E-mail from January 16, 2013


Family , 
No, I had not received  your letter last time. I guess it was because of the pictures. I was a little curious on why the email did not come. But now I got it.  Oh so is she blond? Because I think if I say a picture of here I would remember her. Maybe just tell me what the sister looks like and then I would remember. I am sorry, that I cannot. So I think that it is amazing he won! HAHa I loved the picture of the trophey. I heard you need to tell me how conner does. I what to know!! 
   So The girls name is Vivian, but the baptism did not happen, because she has not come to church. So many things happen and she was not able to, but she will at least we hope Sunday. Elena she is awesome. We will see her again tomorrow. I want to tell you of Jimena. She is the mosat amazing 13 year old. She has come to church twice and she will be baptized on the 2 of febbraio. We taught her a lesson last friday and sunday. But last friday she bore her testimony of the book of mormon. She Said that she loves the 10th chapter of mormon. She said that she prayed and that she felt it was true. She said she felt butterflies in her stomach and she said that was her answer. Then on sunday she said during her prayer thank you heavenly father for bring me joy in my life from this and happiness and I would like my mother and sister to know this to. She is already part of the young women. There is a activity and she is goingm I think it is saturday. The young women in the ward are awesome. And she was a referral from a member two weeks ago. I am just so excited for her. And I just love teaching her. We have found some amazing people though. We meet this woman Jackline last saturday and she was in the area book and we felt like calling her. So we met with her and she has a real desire to come back and learn. She said that she has missed this. And well we are going to start from the beginning with her.  Oh this week has been funny, there have been I believe fashion shows near our house. So it was kind of weird, everyone of the streets were like the stars are here, they are in the streets. Sorella Gomez and I were like okay. And we had to get to the tram and I forget the name of the people who take pictures like crazy of the stars, well they had taken over the street to get to the tram. And we almost missed our tram because of the people. Then we were on another tram going to a place to do finding work and we taked with these people from japan and haha they asked us if we were here for the fashion show. Hahaha we looked down at ourselves and I think we about laughed and said no, we are missionaries etc, etc... But it is a interesting time. Mom and Dad I have never talked to so many people in my life! It is awesome!!!!!! 
  Oh I thought I should tell you that I can pretty much understand and communicate in italian. YAY, now with spanish because we teach a few lessons in spanish (well sorella gomez does and I just teach in italian during these lessons), but I can understand a lot! It is pretty amazing! 
I needed to buy a pair of boots two weeks ago, because my boots got messed up from the water. Then I needed to buy tights. In with sorella Oakes we would pay for our resturants that we would eat out there with our cards, but in Milano we do not eat out much and we use our mission cards because in the white handbook it says we can, so from now on I guys we will not be using ours. So do not worry about that. I will only use it for clothes. 

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Emails from today January 9, 2013

