Eight: June 26, 2013 Milano

Sorella Hoppe couldn't find her name tag so she wore my to do speso (shopping)

 Ciao tutti,

First i have to say before i forget - THERE ARE SO MANY LIZARDS HERE! Like little garden salamanders or whatever. its funky!

Guess what? tomorrow I'm doing a scambio (missionary comp switch) with the sorelle in Milano 1. Not going far but it will be cool!

Milan is really a lot like Uruguay. So many South Americans. Sorella Hoppe speaks Spanish and i forgot to tell you this before: Sorella Hoppes name is Eva!!! Eva Maria! how cool is that? You're with me Eva! Sorry there are no apostrophes on this keyboard, i hate it. [Mommy is editing for her baby!]

I'm trying to be quick so please forgive me for the lack of organization.
_____

The fruit and vegetables here are so much better than the US! I love the cookies too, a little too much.  I eat Nutella too! I didn't think I would, but I do!

We haven't had any meals with members or anyone yet. We have arroz con leche, but that's it.  We make our own food and its always good! Yay!

I think I'm losing weight though.

___

I want to share some scriptures

1Ne 21: 3 , 5 (yet i shall be glorified in the eyes with the lord and i shall not be ashamed)

love it!

also ether 1 :38 (if it so be, let us be faithful)

the Lord chooses the best things for us. if something must happen and it is hard...if it so be, let us be faithful. let us never give up

no arrendersi!

We had a missionary training meeting and I saw all of my MTC group.
We watched a movie about how the Atonement applies to Missionary Work...WOW!!!!!

powerful.

as we were going to leave, I hugged Sorella Wolfgramm because shes leaving in a few days and the new president will come...

She said you are amazing, and I know you're amazing because you're here!

I just burst into tears!

(hey i found the apostrophe!)

____

We've been doing a lot of work with menoattivi.  Weve had some really awesome lessons.  We visited an old lady last week who doesn't come to church because she cant hear and it makes her anxious because she wants to hear but she can't....how said is that?

We were meeting with a family of an active man and a less-active woman, she told us not to call anymore...if made me sooo sad.

We had a really great lesson on Monday with a woman, she has such strong faith but do to a situation and her current lifestyle, she doesn't come to church.  I think we can help her! at least i want to try.  Sorella Hoppe, this woman, and I all think is wasn't an accident that we met.

we have done some finding and that's great! we go to the parks and just say hey what makes you happy? whats important to you?

Well its Sorella Hoppe that starts and then I bear testimony or something.

___

The people here are a little crazy! Because I am blonde, I REALLY stand out! Ive been yelled at a few times and men say ciao bella...its weird and uncomfortable but ...whatever.

People on the metro stare at us. We're trying to figure out a way to address everyone on the metro so we don't waste any time.  We spend so much time on the metro and if we don't talk to anyone, we aren't fulfilling our purpose.  So we're working 'soapbox' methods! ha!  picture that! Lopo on a soapbox! nooo...we just want to talk to everyone and not single people out because our purpose is to invite all to come unto Christ!

___


We have a really small shower. its a little bigger than our slop sink at home.  Our toilet is super deep too, and to flush, you turn the water on like a faucet and turn it off when it is empty.

we have a bidet but i don't want to use it! ha ha!

Overall, I am comfortable, happy, and I sleep at night.

------


My personal study time really is the best time of day, Tanney! I am getting so much out of it.

I feel an urgency to do this work, to be on time, to give it my all.

Sorella Hoppe is awesome.

My clothes, suitcases, bedding, shoes, glasses, toiletries, etc. EVERYTHING is PERFECT! do not worry.

I am taken care of.  I have no need to complain. I am so much more than lucky to have all of the things that I have! Non vi preoccupate!  ...I think that's the right phrasing.  Just don't worry.

____

I really love hearing from you. its lifts my spirit. thank you. I'm sorry I can't address every single thing, but I read it with appreciation and I laugh, ''cry'', shout with excitement, and feel your love- please know that!

Thank you for your love and support. you are the best family ever!

___

The only wordly things I miss are peanut butter and my church music. I only have an Italian hymnbook and I don't remember the English words. ha ha. Maybe it's better that way.

