10/16/13 Going to Florence!!!!

 Ok. GUESS WHAT??????? My big news is that I am getting transferred!!!!!! I am moving from Milan to Florence!!!!!!!!!!!! SO I am in the Sienna/ Tuscany area- basically the most beautiful place you could ever been in, I leave Tomorrow morning for a 5 hour train ride. JOY. hahahaha My new companions name is Sorella Jones and she came out 4 months after me and I cant wait to meet her!!!!!!!! We shall see how that all goes down. I know I am moving into the top floor of an apartment and I will be living in 4 again with 2 other Sister training leaders. WHOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPPPPPP I seriously lucked out so much its not even funny.

 Soooooo I know in Florence they don’t have a ward so it’s just "a kind of branch" I guess hahaha and President Dibb met up with me Yesterday actually cause he wanted to talk to me about that Area, and he just asked me to make it a ward, soooooooo not quite sure how that will happen but I said I would do it so I guess its gunna happen!!!! I don’t know how many baptisms and how much re-activation that will entail........ All he said is he needed me in Florence to build a ward even though its a ridiculously far transfer. We also had 2 people getting baptized in 2 weeks so he felt really bad for moving me, He is So nice- butttttttttt is is transferring me anyway hahaha

pray for me Hahahaha

 

I love Milan so much so we are just gunna need to take that cruise trip up here after my mission. That’s still happening right? Ok cool.

 

In other news- I am almost feeling better!!! Hahahaha I didn’t leave the apartment for 6 days bahahah aso it got pretty bad but I can finally talk again so I am doing pretty good if you ask me! hahaha

 

FUNNY STORY! Ok its really not that funny. It’s kind of just annoying. Somehow like a million mosquitoes got into our apartment and so at night they LOVE to fly around our ears. Its quite joyful. And so I just covered my ears and I woke up with two huge bites on the tip of my nose and one in between my eyebrows hahahaha So I looked like I had 3 giant zits on my face which were itchy so in my sleep I would scratch them so BY MORNING I literally looked like Rudolf. Not an exaggeration. Hahahaha I was wayyyy cute.

 

FUNNY STORY 2! Ok so I mentioned a couple weeks ago that some food choice here are.... interesting. Lol Ok well we went over to an investigators house who is from the Philippines and they were trying to feed us. SO they pull out these big egg looking things and gives us this look like ohhhh snap hahaha and she says "Dis es NOT good fur yoo!" Hahahaha So she goes on to explain there is a chicken inside Hahaha (She doesn’t speak Italian so she speaks English... kind of) and she starts explaining, "When you be sad inside of your heart, you eat dis! you eat two of dees and a Coke and den you feel bettttter" hahaha ok so this EGG thing was actually a Duck fetus, so when you open it, its just this soupy juice with a beak in it, and you drink it...... ya know, so you feel better... -____- I don’t think that would make anyone feel better ever.

Soo ya I skipped that little opportunity and stuck with her deep fried bananas which are my favorite food in the world. WOW. Lol

 

FUNNY STORY 3!!!! Alright we were on the metro and there were these people who TOTALLY looked American. So we talk to everyone anyway so I asked, where are you from? And they were from Brazil so they didn’t speak Italian, aka we switched to English (YAY!) and they were here for a huge soccer tournament!!! Hahaha So jokingly we were like- Oh well are you guys famous? Should I be asking for your signature? Hahaha And they were laughing.... and then said yes..... SO sorella Haslem and I were like ,"Oh no are you serious!!!! I feel so bad I have no idea who you are!!!" Hahaha SO we had to explain we don’t watch TV or read the Paper and ohhhhhh mannnnnn so there stop came up so they are getting off the metro AND GUESS WHAT HAPPENS???????? We have NO TIME to bring up the gospel ANNNDDDDDDDDDD The just say- Ok bye and then Bacci us. -____- We are the worst people ever. Lol No signature, I don’t even know who they are, we didn’t talk about the Church ANDDDDDDD they kissed us. Great. Just great. Don’t worry I repented. Also When I say kiss I mean like...... cheek. Like Italian kisses on the cheek. I felt like I should clarify. lol

 

Also this week Sorella Haslem and I found out we know to speak all basic phrases in Portuguese, Spanish, Albanian, Romanian, French, Tagolig, and Chinese. Lol SO We feel like we have served missions everywhere. I mean we go from teaching someone about the Idea of God (Chinese) with reading from Chinese pamphlets to people who are bible scholars Bahahahha Like ALLLL different backgrounds. In fact yesterday our Investigator had her Interview for baptism with President Dibb and when he came out he said, "She doesn’t speak Italian" HAhahahaha So we said, we know president, we teach her in Spanish....... We use the Gift of Tongues a lotttttttt Hahahahahahaha Ya we forgot to mention that little detail...... Lol But yeah I super wanna study Languages when I get home. IT’S SUPER COOL!!!!

Anyway I love you guys and I love hearing from you. I decided after I pack today I want to make a paper chain till SKYPE DAY WHOOP WHOOP!!!!!!! I miss my Mommy. I miss my Daddy! I miss my bothers!!!! And I miss my Sisters!!!!!!!!! Ga. Paper chain is just the way to go. Lol LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU!!!!!!

Sorella Holloway 

 

10/09/13

FAMILY!!!!!!

 

General Conference was SOOOOOOOOOO GOOOODDD I still haven’t seen Sunday Afternoon... cause its broadcast at midnight here BUTTTTTT I got to watch Sunday morning, All of Saturday, Relief Society and Priesthood Session all in English!!!! I must say- Priesthood session was the most powerful thing in the WORLDDDDD Holy Great. Especially when Thomas S Monson rolled his eyes hahaha gets me every time!

I lied..... Holland’s talk was SOOOO INCREDABLE. Can I get an Amen?

WOW!!!!!!!!! I feel so connected to my family right now cause I am also sick! Hahahaha YAY FOR BEING SICK! And for the first time it’s NOT because of gluten! But I just got this really cool cough that rips my lungs out and I haven’t been able to speak for two days Hahahaha Its REALLY cute. But it’s my fault cause I should have bought winter stuff sooner- but I wasn’t fast enough!!!! Lol No worries- I will be up and running... eventually. Hahaha

 

To Really sum up my week we had CONFERANCE and then I have been sick..... Bahahahaha We have a baptism next week so we are preparing for that and we couldn’t be more excited :)))) I also had my interview with President on Monday so that was cool- Transfers are next week so maybe I will be heading to my second city :/ Booooo. I love Milano... But then again who wouldn’t. Everyone wants to be in this City but I have been lucky enough to be here for 6 months. CRAZYYYYY. Hopefully I get more time here but I don’t wanna push my luck Hahaha

 

I love you guys! The other day I was showing off my family pictures and all of the Italians were like "Ohhhh Mamamia!!!!!! Your family is sooooo beautiful ohhhhh are they married????" Hhahaha So Stephen and Tim both have like 10 girlfriends here cause everyone want tall buff men Hahaha. Everyone else in the family is married. Va Bene. I will see you guys in 2 months over Skype!!! I AM SO EXCITED!!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH.

I don’t know if I can express that enough- If I didn’t have my family I would be wayyyyyy home by now. Missions are kinda hard- but mostly just AWESOME.

Love love love love YOU!

Sorella Holloway

 

 

10/02/13

Yeah It’s getting cold now... So I magically have to buy boots with this money that doesn’t exist as well as an eskimo coat so THAT’S COOL! EVERYONE has told me in Milano they just get piles of snow, up to 4 feet and it SUPER dense so they get snowed in a lot? I didn’t know this was a thing. I don’t do snow.... But NOW I DO! Hahaha I am excited, I love new "experiences"

 

Just so you all know I have eaten the raw octopus so I feel like I have been fully emerged in this Italian culture.... I don’t think it was worth it... lol Maybe someday it will be.... Hahaha

 

Ok only like..... 3 stories this week Hahaha But I hope ya like them anyway Hahaha

STORY ONE!

Well, in Italian the words suffered and deep-fried are quite similar..... I don’t know how long this has been happening but APARENTLLY I have been telling people that Jesus Christ was deep-fried for our sins. -___- YUP. Ya wanna know HOWWWWW I found this out???? In a district meeting were return missionaries came to correct our Italian. CLEARLY that was inspired so I didn’t just RUIN all future lessons about the atonement. Hahah You can imagine the laughter. Lol Ugggg I feel sick when I think of how many times I have said that..... Lol

 

STORY TWO! 
BEST SUNDAY EVER cause you know what happened?? A Group of 50 Students from BYU-I came to our ward!!!!!! So guess who got to translate????? THIS GIRL!! Hahaha So I sat right in front and I can honestly say it was one of the best Sundays I have ever had. SO COOL! I made a ton of new friends, I got to speak English andddddd it was just so wonderful. AND it was soooo wonderful for our ward here- They saw how many people actually were members and they were just soooo strengthen. They were trying so hard to communicate with them cause Italians kinda think everyone can understand Italian... Uh no.... Hahaha But It was soooo incredibly fun to help them communicate :) 

 

STORY THREE!!!