Hello family, 

I want to tell you of my wonderful week that I have been having in Milano. There has been miracle after miracle. First off I will tell you of what happened on Saturday. This is a fun story. First I want to say we taught Nuns. The anziani in Muggio gave us a referral and her name was Antonia. We called her up and she said how many of you are coming so I can set up the sets. And so we thought we were going to a bible study. But we took the metro over and we call it farther than far far away. Because it is pretty far. So we get there and got a little messed up on which bus stop to get off at. And we had to walk 25 minutes back to one of the previous bus stops. We called Antonia and she came out and we followed her to a building. We walked inside and it was a church. The people were praying to the ten commandments. I had to do everything in me not to laugh at the irony of the situation. And there were four nuns inside. We made a circle and nuns were like you need to face the ten commandments, so we did a half circle. We said a prayer, they did one their way and we did one ours. It was the strangest thing I have ever seen and trust me I have seen some strange things. Then we talking a little about explained a few things and then a man came in. He started saying how he had studied with a range of different church and he mentioned the mormons. We said we were mormon and he was like no really? And we said yes. He said I have so much respect for your church. I have read all of the stand works, the history of the church and I am subscribed to the Ensign. I think I was stunned. I could not believe what he said. But we could only give him a pass along card. So we left and we waited 45 minutes for a bus to come. It came on the other side. We were on the wrong side of the street, a lady said and that one was the last one of the day. That was at 2:45 pm, I know quite early. Then we did not know what to do or where to go. You see we were probably an hour a way on foot from the metro station and we had no idea which way to go. So we decided to pray and we both felt we needed to ask someone to give us a ride to the station in their car. So we started looking at the cars to see if there was a woman in the car, because that is the only way that we could go with them. The first car we stopped said no. Then five other cars passed and eventually we saw a woman waiting for a car to come out of the garage. And when she went into the car we rain after it. We probably looked like crazy people. Then Sorella Gomez knocked on the window and asked then can we ask you a grande favore. And they said do I know and we said no and then we asked for the ride and they took us. I guess I hitch hicked to the station. And then we made it on time to our next appointment. But yesterday when we were on the metro a man called us saying sisters and we turned and sorella Gomez said Fratello thinking that he was a member. But it turns out that he was one of the people in the church that day when we taught the nuns and wanted to continue to learn, so we will see him sunday at the church. 
  This one is my all time favorite. We got a week and a half ago, my first day in Milano a referral from the assistants. A referral with only a name Elena and her address. It was from when the new missionaries were at the duomo their first day. So we decided on Monday to go and try and find her. So we went to the address. We said a prayer before and went to the citofino. There were a 100 names, but last names. But the gate was open so we walked in. There was a woman and we asked her by change if she would know a woman named Elena who is south american. She said that she new a Elena who was from peru. She asked us if we know what she looks like and we regretfully said no. She said okay, let us go to the citofino and ring hers. So we did and she started speaking to her in spanish saying that the sister missionaries are here to see you and you might have met the elders at the duomo  a week and a half ago. She said yes yes please come up. Again I was stunned at the fact she was here and remembered. We went up to her and she said that she has been waiting for the almost two weeks. And thought that we would never come. We recounted to her the story of how we found her and she said that she knows that God loves her because we were able to find her. And we saw her again yesterday and she said that she knows the Book of Mormon to be true and accepted a baptism date. There has been a miracle every single say this past week. I know that God is blessing us. We have been finding new people after new people. The members have been bringing friends. It has been amazing!! I hope all is well with you and would really like to know what is happening with you. I love you all and sorry is a little later then normal. Enjoy your day 

Love

Ali




 Oh I forgot to tell you of a experience that seems to be happening lately to us. We have been working on really letting the people we talk to understand that we know that this is true. And we were talking to a man in the park and he asked us if this makes us happy. And we said yes and he said I can see it. I can see that it makes you happy and I believe you. Then we were told by investigators and people in our ward that we always seem happy. And I guess that people can know our message is true by how happy we are. 
Well that was my little other thing I wanted to say. I love you!! 

Love 
Ali 

  


Sunday, January 6, 2013

Email from Wednesday January 2, 2013

Dear Family 

My companion is Sorella Gomez and is absolutely amazing.  She is from Mexico. She has just as much enthusiam for the work as me and loves talking to people. So it is a perfect fit. She speaks spanish and there are a lot of people we meet who do not speak italian or English, so I have asked her to teach me a little, so that we are talking to people who are spanish I do not have to feel like I have no idea what is being said. SO lets hope I can pick up on spanish.  Oh the majority of the people her are from Peru or south America. We have quite a few investigators.  My companion Sorella Gomez is absolutely awesome!! She wants to talk with everyone just as much as me and I feel like she is my best friend already. I will tell you about this new investigator we got yesterday, her name is Isabella and we meet her on our way to a appointment. We called the new convert told her were going to be late and taught Isabella a lesson about how God is our loving heavenly Father. She just starting crying. She told us that she has had a few difficult times in her life and wanted to start coming back to church again. And now is the perfect time new year etc.. Oh so we have a baptism coming in 2 weeks the girl is awesome. She came from peru 1 month and 1 week ago I believe and she was taught by the missionaries in Trejio, Peru. She has a testimony that this is true and came searching for the missionaries, she is so elect!! So I am so ecited!! We are teaching her mom Clara and she has so many questions. Haha we taught her the plan of salvation on saturday and she kept asking, well at least we knoe she wants to learn. I am just so excited to be here!! AHHHHHH. We got a new investigator on Sunday who is from filopeans her name is Jeremy and companion Deo is a meno attivo. So we will see them every sunday. They are awesome. I just love them. Jeremy wants to learn and Deo has a true desire to come back to the church and to be able to partake of the sacrament again.   I celebrated Christmas at the Senior missionaries house. Sorella Burger cooked for us, american food which was nice.  
  For New Years we had to be in the house by 7 and yesterday they only wanted us to go out if we had appointments. That is why when we met Isabella it was a miracle because we were only going out for our new convert lesson with Giovanna. So we were praying we would meet someone and we did. YAY! I think I am just going to think of each place as some where different. Because I have different experiences in each place. But for new years day we cleaned everything, we did a little area book and we had our 2 appointments. Oh so since we leave near the duome in Milan Sorella Oakes said that the fire works woke her up. We leave above a bar and the people can be a little loud. The apartment is pretty big. We have cabnets!! I mean Cabnets! YAY. And It is nice. I love the apartment, is is spacious. 
  I bet it seemed like a quiet christmas, but it seems fun. Yay I am so glad she got baptized and that you guys can be a part of it. I know that was a miracle. Well I love you all and hope you have a new wonder new year!!

