Goodbyes

I accidentally fell asleep in my skirt. THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. I hated it & I hate that I didn't realize it until I had woken up. not ok.

The capi have this golden family who was a referral from Salt Lake and they brought their two daughters (6&7) to church on Sunday. They are so cute.  

The littlest one was copying the speakers' hand gestures the whole time and I had to keep from cracking up. (It's cute because Italians use their hands.. always..and alot when they speak.) It was a good day. 

Meet Andrea Torriti.  We get along. 

I started bringing snacks to church and sneaking them to him so he'll be my friend. >=)

Then we had the baptism that night with minor dramas but in the end all was well.  

Arianna

We went over to their house last night and Sorella Cruz was telling me all about how she found you guys on Facebook and how well Mom speaks Spanish.  She was trying to show me but I was trying to keep from getting homesick, hahah. 

It hasn't been too cold this week so I'm happy (=

We had our last district meeting with Sorella Pearce and Anziano Memmott. 

I made them "dying" presents with a picture from Pordenone where we all look awful & and a Tylenol PM for the plane ride home.  Sorella Pearce has no self mastery, so she used hers already. hahah 

Today we are going back to the cemetery to kill Sorella Pearce off properly & get ice cream and walk around the prettiest parts of Genova.  I'm happy about it. 

The only really exciting thing is that it's starting to look like Christmas with lights all over the place and such. 

The really life changing things are happening next week, so I'm just trying to mentally prepare hahah.

We have our Christmas conference on Monday when I finally get my package, then Pearce and Memms head out Wednesday.  

That's gonna suck.  I've literally spent my entire mission so far with them piu meno one transfer.  

Ode to Sorella Pearce:

Sorella Pearce:  Here are a few classic Youtube videos to entertain and inspire now that you don't have me around:

I'm sorry I suck this email.  Nothing out of the usual happened.  Besides I had the WEIRDEST dream with Mom in it, hahahahah, but I don't wanna talk about it. 

sharing recipes

Also talk to Sorella Cruz in Spanish, Mom.. she likes it.  Tell her to give you the recipe for the green banana soup.  sounds bad, but it's not. 

smoke alarm
Also I sent Carla a very vague recipe for Italian hot chocolate.. sorry about that.  Tell her if it starts to smoke.. that means it's working.. don't be afraid.. and keep mixing... I probably forgot to say you have to mix it while its heating up.. I'm really sorry hahah 

But we have this member who keeps teaching us how to make really good hot drinks!  I'm excited to show Marielle when I get home.. she's gonna like them. >=)

xx Sorella Paige O'Connor

(Email Sent - December 11, 2013)

Bonus Letter that came in the mail:

Buon Natale & Merry Christmas!  I received my package and I loved it.  I may or may not have cried (happy tears).  I can tell that Christmas is going to be so fun.  They are putting up Christmas lights outside the apartment right now.  

Also everyone loves Mary and the pass along cards for Christmas have her and Baby Jesus on them. 

Also Mary is apparently the "queen" of Genova haha IDK.  There is a story on it but I can't translate it properly.  Like seriously Genova, you're sooo Italian.  

I hope you like this card!  I know how much you like advent calendars.  Sorella Pearce bought me an advent calendar and it was endearing because she's my "mission mom" but that's something my "birth mom" always did for me!  

She also made me a Christmas study plan to go along with each day because we're sister missionaries. Sorry I'm not including a gospel study plan with this advent letter... it is just alot of Luke and John if you're wondering.

Let's talk about how cute "white Christmases" are on Hallmark but how cold they are in real life?  Come mai?  

Sorella Carlock and I are going to sing Christmas songs on the Metro and when it stops, we are going to drop 1,000,000 Gioisca Il Mondo cards on the ground and walk out.  I'm excited about it.  Kaitlin loves park and bus finding, but it's just not my fav... I prefer people coming to me, ya know?

I'll just close this letter with a solid testimony on my love for you and I would also like to express gratitude for being so good at what you do.  You're better than you think you are!  "You are stronger than you realize." President Uchtdorf

Well Mom, I better get back to my Father's business.  I'll see you soon then. - Paige Ryan

Treat Yo'self!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

This week in Genova was so cold, but sunny, so that's a step in the right direction.  So many things happened this week!

i'm not dead yet

On Sunday there was a missionary who had just "died" and his parents picked him up and attended our ward. So I got to translate for his mom. 