I went to Switzerland today :))) Hahahaha SO FUNN!!!! I took a lot a pictures but I dont think you guys got the pictures I sent last week so ya can’t say I didn’t try!!!! SOooo I bought BUTTLOADS of chocolate and IT WAS INCREDABLE. I can’t even explain it- IT WAS SOOOO GOOOD!!!!!!!!!!! BOMB DIGGITY!!!!!! So take that Cancun! Hahaha Just kidding- I am glad you guys are having a fun time. I just think you guys should have a fun time in Italy instead... with Me:) And then come to Switzerland with me. Heheheeee seriously.... that chocolate is worth the trip..... 

 

I hope everything is going great and I am missing you all so much!!! Happy October!!!! Celebrate Halloween big time for me since APARENTLY its not a think here! Dumb, No Fourth of July, no Halloween, no thanksgiving, really no happiness. SHEESH. HEYYYYYYY I GET TO SKYPE IN LIKE...... 3 months!!!!!! EEEPPPPP I AM SOOOOOOO excited!!! Not even that far away IN FACT that will be my halfway mark. I love you all so much!!!!

Sorella Holloway

 

 

09/25/13

Heyyyyyy Everybody!!!!!!!

 

Just sending my weekly I’m alive email!!!! Lol

 

Hey Mom when you went to education week did you go to a lesson by Brad Pearce??? Cause his daughter is my roommate and he taught about raising well-rounded children or something Haha

 

A LOT of funny stories this week cause I actually wrote them down....

 

STORY ONE: Last week at FHE  this lady brought Pizza so I open it up to start to cut it and ya know what’s on it? Octopus. Like.... mini Octopus.  So I squeal and close it and yell "é QUELLO VERO????" And they confirmed, yes- that’s real. And the lady just starts laughing and opens the box back up and picks up one of the mini octopus and eats half. I died a million deaths and refused to cut that pizza. Oh hecka ew. I also found out eating Horse is totally normal here and we found Canned horse at the store today... just casually doing some shopping....  then the Anziani showed us a video of them eating with some members for dinner and guess what they were eating... Duck Fetus.

I miss America.

 

STORY TWO: I got to watch The Best Two Years with a sick member this week- dude that is a mission...... it is like the same EXCEPT we would never be that dis obedient.... lol I don’t think we are physically or mentally capable.

 

STORY THREE: I have had a problem this week and all I want is popcorn and I have had it for Pranzo.... Lunch 3 times this week. It never gets old.

 

STORY FOUR: Our washing machine broke like two weeks ago so we had to wash our clothes in the wisk for a while and I know I have mentioned this but they don’t have dryers here in Italy. Totally not a thing, so our clothes took FOREVER to dry cause they weren’t being spun. So we got a new one and one of my roommates says after a couple of days- OH NO ITS BROKEN!!!!! So they mess with it a little while, drain it, while she hangs her cloths to dry and we knowwwww its gunna be at least 4 days till those are dry and then after they have gone through all this week, translating this Italian manual I yell- "Did you guys make sure the power switch is on?" there is like a light switch on the wall that has to be on as well with everything on the machine....

They yell back "WHAT???????!!!!!!!" hahahahaha Sooooooo They forgot there was a power switch and all their work was for nothing. Good times... Only two hours wasted of their lives right??

 

STORY FIVE:

I had this really brilliant Idea to wear red lipstick to church and it was all great and normal and then we go to third hour- Sacrament meeting. And there is this REALLY cute little 5 year old boy and we were playing with each other in the back of the chapel and I smeared my lipstick and he thought it was SOOOO FUNNY so we just start making faces at each other and were just having fun. Well after like 15 minutes of this I obviously FORGOT I had done this too my face and started talking to this member who said I should probably go to the bathroom and my companion looks over and just BURTS out laughing and I didn’t get it!!!! Hahaha So a couple more members come over and start laughing anddddd I remember...... That was soooooooo awkward. -_____- Right in the middle of sacrament. GOOD TIMES.

 

STORY SIX: Well we were hunting down this apartment and this man tries to stop us to "ask us for directions"..... ya I am not stupid....... and so Sorella Haslem immediately reaches for her Pepper Spray in case we find ourselves in trouble, anddddddddd she pushes the unlock a litttttle too quickly and just sprays....... So I just said "Sorry this isn’t our zone" and pull her away in her coughing fit and two seconds later her face and throat are burning cause she touched her face Hahahahaha Don’t worry about us. We have everything under controllllll Hahaha Best believe we went home after that hahaha

 

STORY SEVEN: We went to a Cafe for our 6 Month on a mission mark celebration hahaha And we ask if they had Root Beer....... They said "Sorry we don’t sell beer, but we have Rum, Wine, Ectt...."

  Sooooooo That was awkward. Definitely couldn’t swim our way out of that one. Lol

 

That’s all I can think of this week Hahaha Love you guys!!!!! I will hear from you soon!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

09/18/13

FAMILY!!!!!!!!!! I love you guys

 

Ya the weather here is straight up Bi-polar we will like sweat all day and then be absolutely freezing at night. Lol And now it’s raining some so we have to go hunt down boots with warmness inside that are water proof...... That should be an adventure but I think I am ok coat-wise but I don’t know. I think I am more worried about the shoes sine I have NONE hahaha Nerve racking much????? Lol

SO GLAD you got my letter for the primary- that got there in like a week! I am so surprised!!!!! School is started here so everything is moving faster haha

Ya Dad will probably tell you this but I DID GET THE POPCORN popper, unfortunately I can’t use it... Lol I have to get an adapter cause the wattage is too strong andddd I almost started a fire. It was a good time. Lol

Uhhh about the Whole Insurance info- No worries but on Monday I got a really bad Gluten Reaction cause my companion gave me a cinnamon roll and I just ate it not thinking and ya. That was a lot of gluten and I DIED lol My Whole body just felt like pins were in my blood and it sucked. Butttttt give it three days and it passes. YAY!!!! But I was told to go to the doctor to figure out what was wrong BUT I couldn’t get out of bed so that was impossible BUTTTT now I am fine life is bliss and I will just avoid gluten at all costs. :D Pray for me!

 Best Story aka saddest story in the world: Yesterday we had a lesson with this family from Romania and they talked to us about their circumstances. The Husband was jobless, homeless (They have a barrack) , and he came with his three children and his wife. We were sharing the Restoration with them and were showing him how it will bless his life and he is the most humble person I have ever met. They were all so happy even when they had nothing and were so willing to accept anything God wanted for them. Such a sweet experience that in the closing prayer Sorella Haslem and both the parents were crying. They also got the opportunity to meet Sorell Dibb our Presidents wife so she is in contact with them. SOOO SWEET. I don’t know how other to explain it other than it being emotionally draining to sit there with this family and not even we knew how to help. It was probably the most emotional draining day of my life. More than my P-Blessing, the temple, those things were incredible but I was SOOOO exhausted after that lesson. I could have died. Just help me know how INCREDIBLY blessed I am- That I have NEVER had to be hungry or sleep outside, or anything close to it- Literally my life is bliss. This world is a sick, Beautiful place that I will never understand. Thank goodness all will be made right through the Atonement. That’s all I have to say.

Lol our poor members- It was Serata Familiare that nigh,t so like all the members were there and I couldn’t be in public- and you know me!!! I CANT EVER STOP CRYING!!!! lol SO was like in the bathroom for 20 minutes crying my face off hahaha Our members were like offering me chocolate and I was like PEOPLE DONT EVEN HAVE HOUSES ARE YOU CRAZY??? Hahahahaha It was pathetic.

 

Funny Story of the week: We went to an investigators house to teach and eat which was AMAZING in case you were wondering. Lol Andddddddd she starts off telling us how she came to Italy..... It was terrifying because it was not legally.... in fact not even with her real documents! Soooooo She is like confessing all of this to us like NO BIG DEAL! Hahaha And we just laugh and say "Yaaa ahahaha that’s like not okk... hahaha you can’t be baptized if you are legal hahaha cough COUGH".....

So awkward. So awful.  Man oh man.

