happy happy happy

Buondì!!

I love Catania. I love Sicily. I love my companion. I love my

district. I love the gospel. I love being a missionary. And most

importantly I love my Savior. Just so happy right now.

Busy week! We spent Monday and Tuesday in Siracusa on scambio with the

sorelle there. I was with Sorella Ferre from Sandy Utah :) She reminds

me of Audrey haha so it felt like I was with my friends at home :) We

had a blast! We did about 7 hours of finding and it felt like we

talked to about the entire city of Siracusa but we got some great

potentials!!!

I met a crazy older man the other day on the bus (shocker). He made us

laugh pretty hard. EVERYONE tries to speak in English to us even if

they only know how to say "how are you" and then they switch into

Italian or dialect. Well this guy was about 6 inches from my face and

tried to convince me he is a dog hahaha. But the only word he knew in

English was "dog" hahaha. "Sono un dog." Over and over again hahaha.

He was barking at us and even lifted his leg and pretended to pee

hahahah. Can't say I've had that one before 😂 BUT, here's the cool

part. This had been going on for about 15 minutes and I was just dying

trying not to laugh. EVERYONE on the bus was overhearing this 50yr old

barking at 2 American girls and just dying laughing. So this guy in

his 20's was overhearing the "I'm a dog" conversation and came to the

rescue and started talking to us so the crazy guy couldn't. He was way

cool and we got his number for the elders. Thankful for that crazy guy

for getting the elders a new contact that is actually sane hahaha :)

We had Stake Conference so all the members from all of Sicily came to

Catania (including all 50 missionaries in Sicily). It was so awesome!

Elder Charles from England from the 70 came and spoke to us and my

companion and I got to talk to him for a few minutes afterwards. He

and his wife are awesome!

Zone Conference!!!!!!! Holy cow. I cannot believe we just had my 2nd

to last zone conference. I got my departure packet which kind of made

things feel more real. We talked about being "all in," our purpose as

missionaries, and our divine identity. It was amaaaazing. I loved it.

I just wish time would stop for a while :) We had a CRAZY weekend with

10 sisters in our apartment that should only be able to fit 3 or 4

hahaha and they're still with us today for a Zone pday so it's been

fun!

Last night we had a zone blitz and we all did finding together in

Centro. Some people were singing hymns, others were talking to people,

some were drawing with chalk and we had sooo much success from it!

Here are some of the cool stories:

I stopped this family and they responded to me in Spanish and told me

they're from the Dominican Republic. I called one of the new greenies

in our zone over who's from there too and it turns out they're FROM

THE SAME CITY. Sooo cool. We can understand Spanish pretty well

because it's so similar to Italian and they can understand us too so

it was really amazing! Anziano Sanchez was explaining the Book of

Mormon in Spanish and me in Italian but we could all communicate! The

Gift of Tongues is real! They promised us they will come to English

course tonight so hopefully we see some cool miracles from this

family!

I talked to another woman named Gabriella who has 2 kids and just told

me she feels like something is missing in her life. The other

missionaries were singing and she said as she walked by she just felt

so much peace. I got to talk to her for a good while and asked her if

she had ever prayed before and she said not since she was a young

child in catholic school. I explained to her that she can have a

personal relationship with God again and taught her how we pray in our

church. She said she would do it because she felt so "tranquil" while

talking to me :) The Spirit is so cool guys!!!! Hopefully we will be

able to meet with her again & follow up :)

This week I read the talk "What Lack I Yet" and have been trying to

focus on specific things I need to work on. I went through the

Christlike Attribute Challenge in chapter 6 of PMG and it helped me

think of some goals I want to work on :) It's a humbling experience

but definitely helps us strive to become more like the Savior. I

invite you guys to do it too! It's awesome. I love this quote by Elder

Bednar, “Most of us clearly understand that the Atonement is for

sinners. I am not so sure, however, that we know and understand that

the Atonement is also for saints--for good men and women who are

obedient, worthy, and conscientious and who are striving to become

better.”

