Good and Grateful Reciever

Ok we've got about two months to cover and so much has happened which is why we have about two months to cover but I'll try to get everything in and still make it relatively concise and entertaining. Most of y'all who are reading this blog are also getting my emails to so you kind of know what's up :)

But yeah if I had to title these last two months of my life it would be the above title just because I have been trying to switch my mindset to be more grateful and have seen incredible blessings from that. It's crazy how much good there is when you focus on it. Furthermore, I've been trying to be more open and willing to share my burdens and gratefully recieve the help that other people give me. I've always been a very independent person and I've always considered that success has to be individual but something I've learned in these last two months is that this mindset is not very healthy. Human beings are social creatures and we rely on the interactions of others so if we try to go through life without depending on others we are going against our biological code and will ultimately be unhappy. I could talk forever about this but I won't. Just know that my mission has already taught me so much more than I ever thought I could learn and I'm super glad for the experiences I've already had. But as cool as learning is, all learning comes through experience so let's get into some of those!!

Maria's Baptism

So at the beginning of September one of the friends I was teaching got baptized. It was an incredibly beautiful experience and she was so happy. After she was baptized she said she felt as light as a feather. The whole experience really taught me that the covenants we make can truly change our lives.

My Birthday

A week later it was my birthday! Celebrations include going to get the best gelato ever with Maria and Lucia, making bagna calda, and eating some weird chocolate pastry confection with the Anziani (because it was also Anziano Gwilliam's Birthday)!

Noto

The next few weeks were pretty tame, not much to report but classic missionary work, miracles, etc. We had a friend who almost got baptized and then blocked us out of nowhere which was rough. And then the last week before transfers the whole district (Ragusa and Siracusa missionaries) met up in Noto. This is a tiny town between the two cities where missionaries live and it has some cool architecture and churches.

This was also the place where I had my first therapy session, which was probably a little overdue but helped me overcome some of the anxiety I'd been feeling after our friend blocked us. I had been struggling since then to really feel like I was a help to people and not a burden especially when I could see how my Sensory Integration Disorder and Auditory Processing Disorder were affecting my missionary work. And from that session I realized 1) again the importance of recieving help from others and 2) my problems are real and they are allowed to be real. No one is expecting me to be perfect but myself and when I internalized that fact I realized that I had spent a lot of time in the past being upset that I had weaknesses, which is silly because we kind of need those to grow. Anyways, crazy what kind self-discovery happens when you take the time to address your mental health. I have also learned just how important it is to drink water, sleep, exercise, and eat healthy. Bodies are such a cool gift but we got to take care of them to work correctly lol.

From Quel Fatastico Mercoledì to Alleanze Assicurazioni

So all that self-discovery happened and then we finally moved out of our apartment and got this sick air bnb. We don't have a kitchen or a laundry machine but it's chill. We live above the sign Alleanze Assicurazioni which literally means Covenant Security. Pretty funny secondo a me.

COVID Madness

The day before transfers Sorella Spach found out she had COVID. So then we were in quarantine for a week. I went a little crazy. But we had general conference and that was the best!! Prophets!! Revelation!! Awesomeness!!

Transfers!

So we had transfers a few weeks ago and we found out that Sorella Spach was going to Rome and I was staying here. Sorella Wilson came down from Oristano to be my companion. We've been super busy since she's been here. She's also a quarter Italian and her Grandpa is actually from Siracusa which is pretty cool. She reminds me a lot of Hilde which is awesome too. We went down to the beach for a p-day and then we did this awesome hike and we had zone conference in Catania. The adventures just keep on coming but the days are starting to blur together. Next month I'll have been on my mission for six months. Insaneeeeee.

Allora alla prossima!! Vi voglio un mondissimo di bene!! Ciao!