Ragazzi

Hi.  

I have a new COMPANION! her name is Sorella Carlock & she was born in Brooklyn and now lives in Montclair, New Jersey.   She's superrr cool.  She's younger than me in the mission but older than me in real life.  So it's fine, but a little weird because that's never happened to me before. 

Sorella Carlock in Milan

She's super cute.  She was in Milan, so Genova is way smaller to her but way huge for me hahah.  She wants to be a lawyer.

Mom asked what I'm going to do with all my Spanish investigators now that Sorella Lemos is gone:  They all avoid me now, hahah, except for Margarita who is 50--she still lets us come hahah.   We teach her how to read... 
in Spanish...it's pretty interesting. 

answered prayers
Sister Pearce says "hi."

She burned her fingers this week.. that was sad)=  She really likes her hot liquids.  I had to pop her finger blisters.  

She says she missed me.  I told her I was sorry because I was praying for her to take Sister Eaton's spot--and now she is here with Sister Durfee because of it.

phone home
Anyway, in other news.. sometimes I still forget I'm a missionary.   

Like on Monday when we were SOAKING wet and cold and on our way back to the apartment on the bus,  I pulled out the cell phone and started dialing... 212-68XX... to call Dad and have him turn on the heater so that it would be warm when we got home.   

Then I remembered we don't have a heater.. and I can't just call my Dad.   That was really sad, hahahaha.  It's fine.  I'm fine. 

(Dad's favorite toy)

It is so cold here.

Today I need to go buy nice Italian tights and more scarfs.

my favorite men
Also Sister Durffee HATES that I put up my favorite One Direction trading cards (thank youuu Delaneeeeey) 
next to my picture of Tommy Monson, but I don't care.

Also we have an investigator who lives in Nervi and it's so pretttyyyy.  I just about died.

She has cancer so that's not good, but she's cool.  Literally she knows nothing about religion or God or Heavenly Father.. it's so fun teaching her. 

in the lead
This week was hard and long.  Being the senior companion is difficult and I'm literally exhausted all the time.  I'm fine, hahah.

Also because Sister Pearce is a Sister Training Leader, she's forced to call Sorella Astel--so that's a shammeee.  Sorella Astel told me about a couple of baptisms in Pordenone 3 of the investigators we found!!  so exciting <3

secret sister stuff
Kaitlin and I have been writing each other in Italian for our language study, and I just wanted to tell Mom that she's gonnnaa hattteeee us when we come back hahaha #secretsisterstuffffff

So much drama back home.. i like it.. keep it coming. EXCEPT that crazy thing with Marilu.. that's soooo not ok.  literally.  (Her friend got hit over the head with a bottle at a Halloween party.)

reunited
Can we just talk more about how Sister Pearce and I are together agaaiinnnn?... what are the odds?  She's in her last FULL transfer and she goes home halfway through the next.  

She said I can't get transferred and I have to "kill" her, but I said that I don't haavvee to do anythinngg.   She's says... actually I DO, because she's one of my file leaders.. 

Mom, when am I going to get the chicken noodle soup recipe?  Also I love that chubby picture of you with your curly hair when you were a missionary... so pretty, the mommyyy hahahaha.  I think you look great.

(Hermana Behunin - circa 1985)

I love you ALL.  I can't think of anything else to say except that: 

We are working hard.  
Our Spanish-speaking investigators don't understand me.  
Sorella Carlock and I are going to be the power couple of Genova.  
I need to buy a blowdryer.  
Kimye is engaged everyonneee; that's crazy.  
When is the Bergquist baby going to coommeeee?
Everyone is getting married.. but that's fineee I guess. 

xx, Sorella Paige O'Connor

(Email Sent - October 23, 2013)

CTR

GOOOD MORNINNGG EVERYBODY!!!!

Side Note:  My roommates here don't think my enthusiastic morning wake-up greetings are quiitteee as endearing as my sweet family & Marielle do.. so that's sad, right?

transfer trauma
This week was transferrssss.. annnndddd Sorella Lemos is headed to Pavia which is about 30 minutes away hahah, but she's disappointed because it's a really small city with zero South Americans and she's probably on a bike. 

 But she's going to be companions with Sorella Carter, who is Wyatt Clement's friend I talked to before coming, and she's so cute. so she's lucky.  

memory loss
I'm really bad and don't remember who my companion is.. oopss.  

We were at our bishop's house having Serata Familiare (Family Night? I don't remember for sure what it's called in English) with our investigator.  When we got the call about transfers, Sorella Lemos found out first and then handed me the phone.. & while I was talking to the assistants to find out who my new companion is, she started bawwllinnnggg. 

