Rome Time
Gelato of the week!
Group "scambio" (exchanges) picture
Cake Bake
2.10.2014
I have a lot to report on
this week and not very much time. This week started off by walking past a
"Mexcian Grill" that caught my eye. Anziano Hatch and I looked at
each other and then walked in without saying anything to each other. I have not
seen Mexican food once in Italy. We walked in and instantly made friends with
the 3 workers who apparently knew the missionaries from the past. We talked
about the church for a while then Mexican food. The Burritos we got were
actually pretty close to what I had at home. They opened up last week and
havent had any customers so we told our whole English Course on Tuesday to go
and told them the Anziani told them it was delicious. We gave them all the
address and everything. They also told us we could come by any afternoon during
pronzo to talk about our church when it wasnt busy. We are planning to go tomorrow afternoon after
DDM in Napoli to see how many EC students went and get burritos. Hopefully it
goes well.
On Friday I went to Napoli
and did an exchange with Anziano Sogriacamo. Exchanges are usually a little
awkward cause you dont want to eat the other anzianis food, so I ate a big
lunch at 2. I showed up to Napoli at 4 and Sorgy told me they had dinner
appointments/lessons at 5 and 730. My stomach was destroyed, but it was
amazing. The families we visited were really awesome and Napoli itself blew my
mind. I have been each week for DDM at the church, but this time I got to see a
lot more since the two appointments we had were on opposite sides of the city.
Its absolutely unreal. Anyways, I learned a ton from Anziano Sorigiacamo. He is
from Milan, speaks fluent English, 25, and already has a degree. He is an
amazing guy who is an amazing teacher. Saturday morning on the train back from
Napoli we stopped in a city called Madaloni to see Sorella Bove and her family
from our Branch here in Caserta. I am really glad Sorgy got to meet them
because they connected really well since he was Italian. We taught an awesome
lesson about how the Book of Mormon can help us come to know Jesus Christ and
the character of God better. This week in Language Study I read from Teachings
of the Prophet Joseph Smith and he said if we dont understand the character of
God we dont understand much more than the beasts of the earth who only know how
to eat, drink, and sleep. That hit me really hard and made me want to search
the Book of Mormon with that question in mind. The lesson went really well and
I felt cool going around for 2 days with Sorgy with my bookbag with my
toothbrush and towel teaching lessons for 2 days. This is why the mission
rocks.
Saturday night we had a cake
bake here at the church which was the bomb! We had about 25 members,
investigators, and english course students bring cakes and we had 12 meter long
pizzas as well. Over 100 people came and it was so much fun. I was exhausted by
the end of it, but it was so good for everyone. This week we are hoping to show
the Restoration video after English Course and invite everyone to come to
church this coming Sunday. Should be great.
This Sunday morning was
epic. So there is a kebaberia (sandwich they make in Italy that is delicious)
right by the church. We go there all the time and are good friends with the
lady who works there. Anyways, we invited her to church, but she said Sunday
Morning is her deep cleaning morning and it takes her like 6 hours. Anziano
Heder and TIngey suggested we go help her clean it so she could come to church,
but I thought it was all a joke. Sunday morning our alarm went off at 5 and
everyone was getting up. I couldnt believe they were serious. I got up because
I had do and we left the house at 620. It was cold and raining the whole walk
over and I was so mad inside. Suffice it to say, we cleaned with her for 2
hours and it was one of the coolest things I have done my whole mission. She
was so happy when we showed up and we were talking and laughing the whole time.
We seriously saved her like 5 hours, and we are thinking of making it a Sunday
morning tradition. Only problem was 5 members told me I smelled like a kebab at
church. Whatevs.
Sunday we had a linger
longer (pronzo) after church and it was great. I talked with Sister Salviti and
we had a really funny/spiritual conversation I want to briefly recount. She was
telling me of a story when she was driving her kids back from the airport in
Rome to go to EFY up in Germany and how they ran out of gas half way back from
Rome. They prayed with faith to be able to make it back and somehow they made
it on fumes and it was a total miracle. She said how it was awesome to see how
if the Lord wants us to be somewhere and we have faith, things will always work
out. She brought this up because I told her of a story of some sister
missionaries who ran out of gas and desperately needed to make it to an
appointment. They decided to put some water into the gas tank and pray that it
would be changed into gas. Instead it destroyed the engine. Sorella Salviti
told me, The Lord can turn fumes into gas, but not water. I almost died
laughing. But seriously, there is a true principle from the statement. I have
seen how when we have faith and do the best with what we have, the Lord makes a
whole lot more out of it than we we ever could. We actually have to give him
something to work with though first. Nothing against the sorelle though. We
live and we learn.
Enjoy the snow in Atlanta!
Love you all.
Anziano Smith
