Sorella Eaton Shout Out... 12-12-12

Sorella Eaton and I get along SOOOO well. Sometimes we forget that we've only known each other for a few weeks. We have way too much fun talking at night and sharing family stories. We are at the point where she quotes my nephew, and I quote her siblings, haha. It is great. We don't have to talk very much to know what the other is thinking. Truly, she is one of the biggest breaths of fresh air! I LOVE HER! She is the epitomy of nice. She is brilliant. When she teaches, she teaches with so much patience and love. It is crazy how she does it. She helps people understand what we are teaching in a manner where they can't confuse it. She is straight up talented! Wow, did I get lucky or what?! I have had STELLAR companions.

Visiting Old Friends in Bergamo-- Dec 12, 2012

I am writing from BERGAMO!!!!

Yes, you heard right. I got a call last Thursday saying that my "permission card" to stay in the country has arrived and was waiting for me in Bergamo and needed to be picked up on Wednesday. Which means, I had to go back!!! YAY! Not only that. Sorella Eaton got her card too, but it came into Torino...so that meant we had to go there TOO! We went to Torino on Sunday night and got to do a little bit of the work with the sisters there. It was fun, and BEAUTIFUL! I would love to serve there one day. How cool to serve in the same place where your family lived for centuries?! Start praying now, haha. We got permission to go to Bergamo on Tuesday and do splits with the sisters here...which meant that Sorella Padula and I got to work together again!!!!! I cannot express in words how beautiful the splits were. I was SO excited to see the people here. Sorella Padula knew I was coming, so she set up appointments for us with Stephen and Patrisia, and some other great people. She also didn't tell any of them I was coming so I could surprise them. How sweet is that?! I wish I could express how cute they were!! There faces were SOOOOOO surprised and SOOOOOOO happy to see me! It felt like coming home after a long vacation. They all asked if I could stay longer. It felt good. We saw miracles like CRAZY! Seriously. One after another. Bergamo is doing SO well. Sorella Padula and I had some great conversations. She kept telling me that all the miracles that were happening now were due to the hard work that I did...and of course the timing of the Lord. She was so sweet. We were super content and happy to work together again. Pure love. I am beyond grateful for the things she taught me and continues to teach me. We taught some fabulous lessons. Overall, this was one of the best mission Christmas presents EVER. There are tons of baptisms scheduled for the people that we started teaching last transfer, and I am so grateful for the Lord for helping them all prepare. Sigh.... life is good.

Firenze. The best place in the WORLD! 12-5-2012

                                                   FLORENCE ZONE TRAINING MEETING

Firenze. The best place in the WORLD!! Mom, it is ridiculously beautiful! I can't WAIT to bring you and dad here!!! You are going to love it. It is like a magazine. The center is so perfect. The buildings just take my breath away.

Miracle story: we were ringing doorbells, and no one was letting us into the building...and after about an hour of this, someone let us in! Usually when they let us in, it is because they didn't understand what we said. AND, if they did understand, it is probable that they are letting us in to tear us apart, haha. So, as we are walking up the stairs, my heart is sinking because I knew they understood who we are. As we get to the door, I start searching for JW magazines laying around the house. I don't see any magazines, and it turns out, they are just SUPER nice people. We shared a message with them and they liked it, but said they couldn't change religions...BUT, it was still a miracle. There is nothing better than sharing a message with someone who doesn't know it yet. I know it is true, and one day they will too! How lucky are we that we got to share our testimonies with someone who will listen?!?!

At this point, everyone who lets us talk to them beyond the "buongiorno" is a miracle story. :) We are still searching working hard! Keep the prayers comin'! :)

Questions and Answers... Nov 28, 2012

Via Delle Panche 

When do you get a bike? This week!!

Are you going to move to a different apartment soon?

Probably next transfer... but I actually kind of like it here, haha.

How are your shoes holding up?

Shoes are GREAT! I haven't worn through a pair yet.

Are you warm enough?

The weather is pretty darn nice! It is raining right now, but it isn't cold. It gets hot with all the walking we do.