I was just in shock like, "What do I do?"  So I shrugged off the anziani and was just like, "yeah yeah sure sure byyeeee." "click."  ARE YOU OK? WHATS WRONG WITH YOU?!!  

Then she calmed down and we went back to the bishop and he asked,  "Sooo, who's coming here?" 

 ____________ blank. 

"I don't remember. Sorry Bishop, you'll have to wait till Sunday."  But then the Capi Zona told me again and I still don't remember, so I have no excuse.  Also I'm too prideful to ask again. 

we're all dying here
BETTER NEWS:  So you know how Sister Eaton is dying?  That means I get a new roommate annnddd you know who that new roommate is? hahahha you're gonna die... i died:   

Awwww,  poor Sister Pearce has to live with me again...

 Hahahhahahahahahha I'm gonna "kill" her.  Literally she will probably "die" here in Genova, and I want to kill her off so bad.  

But Anziano Memmott and I are excited because we will all be in a district together again!  I can't speak for Sister Pearce, but we're happy about it, and she'll have to deal with us regardless >=) 

begging
Sorella Astel got transferred to Torino!  I beggggeeddd Anziano Memmott to let me travel with Sorella Lemos to pick up my new companion, but my motives were mostly selfish because I knew Sorella Astel would be there... as well as our whoolleee MTC district--literally all of them but me.  

Oh Sorella Egbert is coming to my zone, pink washing with a greenie!  So I get to see her(:  It's gonna be a good transfer. 

spooky
So last week, we went to the cemetery (Cimintero Staglieno).  Apparently it's the second most beautiful one in Europe!  And all of the famous poets are buried there.  (obvi not ALL of the them, but there are alot of them.)  

But we didn't find that out until AFTER we went, but it's finnee.   I'll have to go back and check.  It's so cool though--it's like every art history museo I've been to in one place.  

Also if you go to the places less traveled, you find open tombs and dug up graves.. really not ok!  spookkyyyy ya know? I'll take you all back there someday.  Mom would like it. 

cold is coming
And it's really cold.  Every one tells me I'm going to diieeee "sorelllaaaa tu muorirai" when it gets into winter, so that's really sad. 

Ohhhh my, so we went to our bishop's house so far away in the mountains (literally the most beautiful place I've ever been).   He has 4 kids under 8--that's crazy for italians.  It's like you have 2 kids and stop.  Anyway, they areeee sooo cute.  I just can't describe.  I was dying.  But I did learn how to make goooood pizza. 

false pretenses
So a funny story from this week:  It didn't happen to us, but the capi zona. hahahaha.  So there is this member named Liz and she's super cute, 18.   She got baptized about a year ago and she is soooo great! 

Anyway, she called the anziani and were like "Hey can you meet me and my guy friend here at 4:00, and will you teach him the Plan of Salvation?"  So they were like, "Umm, YES!" 

So they taught him and thought, "He just seemed sooo NOT interested."  So after the lesson they asked,  "Liz, Where did you even find this guy?" 

She explained to them that she met him on Facebook and turns out he thought he was coming to just meet Liz to go on a date or something.   I don't know, BUT SHE TRICKED HIM!   She didn't tell the anziani oorrr this poor guy!  hahahahahaha.  Ohhhh sweet Liz.  

Anyway, he's not that interested in the restored gospel.. but in Liz, yes. hahah 

stuff and more stuff
Also, I broke my closet again.  I'm really not sure how I always seem to do that..I don't have thhaatttt much stuff

We got the mate, Mom!  Sorella Lemos cried. (dramatic much?)  She is very grateful. 

And I got the package from Pordenone!!!  I love the new BYU shirt. seriously.  

I shared the Cookie Butter with Layla and Leo (our investigator and her less-active fiance).   Layla lovveeedd it and Leo faked liking it, hahah.   They don't really know how to react to it.  I may or may not have that hidden under my bed.

I got 5 letters this week!!!!  It was so fun!  I'm trying my besst to write everyone back today.  Sorella Lemos has control today because its her last day in Genova.  She loves Chinese stores.. don't ask... they are literally the worst:  mass-produced, really cheap clothing.  It's fine. si chiama "gem"  

Also Kaitlin has pday on Mondayyy?  I hate thattt ):

xx Sorella O'Connor

(Email Sent - October 16, 2013)

Mamma Mia

A little piece of Genova in the rain

So much happened this week. 

saying goodbye to yudelka

my fav investigator moved back to her country.. it was sad

trying to stomach it

I would like to start off by telling you I ate cow stomach this week & hated it. 

We were at a member's house and they made food for us.  I took a picture of it before I knew what it was.  When I started eating it, I realized the meat was NOT chicken...

 I knew I didn't want to know what it was until after I finished my plate. It's a mental thing.  

