Wednesday, August 14, 2013

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

 

 

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

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!!!!!

 

 

 

Friday, August 2, 2013

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