I also don't like the fact that we pray in TU form here. I always address Heavenly Father with THY, not you. why do it in Italian? so I struggle with that. But I'm all good. I love everyone, I smile at everyone. I don't get angry. I get sad sometimes and a little lonely, but not more than I am happy.

I love you all. You are my strength. You and My God, my Glorious Father in Heaven, His Son Jesus Christ, and my Companion and Friend, the Holy Ghost. He is always helping me.

You are my sunshines! My only Sunshines!

DONT you dare EVER give up.

Whenever you feel like I'm so far away, remember my love remains!


I love you
I love you!

Vi AMO!!!!!!!

This church is true!

Qualify yourselves!


I LOVE YOU!!!!


CIAO
CI VEDIAMO
A DOPO!

Bye my darling family -

21st birthday photographs - a few days early

Pictures from apartment and duomo in first area - Milano!

MTC photographs

Seven: June 19, 2013 Milano

I am in Milano!!!! WOO HOO!!!

Ok I'm just going to jump right into it.  I don't have much time -

I'm in Milano. My first area!  Cimiano Milano is my church building and its actually where we all met out trainers.  So, I didn't go anywhere, just stayed put.

My trainer, Sorella Hoppe, is German: she speaks German, English, Spanish, and Italian (and REALLY WELL too).  When I saw her, I knew she'd be my trainer, because Satan tried to tell me I wanted something different, like that I wanted to be in a fancier place like Como and not the city.  But, I don't.  I WANT TO BE HERE!  Milano is great.  It's so beautiful. Sorella Hoppe (hope-uh) really is the best.

We live in a little neighborhood, very typically Italian. Our apartment is beautiful.  We live with 2 other sisters, Sorella Lopez & Sorella Bollwinkel.

Our ward has 150 active members.  Sorella Hoppe and I are opening a coppia (companionship) so basically, we're opening our portion of the area.  There are already missionaries in Milano 2, but we are opening our area...pretty cool.. Starting from scratch-ish.  We spent the first 4 days just doing a member map and an inactive list.  It took a long time but we are much more organized now.  We had a lesson on Monday!!!!!

She is a 40ish yr-old woman who wants to learn English but is open to the lessons.  We met with her and I tried to recite the first vision in English and I couldn't remember it in English! HA HA! Solo in Italiano!  We are seeing her again tonight and we will give her il Libro di Mormon and one in English too.  She speaks English so well.  I don't think she is just meeting with us because of English.  I think the Lord is guiding her to the missionaries (the other sorelle taught her once first) so that she cant hear the gospel.

We also met with a less active family last night.  They are from the the Phillipines.  They speak English, Tagalog, and Italian.  Both lessons we had this week were bilingual.  Seriously, they were really good lessons.  The Spirit was present both times.

We met a man at the l'Ufficio Postale (post office) today and he was a Jehovah's Witness...he kind of wanted to "bible bash" and it was really frustrating because I didnt know what to do, and I should've just borne my testimony but I couldn't get it out.

We did Casa in Casa (knocking doors) on Saturday or Friday with a member, and it was interesting.  No one really wanted to talk to us- everyone here thinks we are Jehovah's Witnesses (Testimoni di Geova,) but they don't wear tags.

I guess I'm surprised.  There are so many Latinos here. Tanner- its like being in Uruguay all over again! Except everyone speaks Italian. It seriously is very similar, just more developed I guess.  I love it!  There are gellaterie everywhere.  We went to a gellateria today - 30 minutes ago actually, right next to the Duomo and it was awesome.  And we ate Panzerotti.  YUM!  like a fluffy puff pastry with stuff inside.


We had zone conference yesterday! WOW! It was awesome.  It's President and Sister Wolfgramm's last one, so it was a little bittersweet but it was really powerful.

----

I seriously love being here.  Its great.


SOOO humid!  We only have fans in our apartment so we wake up pretty soaked in the morning and when we are walking outside we get pretty soaked again.  But its ok! I'm from New Jersey, I know humidity so I ain't sweating it....HAHA!  see what I did there?


---

Church on Sunday was awesome, a full chapel, the members are great!