Sister Lemos wouldn't tell me what it was until we got in the elevator (she likes that kind of food), but I'll send a picture. 

haircuts of affection

Also I don't know if I told you, but Sister Lemos is a freelance hair and makeup stylist.  Her dad is a barber, so she's been cutting hair since she was 9 down in Argentina.  

Over the last weeks she's asked to cut my hair, color my hair, braid my hair, do my make-up, give me a face mask, annnndddd pierce my ears. still sleeping with one eye open. it's just not going to happen.

Also, am I ugly or something? hahaha it's fine.  I'm not going to get an Argentine haircut and end up looking like Mom on her mission. (Her mom may have had a traumatic experience with an '80s perm - not pretty)

But her way of showing affection is by giving haircuts, so she cuts our investigators hair after lessons and I literally hold my breath every time. (that's normal right?) no.  I'm just afraid were gonna lose someone because of a bad haircut. but it's finneee I guess, hahah.

pushover

My companion loves my American eyeliner, mascara and hairspray.  I'm not very good at sharing, but I do it anyways because I'm a pushover. (I'm out of all those things and need to go buy more today.  My shampoo and conditioner may or may not be hiding under my bed...)

Quote from Sister Lemos this week, "I'm learning how I can love you." (She's not the first) 

It's getting chillllyyyy here in Genova.. super breezy thanks to the ocean. 

I bought a straightener last week because mom was complaining about the top knot. si chiama pigrizia ("it's called laziness")

general conference

ohhhhhh yyeeaahhhhh Conferencceee! that happened just this week? oh my. 

I was afraid we were gonna have to watch it in Italian because Sister Lemos doesn't speak English, but we watched Relief Society session in Italian and the rest in English.  

She WANTED to watch in English because she likes hearing their voices.. buuttt we were the only sisters in the room with like 6 companionships of elders (Anziano Tredway being one of those anziani-SO WEIRD Dad saw his brother at the airport, small world.  He was also my zone leader my first transfer in Pordenone)

Mike and the other Elder Tredway

(Mike ran into this elder in the airport who was on his way home from his mission in Africa.

Turns out his brother is not only serving in the Milan Mission, but is currently in the same district with Paige in Genova.  Such a small missionary world!)

The only disappointment was that they had the MTC choir for Relief Society session, so it was just sister missionaries.  I was just like "Whhheeerreeee are the elders?.. I need some Ben Patch in my life."

thumbs up for the ladies

So it was super awkward on all the talks about women, hahaha, the elders would just turn around and give us "thumbs up." 

This is Sister Eaton's lasssttt pday so we are going to the cemetery hahah.  It's like a thing I guess.  (because she is "dying" in the mission)

Also, she worked at Aspen Grove camp as a Rompers' counselor.

Staglieno Cemetery in Genova

why don't you stay... just a little bit longer?

I don't know what else to sayyyy.  We find out transfers this week.  Sister Lemos started in Genova and this is her 4th transfer here, soo she thinks she going but I think she's staying... 

shoulder angel

Can we talk about Dad and the "shoulder angel?"... how's your back? hahahah but also that's super funny.

Mike and Matt Meese at the Homecoming Kickoff

Studio C

And sweet Elder Perry.. Tell him he's in our prayers too ya know! 

(When Elder Perry heard that we have two missionaries serving in Italy, 

he asked to take this pic and sent a sweet message to Paige and Kaitlin saying

that he and his wife send their love and that they are in their prayers.)

As far a food recipes go (to send her).. I've been craving squash.  Is that weird?  We have it here, but I don't know how to cook it.. also gnocchi and cheese >=) for special occasions

working on it
Aimee and I are in the same boat (still struggling with the language).  Sister Lemos loves to talk and also loves to correct, so sometimes it shoots down the self confidence ya know? but it's fine.  I'm working through it, hahahah.

Tell Grandma "hi" and "I love her."

All the pictures were perrfectttt hahah.  Weston is getting so big!

And I got all the cardigans you sent.  I'm wearing the "hoggs" one right now and its sooo comfy!  My, the one with the stars is sooooo cute!  I may or may not have worn it like 3 times this week. oopss #sorryimnotsorry

When mom told me not to put my dress in the dryer (so it wouldn't shrink).... I laughed because this is the image that came into my mind.. this is also our balcony:

(This is Paige's "dryer")

It's crazy that it's already BYU homecoming.. I got my call to Italy almost a year ago, so that's even weirder..

Love, Paige

(Email Sent - October 9, 2014)

Writing Out of Obedience (the White Handbook says I have to)

From Paige's Mom:  When Paige first got online, she didn't have any emails from her parents in her inbox (I was still typing and Mike was traveling and was late to post.... ), so she was not pleased with us.