I love you alllll. Sorry this was forever long--so much has happened

since last Monday! Hope you all have a great week :)

Con amore,

Sorella Hess

Via Genova 27

Catania 95127

Italia

Le foto:

Sorella Ferre aka my fav. Also Siracusa is beeeautiful

Pranzo with Dana and Agata and their cute kids

Reunited and it feels soo goooood. So fun seeing all our fav people at

stake conference!!!

Zone blitzes

Waiting at bus stops = serving in Catania.

Cutest zone ever

Another reason I love Catania. We run here every morning :) blesssssed

Zone frisbeeee today

Mbare vogghiu a canni ri cavaddu

Hey guys!! 

Subject line is in dialect haha. Italian isn't really that ugly :)

Currently on a road trip to Siracusa with the ZL's for an exchange with the sorelle there so stay tuned for next week :) It should be fun!

We worked our tails off this week and we've been able to see some cool miracles. We've had a ton of potential investigators these past couple weeks but haven't been able to meet with them again but this week we finally got our schedules coordinated and added several new investigators! 

Catania is really cool because there are so many young kids around our age. As a mission we've been really trying to focus on the golden age from mid-teens to the kid-twenties. This week we had a super fun activity with the youth and the YSA in the ward before institute and we invited all our contacts and investigators in that age group and we all played volleyball and ultimate frisbee at the church. We had a good turnout and it was a blast! 2 of our British friends Meredith and Neda came and seem interested in the church so we'll see where that goes! Also our friend Courtney from Washington state came and she's soo fun! They're all exchange students here for a year and are so cute. It's WEIRD teaching in English. Yeah, we teach africans and filipinos in English but it's different when they're Americans or British and our age haha. 

We were doing a mostra last night in centro with the elders and this guy walked by and spit on a Book of Mormon and was yelling some not very nice things at us and earlier in the week a lady did similar things as a big crowd of people was watching. Honestly my initial reaction would have been to yell back or get mad (the natural man in us) but it made me think about how people did the same thing to the Savior but instead of getting defensive and wanting to defend Himself or argue back, He just turned the other cheek and loved them. He was perfect and had dedicated his entire life to serving others. He had done nothing to deserve to be treated like that and had every reason to be frustrated but instead He asked His father to forgive them. That's true Christlike love and something I'm trying hard to develop because I'm far from perfect. I'm thankful for the mission though and the things I'm learning out here even though it's not always easy. Time is going fast and I am trying my best to continue to open my mouth and share the gospel with everyone that will hear it. I'm happier than I've ever been!!! 

Omni 1:26 says,

"And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved."

I am so thankful for the knowledge we have of the Savior's Atonement and that He is just waiting for us to come to Him and turn our lives over to Him. He's waiting at the door but we just have to let Him in! Pray for ways to serve others and I promise you guys will be happier :) Loooove you guys!!

Con amore,

Sorella Hess

Via Genova 27 

Catania 95127 

Italia

Le foto: 

First and only district pic after volleyball!

Beautiful sunsets 🌅 

Cute Courtney :)

The elephant of Catania. Apparently it brings good luck!

Siracusa!!

I'm a wizard

Buongiorno guys!

Everything is going great down in Sicilia. I absolutely love it here!! 

I've always had a testimony of God especially protecting the missionaries but this week definitely confirmed it. We were walking home one night and there are these giant poles that stick out of the sidewalk so people won't park there. We literally couldn't have walked 5 steps past them when this car comes barreling into them and flattened them to the ground and then spun off and hit another car. We easily could've been seriously injured but luckily the car didn't hit anyone else on the sidewalk except the other car and they were all miraculously okay even though the cars were destroyed! Exact obedience brings miracles guys! 