There isn't much else to tell you.  I just want to work on being more spiritually in tune and more willing to talk to everyone.  We sit on the metro and sometimes we don't talk to anyone and I want to change.  I want to be fearless and more like Christ.  I'll get better, I really just have to follow the Spirit and DO.  I don't want to go home feeling like I wasted this precious time.  I am trying to get better and change.  I've started carrying a Book of Mormon facing out in my hand so that people know we are different...(actually everyone stares at us anyway...it's odd but funny, I just smile).

When Sorella Hoppe talks to people, she is fearless.  She just says what she wants to say and (sometimes people tell us "vai vai", which is the 'tu' form of go...it's pretty rude), she's just like, ok fine but God loves you! ha ha She's the BOMB!

I want to do that with everyone.  Its almost been a week.  We have a mission goal for 15 lessons and I hope we can make that.  I'm sure we can.  I just want to keep getting better.

This is seriously the best.

Being here in Italy doesn't feel strange, odd, different, foreign...it feels like home.  I don't feel out of place...I do feel lost sometimes but that's because I don't know where anything is. ha ha.  I feel great, I wake up in the morning and I'm not surprised I'm here.  I'm in Italy...just like I should be.  There's nothing weird about it.

Not all the food places in Milano are that good btw, because Milano is kind of touristy...kind of ha!  It's touristy, you have to know the right places.  The best food I've had was made by Sorella Hope, and at the Panzerotti today and the gellateria today also.  Don't get me wrong, its good!  But today was gooood!  The apples, man!  The apples are delicious!!! SOOO GOOD!  Green apples here are sweet too. They're juicy and the peel is crisp.  There are NO water fountains anywhere so it's hard to get cold water unless you buy it.  I still have to find a water bottle.  I should've kept mine from the MTC.  I'm always thirsty!  Ha ha.  We can find one here easy. I just haven't really been looking.

The water didn't use to be drinkable so everyone drank bottled water, but it's OK now ...people still drink bottled water though ha ha

At least that's what I heard.

This is awesome.  The Elders are so nice too and helpful.

The traveling elders have been over the past two days building shelves and a bunk bed for the other sorelle and they are very nice and respectful.  Our anziani in our district (Anziano Hansen and Anziano Poulson), they are so supportive.  It's just great.  Sorella Lopez and Bollwinkel are a lot of fun too!  Its just all around good.

If I were to complain about ANYTHING it would be this...
I want to work more
My feet hurt from walking
There is not much cold water!

Ha ha ha.  I'd say thats a pretty OK list, if you ask me!

This really is the best.

I'm sorry that this letter isn't much either. but I'll send pictures!

Love you all

Ciao for now

Six: June 5, 2013 MTC

Ciao la mia famiglia carissima,

Come state? Tutto bene??

I loved hearing from you and getting the videos of Georgie! They are so cute.  Thank you!
Thank you for your constant letters!

Thank you for the pretzels, the card reader, the clothes, the loves, the pictures!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Although we do not speak every day, I feel your love and I know I am not left alone!

I was so excited to hear about the 40% of the missionary being sisters!  I made up a song a while ago:
Sister power
keeps me save from sin
Sister power
is the power within!".....wow....so different from the original! lol

Italian is awesome. One of our investigators has a baptismal date! WAHOO!
(We teach our teacher who act as investigators they taught)

I ALMOST FORGOT THE COOLEST PART!!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!

WE GOT TO SKYPE WITH A REAL ITALIAN!!!!!!!! WE TALKED TO SOMEONE IN ITALY!~

IT WAS SOOOO COOL!  Ok, so his name is S and he is the member that went to the lessons with Fratello J when he taught a woman named R. BUT! S is the name of our investigator here.  So we are teaching the woman named R, but to keep privacy or whatever, our teacher changed the name to S...but the secret's out, so so much for privacy!  whatever....i hope you understood that.


SO basically, life is great and I am SO excited to be a missionary!


I love you all...


Mom you are amazing and so strong.  You are wiser than you think, more special than you know, and better than you believe.  Don't doubt yourself...because that is doubting God. He made YOU to be the way you are.  You are His creation and HE LOVES YOUUU!!!!!  I hope you know how much you are loved, by sooo many!

You are all prayed for. 

Tanner I hope you are really liking your programs. It sounds great!

Eva, I hope you're comfortable at school and you're working hard.

I love you!