What is the food like? TOOOOO GOOOD! You are going to LOVE it.

Are there many tourists this time of year?

We stay away from the touristy areas, so we actually don't see too many! It's nice. There are a lot more Italians here than there were in Bergamo, which is cool.

How are people receiving you?

They aren't really receiving us, haha. We keep trying though. We actually found some really neat people the other night while knocking on doors, and we have appointments with them this weekend. YAY!! There is always something to do though, and I love it.

Firenze is beautiful. I'll get pics when it isn't raining. I am in love with the members. They are so funny and open. They will do anything to help us do our work. They are beyond grateful that they have sisters serving in their ward and show their gratitude every time we come into the church. We saw sooooo many miracles this past week! We were knocking on doors and were about to finish, but did one more building. We rang the bell, and the people answered and let us right on up. He said he didn't understand who we were at first, but listened to our message anyway. He said that just a few days ago, he had been questioning his faith. And look at that... we arrived to help him strengthen it. I love it when that happens.

Ti amo! Vi amo!

Katie

Starting with a Blank Slate... Nov 21, 2012

Dearest Family and Friends,

I have arrived in Firenze! We arrived Thursday and are already in love with it. We spent the first few days trying to figure out the city and find the church, etc. It is great. There are 4 elders and 2 sisters and we're serving in a branch. We cover about half of the city. There are 2 branches here. We are part of the Firenze district, not big enough yet for a stake. We are starting from ground zero and working our way up. It is crazy. I don't feel ready for this. We are pretty much opening an area! We tract ALLLLLLLL day!!!! Crazy. We live on Medaglie D'Oro, which is close to Via Delle Panche. We walk for now, but are getting bikes soon. Our apartment is old but I actually LOVE it. It has 2 rooms, a kitchen, bathroom and it has tons of personality. The branch is incredible here! They welcomed us right in! We spend the whole day walking around trying to talk to people and find investigators. It is ROUGH. But SO beautiful at the same time. We can only get better, right?! There is nothing like having a blank slate.

I miss Bergamo a ton, but know that Florence is where I am supposed to be. Maybe we don't know why we're here yet, but we know that there is a reason. Every day is like an adventure. We are growing and learning so much. By the way, my companion is Sorella Eaton from Rexburg, ID. She is GREAT! I love her to pieces. She is a political science major and really knows her stuff. She is small and talks like an Italian. It is fabulous. She is such a good example to me. She smiles at EVERYONE. Her confidence in the gospel is SO STRONG and nothing can stop her. She is legit! We have fun talking together. She knows the scriptures super well. Overall, I couldn't be happier! This is quite the experience. I feel like I don't know what to say about it yet. I'll let you know in a week how it is going. We're still figuring this whole city/mission out. We feel new again. Ah the joys of transfers. :) 

LOVE IT! I hope to have more to say next week.

LOVE YOU ALL!!

Sorella Beus

Forward to Florence! ... November 14, 2012

So, once upon a time, there was a really neat city where there were some great sister missionaries. Those sisters did SUCH a wondeful job, but sometimes in the mission, the work will stop improving for various reasons. Eventually, this beautiful city was "put on hold", and there have been no sisters working there for quite some time...until NOW!!

I received a call last night from President Wolfgramm telling me that I will be opening FIRENZE again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't BELIVE it!! I will be with Sorella Eaton...who is probably the best Italian speaker I know. She is only 3 transfers ahead of me and people already think she is a native. What a blessing! I can't wait to learn from her! In fact, before I came on the mission, Beka Rayburn told me to look for her friend who was already serving in Milan...and small world, it's Sister Eaton! Beka said she hoped we could serve together, and here we are. It is going to be quite the experience...bring it on! Thankfully, the members in Firenze are incredible!

