Letter 16~
Buon giorno tutti!
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| We can't believe this is our area! |
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| San Giovanni Selfie! |
Well like the title of my email says, it is still "le feste," the holidays, over here. Tuesday, tomorrow, will finally be the last one. It's the day of the Epiphany. Don't know what that means, all I know is that tonight all the children will hang up their stockings, so that La Befana can come and fill their stockings with candy and presents. La Befana is this little old lady witch who flies around on a broomstick. She's way more celebrated here than Santa Claus, Babbo Natale. Sounds to me like they combined Halloween and Christmas!
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| At the Vatican! Birthday shout out to Sorella Marsh, in the picture with me! |
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| St Peter's square with christmas tree and nativity scene! |
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| Cioccolato caldo! We went up to pay afterwards, and the cashier smilingly said "5 Euro." (approx 7 bucks). They said a third of the cost came from us sitting down at their table. Lesson learned, always ask the price BEFORE you drink the cioccolato caldo! |
Speaking of holidays, this week was New Year's! Over the past month and a half or so, we had gradually been hearing more and more bomb-like explosion noises, especially in the evenings. We had no idea what it was, it sounded like gunshots or grenades or something. Someone told us it was fireworks, and that they that it would increase in frequency and intensity up until New Years!
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| Chinese take-out for New Year's! |
The day of New Years Eve passed relatively quietly and peacefully. We spent the evening helping an elderly sister in our ward make these nasty pastries that tasted like eggs and corn bread. Then the sun went down. I don't think they stopped setting off fireworks from about 9:00 on! And when our alarm went off at 11:55 to wake us up for midnight, it could hardly be heard over the explosions. We looked outside and someone in our neighborhood had gotten fireworks that shot up about 30 feet into the air. Good thing we as missionaries are so tired by the evening that we can just sleep anyways!
For New Year's Day in our mission, we stay inside because proselyting would be ineffective, there is NO ONE outside. We cleaned the house from top to bottom and took a good stab at the ubiquitous black mold. Even when we started working again at 6 that evening, it was a ghost town.
As for our work, we couldn't get our little 14 year old investigator to church this Sunday, we suspect she hasn't actually told her parents that she's been meeting with us and reading the Book of Mormon, so that's got to get straightened out before she can get baptized! So the January 24th date is off.
BUUUUT 2 huge miracles!!
1. LESTER (that Filipino guy we found by inspiration and committed to a baptismal date on the first lesson before we found out he lived on the other side of Rome!) is getting baptized on the 17th! Sorella Dew, my beloved MTC companion!, had been teaching him and they called to tell us this week!! YAY!!
2. We finally were able to meet with Roberto again! It had been a month and half and we had only taught him once, but it went so well! It's super hard to see him because of crazy work schedules, but we finally did this week! Sorella Clyde was on exchanges with another sorella, they taught him the Plan of Salvation and he LOVED it! He said it just made so much sense, and... He agreed to be baptized in February!! YEAAAH!
1. LESTER (that Filipino guy we found by inspiration and committed to a baptismal date on the first lesson before we found out he lived on the other side of Rome!) is getting baptized on the 17th! Sorella Dew, my beloved MTC companion!, had been teaching him and they called to tell us this week!! YAY!!
2. We finally were able to meet with Roberto again! It had been a month and half and we had only taught him once, but it went so well! It's super hard to see him because of crazy work schedules, but we finally did this week! Sorella Clyde was on exchanges with another sorella, they taught him the Plan of Salvation and he LOVED it! He said it just made so much sense, and... He agreed to be baptized in February!! YEAAAH!
Nexhi is still doing GREAT and she and her son came to church yesterday again! They really like it! We are hoping to be able to this week finally set a date with this lady.
Our work is going really great here. I love love love this area! It was a little rough at first starting from scratch, since there wasn't a second companionship of sorelle before so we had no work when I got here in late October. But we've seen so many miracles as we've been faithful and diligent! We've met and found and had the privilege to teach so many amazing people here.
Our work is going really great here. I love love love this area! It was a little rough at first starting from scratch, since there wasn't a second companionship of sorelle before so we had no work when I got here in late October. But we've seen so many miracles as we've been faithful and diligent! We've met and found and had the privilege to teach so many amazing people here.
One thing I've really been working on, basically ever since I got here in Italy, but especially in these past few weeks, is to stop stressing about things that are out of my control. As a missionary you plan and set goals and work so hard, but in the end so much of it is dependent on the agency of other people. They are free to choose!
I found a scripture the other day that I'd highlighted in the MTC, but it just has so much more meaning to me now. It's found in Doctrine and Covenants, section 123 verse 17.
17 Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.
I have no problem with doing everything I can, I just was forgetting about staying faithful and hopeful and cheerful, in waiting to see the miracles come! In having faith that the Lord would make everything turn out in the end!
I found a scripture the other day that I'd highlighted in the MTC, but it just has so much more meaning to me now. It's found in Doctrine and Covenants, section 123 verse 17.
17 Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.
I have no problem with doing everything I can, I just was forgetting about staying faithful and hopeful and cheerful, in waiting to see the miracles come! In having faith that the Lord would make everything turn out in the end!
I know that this is His work. I know that I'm just here to serve with everything I've got, and that the blessings will come, even if it's not in the time frame that I want!
And ever since I figured that out, there have been so many more miracles! Or maybe there always were, and I finally learned to see them.
And ever since I figured that out, there have been so many more miracles! Or maybe there always were, and I finally learned to see them.
At this time of resolutions and goals, think about something you can do to be closer to God this year. Set a goal! Make a plan! And then.. DO IT!!!
Sorella Frandsen
Email me: brianne.frandsen@myldsmail.net
Mailing Address: LETTERS & PACKAGES
Mailing Address: LETTERS & PACKAGES
Letters take about one week to arrive, Packages take about 2 weeks,
Update: No import fees for Brie upon receiving a package! Yay!!
Sorelle Missionarie Frandsen
Via Villata, 28
00166 Roma, ITALIA
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| The Dynamic Due! (outside of San Giovanni) |
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| Inside San Giovanni |
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| a MUST MUST MUST for Rome, secondo me! |
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| Okay these are the last ones from San Giovanni, it was just so AMAZINGGGGGGGG |
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| ...one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen |
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