 

Anyway I love you all!!!!! HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!! HAPPY SIX MONTH MARK TO ME!!!!! SEE YOU IN ONE YEAR unless you count skype thennnnnnnnnn 3 months. EEP!

 

09/11/13

I GOT MY PACKAGES!!!!! I HAVE THE BEST FAMILY IN THE WORLD I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mail day was probably the best day OF MY LIFE. I cried. Not kidding. All day I eat peanut butter with a spoon and in between spoonful’s I eat starbursts. Best things in the world.

Also mom- you are officially a choosey mom- cause you chose JIFF. :D

YAY! I am excited for Tim; I bet he will LOVE being President. It’s kinda a trick calling..... it’s like you have to pay that much more attention in class cause whether you realize it or not you’re an example for the class so you have to pay attention. Bro. Morrison is a very smart man. Man I miss seminary!

That’s cool that Stephen got another house! HOLLA!  His ward sounds great so he should totes rent one for me too. Cool.

Lol Mom I am so proud of you that you have made it an entire 2 weeks without going to Utah! Lol IT’S A RECORD! Lol I can’t wait to join you guys. Also I SUPER miss going to the movies. Wahhhhhhh- Only one year away.... right??????

This week has been pretty great, but I gotta tell you this just... AWKWARD lesson we had with this man I am going to call Phillip. Now.... this guy is just crazy. So we are meeting him at a park and to get to this park you have to walk down this path.... well this path is quite thin.... and here’s a fun fact- It has jumping lizards. Now lizards are EVRYWHERE here, but this path, they jump. OH HECKA EW. So I got to walk all the way down that joyous yellow brick road with lizards crawling over my feet- to get to this lesson. THEN we finally meet up with this guy, and we try to have this really great lesson and he starts tellin us we have to throw our thoughts and feeling to the sky and let the universe help us get on the same time................... ok.... So we struggle through and about half an hour later we just say, OK Can we leave you with a prayer? And would you like to say the closing prayer? So he says SURE! So We fold our arms, and bow our heads and what do you know? He starts singing the American National Anthem.............. Amen.

What?

Either way- I get prouder and prouder to be an American Every Day.

That was by far the highlight of my week hahaha Sorella Haslem aka my Companion got really sick so I have sitting at home wallowing in self-pity :) I'ts pretty fun... cough cough.

HEY WHAT THE FREAK IS GOING ON WITH SERIA, everyone is freaking out about it here so if I could get some updates about what the freak is happening that would be cool. Is America involved with this or joining or anything cause that’s like a hugggeeeee big deal.

 

Also I don’t know if this is a thing in the States but do we have talks on Chastity and Word of Wisdom in sacrament meeting? Or is that an Italian thing? Cause I was sure caught off guard.... Yikes.

My motto for this transfer is SVEGLIATEVI, SCUOTETEVI, ALZATEVI 2 Nephi 1:23. It’s so good. I love it so I just say it every morning and It’s just SO GREAT. Wake Up, Shake it off, and ARISE!!! BOOM!!!!!! Pumper-Upper every day.

I love you guys so much I love hearing about everything. Have a great week!!!!

Sorella Holloway

09/04/13

FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

You guys all sounds like you are doing great!!!!!!!!!

mom I don’t really know how to help you with a theme- my last too "themes" for a transfer have been.... very 19 year old hahahahaha One was

KEEP CALM and read a HOLLAND TALK

and the other was

Find Your Puddle (Basically stay positive and have fun even in the pouring rain, and if it’s too hot just sweat yourself a puddle) 

So feel free to use those if you would like them :) Hahaha

 

Ya Tim’s schedule sounds kinda crazy- I hope that all works out!!!! Ummmmmmm Sheesh singles ward really? My word. I think he should totally go to activities and Family Home Evening but uhhhhh ya...

Does grandma live in south Jordan? If not I sent her letter to her old address.......

YAY HOUSING!!!!!!!! Ya I am so excited for that!!!!! I miss school a lot actually so it’s fun to hear little updates. Thank so much for looking!!!! Ya Sorella Lopez was in the group Right before me, so I will be going home with her I think.

I don’t know if I explained this, but  my coming home date is September 20th which is a problem because the fall semester has just started, so I will either be going home 6 or three weeks early to go back to school. If I don’t I lose my scholarship. So Really Sorella Lopez and I will be going home the same time..... Hopefully that makes sense. 

 

THIS WEEK WAS SO AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We had the Baptism this Saturday which I can hopefully send some pictures of AND GUESS WHO CAME???? The Mission President Of ROME and of the MILAN mission with their wives. THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN. It was sooooooo coool. And so random and we were all freaking out. Hahahaha Way cool. I sang at the baptism which was terrifying cause I didn’t realize I would be singing for the presidents over all the missionaries in ITALY but whatever, and I am singing at this fireside at the end of September now for GONZ which should be super fun! I am sooooooooo glad I get to sing while I am here since dancing isn’t really an option. 

The work here is really good, one of my favorite times of the week is English class- Hahaha It’s really fun cause they all have accents and then I feel really smart cause I speak English hahahaha it’s like the only time of the week where my brain is fried hahaha

Hey no worries about the whole pepper spray thing- We just learn everyday something new, whether it’s a new area to avoid orrrrrrr a new approach to teaching but learning to protect ourselves is just one of the things on our list of things to learn. WHOOHOO!!! No worries, we have an awesome District Leader and he takes good care of us. 

I love being a missionary and I love my life!

Transfers are TODAY! Hahaha And Sorella Haslem and I are starting the next transfer together. The only change that really affects me is that my sweet Italian roommate leaves for Rome Tomorrow. :((((( And I love her. And she taught me how to make a lot of yummy Italian things. :)))) Hahaha So we get a new roommate and I have only heard amazing things about her so I am excited. YAY!

We get mail when we have a conference which has been....... 9 weeks since our last one so hopefully no more than 4 more weeks till our next one...... The new Mission President has a lot to deal with so that’s just one thing that needs to be put off...... Wah. 

Hope yall have a great week- I love you guys too much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

08/28/13

Don’t want me to get homesick?? PSH.  TOO LATE ahahahaha like 5 months too late hahaha

What a beautiful wedding! I wish I was there, I LOVE the Jason cutout, so classy. Where was mine SHEESH Hahaha

I totally miss our crazy trips to Utah we always had 100 things to do so much fun :)

Education week sounds aammmaazziiinnnggg as usual. Always one of the best weeks of the year! WOOHOO!!!

Are Tim and I really going to miss each other when he goes to serve?..... Like when can he serve? I only have a year left...... hummm super not ok with me. maybe we can pull a Jay and Jenna type scam.....

 

My week here had straight up been hard. My companion got the flu so that was a good time, missionary work from locked inside an apartment, then the baptism happening this Saturday almost got canceled, transfers are next week, ITS ALL MADDNESS

Hopefully this doesn’t freak anyone out but this week my companion and I were actually forced to run away from certain places- always a good time and now when we walk around we carry pepper spray. Good times. Don’t worry we talked to President about it... Lol   But yeah Other than that I got purposed to twice this week, I said no both times, so no worries there andddddd YA! That pretty much sums it up.

Yesterday we had a lesson with our Investigator (AKA Simp. short for simpantizanti) and she had a friend that also wanted to learn. Crazy lucky. so we were teaching them and you won’t believe it but they don’t actually speak Italian....... They speak Spanish... So we walk out of this lesson and we just look at each other and we said... "that wasn’t Italian, was it...." And then we just started laughing cause we just taught this great lesson in a language we don’t speak- Then to really throw us off- we get on the bus right after and try talking to this Italian lady and we understood like... 2 words she said "Vechio e giovanni" e basta.... we were like "Shoot we don’t speak Italian anymore only Spanish!!!!!" Hahahaha We were very confused that day. The gift of tongues is real. This I know.

Last P-day I found a PRINCESS NOTEPAD so in case you’re wondering I haven’t matured at ALL cause I almost cried when I saw it and paid $10 for it...... (it came with an office supply set)

My hair’s grow freaking fast here- it’s like almost half way down my back so when you see me Christmas time I hope it surprises yalll!!!!!!

OK So this week we have a baptism so You will be getting pictures soon! and Mission President and his wife ANDDDD the mission president from Rome said they would come cause baptisms are kinda a big deal. Hahaha I am so excited guys- I love being Senior Companion, I probably won’t be after this transfer unless we stay here which is very likely- NON SO!

I miss you all like crazy and I LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU!!!!

see yall soon!!!!!

