May 23, 2016

Hi guys!! Tutto posto?? This week was so great!! We had so many awesome spiritual experiences:) 

For my permesso di soggiorno (basically my visa to stay in Italy for the next year and a half), we had to do a culture class twice this week for 3 hours each. It was so boring haha. There's an elder in our district who's been out for one transfer longer than me so he had to do his culture class too, so there were 4 Mormon missionaries, and then 3 Nigerian nuns. Quite the group😂 I was able to talk to them about Joseph Smith though and then later on they got our number. I don't know if that means they want to learn more about OUR church or if they want us to learn more about THEIR church haha. 

We had 5 member appointments this week for pranzo (lunch)! I love these members in this ward so much. We had lunch with this cute older woman this week and I can honestly say I've never been so full in my entire life. I thought I was going to die hahaha. Funny story: we were eating this fruit called nespole (sort of like an apricot) at the end of pranzo and as I started peeling mine, a massive earwig crawled out on my hand. You guys. I thought I was going to die. I kept my cool and casually smashed it on my plate and was a champ and proceeded to eat the nespole and the little lady didn't even notice. #missionaccomplished.

We have scambio's this week in Crotone and I'm super excited for it!! I'll be with Sorella Dustin who has been out in the mission field for about 3 weeks so I'll be the senior companion😂😳 

We added two new investigators this week. It's a mom named N and the daughter named A who's 17. We taught them Saturday night and it went so well!! It was a testimony builder to me because I felt like I was able to speak and say what I wanted. I know it wasn't me speaking though. It made me think of this scripture:

D&C 100:5-8

5 Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people; speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be confounded before men;

6 For it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.

7 But a commandment I give unto you, that ye shall declare whatsoever thing ye declare in my name, in solemnity of heart, in the spirit of meekness, in all things.

8 And I give unto you this promise, that inasmuch as ye do this the Holy Ghost shall be shed forth in bearing record unto all things whatsoever ye shall say.

The language is coming "piano piano" (little by little). I know that if I'm doing my part and studying and striving to always have the Spirit with me, Heavenly will make up the rest. 

Today for P-day we went to a man in our ward's pizzeria. It was delicious! I still feel like I'm living in a dream and I'm going to wake up and none of this will have been real. I'm so thankful for all I'm learning here and for these amazing people in Italy. I love this Gospel and am thankful for the joy it brings to my life. I love you guys!! Have a blessed week!! 

Sorella Hess

Sent from my iPad

Pics: with the nuns in our culture course

Walking along the ocean after our lesson on Saturday with our senior couple's daughter :)

Today at Ettore's Pizzeria as a district