One Degree Hotter

Received an email and this picture from a family vacationing in Venice. 

They said, ""Look who we literally ran into in Venice when we walked out the door of our hotel! They all looked healthy and happy; bright lights in an incredible part of the world. Beautiful examples for our daughter (second from right) who is anxious to get home to open her own mission call delivered while we are traveling. We hugged them for you if that is OK!" 

lost

I was reading Kaitlin's email from last week, and I was literally laughing out loud (in this less-sketchy internet cafe we found).  She has no clue. hahah.  She thinks she is lost...We are so lost ALWAYS, but really, it's fine.  

I just don't even think I can accurately explain everything that has happened this week.  Literally, it's so funny.  

Our first real day as companions we had an appointment set up that Sorella Astel's companion made for us.   We call this lady and as she is telling us where she lives,  we realize she lives like an hour on train and isn't even in our zone.  But she gave us a referral to see her SISTER who lives down the street from us, so were just like "Cool, we'll do that then." 

sorella needs a weave

We call this lady (they are all African so they speak English--thank you), and she wants to meet with us so we walk to her house.   She sits us down on her couch and starts showing Sister Astel different hair pieces and extensions.  

She thought Sister Astel wanted to get her hair done.  We were just in total shock and had literally no idea what to do, hahahah, so Sorella Astel was just like swatting her away because she was trying to do her hair!  

I had to yell at her and say,  "We are not here to get our hair done. We are here to talk to you about Jesus!"  It was.. an experience. hahaha

phone call

Then that night after like two hours of contacting, I got my first Italian phone call without Sister Pearce with me.  It was a fratello in the ward!  He knows I don't speak well, and he was talking very slowly so it was fine. until. he explained to me that they want me to give a TALK. in church. this Sunday. in Italian.  I said "yes" then hung up the phone and cried. ahhhhh.

my mom writes my talks

So that is what I did for Father's Day.  But it's fine, because Sorella Pearce is just like Mom and helped me write it.  Okay, she wrote all of it.  Okay, I'm a bad missionary and I have my mom write my talks.  Whatever, it's fine.  No one else has to know.  

But it went fine.  Everyone thought I wrote it and they were telling me how much my Italian has improved. blah, blah, it's all a lie, I'm a fake and I still don't speak well hahaha.   

Anyway, the ward is literally freaking out that we are together and they call us all day to make sure we're doing okay.  It's a really good learning experience.  

baptism

But it's also extra hard because I am technically transferred to Astel's copia which means I lost all of my old investigators and my baptism on Friday. (That's fine though. I still get to go because I'm giving the prayer)  But it's hard losing the American ward and my investigators.

legendary

We went to a zone conference in Verona on Monday and all the missionaries already knew about our copia--apparently it's the talk of the town.  Someone came up to me and said, "I heard two sorelle on their second transfer are now companions." then laughed.  When he found out it was me, he laughed even harder. I know. 

Sorella Pearce and the new sorella, Sorella Hunter (She is literally so cute! She's from Colorado and Mom would be friends with her mom.)  She actually has an uncle who is a bishop in Ventura.  Don't know his name, sorry.  Anyway, they are doing really well.  Sister Pearce is helping us a lot, but we dont want to be a burden so we try not to bug them too much. 

Also, it's so hot in Pordenone.  Literally I have never felt like this before in my life.  First summer in Italy yaaayyyyyy. 

quote me

I've been saying the most missionary things lately.  I quote Preach My Gospel and everything.  I feel normal, but let's be honest, that's so weird. hahah.

Although Sorella Astel and I have no idea what we are doing, we are just taking it a day at a time trying not to get deported and talking to people about the Book of Mormon.  I haven't had gelato in a week, but that's on purpose. 

one degree hotter
Keep up the good work family.  And whenever you feel sad or overwhelmed, just think, "Sister O'Connor is probably giving a talk in Italian on Sunday.  It could also be one degree hotter." 

(Paige is referencing this talk:  BYU Devotional "What Happens When Life Gets One Degree Colder" by Dallan R. Moody, March 6, 2012 -- Read or Watch it HERE

With love, from a very green sister missionary out alone with another just-as-green sister missionary in a very hot Pordenone, but she wouldn't want to be anywhere else, 

Sorella O'Connor

(Email Sent - June 19, 2013)