 

08/21/13

WOWWW Hank Smith is BY FARRR my favorite speaker!!!!! I am so jealous you got to hear from him SHEESH 5 kids??? That’s amazing. He is one cool guy.

 

Well that’s just leads RIGHT in to my cool story for this week!!!! As missionaries we are told all the time that we are surrounded by angels and that we are instruments in the Lords hands WELL MY FRIENDS Yesterday I 100% felt that. I have a testimony that angels are with us. Yesterday was my 5th Month mark so we were gunna ask 5 people to be baptized to celebrate and that mean we had 7 lessons in one day.... that’s a lot (The Mission goal is to get 15 a week) so 7 in one day is just.... madness. Lol But the second lesson of that day we met with this women and her daughter. The daughter has already accepted the invite to be baptized (she is 20) and we wanted to ask the mom. So we start teaching our planned lesson about the restoration and at the end of this lesson this women just starts crying. She explains to us she had been praying for someone to help her family, and then she met us. I don’t know how to explain the rest but..... I just know the miracles we see here are not our work. It has nothing to do with me but ONLY cause this is the Lords work. I loveeeee being a missionary. 

Funny story of the week: We got mistaken as prostitutes. Twice. In one week. -____- I swear we are modest. It’s only funny because of their faces when we tell them we represent Jesus Christ.... It’s like PURE HORROR. Lol I almost feel bad for them but not really.....

I miss you guys so much and I hope you have an AWESOME rest of your summer. CONGRADS TO BECCA I can’t believe I am not there to party with you guys. Wah. Throw some rice for me Hahaha

Love you love you!!!!!!!!

Sorella Holloway

 

08/14/13

I LOVE MY FAMILY!!!!!!!!
I am super jealous you are all going to Education week :( This is my first time in....... 6 years I am not going.... yikes. Lol Don’t worry I am still getting spiritually uplifted... cause I am a missionary... Lol

HEY GUESS WHAT!!!! This Friday is my 150th day!!!! Happy day for me!!!!!! hahaha SO FUN!!!

Ok so just a little insight into my life right now- I live in Italy. I teach all day in Italian. I have 5 investigators right now working/waiting to be baptized. My comp and I are the best of Friends. It’s Super hot. We are planning to get like 6 more bab dates set this week. It’s MADNESSS. I love it. but that’s my life right now in a couple sentences.

Being on a mission is very hard. Being a missionary is even harder. I just have to remember to laugh every day and its allll gooooood.

Milano is just weird I have noticed. We meet people from everywhere and we kinda have to just speak in all languages. Porteguese, Spanish, Italian, Tri, ALOT of french, A LOT Sinhala, Bangla, English, Chinese and A LOT of Tagolig. Half the time we go to lessons having NO IDEA what language we will be teaching in. Literally there are always at least 6 very likely options. The only accents we can ever really pic up are when they are from Africa- then we bring Books of Mormon in like Tri, French, English, Italian, and Sinhal. Let’s just say I have a VERY STRONG testimony of the gift of tongues. Hahaha Thank goodness this church is true or there would be no way that I could just communicate with random people who speak a random language- but there i am!!! Talking to someone speaking and saying WHO KNOWS WHAT!!!! Hahahaha The church is true.

Funny Story: Popcorn. First of all I have gotten my companion addicted to popcorn. Yay. And I REALLLYYYYYY hate Olive oil. And we were out of our normal stuff so I had to use it. Its in and on EVERYTHING here. So gross. But we had nothing else so I was like fine- I will use it. Well the popcorn smelt and tasted like Olive oil. Oh holy gross. So three days  later I try again. So I just put a litttttttle bit in the pot and put of stove on WAY too low and what do you know?? I BURNT ALL OF MY PRECIOUS KERNALS and it was like the last of the bag too cause I go through like a bag a week. wahhhhhhh. Almost sent the smoke detector off. Ruined the pot. Scrubbed it for over an hour. Good. Day.

I LOVEEEEEEEEEE it here. The ward is so great and I love everything. How’s about family trip to Italy for Rome Temple dedication. Ok? Ok great. I can’t explain how excited everyone is for this temple. Sorella Santoro was telling us that all while she was growing up her family and wards and stake have been fasting for a temple and when it was announced- I mean you might as well have told them it was the Second coming tomorrow. Incredible. there are pictures of it everywhere- just I can’t even imagine. All of these families take their family vacation to the temple every year and just chill in Switzerland to be near the temple. MAN I MISS THE TEMPLE. I even miss having the OPTION to go to the temple. It’s just crazy. I can’t wait to go back.

I hope everyone is doing good. I love you all!!!! Soak up that Oregon Rain for me cause my word I need it. Today was the first day I have felt wind in months it feels like :( Lovelovelovelove you

Sorella Holloway

 

 

08/07/2013

Family!!!!!!!!! I lovelovelovelove wends. SO MUCH!!!! Hahaha I just sit here reading smiling my face off and then I remember I have to reply hahaha

Fast Sundays here are so great- I don’t think I will ever be perfect at understanding... EVER... But enough that I know what they are trying to say. So that’s something. I can only do the best I can do and I don’t really worry about it. I think speaking as much as I do and Teaching as much as I do in 4 months is a miracle and I am grateful for what I CAN speak and what i DO understand hahaha

I so want that book Tim has!!! That sounds incredible!!! That one of my favorite quotes of all time :) That and DC 84:88 which Dad sent me this week!!!! You guess are just on the same brain waves aren’t ya!

The mission is awesome and ya- this transfer has been the funnest/ happiest/ most productive transfer yet :D I LOOVVEEEE my companion. We just have so much fun which is so good for me cause I miss laughing all the time and now I do!!!! hahaha For example- One of the goals we have is to get 5 phone numbers a day from people who are interested in hearing our message- so at night we get home and have to call those people slash anyone else who we have to get appointments with. Lol Ok So my beloved companion is doing a call last Monday night and the person on the other end says she is just too busy to meet with us. Hahaha (aren’t we all) So she says "Oh okokokok allora, lei non ha tempo per Gusu Cristo?.......ahhh ecco- Ok va bene, ha un bella vita!!!" In translation " Ok, you don’t have time for Jesus Christ? Ok you have a nice life"  I have never been so shocked in my life. Hahahaha I mean I know we are supposed to be bold but that was like WAYYYYY forward- I laughed for like the next half hour cause I was so surprised.  But yeah- we have a LOT of fun and we work really hard too :) Best of both worlds.

I would say the best thing right now is the heat..It’s just glorious. 104 everyday..... Sweating all night and day... during lessons.... in crowed subways..... on the bus.... doing laundry twice a week cause you sweat thorough all yours clothes after about 2 minutes.... heaven forbid you ever blow-dry your hair or straighten it or curl it cause then you just need to shower again....... in an apartment with no AC..... and 1 fan.... and 4 girls..... joy. :) Needless to say this would mean I would be getting tan right? Nope. Still the whitest girl on the block. This is why the Lord put me here for 2 summers. wah.

GOOD NEWSSSSSSSSSSSS MY CAMERA IS REVIVED!!!!!!!!!!!! My comp found my camera cord in her suitcase......... this is why we are companions again I just know it. So I can finally start taking pictures to document my time here in Italy- what a concept. IM STOKED.

Ok a couple stories :) First- We were teaching on of our investigators who is getting baptized next month and she had a little friend over and she was the cutest thing IN THE WORLD- 7 years olds and spoke SO FASTTTTT and had a lisp. Italian babies with lisps are so cute. I just die- I need to get a video. So during our lesson she starts telling us about boys in her class that don’t make good choices. SO CUTE. Man. She is so Italian. Second story that’s just SO GREAT is that maybe you don’t know this- it was a news flash to me, but as missionaries we are asked to ask people on our very first visit to be baptized on a specific date. So this week we met up with this woman who we just found her phone number and she wanted to learn more! GREAT!!!! (She is from Peru- they are always great) So we meet up and we explain things and when she lived in Peru she lived across the street from the temple and she wanted to know what it was. BOOM. Then she asked why we pray to Joseph smith... Uhhh.... We don’t.... Lol So she totally opened up and was like WOW THIS IS GREAT and then we asked her to be baptized next month and she was like sure!! YAYYYYYYY GOLDEN!!!!!!!!!!! So right now we have four people preparing to be baptized.  Unfortunately 3 of the four are for NEXT transfer.... but all is well!! I probably won’t be around but I sure hope so. WAH.

