Goodbye Monza

I never really know how to start emails.. 

So everyone at this point knows I've been praying for Como or Firenze... I'm going to neither. 

I got transferred to Torino! 

It's pretty big they had the Winter Olympics there in 2006 so everything is nice and I'll be in the same ward with the zone leaders again, which I love. 

I'm sad to leave Muggiò but it was so time.  I think I did everything here I needed to.  I feel bad I won't get to take you all back to super "pretty" cities, but that's what Kaitlin's mission is for, hahah.  I'm good with the way things turned out! 

baptized

This week Ronald and Mariuxi got baptized and it was the best. 

(our relationship summed up into one photo)

They invited us to go to lunch before & we said yes.  Poor Anziano Cameron was so nervous (it's his first and HE was baptizing Ronald), so he called us 100 times to make sure everything was ok..  

Finally he called, and I don't knoww whhyyy, but I told him that Mariuxi had hit her head and we had to go to the hospital and I wasn't sure if we were going to make it.. Then I told him I'd have to call him back when I knew more... such a bad idea. hahhaha.  

But I called him back and told him it was a joke like 1 minute later, so he didn't suffer too badly.  

Everything went great.  

I said the opening prayer, woohoo.  

farewells

I said goodbye to everyone on Sunday because I was pretty sure I was leaving.  

love the young women

model Italian baby that I love and want to hold

We had Family Home Evening with la famiglia Di Liberto (the family we did Mothers' Day skype with) on Monday and I'm going to miss them so much.  

We went with Ronald and Mariuxi and on the way back the freeway was closed so we had to take side streets and we didn't get home until 11pm. That was bad.  

On Tuesday we had a ward activity, which was just putting a tv in the chapel and watching the soccer game.  

So we just sat outside the door and chit chatted with the wives and glanced in occasionally and then became fully immersed the last five minutes.  #oops It was sad.  They were all sad.  And I was sad because I was leaving. 

& today I'm packing. & we're getting chinese food with Ronald and Mariuxi tonight. 

heartbreak
I had to say bye to Carmen and it was the world's living worst. I hated it and we cried. 

We look happy but we're really sad

It's sad leaving cities, and I'm always a little bitter and tell myself I won't love the next place as much as I loved this one and then I'm always wrong and it's just a mean cycle of heartbreak over and over again.. so that's sad.  And I'm sad to leave Monza and all my friends, but it'll be okay. 

transfer news:

Sorella O'Connor + Sorella Lawrence in Torino 

Sorella Lawrence and Sorella Erwin in Torino

(She came in with Sorella Gillespie, so she's pretty young but she's really cute)

Anziano Tanner went to Lodi to be the new assistant to the president.

Anziano Chipman went to GENOVA 1 and is going to go love all the people over there and call THEM every night.  (K: That's was Paige's previous area.) 

Sorella Baer went to Firenze and took the spot I wanted 

 and the Como sorelle stayed as they were.

I have sooo many pictures I want to send, so sorry this email is short again..

xoxo Paige

more from the wedding:

(Email Sent - June 25, 2014)

Transfer Week

Hey everyone...

This week is transfer week & I'm still praying for Como.. There is the cutest sister from Rome there and I want to be her companion so bad. Slla Pearce wants me to die in Rimini, which I also wouldn't mind.. or Florence because saldi season there would be off the chain.

The "four transfers" club

This week was good.  We had ward conference and it was dramatic like everything always is, but it was good. 

beatlemania
We also had this activity about the 1960's and the missionaries dressed up like the Beatles (it's cute because they're always in suits) and sang "Help".. 

(shower caps covered in paper for the hairdo)

I stood on the side and yelled at them what to do, when to spin and when to jump and move around and Sorella Killpack filmed it. It was good.  There were soooooo many people there I was surprised hahah.  We got in a lot of good contacts that day. 

zone conference
Also we had zone conference with the both of the Milano zones, so it was fun because I got to see a lot of my friends.

care package

But let's talk about the salt & vinegar chips.. better than in America! so good.  I may or may not have eaten them all... I shared but... there are none left. sad but good while it lasted.

before I go
Ronald and Mariuxi are getting baptized THIS Saturday. yeaahh it's okay - just as long as I'm here for it I'm happy... okay, that's a lie.. just as long as it happens I'm happy...

I've been kind of punchy lately & I think it's just because I'm sad I know I'm leaving Muggiò.  I mean it's time but I'm sad about it. meno male Killpack is perfect for me.. 

Everyone is so stoked on the World Cup.. We know everything, hahah, except about America. I doubt it will happen, but we need to pray that America doesn't play Italy or our safety is in danger.. jk.. but... 

For Father's Day we had brussell sprouts because I know how much he loves them. 

TS (Taylor Sanders) is playing volleyball for Verona... that is so cute. seriously.

I miss Marielle & this letter is all over the place, hahah, I don't know what's wrong with me. 

Carmen gave us like 20 kilos of carrots this week soo....

I've been praying for Natalie to get transferred to Moreno Valley so bad.. I guess Hemet is fine too. Is she still in 3? When does Aimee get home? soon right? 

I'm not trunky, I'm just moody..hahahah 

With Love from Monza, 
Sorella O'Connor

p.s. You have to watch this cute video on genealogy. They're making us do all this genealogy work to help our new converts start and use it as a finding tool.. hahaha

They made us watch this at zone conference and we all cried because we miss our families, hahah.

(Email Sent - June 18, 2014)

Sweat and Scambios

Good Morning everyone! 

This week was good!  I learned so much.. 

I'm trying to think of all the good things that happened because I forgot my planner #yolo

broadcast

Stake conference was literally the best.  I watched the same one as Kait, and it was so good. 