Family history: We have a friend from California that lives on our block and we got to help her do family history this week. She's seriously one of the coolest people I've met on the mission. She is African American and has her PhD in English so she's a professor for a university here. It was so fun helping her and getting to know her better. She's a practicing Jew but we are hoping family history will trigger some questions about our church and she'll have more interest :) 

Adelaide: Okay this is my personal fav for the week. Saturday night we were doing finding in a cool park called Villa Bellini and we saw this girl who was crying and was obviously having a hard day. I'll be honest, I probably wouldn't have normally approached her but I literally felt like someone pushed me to talk to her. We sat down and asked if we could show her a video that we knew could help her and she said "yes, please do!" So we showed her Grazie a Lui (because of Him) and talked about having faith in Christ and how we can overcome our trials. She said what we were saying was super intriguing and that she instantly felt peace when we started talking :) We invited her to church and she came the next day! I love when we're just completely led by the Spirit to do something we normally wouldn't do but it turns out being a huge miracle! 

In other news, that same night we were walking down the street and this guy stops us and asks if we speak English. He proceeds to tell us he's a wizard and by the end of the conversation tries to kiss my comp...not just like on the cheek like normal here... like "a real kiss" (in his words). I turned into mama bear for a minute and we got outta there hahahaha.

I gave a talk in church on John 14: 17-18 which talks about how we won't be left comfortless in trials and that the Savior will come to us. As I've been studying this week, I've been able to reflect on the many times during my mission and my life where I felt alone and then every time without fail, I'm overwhelmed with the Savior's love.

Another thing I've learned a lot on the mission that was reinforced this week is how when things don't go to plan...there's nothing we can do about it. It's not worth it to get frustrated! Stuff hardly ever goes according to plan on the mission. It's okay because it's out of our control if buses aren't on time...or just don't pass at all, or if people cancel on us, or if they change the talent show to start at 9:30pm on a Friday night and then the missionaries can't go cuz #curfew. :) Learning to just roll with it :) 

Skype was awesome!!! I got to do a group Skype call with my brother Sam who's in Fiji so that was a blast. I love my fam! I hope all you Moms had a great Mother's Day! I love and appreciate you all :) 

Con amore,
Sorella Hess

Via Genova 27 
Catania 95127 
Italia

Sorella James quote of the week: "I feel like missionaries walking up to a member's house in Sicily for a meal appointment is like voluntarily choosing to get martyred."

You guys they feed us soo much here it literally HURTS you and feels like your stomach is going to tear and you're in pain for hours afterwards haha. It's such good food but almost turture.

Le foto:

1-the view on the way to the church each day

2-haha idk. 

3-1st vision Italian version

4-💕💕

5-one of the cool churches in Catania

6-the damage from the accident 😬

Goodbye Bari....hello _______!!!!

You read the subject line right! President threw a curve ball and I

got my transfer call to...... CATANIA down in Sicily! This week was

INSANE with saying bye to everyone in Bari, packing, still trying to

do missionary work, etc. I just felt so much love from and for all the

members in Bari this week and I'm so thankful for the opportunity I

had to serve there. It's amazing on the mission how in every single

area you have those people that you just KNOW you were sent there to

meet, whether they're members or investigators or less-actives, etc.

Bari is a special place.

Thursday morning I got picked up bright and early by the senior couple

and they drove me to the airport! You heard that right kids, no 11

hour train ride for me!! Whooo! The office couple who plans travel for

transfers likes me I guess ;) They got me all checked in and my bags

had to be under 50lbs and miraculously I did it hahah. I felt like a

greenie again leaving the MTC trying to make sure my stuff is under

weight haha. My flight lasted 45 minutes but I was alone for like 4

hours because the elders who were supposed to pick me up couldn't find

parking 😂 Just chillin in the airport in Catania by myself haha. It's

WEIRD not having someone to talk to 24/7. I'm gonna hate that after

the mission haha. They picked me up finally and we got to my apartment

and I met my new comp--Sorella James!!! She's from Washington state

just outside of Seattle. This is her 4th transfer and we're gonna have

so much fun! She's hilarious! Picture my bff Kylie Frandsen...about

that funny :) it's gonna be a good transfer :)

I'm so excited to finally be in Sicily! I've been wanting to come here

for my entire mission and the Lord (and President) finally granted my

wish 😍 It's insanely beautiful. The ward is SO nice and welcoming.