Funny Story. This story is just ...... It just shows how little I really understand hahah Classic First time senior companion just STUPID mess-ups hahaha ALL of Yesterday was just.... Stupid hahaha ok so Let’s start with the morning. We had 2 lessons planned before lunch- so we go to the first place we were supposed to be (we were meeting at a metro stop) and no one there... ok we got stood up, pretty normal. So we call- and our phone number had gotten blocked..... Awk. So we just go to our next appointment to one of our new converts houses. We climb up to her apartment and her brother is there who is like 25 and no women. So we can’t go inside which is awkward cause he had no idea cause he isn’t a member and he just buzzed us in and we just climbed all the way up ANYWAY we just wait...... then we give up and start doing Casa in that apartment- So we got to the top floor and start knocking away. 7 Floors later- no one is interested/ thinks we are Jehovah witnesses. COOL. So we check to see if she is there yet and NOPE. So 2 times stood up. At this point we were late for lunch, so we had to leave and we were about 30 minutes away from our apartment. So we needed to just grab something someone to eat and leave. So we ask a man on the street where a fast food place was and WHAT DO YOU KNOW he starts like dragging us into this pizza place (he is like 80- super nice) And we just say "uhhh no its ok.... ok fine" So we go in right- BOOM. ALL EYES GLUED TO US. We notice we are the only women here.... What the heck? Most awkward pizza place of all time? YES. SO then this waiter comes up to us and escorts us to a table and we just feel awkward. soooooo awkward. Three waiters come up to us and are giving us bread and these pizza thingy’s and waters and fancy napkins and I just look at my companion like "There is nooooooooo way this is going to be less than $30" But my companion is just dandy hahahaha The waiters won’t leave us alone and then they hear our accent (DANG IT) and so now they know we are American and the WHOLE restaurant is just watching. How the heck can I eat if everyone is watching me????!!!!!! So I just order like I don’t even care what I eat at this point I just need to not be looked at for 5 seconds so they leave and not even 10 minutes later our food is ready and what do they bring me? The biggest Calzone I have ever seen in my LIFE. Like think of a giant pizza.... then imagine it a little bigger.... then fold it in half. That’s what it was. Shaped and molded to look like a giant pepper- I mean I wish I got a picture. HUGE. So I am thinking "Ok great- Now I look like a fat American eating this huge thing and NO WAY this is less than $40" 20 minutes later we had pretty much talked to everyone in the restaurant cause we are these crazy foreigners GAAAAAAA and we go check out... Guess how much. $10. WOW. If that’s not a miracle I don’t know what is. I don’t think I have ever eaten so much in my life and I felt like I was gunna die cause the food was SOOOOO GOOODDDD the company not so much but for 10$ WOWWW.

So that was all awkward- we finally run away  and we are meeting up with someone named Alessia. Now we don’t know this person she just said she wanted to meet. So we had a First lesson planned for  her, a baptism date picked out, a book of mormon to give her- everything. We assumed she was from Bolivia or Peru cause she was so nice hahaha And WHAT DO YOU KNOW she walks up to us and she is wearing a Young Woman’s Medallion...... AWK. So My companion and I just Bust up laughing. We like had prayed about a good baptismal date for this person, had practiced the lesson for her- Sooooo confused. So what do we do with her right? Well she wanted to come to our lessons! hahaha SURPRISE!!!! We were supposed to do a scambia and just yikes....... So she just came with us to our next appointments... this woman who we thought we were going to baptize hahahahaha

If that’s just the most awkward thing- that wasn’t even my whole day. So awkward. All day- like we did a pass by for a meno activa casue she told us she was in the hospital Monday and she is 83 years old... so we go stop by see if she’s ok, yaaaaaaa she was with a boyfriend and was wearing a cute dress with heals and make up and had no recollection of her trip to the hospital...... Lol… So my day was just.... Great hahahaha. And this is WITH that member... UGGGGGG whatever

Good day Good day.

Out of time... SHOCKER.

I love being a missionary! I love Italy! This church is the truth!!!!!

I love you all!! See you soon!!

-Sorella Holloway

PS- Next Thursday I celebrate my 150th day of my mission. WHOOHOO!!!!!

 

 

 

07/30/13

Ew. Everyone is getting married. That’s gross. Lol I am super nervous to go home to that ENTIRE side of life. Gross. So much yuckness. Lol

 

I AM SO EXCITED FOR MICHELLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is way crazy I bet she is thrilled out of her mind to FINALLY KNOW hahaha My shoulders tense up even thinking about waiting to open my call hahaha Horrible time. WAYYYY too many nerves. How perfect for her- seriously incredible. She will ROCK IT!!!! And Lex is heading out!!!!! EEEPPPPPP I wish I could have seen her talk!!! She has always been so incredible and an amazing example to me. :( Miss my ladies. 

 

I am so sad to hear your friend died!! But what a great excuse to get back up to Utah!!! hahaha That sounds really bad... But I hope you know what I mean. Hahaha How many times have you been to Utah in the past 3 months.... SHEESH

SPEAKING OF UTAH when you go to education week, if they have any scholarship classes you should totally go to them. Casue since I am out here for another year- I have time on Pdays or when a companion gets sick or whatever to write a paper or fills out something. I just know I am coming back broke soo any money I can start getting know would be fabulous. If I do the math correctly- which I believe I have I will be coming home after 12 transfer aka August 20th 2014 so I won’t have much time before school starts up again from the time I get home. And I will have to go to school that fall cause me Half-tuition scholarship won’t be held for me any longer. WAH. 

- I am only thinking ahead to that kind of stuff because I live in an apartment of 4 and every transfer one has gone home.... to school Lol So don’t think I am super weird. lol

 

I love hearing from anyone and I am glad some letters have been making it! I don’t have any tips for sending packages other than send them to the mission office.... which  you would do anyway cause I don’t even have our apartment address- YAY! Hahaha I am excited to see it!!! People here get packages all the time so I don’t really believe the whole "packages never make it here" business, and my letters make it... hummmmmm...... interesting this mailing system we have. 

 

I am glad everyone is doing good- I am too!!! I also love that everyone is staying busy!!!! ME TOO!!!! I almost melted last week- that was a fun time. It was 40 Degees Cel. so do the math and I believe that equals... DEATH. Yup pretty sure. Lol My Garments and clothes are straight up destroyed Lol I don’t know how people do this but I LOVE IT!!! Life is so fun. 

 

So yeah this past week has been crazy. Sorella Haslem and I are running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to figure out how the heck to be missionaries hahah SO FUN! Luckily we have a lot of great examples nearby :) Being a senior companion isn’t that different except now I get blamed for everything that goes wrong cause now it’s on MY head sooooooooo that’s a good time. I just have to learn how to be perfect! No problem! Lol I love my companion SO MUCH. During lessons we click so well and it just flows 

 

We had a lesson this week with a meno-ativa who was converted at 18, served a mission, her family aren’t members, and like 10 years ago she just straight up stopped going to church and we went to visit her and she says she doesn’t know if she believes anything. Her father is Atheist and she isn’t quite that far but she just doesn’t believe in anything. So we watched this film and HOLY COW. MIRICLE. The movie ended and the spirit was sooooo THICK in that room no one moved no one said anything. The only way I can explain it is THICK. Anyone who walked in the room at that moment would feel it- and it totally caught us by surprise. So incredible. We bore our testimonies after and gave her a notebook with our testimonies written and our fav. Scriptures and I don’t remember a time where I have felt the spirit that strong. Wow this church is the truth. Aint no question about it. We are way too fortunate that we don’t have to wait to know what life is all about.

 

Funny story that isn’t that funny: I ate octopus this morning...... breakfast...... THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LIVE WITH AN ITALIAN hahahaha totally kidding. But yeah that was gross. Raw octopus- and tenicles on your tongue BLECH.  It had a lingering bitterness just straight up sick. We have so much fun. I would say having fun on the mission is very underestimated. If you don’t have fun on your mission you are missing the ride!!!!!! In the words of Uchdorf "Happiness is the destination but it’s also the path!!!!" Got that right Uchdorf. Work hard Laugh hard Every day!!!! 

 

I have a journal that I right in everyday where I right 1 miracle I saw that day. So I have officially seen 135 miracles. I can’t imagine anywhere better to be then where I am! That’s my second journal for the mission and I am just shocked at how much good I see EEPP! I am loving life and I love my family more and more as I am out here. I am excited to see you guys- Hey send videos cause I can watch them!!!! EEEPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!! 

 

I love you guys!!!!!!!!! 

Love Sarah :) THaaaaaaats right. I still remember my first name. BOOM

 

 

07/23/13

TIM IS A STUD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow it makes me want braces again is that weird? Hahahaha Seriously that is soooooooooooo cool he got them off- YA LOOK GREAT TIM!!!!!!! And you look Old. Like a Senior..... Ew. Holy I am getting old.