Love

Ali 

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Verona pictures!

We got pictures from Alison.  Here are the pictures from Verona.

A church.

I like all the sweets!

My bike (it's ancient)


The house of Juliet

Sorella Oakes and me

This is in Centro


MTC pictures


We got a letter from Alison and she sent pictures!  Here are the pictures from the MTC.
Sorella Willis and me.  That was the bins for the sheets.  We had been waiting for the other girls in the Italian group to go to the gym.

Sorella Willis and me
My district at the MTC

The Sorelle in my Zone at the MTC

My district from theMTC
On the bus to the airport with Sorella Willis

January 1, 2013-New Year's e-mail-First email of the year

Dear Family 

My companion is Sorella Gomez and is absolutely amazing.  She is from Mexico. She has just as much enthusiam for the work as me and loves talking to people. So it is a perfect fit. She speaks spanish and there are a lot of people we meet who do not speak italian or English, so I have asked her to teach me a little, so that we are talking to people who are spanish I do not have to feel like I have no idea what is being said. SO lets hope I can pick up on spanish.  Oh the majority of the people her are from Peru or south America. We have quite a few investigators.  My companion Sorella Gomez is absolutely awesome!! She wants to talk with everyone just as much as me and I feel like she is my best friend already. I will tell you about this new investigator we got yesterday, her name is Isabella and we meet her on our way to a appointment. We called the new convert told her were going to be late and taught Isabella a lesson about how God is our loving heavenly Father. She just starting crying. She told us that she has had a few difficult times in her life and wanted to start coming back to church again. And now is the perfect time new year etc.. Oh so we have a baptism coming in 2 weeks the girl is awesome. She came from peru 1 month and 1 week ago I believe and she was taught by the missionaries in Trejio, Peru. She has a testimony that this is true and came searching for the missionaries, she is so elect!! So I am so ecited!! We are teaching her mom Clara and she has so many questions. Haha we taught her the plan of salvation on saturday and she kept asking, well at least we knoe she wants to learn. I am just so excited to be here!! AHHHHHH. We got a new investigator on Sunday who is from filopeans her name is Jeremy and companion Deo is a meno attivo. So we will see them every sunday. They are awesome. I just love them. Jeremy wants to learn and Deo has a true desire to come back to the church and to be able to partake of the sacrament again.   I celebrated Christmas at the Senior missionaries house. Sorella Burger cooked for us, american food which was nice.  
  For New Years we had to be in the house by 7 and yesterday they only wanted us to go out if we had appointments. That is why when we met Isabella it was a miracle because we were only going out for our new convert lesson with Giovanna. So we were praying we would meet someone and we did. YAY! I think I am just going to think of each place as some where different. Because I have different experiences in each place. But for new years day we cleaned everything, we did a little area book and we had our 2 appointments. Oh so since we leave near the duome in Milan Sorella Oakes said that the fire works woke her up. We leave above a bar and the people can be a little loud. The apartment is pretty big. We have cabnets!! I mean Cabnets! YAY. And It is nice. I love the apartment, is is spacious. 
  I bet it seemed like a quiet christmas, but it seems fun. Yay I am so glad she got baptized and that you guys can be a part of it. I know that was a miracle. Well I love you all and hope you have a new wonder new year!!

Love

Ali