MOST EXCITING NEWS OF THE WEEK: I finally bought a water bottle!!!
It's a 'platypus' American-made. It's like a Camelbak but without the backpack. It has a cool hose though!!! I'll send a picture.
We had a scambio yesterday and it was really cool. I was with the sister I was with last time, Sorella Santoro. She's Sorella Hoppe's trainer. She is going home this transfer. She is from Bari, Southern Italy. I had a lot of grammatical questions and she really helped me.
I couldn't feel comfortable praying in 'tu' form because I didn't get it. But I understand it now. To me, the explanation...'oh its informal' just wasn't right...I understood that as disrespectful. I get it now.
I'm getting a tan. So and steady, and it's not dark or anything, but I'm definitely darker. My feet are much better too. Some days they are swollen, some days they hurt a lot! But I''m ok.
To start the transfer the right way, we had the Anziani give us blessings. Mine was very special.
I was blessed with 3 things
Strength
Courage
Patience
I've been learning so much about the plan of Salvation and why we're here and that we are all connected. Sometimes when I'm walking down the street or we're standing in the metro, I just think..
How will this person feel as they get the opportunity to maybe hug their Saviour after this life. or I think...God loves him, God loves her. He created us all and all the things around us.
Eva, I'm such a hippie now.
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Another thing that my blessing said was that I need to remember the examples that came before me, and that Jesus has walked this path before so He knows how I feel and what I'm thinking.
Something that I thought was cool....how many examples are there before me??
Everyone from Adam to Nephi to Jesus Christ Himself to Appleton Milo to You Mommy to Tanner to Eva to Sorella Hoppe....
I have so many examples! So one thing that I wanted to do was to take one person each day, just one, and try to act as they might in that one day so that I can develop their good qualities. Maybe it'll be better if I do it for a week, but the idea is the same.
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For this transfer, we have a lot of ideas, something we are doing is planning to sing in the metro on Sunday. I'm really excited for that...and other than that, we decided we won't sit next to each other on the metro so that we'll talk to people.
I'm really excited to get that going-
did you get my letters that I sent 'snail mail'????
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It's so humid here.
I sweat all the time...I never sweat like ever, and I'm so sweaty here. It's not even that hot, the air is just so heavy. It's good though because the more people we meet, the more everything makes sense.
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I don't know how horrible my grammar is or anything. I can't take the time to adjust, so correct me if I don't make sense. Also Italian grammar is way different. The sentence structure isn't like in English.
English : subject verb object
Italian: object subject verb...I think....
example:
He gave me a flower
Mi ha dato un fiore....so it would be
(to)Me he gave a flower...
It makes life interesting. ha ha, no I like it.
There are so many things that are different here.
We have a 3hr period where most shops close and people take naps or get lunch o qualcosa (or something). It's nice, thats when we do language and have lunch. but just 2 hrs obviously.
The people here also carry things in bags. They never have anything in there hands. Like if they had a book, it would be in a bag, not just in their hands.
I've just noticed little things, little difference.
Also their trash and recycle is so intense and so much smarter.
Produce waste
Plastic
Paper
Trash
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Tanney,
I wanted to tell you something
I am so happy you have found something you love to do
For a very long time, I really hoped that you could find something to help you relax and that you really enjoyed. Turns out, it's fishing and I am so happy. I printed out the picture of you and the fish because you just look so happy and I am so glad!
GO TANNEY! CATCH THOSE FISH!
How are you? how is everything? Let me know!
Eva,
Trek! WOO! Have so much fun. Be good. Wear a bonnet! Drink water.
I am so glad that you've pretty much devoted your summer to church activities, that is really special. You are rocking it! Keep going. Keep learning and enjoying, and tell me about everything.
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I thought about something the other day.
In a lot of photos of me...back in the day, I don't really look happy, even when I'm smiling. If you look, you can just kind of see how sad I was, you can tell.
I looked at the foto album Tanner made for me the other day (Thanks Tanney), and there is the picture is Tanner, you Mommy, and me outside of the Manhattan temple after my first time. I just looked so different. I looked happy and bright and clean, shiny, and new. You can see a difference. My life has changed so much in the past 3 years. I am completely different.
It's even changed in the last 1...the last 7 weeks even! I feel so much better.
When I got my blessing this week, it was the first time I felt that I really understood what it was, who I am, and it was the first time that I felt that I was good, that I was on the path of righteousness, that Father was pleased with me too!
It was a really nice feeling; a feeling of progress and light.
Now I can happily say, I am good. I am faithful.
I love my Father, He loves me too.
My heart is pure, my slate is clean, and my future is bright. Even as bright as the sun! ;) did you catch that? I love this Gospel!
I love you Mommy, I love you Tanney, I love you Evie! I love you Georgie! Where is Georgie??
Ha ha
Be good. Don't you dare, give up. Like Jeffrey R. Holland said, if you feel like you don't have enough faith or your testimony isn't strong, use mine. lean on mine until you have enough strength for your own,.
I love you more than any earthly language can express, but we have our bracelets and that is symbolism enough for me.
I love you
We'll talk soon
Sorella Carlock
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