 

AMERICAN IDOL TOUR MOM????????? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHERE WAS THIS WHEN I WAS IN OREGON????? What is this????????? I am upset. But just to rub it in your face I going to the TOP of Duomo today so I hope you all are jealous........ :( wahhh I miss American Idol...... mostly Soyouthinkyoucandance........ 

 

Don’t have much time this week... shocking I know... .so this will be a short email. Wah.

 

Tell grandma i do get her letters!!!!! YAYYYYY!!!!!!! Unfortunately I don’t think she is getting mine... So I will start sending them through snail mail... cause that’s SOOOO MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE. Lol

 

Go hug Michelle and Natalie for me cause I am so excited for them EEEPPP Sheesh everyone is leaving... MADNESS!!!!

 

I love hearing from Home and it’s always nice to hear those little things because it makes me laugh way hard. You guys forget I miss everything about home so those little things you throw in are HILARIOUS hahahaha 

 

OK NEWS FLASH transfers are here aka tomorrow and I am going to be here in MILANO (Hallelujah) with Sorella Haslem. Recognize that name? you should! CAUSE IT’S MY MTC COMPANION!!!!!!! Holy CRAZYYYYYYY. So I am Senior companion and we are both babies so I don’t know what’s happening and we are all gunna die. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I hope that expresses how I feel good enough.... Lol 

 

I love you guys. I am so thankful that I have a family that is supportive of me- supersupersuper fortunate. I will see you guys pretty soon actually!!! Really it’s just around the corner. :) Love you!!!!!!

-Sorella Holloway

 

 

07-17-13

Woah... Are you for real?? I’ve been out 4 months?  That’s a pretty long time SHEESH. But I guess I feel like I have been here that long so not that strange. Hahaha, Awwwww THATS SO WEIRD. I remember sitting in sacrament meeting and listening to stories about other missionaries, and Jay and Jenna and Stephen so that makes me feel weird that that’s me now... When did I get old?! I guess I should also apologize for not making me email easier to read hahaha You probably had to translate it into a full sentence.... whoops.

 

I would say I feel bad that you are having Kate withdrawals and then I think.... Nope. No I don’t feel that bad for you. Hahaha Just kidding mom, I can IMAGINE how hard that must be. hahaha Life is Brutal. I am surprised you have made it this long in Oregon as it is, so yeah I could see you guys moving up there in the next few years haha what am I saying- Make Jenna and Ben move to Oregon!!!! SHEESH. and Kate... She needs to come too. :) I mean I guess.

 

I am working on the whole camera thing. The only thing is that I can’t get online, nor is there such thing as a Radio Shack, nor Target, nor anything like that. I have seen a camera shop, but didn’t have anything to help my situation and I am pretty sure that’s as good as its gunna get. Wah. That is super fun that you get to see pictures from Sorella Ervin!!! EEEPPPP No we don’t live together- MAGARI but she is in Milano 2 and I am in Milano 1 so we see each other every 3 weeks because we are in the same zone with the missionaries in Venice. So we always get a quick picture together. She is so great. Don’t be surprised if by the end of my mission we already have housing set up together so we can keep up our Italian. (She goes to BYU I as well) I should probably try to figure out when I come back to figure that out....... yikes.

 

BAHAHAHA Tim. Captain America, YUP. Sounds about right. Hahaha That made me laugh pretty hard, poor Tim. Nobody pays attention to him. :( hahaha

 

Ok I am just gunna start listing off my funny experiences this week cause there were a TON.

FIRST:  I went to visit a new convert this week in the hospital and guess what I saw?... A doctor riding a bike around... Probably on the way to surgery... Apparently that’s ok here?? The hospitals are NOT like in America. we just walked right in and started wandering around this place since it’s as big as BYU campus and we walked right into the building like nobody’s business (Keep in mind this whole time I am staring at the ground praying I don’t see a needle or blood... I did... I survived.) And found our person. Is this weird or is it just me?

 

SECOND: Our apartment is at the metro stop "Uruguay".. like where Stephen served his mission... Hahaha Ok so we were on the Metro and this group of guys asked us were we were from and my Comp says "we are going to Uruguay" cause we don’t like to highlight the fact we are Americans and then they said "Oh wow you are from Uruguay Ok cool!" - now I find this hilarious cause who in the right mind would ever mistake me for being from Uruguay... I mean I am getting a little color but come on. I am still the whitest girl in town. Yikes. People mistake me all the time as French and German here but Uruguayan? That’s a new for me. Lol

 

THIRD: I was trying to invite someone to FHE at the church and was trying to tell them how great it was and you learn a lot!!! right? Ya welllllllll I had told them this was called "QUIT THE FAMILY" -____- So I butchered that one. Needless to say they said the loved their family.... so I told them to bring their family.. and they were really confused. Good times, Good times.

 

FORTH: Similar to the third- I get very confused with the words "Salve" (Hello-Formal) and "Salute" (Bless You)......  You can imagine my problem. We were on the bus and someone sneezed, I said "Salute!!!" aaaaaaaaaaaand then they said "You must be American."

I am Sorry America for representing you poorly.

 

FIFTH!: Ok the other night we had like a 5 hour long lightning storm I could have sworn it was the second coming. SO all four in my apartment went to bed- and me being the 3 year old I am was lying in bed and my bed is right under the window, and so after about 30 minutes of my just watching all this lightning I wake everyone up and have them come watch it with me on my bed cause it was SO COOL. So all my roommates hate me now. BUT we did get some pretty fantastic videos of it. The thunder got SO LOUD and sometimes our ENTIRE room was lit up because of the lightning I am not even kidding it was the coolest thing ever!!!

 

Ok couple more stories that I love about this week, we were going through our "Area Book" which is basically a place where you put all the names and information of everyone you have ever talked to and we found this ex-investigator named (can’t actually use real name) but a name like Moroni. so CLEARLY we have to try and contact this person right? So we call this person up- find out it’s a women, (AWESOME ) ,and ask if we can meet with her. So we meet up and she buys us this AMAZING Gelato- what a doll- and then we go sit on this bench and she starts telling us a little more about her and what do you know but we are sitting outside "La Scala!" Hahaha So I am sitting here in Italy, eating Gelato, outside La Scala and Duomo, teaching "Moroni" marveling in how crazy cool my life is and for some reason I am prompted to invite her to be baptized. SO I am thinking "Well shoot dang here it comes" So I just straight out invite her to be baptized and the next thing you know- We are baptizing Moroni August 31. Hahahahaha True Story. I couldn’t be more excited.

 AND she could not be more ready to be baptized. She has had all the lessons already but wasn’t ready for the Baptismal commitment from the other missionaries- now she is!!! Haha When I asked her to be baptized I said , "Moroni, I know you stopped meeting with the missionaries because you weren’t ready to be baptized, but we would like to invite you again to be baptized  on August 31 and I know that if you keep meeting with us, you will be ready by then." Then she just sighed and hung her head and said, "But I am not perfect yet! UG ok yes. Is that a Saturday?" Hahahaha WELL THAT WAS EASY! Hahaha

 

One thing I have noticed as a missionary is that I don’t feel like I am doing anything. Obviously I plan, I go find people, but during lessons I just talk and then I witness all these amazing things happen and I just can hardly process how much I am blessed. I don’t feel like I deserve any of it yet Miracles keep happening and I could write a book on just what I witness and the changes I see in people’s lives. 

 

We were going through the ward list and we found about 100 names we didn’t recognize and since we have been having a lot of success with these pass byes we went and found another person to try and see. We knocked on this door and she was SUPER nice and wanted to be visited wanted to hear our message and so we visited her about two times and we kinda felt something was off. There had to be something that was wrong or she would be coming to church. Right? So we had our third visit with her this week and at the end we asked her if there was anything that she needed help with and she said no no no I am good, but maybe could you ask the elders to bless my house? Which of course we can. But there wasn’t anything else she needed- so we said ok is there anything we can pray for that you need? And she said- "nah I am good. Maybe energy for work and good health." So I am like fishing for anything so I was asked "Have you been feeling sick?" She said, "No! I just... well.." She goes on to explain that a month ago the doctors found a tumor and she finds out in the beginning of august if she needs to start Chemo.

Not even a week after the doctors found this tumor did Sorella Durfee and I start visiting her. I am SO THANKFUL to be here with her because she lives alone here in Italy cause her family is gone and I just don’t know what I would do in her situation. Incredible. Last night during concilio I was able to get her visiting teachers and home teachers because for some reason she had been forgotten on BOTH of those lists. (She can’t come Sunday mornings because she is a nurse, but she served a mission in Rome and she is just incredible)

So thankful to be here.