Bergamo Baptisms... Nov 14, 2012

The baptism went SO well! Patrisia is so very special to us. She came looking so beautiful! Her hair was perfect and she was wearing a new skirt. She looked fab. She admitted that she was nervous, but as soon as she put on the white dress, she felt calm...and truly, she looked like an angel. She didn't stop smiling all night. Sunday came, and all the Bergamo wards were combined. It was also the day when she was receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. We had a lunch and lesson before chruch where we explained the Holy Ghost and how we communicates with us. She was so exicted and nervous, but so so sure that she was doing the right thing. She didn't stop smiling the rest of Sunday. She came to all of church and participated in everything. she is going to be such a valuable member to the church. She has been talkign with her sons about the church, and one of them is meeting with the missionaries and loves it. This work is TOO beautiful for words. I love Patrisia. I am going to miss her like crazy.

We have had some great lessons this past week. Stephen, our favorite African, brought a friend with him to a lesson. His name is Williams. He is SO excited to start meeting with us. He has a permanent smile on his face. We love it. My favorite thing he said was, "If you be hatin' Jesus, I don't like you..." He was so serious when he said it. I wish I could say it the way he does. Aw man, if only you could all hear our investigators! Sorella Padula and I are always quoting them. They each say certain phrases in particular ways, and I can't get enough of it. For example, Stephen always says, "Yes, I know, it is true. I know all." He says it with so much conviction, and we love it. We have a quote board full of our favorites. I am truly going to miss these people. But like I said forever ago, I guess this is how the mission is. You learn, you love...and then you learn and love something else. But your growth goes with you.

I love this church. I love the gospel. I love our Savior, Jesus Christ, and am so grateful for His sacrifice. I couldn't be more happy and content to be part of this great and marvelous work. Thanks for the support in this. :)

Sincerely,
Sorella Beus

Baptism, Bowling, and Blast in Verona... Nov 7, 2012

We have a baptism this week!!!!!! It is Patrisia!!! She has come such a long way! We hadn't seen her in a long time because she was working far away, and the next time back, she asked if she could get baptized the following week. How neat is that?! We are so excited for her. I think every time we leave a lesson, I feel like she has taught me more than we taught her. She has the best stories to share with us, and we find ourselves laughing a whole lot when we are together.

YUMMY lunch with the Elders

Apple Crisp courtesy of Anziano Treadway

We went to Verona for a day! How cool is that?! We had a blast. The girl to my right is Sorella Oakes, my companion for the day, and the other is Sorella Hanson, one of the sisters that came in the MTC right after me. SO FUN! And last week we went Halloween Bowling!! It was SUPER fun. I loved it. The missionaries in our district are all so fun to be with. Guess who OWNED IT?!?! This girl! Haha. Scored 154 and beat all the elders! 

(Too hard to edit red-eye, just made them b/w)

Thank you so much for being such a great support from home!

Love,

Kate

Seeing Miracles... Oct 31, 2012

There is snow on the mountains! Sorella Padula has never seen snow! I hope she likes it!

Ciao tutti! Come va?! This week has been full of miracles! I prayed that I could SEE the small miracles this week that are always happening. I had to redefine miracle. Miracle: an event or feeling that allows you to see that the Lord is in control of your life and the lives of those around you. I had been waiting to see miracles like you hear about in the missionary books...you know, the kind where people walk up to you and say that they need to talk to you? Well, the Lord doesn't always work that way, and sometimes you have to search for them. The other day, we were walking around to different apartment buildings and calling people. You have to wait outside at the little speaker thing until someone opens the door to the building. Then, you just knock on all the doors until you find someone. It was raining and dark, and we were about to move on, but decided to just try one more name. It was a name that was definitely not Italian, and when we went to talk to them, they mumbled something, and got out the words that they were coming. A young woman walks down the stairs to let us in, and we find out she speaks English! Yay. She is from Iran. She said she had been reading "Eat Pray Love" and was at the part about prayer when we rang. She said that she doesn't know what to believe, but does believe in good energy and bad energy...and we explained that was the Holy Spirit. She said she has been searching for answers to her questions, and that we could come back the next day! That is a miracle. When you find someone, and know that God put them in your path so you could remember that He is truly the master of this work. 