And the FOOOOD. You guys, I could gain 50lbs here easily if I wasn't

careful hahahah. Arancini, granita, gelato, cannoli, etc. Everything

is like 10x better down here. I'm the shortest one in my district by

like a LOT hahaha. That's never happened. Our anziani's average height

is 6'5" so that's cool hahaha. It also feels like 10x hotter and more

humid than Bari so this summer will be fun 😅

I'm just super excited to work my very very hardest! We've already

seen some pretty amazing miracles down here. Forza Catania! Love you

guys!

Con amore,

Sorella Hess

Via Genova 27

Catania 95127

Italia

Pics:

Bye to Elisabeth

Sorella Fitzner

Last district pic :(

FABRI💕

Giuliana :)

Stefania!

This pasticceria is right by our house guys... 😍

Pretty much every street looks like this down here #blessed

Cutest member ever at church yesterday and bishop photobombed us haha

In a trio the other day with cute Sorelle Ferre! L-R, Sorella James,

Ferre, and me :)

"I'd keep 20 commandments for her"

Another crazy week!! I cannot believe we get transfer calls tonight!

This transfer has gone by soo fast.

Monica and Massimo are doing so well and are on track to get baptized

soon! They both accepted baptismal dates this week and we are so

excited for them. We hadn't taught them the W.O.W. yet, but they

walked into church on Sunday and told us they threw away all their

coffee that morning!! 😍 Music to our ears :) They're perfect.

They came to a baptism for a little boy in the Bitonto branch this

week and his mom bore her testimony at the end. Monica told us

afterwards it made her cry because she just pictured herself at her

own child's baptism one day ❤️

We had two more exchanges this week and that kept us super busy!! I

love getting to know all the other sisters in our zone. So many great

missionaries in the Italy Rome mission.

Haha so for the subject line.... We went to visit Valeria (a new

converts ) at her work the other day. A guy she works with apparently

told her after that he's in love with me hahaha. Awkward. He's like

35😂 And she told him, "well she's a missionary and she's 20yrs old

and she follows all the 10 commandments and you don't..." He goes,

"I'd follow 20 commandments for her." 😂😂 haha we died after when she

told us hahaha.

Yesterday we had a super cool miracle. We were going to find a

less-active and we got to her house out in the middle of the BOONIES.

Sooo far away from civilization. We found her house and rang the

intercom and someone yells out, "who is it?" We say, "is Cecilia

there?" "No!!!" Haha so what do we do? What any good missionary would

do and go in anyway.

We knock the first door in the building and this freaky guy comes to

the door and it's all dark behind him. We ask if he knows Cecilia and

he says that it's the 2nd floor. Anyways, she didn't answer the door

but we heard them inside... so we write her a note and leave it at the

door and then go to leave and that guy was still downstairs. He told

us he's from Georgia (the country) and ended up being way cool and not

creepy like we thought at the first haha :) He told us he's married

and has a 3yr old son. We left him our card and were about to go and

then all the sudden I was super bold and just asked if we could meet

his wife right then. I don't know why I said it cuz it wasn't

something I would've normally said because he had just told us his

wife was taking a nap. Haha he kinda looked at us funny and then let

us in and was super nice. His wife is GORGEOUS and so sweet and nice.

She's from Ukraine and speaks like 5 different languages. Sorella

Bellomo is adopted from Russia and Daniele told us that his brother is

living in the exact city where she was born!! And that they would be

more than happy to help her try to find her birth family. I don't

think that was a coincidence!! So so cool.

I had read the talk by Anziano Rasband from this last conference the

day before about following the promptings of the spirit. I had prayed

for more opportunities to follow promptings of the Spirit and for me

to be more in tune and then the next day we had that cool experience.

The mission is amazing. So many of those moments where you just KNOW

that you were supposed to be there at that moment. This is Christ's

restored church!! I love you guys :) Have a great week!

Con amore,

Sorella Hess

Pics:

Today in Barivecchia. "Paparazzi please."

Found this pretty beach yesterday night 😍

Dinner with Monica and Massimo this week at their house. Uruguayan food :)

Gospel principles

My favorite grandma's in the ward 💕