Attraversiamo

We'll get the pressing news out of the way:

muggiò

I've been transferred. to a city no one can give me a definite answer as to where it is. called Muggiò.  I'm assuming it's small!.  It's in the province of Milano so I'm also pretty sure it's cold. 

My companion is named Sorella McPeak.  She's a newbie and I'm "bottle breaking" her (note: I hate that term) so I'm a little nervous about that, but tutto andrà bene.  Sorella Durfee is getting Sorella McCann here in Genova. I'm trying not to be bitter! & Sorella Hunter I hear is TRAINING! 

I don't have an ATM card yet; I'll hopefully (fingers crossed) get it when I go to Milano for transfers. 

THIS WEEK WAS CRAZY 

So we were supposed to visit this member's mom in the hospital and tell her sweet nothings about the gospel because she's not a member.. but then I got robbed.. so we had to go to the police station instead. 

But anyway, this lady died so we HAD to go to the funeral.  She's Catholic, so we went to the huge chapel in our best dress and sat through this funeral. (Note: half the congregation was Mormon because of the daughter.)  So they were taking the sacrament and saying written prayers and all the Mormons were just sitting there looking at each other like, "Do we do the peace handshake or not?"  It was a cool experience.

 (This is the other week.. I didn't get robbed again. Well not of money...just of all the things and people I love because of transfers.)  

I will miss:

wonderful friends

lovely store windows

beautiful Genova

the cool cemetery

this is where we die

After lunch, we went and saw Johnny who lives way up in the mountains--like a two-hour travel period. While we were up there after our lesson waiting for the bus, we ran into one of our investigators, Giorgio, who is like this old, not-fully-there in the brain, tiny Italian man. 

 So obvi we start talking to him and he starts yelling at us in a nice way, 

"WHEN DOES YOUR BUS COME?" 

and we're like, "Four minutes, why?" 

and he says, "ARE YOU SURE IT COMES IN FOUR MINUTES? I HAVE A PRESENT FOR YOU IN MY TENT."

So I'm thinking, "Sure I want a present, but I don't wanna miss the bus... but I want a present."  

Then he starts running down the hill, and we follow him running.  I've never seen an old man run before.  He turns the corner and starts running to this big white house with green shutters and an old Italian woman looking at us through the kitchen window.  (Italians love window gazing; it's endearing).

I'm like, "Okay, this isn't so bad."  But then he runs BEHIND the cute house to this giant shack/tent and pulls back a green tarp and says, "Guesto e la mia tenda." (this is.... my tent) and we're exhausted with 3 minutes and 25 seconds to go.  

Sorella Carlock and I look at each other & are just like, "WE CANNOT GO IN THERE!"  

But Sister Durfee is already inside (facesmack!)  So Carlock and I have to decide if were gonna break the rules of being in a tent alone with a man or let our companion out of our sight.  At this point Durfee is no longer visible and we've got three minutes to go.. 

So we run into the tent, and it's actually pretty big for a tent.  We find Sorella Durfee and Giorgio behind all these old, rusty, metal/wood cutting equipment and cat food and open cans of beans everywhere. 

I look at Carlock and say, "This is probably where we die.  This is why we have mission rules."  

But then he hands us these three little baby mangers made of wood that he carved himself, a panetone and a bag of Lindor truffles.  

Now we're booking it...We say goodbye to the lady in the window and get back onto the road.  We see the bus turn round the corner.  I've never run so fast in my life...in a skirt, holding a wooden manger, a cake and chocolate.  Carlock starts waving the bus down to wait for us at the stop and we run onto the bus.  

Giorgio is so happy and says, "Wait, TELL ME YOUR NAMES. YOU'RE ANGELS SENT FROM GOD!"  

We tell him our names--last names only--and the bus door closes.  We sit on the comfy bus seat and crack open the bag of truffles. Too bad they turned out to be filled with liqueur.. 

and that's the end of my story. 

Now I just got to figure out how to get my manger with me to Muggiò. 

xoxo From--the last time in--Genova, 

Sorella O'Connor

(Email Sent - January 8, 2014)