(Editor:  When I first read this, I wasn't quite awake and there were no quotes around "died," and I panicked for a minute and thought that a missionary had actually died and that the parents had come to pick up his body or something.  I had to read it a couple of times before I realized she meant that he had finished his mission.)  

not lost in translation

It was fun translating for someone who has no knowledge of Italian (sometimes I forget some people don't understand even a little bit of it). So i just got to make things up!  Not really, but kind of... There really is no point of translating word for word in Relief Society.  It's just like, 

"She's now complaining about how her husband doesn't let her put up the Christmas lights three months in advance."  

"Now that lady is yelling at the other one because she doesn't want to sing that song at the Christmas party."  

"That one is complaining about how Christmas is always sad because she is divorced."  

Italians are dramatic and haughty, but I like them. 

blue boy 

We had an activity in church this week where people bring their "junk" and sell it then give the money to charity.  I bought another pair of slippers for 1 euro and, get this, you'll die.... Chanel nail polish (like legit) called... "Blue Boy" & it's cute! for.... .50 cents!  

I was trying to explain to the anziani that it was essential because it's called "Blue Boy" & that's my favorite painting at the Huntington Gardens. saiii???? 

trading post

Also we had district meeting with our new district leader.  District meeting has kind of become a trading post... Everyone brings all the food we got from members that week that we don't want. 

 (Usually it's just the sisters handing over food we don't want to the elders.)  But we had cake and persimmons this week. 

wicked genova

Also we've been informed that although this was the first city in which Lorenzo Snow came in Italy (when he dedicated it to missionary work), it's been discovered that he quickly left because the people were so wicked.. )= sad. hahahah  But I love Genova!  

great news

We have a baptism this Sunday.  We are excited for it!  It's my first baptism as senior companion, so if anything gets jacked up it's my fault.. no pressure!

best news

BUT!  Best news of the email:   because it's a new transfer and because I live with the Sister Training Leaders and because they have to go to mission council at the beginning of each month... 

I found out from them who found out from Anziano Edwards who told Sister Pearce that..... 
Sara (you know my new convert from Pordenone) has her MISSION PAPERS FILLED OUT!!!!!!  whhhaaattttttt??!!! 

Sara with the Pordenone sorelle

I know!!  She's just waiting on the doctors to sign off because she has a bum knee.  I'm so happy for her & want to hug and kiss her.  crazy right?!  She's so awesome.  

capish?

Also I got Nat's blogs!  She's so cool & I love her. 

New Rule:  for every one of her blogs I get you have to put some sort of note in it from you! capish?

christmas is coming

And for Christmas I have no clue what we're doing..  There are six missionaries in our ward and it's a rule we can't do things together like dinners and family nights.. So we have to find 3 families who can house the poor missionaries all day.. I'll figure it out. 

The Kardashian Kristmas Kard..... I weirdly like it.. This year Kylie is my favorite which NEVER happens.  I also like Kourtney.  Where are Scott & Lamar? please tell me they're still a part of the family..

The Thanksgiving foto of W&M -  I'm dying. they. are. so. cute.  Weston is so bigg!!!!!!! I hate it. )=

popcorn feast

For Thanksgiving all of us just made our favorite food and shared.  I made popcorn because that's what I'm best at and I like it and it's the easiest.   

Everyone else made something fancy... #oops

high school problems

Sister Pearce and Anziano Memmott leave so soon & I feel like I'm going through high school again where you make friends with all the seniors when you're a sophomore, then they all leave and you're lonely for the last half of high school.  I'm sad about it, but it's fine.. I'll just make friends with the other kids. 

I always print out Kaitlin's email and read it at home.  Last week when she said she read my email out loud because she thought it was funny... I got alarmed. I'm pretty sure I was sad that week? #imnotfunnyjustpathetic

Also I'm making a list of movies for Sorella Pearce to see when she gets home.. She's never seen "About a Boy"? who is she?

Also they are putting up a big Christmas tree in centro and it's so cute here!  It's just cold and I hate my life for that. 

ballet lessons

Also we started teaching a real life ballerina. like she's real.  She danced at "La Scala" in Milano and she goes to the theatre and everything.  I'm obsessed with her. SHE'S A REAL BALLERINA!

not my first day
About my back:  I know how to do the whole "Sorry I only have this copy.  Give me your address and phone number and we'll get one to you" trick.. That's why I have 5 Books of Mormon in my bag. ALL return appointments. 

Not my first day on the job. My back will be fine.  

xx Pajina

(Email Sent - December 4, 2013)