 

If this church wasn’t the truth then I wouldn’t be seeing all these miracles. But I promise this church is the truth because I see what it does every day all day long. There is no greater calling then to help people better their lives, and watch people begin to be happier- there just isn’t!

I love my life.

I love my Family.

I love my Friends. 

Tanti Alguri a Me per quatro mezzi qui in Italia! (Congrads to me for 4 months in Italy!)

See yall soon!!!

Sorella Holloway

 

07-10-13

FAMILYYYYYYYY YAYYYYYYYY

 

Thank you so much for putting money on my card!!!

 

Hahaha I am glad you get to see Ben Jenna and Kate next month too- just remember how often you see them cause when I get off that plane Kate probably won’t ever leave my sight. I already know this will be a problem for me. Lol EEEPPPPPP But hey by then I will have a nephew too so I split my smothering into 2. How fortunate for them hahaha. I love that Kate loves to shop!!!! She was given the right family CLEARLY. 

 

Tell Grandma I am praying for her!! That sounds awful- seriously how do they miss stuff like that? Pretty sure they go to school for 100 years FOR A REASON.... Grrrr that’s even annoying to me. 

 

The new President and his wife ARE AWESOME super fun and super happy. You will be happy to know that the first thing Sorella Dibb (president’s wife) did when she saw me and said- "Alright, I need to give you a hug for your mom.... and then again for me" Hahaha It was cute. ALSO they brought us peanut butter so that whole day was just FABULOUS. I had no idea how good peanut butter was and I was drooling over peanut butter and bread. Rice bread BTW is quite fabulous. Tastes basically like white bread but without the gluten and with even less nutritional value. ITS GREAT!!!!

But yeah we had individual interviews with them and ya. A little scary. I finish being trained in 2 weeks (transfers) and he says next wave of girls I need to train so buckle up. I pity the girl I have to train. PRAYYYYY the next wave is like 6 months out hahaha This mission is super spiking and every 6 weeks we get 50 more missionaries and almost half of those sisters. MADNESS.

 

Thank you for emailing OLIVIA!!!!!!!!! I miss her and I am glad her and her sister are out and having fun. It’s actually Cody's Birthday on the 14th and he is turning 21. OLD MAN. SO MANY BIRTHDAYS. Yeah I am dying to hear where Michelle is going!!! Why is it taking so long??? I am going to be coming back by the time she gets gone!! SHEESH. Poor girl- She is probably mad it’s taking forever hahaha AHHHHHH LEX IS HEADING OUT!!!! I love all the missionaries WHOOP WHOOP

 

Hey here’s a fun fact that hopefully you find amusing- I looked down at my ankle the other day and I had this huge bump.. well that not normal. So i wait a couple days and it turns purple. But I can’t quite figure out how its familiar but it feels like a ball under my skin. So then two days after that IT KILLS like it is throbbing- what the freak is wrong with my ankle AND THEN IT HITS ME I had this on my neck not too long ago. This is a freaking tumor on my ankle. So I just bust up laughing- there is NO WAY that I get ulcers, go gluten free and get a tumor all within the first 4 months of my mission right? STUPID. So I ask my companion and roommates what I should do- I can’t think of anything other than to wait it off.... bahaha So We are in a lesson and I think - hey I should ask this Italian person what to do about this! And she goes and gets a bottle of BLEACH hahaha And drenches my ankle in bleach.............. Lol -  Weirdest thing ever. BUTTTTT IT WENT AWAY. I have a testimony of bleach and I believe it is the cure to everything as of now. Obviously it must have just been a freaking huge lizard bite on my ankle- and yea- that’s a thing.... lizards... everywhere...

Also just to throw some more at ya- My bald spots are back -___- Aka can you google for me how to stop Alopecia? That would be great. :)

 

JUST FOR THE RECORD I am healthy- I am doing fine!!! But I can’t help but laugh at the fact my body attacks itself in the world’s most STUPID ways!!! That is all. 

 

So cool fact about my companion and I is that we have been given a gift to be able to recognize the people we talk with on the Bus and Metro- so FIVE TIMES this week we have "run into someone again" and this time they gave us their number. It is just a total blessing that we recognize them because we talk to more than 100 people a day ya know? But for some reason we just recognize everyone which is SO helpful. Hopefully we have a lot of new simpantizzanti coming in. WHOOP WHOOP! 

We have also been trying to go through the ward list looking for all meno-ativas and we met with two of them on Sunday and one of them and this one sweet lady in her 60s hasn’t been to church in 40 years and also hasn’t been contacted. How crazy is that? She very hesitantly let us into her apartment and her apartment was.... Destroyed. Everything needed repair and she doesn’t have the ability anymore to do it, so we will be getting to do some service for her which I am super excited for, YAY! On domenica we also met this meno- ativa family which for who knows why hadn’t been contacted for like 3 years and they let us in and they both have SERIOUS health problems and now we are having someone bring the sacrament to them as well. It’s crazy how so many people are right there on the ward list and still haven’t been contacted. Crazy. 

 

Funny story of the week: Last P- day we decided we just wanted to go explore. Cause we are in Italy and that’s just what we do. Lol So we are near Duomo with some other sisters and they wanna go see what known as "creepy bone church" and obviously that just sounds like a blast to us hahaha so we walk inside and WHAT DO YOU KNOW. It is a CREEPY CHURCH filled with CHILDRENS BONES. That’s all it is. You walk it and then there are walls of skulls IN A DESIGN with bones from legs and arms to finish the decoration. ....... So Then we look up and there are MORE skulls WITH TEETH and some teeth ARE MISSING what the freak is that? How did they even get those bones and why are so many bones in one church as art?! What are they even doing with those teeth that fall of cause they are so old??? ewewewewewewewe So gross. But I can now say I have toughed a human skull with my own hand.... I couldn’t help myself... I hope you are proud. Lol, Not only that but they had the actual heart of them on the wall.... just way gross and not uplifting gone ounce.

 

LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!  Love hearing from you all and I am glad I have your support :) I think about you all the time!!!!

Sorella Holloway

 

07/02/13

YAYYYYYYY EMMA JOY!!!!!!!! That is so fantastic!!!!!!! CONGRADS TO THEM BOTH!!!!

Also before I forget- Can someone send me Beccas email? I would like to be invited to this wedding. :D

Also- Can someone send me Stephens email? I have much to tell him. Hehehe.

ALSO- Mitchel Perkins. I need his address PRONTO. Cueeee TIM. Thank you!

ALSO- I have letters in the mail for grandma, Tim and Dad and Kendra so please let me know if those ever make it there... like in a month...


Next,  Italy has this thing called "soldi" now I don’t speak super great but from what I understand everything everywhere goes on sale. Boom. Yup- my companion has confirmed this. Next question- Do I have money? Is that something I have cause I would love to buy some goodies here. Cause I am in Italy. And that is awesome.

MOM GUESS WHAT "letters to Juliet"??? Ya know that wall with all the... letters? to Juliet???? ITS A REAL THING- we are figuring out how long it takes to get there but just know at some point on my mission- I AM GOING THERE and I am freaking excited.

I don’t have much time to email... as usual... but STORY

This week we did a little Scambia and we switched companions so I was the senior companion of another girl who has been out for two weeks- SUPER awesome. LOVE her. So In this 24 hours- We had to start an English class, and teach 7 lessons..... in Italian... and I am here thinking ok sooooo..... WHAT??????? I have been speaking Italian aka "Speaking Italian" for 2 months and her for 2 weeks so this is gunna suck and we are going to lose all of our investigators hahahaha BUT WE SURVIVED!!!! and in fact we got TWO NEW INVESTIGATORS yup. It was awesome. Terrified for when I actually am the senior companion but ....... it was awesome for a day hahaha

We are teaching this man for west Africa right now and he is just the most humble willing guy in the world- he is so ready to try anything and he is who is getting baptized in the next couple of weeks and we couldn’t be happier. I would send you pics... BUT I DONT HAVE A CAMERA RIGHT NOW. Grrrrrrr. Seriously what do I do. Do I get new camera? ga.