Email from Paige:

All my love goes to Marielle & friends because she's the ONLY one who wrote me an actual email this week, like with words..  Also Cam & Nat are on the good list.. everyone elseeee, I'm just telling you how my week went out of obedience(: 

pioneer day

This week we had an ACTIVITY in church, and it was so good!  It was pioneer-themed.  (When is Pioneer Day? I don't even know. - answer: July 24th)  

But it was so funny EVERYONE dressed up like pioneers and our investigators came it was really, really good and also really, really funny!   They went ALL out like with handcarts and everything in our tiny chapel/apartment hahah.

getting stuck

Also me and the elevators here don't mesh well hahaha.  They are SO TINY!  There is a door you pull open and then little doors you push through to get in (think elevators from 1895).   

But when I'm inside the elevator, I'm always impatient to get out and I pull open the tiny doors before the elevator is ready.  So I accidentally stop the elevator in the middle of a door and a shaft.   

Then I need to remember to be patient, close the doors, and let the elevator take me all the way there.  Sister Lemos gets mad at me when I do that but it's never on purpose!! 

home alone

We live with the Sister Training Leaders (Eaton & Durfee), so they are gone a lot of the time on exchanges or something.  We were home alone Friday night and I was putting on my nightgown when all the lights went out and Sister Lemos said, "Ohh noooo, I did something!" (We try to speak English in the house and it's super cute hahah).   

She tried to "make an egg" in the microwave (i have no clue how one does that) but we had to wait for the "older sisters" to help us hahah--we're only 20..

out of gas

District meeting was so saadd this week (so sad, but we were laughing kind-of).  There are 4 copie of anziani and us (so that's 8 against 2), and they were all so mopey this week.   The 4 elders in La Spezia have no gas for heating (I know how that is), but they haven't had any gas this whole transferrr, so ice-cold showers and cold food.  

They are opening the area, so they have no teaching pool and everyone was depressed and everyone was getting really low numbers.   Our district leader was just pumping everyone up (trying to) and Sorella Lemos and I were just like, 

"Whhhaaatttt? We got 20 lessons this week!"   We were stoked.  

So we're praying extra hard for the anziani in La Spezia with no heat and no investigators this week.. so sad, the anziani.

personal space

I also have no personal space anymore):  I hate the bus and I hate public transportation.  I'll say that till the day I die.   Seriously Mom, never again will I take a bus after a mission. the smells.. oh myyy gosh the smells.. and the dogs.. why people think it's okay to bring dogs on the bus.. dio sa 

wrecked

I don't know hooowwww it happened, but I heard what I presume to be a new Miley song at the metro station and it's been stuck in my head all week.. "YOU WRE-E-ECKED MEEE!!"   That's all I know, hahaha.  

How do I make it stop?  (Paige has nooo idea!  That's what we're ALL saying about Ms. Cyrus these days.)   

I promise I'm a good missionary. 

happy birthday marielle!!

Also it's Marielle's birthday this week, and I miss her.

I knew about the new Bergquist baby before yoouuuu (that was my "secret sister stuff" postcard from last week)--I AM SO EXCITED!  

little boys and baby bumps

I was kinda hoping/praying they could wait to be preggo before December so I could have a channcceee of seeing the baby bump, but it's fine--newborns are cute toooo<3

art in the windows

Gosh, don't tell anyone, but there are the most beautiful wedding dresses here.  We see them in the store windows as we pass by.   I might have picked mine out already (Ellie Saab has nothing on this dress).

The one in the back (with the sleeves - obvi)

This one is my favorite - the structure, oooohh

Sorella Lemos thinks it's kinda plain....

empty mailbox
Just send packages to the mission home. It's super complicated to get them, because I have to be home to sign for them, blah blah blah.  It's gonna take like all day today to finally get my asos package(=  I'm stoked on it, but I don't know how happy Sister Lemos is, oops. 

BUT YOU CAN SEND ME LETTERS EVERY DAY!!!  It sucks because we check our mailbox everyday, and I never have anything #missionaryproblems

We didn't get to go to the aquarium last week because we ran out of time)= and I'm not convinced Sister Lemos wants to go because its 20 euro, but I realllllyy reallly want to go so I'm pushing it, hahah. 

I also hurt my back putting together handcarts and carrying a million books in a side bag,  but it's finneee, naproxen works...

lighten the load
BUT I bought a mini Italian bible last week and I love it. 

I'm not sure it's the best translation, hahah.  I bought it at an evangelical<- (is that the right word in English?) bookstore but it's finnee, right?  It's about the same idea.  I like it because it lightens the load.. literally my bag is so heavy! 

Well, that's all for this week<3

Love you long time. 

p.s.  I got an email from Mom, so she's on the good list now.

(Email Sent - October 2, 2013)