Anziano Texiera is the sweetest & reminds me of Dad.  He comes to Milano sometimes and trains us, so it was fun to see him.  

Elder and Sister Texiera with the assistants and Pres. and Sister Dibb

Sorella Reeves told a funny story about driving in Switzerland and seeing a helicopter with a rope hanging down and then when the trees cleared, saw it was transporting a COW...  

standard Swiss cow rescue

Neil L Anderson was a mission president in Europe, which I didn't know.  He was so good.. he talked about the difference between Brasil and Europe. intense.  He said, "Europe doesn't have more or fewer difficulties.. we just have our challenges."  So that was great because sometimes I get down about not being a missionary in the Americas. 

Sister and President Uchtdorf with Elder Anderson

Sister Uchtdorf is the cutest because they held the conference at the stake center in Switzerland right next to the temple.. and she was married in that temple so she talked about that.  She's just a sweetheart with her little German accent. and Presidente Uchtdorf laid it down and it was so fun to be a part of the whole experience.  

It's like these are my people or something. 

Leaders with the members at the Swiss conference

It was good also because all our members did a temple trip that weekend.  It's like a two-hour car ride. and they brought us back chocolates like they always do.. yolo right?  I just loved it. 

scambio
& then we went on SCAMBIO this week which was so fun because I got to go to Pavia for a sleepover with Sorella McCann.  

Sorella McCann with Kaitlin at the Provo Temple (MTC)

Finally companions for one day!  

It was so fun but also miserable because it's so hot.  We were on trains all day by ourselves literally no one travels when it's this hot in Milano.  We went to this member's house and she gave us rose water to put on our faces so we could freshen up and iced tisana. (herbal tea) yumm.  

Then she was talking too much and we had to catch our train back & we're out in the middle of nowhere and the train doesn't pass for another hour if we miss it. 

so we had to run. 

under the African sun. 

it was awful. 

but we made it.  

Also no one believes in a/c here, so it was just as hot, if not hotter, in the train but we used Plan of Salvation pamphlets for at least a little ventilation. so it's fine.  

It was a really fun scambio.  We just chit chatted and did missionary work.  Then the other sorelle came back the next day and we ate lasagna together & now I'm back with Killpack. 

O'Connor and Killpack

I don't really know what else.. Ronald and Mariuxu are getting baptized Saturday and I'm giving the opening prayer.  

Okay, I have to go.  We're having pday with Melissa Diliberto and she's taking us shoe shopping. 
(Sorry Dad, I'm gonna be bad this week. maybe.. if I find the right ones.. fingers crossed I do so I can stop looking.) 

xoxo Paige

(Email Sent - June 11, 2014)

Bridesmaids

This week was so happy.  Our numbers suffered so badly but.... it's ok!  (just let her..) 

The wedding itself was great and everything flowed seamlessly(=  Just everything beforehand was nuts. literally. 

hair and makeup

Maru told us to come to her house at 7:30 am because she was getting her hair done at a salon at 8:00 (meno male because we do not do hair) and she wanted to have a clear mind that we would be at her house by the time she was done because she didn't know how long it would take... 

The wedding was scheduled for 11:00 and Mariuxi doesn't come back until 10:45.... without makeup and no dress.. 

The photographers are there and the car....  So I'm freaking out and the pressure is on.  Good thing she made us come over 5 times that week to do a prova, because if not it would have taken me ages.  

But I got it done in like 15 minutes. She had bought fake eyelashes with BLACK GLUE!  Thanks to my cheer days I'm pretty good at putting on fake lashes.  

But we always used clear glue because if you mess up it's fine and you just try again.. So I'm over here praying so so hard with a shaky hand putting on fake eyelashes with black glue on a bride who is 20 minutes late to her wedding and if I mess up we have to start all over.. 

I know I'm sounding so so dramatic, but it was a big deal. 

god always answers

But after not breathing for 45 seconds, it actually turned out good because God always answers my prayers. 

By this time its 11:30 and Mariuxi is putting her dress on and Sorella Sorgy is calling us like crazy to get there.  We get in the car of her friend and I'm trying to give her directions.. (I'm always on bike so it's kind of rusty) and we end up getting there AFTER Mariuxi shows up.. so she's waiting outside for us because Sorella Killpack is playing the piano for when she walks down the aisle.. 

We're running and tripping over ourselves to get out of the car and Fratello Alaimo yells at Sorella Killpack and asks her if she can play the ORGAN instead.. and she said yes. 

Sorella Killpack has never played the organ before, but she gets up there and plays it flawlessly. Seriously I'm sitting there praying so hard that she doesn't mess up... and it went so well. 

The rest of the day was beautiful and so much fun... we danced and got on the good side of sooo many members and I don't regret it.

 I love Prince Royce (latino singer) hahahah 

month of invites

And then on Sunday it was Fast and Testimony meeting and before the meeting started.. Bishop announced the month of invites.. (the members are encouraged to invite the less-actives and their friends to come to church with them).  Do we do that in America? and after that literally EVERY person bore their testimony on missionary work and the missionaries. 

We got a couple of shout outs and a couple of tears were shed. I love this ward so much. They do everything right, and I'm just working so hard to match up. 

heaven sent 

& after that we ate lunch with the Di Liberto's (I'm tellling you... lunch with the Di Libertos is always heaven sent) and we had lasagna and just chit chatted about sweet nothings where I can't describe how happy their family makes me.. 

Well it was a happy week in Muggiò & I'm happy to be here.

xoxo Paige

​

(Email Sent - June 4, 2014)