The mission is full of moments like this. I love it. At Stake Conference this past Sunday, there was a sister missionary that recently came home. She said sooooo many great things regarding the mission. Again, a miracle. She expressed that sometimes the Lord asks us to do something...not because we can do it, but because we need to do it. We need to preach the gospel and we need to have faith. We need to repent and be baptized. Luckily, our Heavenly Father never asks us to do something we can't do. Moroni 7:33. We can do anything with the Lord's help.

I got in my first bike accident. Another biker accidentally turned into me. I hit the ground SOOO hard! I just lay there for a few seconds and couldn't feel my left arm. Gosh, all the thoughts that rush into your mind when something like that happens are just crazy. In my head, I was trying to think of how to respond in Italian, and just couldn't. For 3 days, I couldn't grip with my left hand, so I had a hard time using the brakes on the left side of my bike. My elbow and forearm were super bruised and still are, but thankfully thankfully thankfully, I am slowly getting the strength back. I am amazed sometimes at the things that don't phase me anymore. I just don't react how I used to. I find myself not wanting to stop for anything. There just isn't time to waste! Haha. 

Happy Halloween!!! We get to have a Halloween Party with the elders and senior couple! AHODEEHO!!!

Love you love you! Thank you for the prayers! I can feel the strength and love from home, and couldn't be more grateful. You are the reason I am still going strong. 

Until next week!

Katie

"Desire" and Drumroll please..... Oct 17, 2012

                                     So grateful I got to stay in beautiful Bergamo for another transfer...

                                             ...where even the street signs are so classy!!

I made it to my first Zone Conference!!! I LOVED it!!! This whole mission thing sure is inspired. The president and assistants had prepared one of the most uplifting, inspiring conferences. It was perfect timing. I went to the conference with an open heart and mind, and I was not disappointed.

We spent about half of the conference talking about DESIRE. When you have the desire, you act, and then you see results. You can't act if you don't have the desire. Our desire as missionaries should be to constantly find, teach, baptize. As soon as you lose sight of this, you stop feeling the influence of the Holy Ghost guiding your path. The next thing we talked about to go along with this was real intent. When we are truly seeking to align our will with God's...with real intent...there really isn't a reason not to be successful. When we make God's will our own, we have the support of Him. There is no one else I would rather want on my team! Needless to say, I received the answers to all my questions in one way or another at the conference. Heavenly Father sure does know what he is doing!

http://www.bulkpartysupplies.com/store/i/is.aspx?path=/images/products/50188.jpg

Some exciting news!!! Drumroll please....we have our first baptism this Saturday!! YEAH! His name is Steven, he's from Ghana, and we love him. We met him my first week here and have been teaching him every Tuesday and Thursday since. We have truly enjoyed watching him as his testimony has grown, as he's changed his life, and has he has truly come to understand the value of the gospel in his life. We can't help but smile when we talk to him. It has been quite the experience, and we're getting super stoked for Saturday! Yay!!! He always tells anyone he is with that we are his sisters. Something I truly admire about him is that he is so very loyal. He is super respectful to us and takes care of us in the best way he can. When he says that we are his sisters, he means it. He thinks of us as sisters! We love it.

I love you all! The letters of encouragement were definitely needed this week. Thank you for sending them! Love you!

Sorella Beus

Sorella Padula Shout Out... Oct 2012

Sorella Padula is one of the best people I have ever met. I love and appreciate her for changing my life, and my mission. I couldn't be more grateful. She is a gift from Heavenly Father. She has so many gifts and talents like singing to everyone's heart, and playing the piano unbelievably well and the members just adore her. She does and says SOOOO many wonderful things and she is so patient and calm and such a hard worker! She is a great example to me and I love her.

To Whom It May Concern... Oct 2012

To all those 19-year-old young women who are coming out here, I am SO proud of you!!! This sister missionary loves you so much! You have no idea what is coming your way. Every mission experience is so unique to the individual. I would just say to learn to LOVE your experience right off the bat. This is the most wonderful thing I have ever done, but I had no idea that it would be as hard as it is at times. Don't have expectations. Go with the flow. Love your companion. Pray for them and pray that you can know what to do to serve them. Everyone has different needs, and most of the time, you don't really know what they are...but Heavenly Father does and He will help you offer the service you can to those who He puts in your path. He knows your plan better than you do. Frustrating, I know, but have faith and confidence that He is preparing you for something wonderful! If you do all that you are supposed to do, you are making yourself available to be an instrument in HIS hands. What an honor!!