I have my interview with the new mission president next Monday so THAT will be super fun!!!!!! YAYYYYYYYYY

FUNNY STORY OF THE WEEK! Ok not as great as last weeks... or any of the weeks.... but I found out my name is said "es, ah, aireh, ah, acca" Hahaha Ok so if you have Seen Pitch Perfect you will probably understand why I died at this... because There is nothing I love to quote more than "Acca-Awkward" from that movie, and what do you know... it’s in my name. SWEEEETTT. lol Also My first impression in front of the president was super lame. hahaha I used the wrong form of you and said "te" which is inappropriate as missionaries... Awesome... Lol And then when he walked in- I didn’t recognize so I had the awkward moment shaking his hand saying "Hi, I’m Sorella Holloway   OH MY GOODNESS YOU ARE PRESIDENTE!!!" just mid-sentence  switch hahaha Man. Lol Who ever gave me the awkward gene owes me cause it screwing up my first impressions!!!!! Lol

Love you guys! Love hearing stories and looking at pictures :( Hopefully my letters get there soon :) Love from Italy!!!!

-Sorella Holloway

 

 

Well Well Well We meet again my favorite day of the week. EMAIL DAY WHOOP WHOOP!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Uhhhh that sounds like a hecka cool conference that no we did not get to see. Hahaha that was at like midnight our time nor did anyone hear about this. So GOOD TO KNOW!!!!! Man that will be super cool! Our Mission President just came in this week and I meet him sometime within the next 2 weeks and we will see what changes are being made. I doubt Italy is high up on that list to get all that technology stuff... just cause it takes us like a month to even get More Books of mormon...... Sooooo..... Mayeb NEXT transfer I will see some effects of that. But Yeah WAYYY COOOLL. We probably won’t be staying at the church to do tours here because our church is in a pretty sketchy area. Lol For example- next door there is a like garden type thing that this man owns and he frequently like to Tan with his friends there. In Speedos. Awesome. Not exactly a spirit-Inviting environment or somewhere they will have Sorelle Missionaries just chill waiting to give tours. BUT WHO KNOWS. I bet the Anzioni could do it! Hahaha we have given a few tours to investigators here and every Thursday we teach Italian and English (Ironic I will be teaching Italian? yes.) so we give mini tours then as well. 

 

So cool that Tim is at Sonic HOLLA!!! Yeah I know how he feels. But Yeah Good luck on the placement test! That sounds kinda crazy hard... maybe the idea of taking a test seems kinda scary to me since I feel like the stupidest person in the world hahahaha learning a language is HECKA hard- If someone asked me to take a test right now I would throw a tomato at them. Grrrrr. GOOD LUCK TIM. ROCK IT. 

 

Ok can we just take a moment and freak out that Kendra is having A BABY BOY????????????!!!!!! It was the first email that opened and all I saw was this little hand and all four of the sorelle missionaries here just started bawling hahaha we were all like EEEEEEPPP ITS A BOY!!!!!!! I just couldn’t be more excited to come home!!!!!!!!!! I come home to a nephew AND a niece it’s just....... CRAZY. I am just too happy- I can’t handle it. Any names sticking out. I vote Mario or Luigi or Alessandro..... Lol jk. Please don’t. 

 

Ok so this week has been fabulous yay!  We had a baptism last Friday and she has a son who is baptized already and it was probably the sweetest thing I have ever seen. Just a little background, she is an ex- communicated member and has been meeting with missionaries for two-ish years and like 2 weeks ago she told us she wanted to be baptized again. So of course we freaked out- we are so happy for her!!! So we got everything set up and the day of the baptism comes and she rushes into the church all excited and she just can’t help smiling and shaking everyone’s hand and calling everyone and the time comes :) and she gets in the font- while her son who is about 10 sits right up front on the floor ready to watch his mom get baptized-, and she gets baptized :) right after she came up she just looked at him and like all time FROZE. They just stared at each other and it was the most powerful thing I have ever seen- Can you imagine being a 10 year old and watching your mom finally get baptized after years of working with the missionaries? Incredible that she could do that for HER and her son. I run back to help her with a towel and everything. And she walks up the steps into the dressing room just soaking wet and just stops and starts bawling. She was just saying "Sono felice mottto motto felice" Just over and over just weeping. She couldn’t comprehend how all the guilt and everything was just gone. So beautiful. 

Hop on over to Sunday at church- Now think how This women feels, her and her son sit by themselves every week cause she is embarrassed she can’t take the sacrament- but THIS Sunday  for the first time in years she gets to take the sacrament. So we come in and she is sitting with her friend’s just smiling and of course I was shocked! Hahaha It was so different. So then the sacrament comes around, and I can’t take my eyes off her cause I know how monumental this is for her- and she looks at the bread and she reaches up to take it and her arm is just shaking- and she takes it :D then AGAIN she looks at her son who also takes it and they just have another moment where time Freezes. Just mother and Son smiling at each other. I wish I had a picture of those moments to show you guys because I can’t explain it well enough. GA. Monumental. I felt like I was the one who got baptized or something hahahaha 

 

Ok second story: We have a ward list that we are going through and we decided to go try and find this lady Juliet who is on our ward list but hasn’t been to church in years.  So we have a few lessons this day and it’s time to go find her. YAY! So we ring the bell and she says "Chi'è?" and we tell her that we are the missionaries from the church... which she is a member of!! Hahaha And she mumbles a little and then buzzes us in hahaha soooo we head up a little worried of how this is going to turn out cause we get yelled at and stuff so we knock on the door and she cracks it open and we just pretend like we are her BEST FRIENDS cause we do NOT want her to yell or get mad or hate us or anything haha so we are just like "HI!!!!!! How are you??????? Can we just sing a song real quick and we will leave you alone?!" Hahaha we had decided to sing a hymn to Juliet cause "Dove trovar Potro Pace e Conforto" had been stuck in our head ALL DAY. aka Where can I turn for Peace....... So she HESITANTLY lets us in and we do like everything in our power to get her talking- and she finally just starts talking a little ... so we are like ok cool lets sing. So we are singing this song- and she starts crying. In our heads we are thinking YAY SHE FEELS THE SPIRIT!!!!! And so we finish the song and we look at her and we are ask "What are you feeling?" .. and she goes on to tell us that 4 Months ago, her daughter, who has children of her own- had committed suicide. My companion and I just look at each other like WHATTTTT we had NO IDEA , we didn’t even know who this women was- she showed us the rest of the apartment where her daughter had been living and the room was left untouched- then she takes us to the balcony (she is on the 4th floor of an apartment) and we look down at the round where she had planted a heart in flowers so she could always remember her daughter. SHEESH this poor women needed help bad, she was SOOOOOooo sad and so now we are meeting with her two more times this week- It moments like that when I am SO grateful to be a missionary. If we didn’t come, who would have been there for her? Now when we meet with her she is all kisses and hugs and smiley- so I am just SO grateful to be here :)

 

Funny Story of the Week: Ok soooo just like in America- People order Pizza here hahaha So Sorella Durfee and I had this GRAND idea of ordering ourselves a $5 pizza COOL. So we get out the phone not thinking much of it and we grab one of the little pamphlets with pizza on it so we could order. So we call the number and asked of the delivered- nope. So we call like 4 more numbers and they finally say YES!!!! So we go YAY! haha and then they ask "What do you want?" Wellllllll crap I didn’t think that far so in Italian we try attempting to explain what we want on our pizza... HORRIBLE so we suffer through that hahaha and like 10 minutes later when we think we have made our point.... they ask us "Where do you live" WELL CRAP! Hahaha I don’t know!!!!! So we start scrambling to find a pass along card right? Cause we have a million and a half of those. Well NEWSFLASH that’s not the right address either. It’s a pass-along card. With the CHURCHS address NOT our apartment address durdurdur so we kinda just make up an address of what we knew and LUCKILY they knew where we were talking about. Yay. 

So we think it’s over right? NOPE. We still have to pay hahahaha so he finally comes and asks us to buzz him in- well shoot, I don’t know how! So we just push all the buttons- opening the gate for the cars AND for people walking AND for the scala...... awkward. He gets in and calls AGAIN and at this point we are like I don’t even want the pizza anymore this is just too much effort hahaha and we just give up and meet him outside and pay and leave a tip which apparently is NOT A THING here in Italia. -____- So we go upstairs. Pizza. Finally. Hahahaha I open my box ........ AND THERE ARE FRENCH FRIES ON MY PIZZA. LIKE A BUTT LOAD. hahahaha They gave my Americani Pizza......... Jerks. making fun of me hahahahahahahahaha let’s be honest I deserved it. hahahahaha 

For Future Reference: When Ordering Pizza... you need 1) The Phone Number of a place that Delivers 2) Know what you want 3) Know  your address 4)  Know how to open the door

Just so ya know. There are my words of advice for this week. Lol

 

I love yall. 

The church is true. Obviously.

Sorella Holloway.