It Doesn't Get Better Than This... Oct 2012

We see miracles alllll the time. About two weeks ago, I was looking through the book of ex-investigators. I found a record of one who had had a few lessons, but had stopped seeing the missionaries for one reason or another...nothing specific. I gave him a call and in my broken Italian, was able to express that we wanted to meet with him and he said yes! Yay! We set up an appointment and when it came time for the appointment, he couldn't make it, but called and said he was sorry. Two weeks later, I am sitting in conference, and the Anziani (Elders) come get me to say that there is an investigator here for us! IT'S HIM! He was super grateful for us. He told us that he had felt that the missionaries had forgotten about him, and he was so glad we had called. We have seen him since then and we also have another appointment with him. I love the mission for this. Seeing people desire to change, then learning how, and then doing it. It doesn't get better than this. I am so grateful that he has stayed in contact with us. It means SO MUCH when you can see that a person is trying. 

In His Hands ... Oct 10, 2012

Dear Family,

I'm a MISSIONARY! How cool is that?! It was so neat watching conference here. I loved hearing the missionary talks and finally being a part of it. It is so neat.

Conference was INCREDIBLE! I loved it all. Thankfully, our chapel showed conference in English and Italian. I CAN'T BELIEVE THE ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT MISSIONARIES!!!!! My jaw dropped in SHOCK when I heard about the new ages and I couldn't pick it up for another 5 minutes. WHAT THE?!?!?!?!?! I am so thrilled to be a part of the mission crew at this time. I can't wait to see the influx of sister missionaries. What a blessing! I am so excited to see all the new sisters coming in. WOOHOO! I will pray pray pray that I can train Allison, haha. I have SO much trust in Heavenly Father that this is part of His plan. He's brilliant. This is a huge deal and a huge opportunity. There are few things in this world that are better than serving and giving up everything for the people whom you are called to serve. I love this gospel. I love our Savior and Redeemer.

I GOT MAIL! We had a zone meeting on Monday, and I got all the mail that has been waiting for me since like 4 weeks ago. WAHOOOOOOO!!!! I couldn't have felt more loved. It is amazing what letters do to a missionary! I am constantly feeling bad that I was such a horrible writer to missionaries...thank goodness for the Atonement and the opportunity to repent every day. http://gabbyromeo11.wikispaces.com/The+Notebook+Visuals

Mom, I made it! I am alive and doing well after completing my first transfer. Sometimes when I look back, I think, "What in the freak just happened?!" That was one of the slowest, fastest moving things I have ever done. A mission makes you tired...and it doesn't get any better. But, your love of the people and the work does get better and being tired doesn't even matter! Before the mission, sleep was definitely an addiction of mine. There is nothing I love more than a nice nap...as most of you know already. :) But I've found that even when we have 30 minutes that we could sleep, I don't even want to! I want to study or read or just think. The mission is working miracles on this very human body of mine. I never thought I could recover from the sleeping problem, but here I am. Awake, happy, and loving the mission. Granted, there are hard times. The hard times never last forever though.

                     https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nxZz6AhyphenhyphenOkv3zLeuefBdotnr2NPs6YAgFXYJoMw8GDPNqg8919ah2YptFSTshs4O-Ye4F0KyJ5-C8GkTyXfQE1gVE7XLZkSAtClQgUhv3UUdz9xiH2-6owGhQnp5OIw2GGFyOW2yEwuP/s1600/katyperry.jpg

I love you. A lot. Can I see pics of your birthday?

Ciao, tutti! A dopo! (Translation: Goodbye all! Later!)

Sorella Beus

L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.... October 3, 2012

"We are here to find the ELECT!"

L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N

Every morning, I wake up and think, "Hey, I'm in ITALY!"  It never gets old. I am living a dream! When we are outside contacting, I love looking at all the people and just trying to imagine what their lives are like. It's always a trick to figure out how to talk to all the different people. Everyone is struggling, everyone has their difficulties, and everyone could use the gospel in their lives. I feel like the gospel solves almost all problems we face in this life. It's just a matter of expressing this to the people that is the tricky part. We get turned down...a lot. But I've gotten to the point where I feel that we gave them the chance, and it is up to them to accept or deny. Life always goes on. We can't spend a lot of time feeling down about being rejected. We are here to find the ELECT! Now… where they are, we don't know, but we are always always searching. We know we will find them!!

I feel like there just isn't a whole lot to report! We have some stellar investigators right now. I couldn't be happier. There are two getting baptized this month, and I love hearing their comments. They are so in tune with the spirit. I love watching them progress and understand the gospel more each time. We also were able to see one of our investigators that we haven't seen for a month! He is doing great! I think he just needed a little break, but now, he is so steady. I love them all!! I love feeling this way about these people! I adore the families we teach, and the people we meet.

We went to a birthday dinner for one of the new converts sons, and he was singing happy birthday to himself...at the age of 2. I loved it. it felt like we were at home. They are all so amazing!

AH! Out of time!!!

Until next week!

Sorella Beus

Highlights of September 2012

FIRST MONTH IN ITALY!

The BEST letter EVER from Katie was the week she realized that her attitude could make or break this mission. (see post below) It came at a time when I needed it as well. I only wish I could have been half the woman she is at her age. I’m so gratefully happy for all the wonderful growth and maturity this mission is bringing about for her! 

We are staying busy! We are constantly on the go. It is fun to be meeting all kinds of people… So far, we have talked to 4 Muslims, 3 Atheists, 2 Orthodox, and 1 Buddhist. Each one is so nice and we end up teaching them a lesson even if they don't want to hear it. Sorella Padula is great that way. She talks to anyone and everyone. We have an investigator that looks like Bob Marley. He is the BEST. He is slowly progressing, but nevertheless, is progressing… We love our investigators and love even more to see their progress. They are incredible. Also, it is sad to see how the adversary works on those who are progressing. Some of our investigators are receiving so much opposition in their lives right now. I just wish we could make it better. If only they could see the blessings that will come! I know that God is aware of them and wants them to follow this path...but gosh, it is hard. 

We had the opportunity to go to a Zone Meeting on Monday and it was SO great! We were able to encourage each other to continue and we definitely felt motivated after leaving. It's always nice to be with other missionaries and realize that you are a part of a work so much bigger than yourself.

We are always seeing miracles and I wish I could write them all down. The general miracles are when we find someone at 8:55 and they end up wanting to continue to learn! We have a couple of investigators that we found this way and boy are we grateful for them. We are even more grateful for the Lord and his hand in this work. He sure does know His children. I feel so lucky to feel a part of that love as well. 

Cute Story:

We were waiting at a bus stop for a member who was going with us to a lesson. While we were sitting there, this little 6 year old rides up on his tiny bike and smiles at me and says "che bella!!" He turned around and then quickly turned back toward me and said "tu sei bella!" (translation “You’re beautiful”) -Grazie! It made my night. Oh the little things. If only we could convert him, haha!

I am beginning to fall in love with the people here. S.lla Padula said that we have one of the strongest branches she has ever seen...and she is SO right. The members are always offering to help us and they are so great about coming with us to lessons. They truly have the desire to help others come unto Christ and it is shown in their actions. I love them. They are so welcoming.

Citta Alta and a Spiritual Wall... Sept 26, 2012

President Pezzoli, the branch pres, and his wife, Marina

Once again, it's P-DAY! Yay. We spent last P-Day up in the mountains at Citta Alta with President Pezzoli, the branch pres, and his wife, Marina. They are one of the COOLEST couples I have ever met. They are really into music and the arts and they LOVE sharing their knowledge with us. I wouldn't have wanted to be with anyone else here. I always love being in their company. They have lived in Bergamo their whole lives...as have their families for generations and generations. They know all the ins and outs of the place. Citta Alta is one of the prettiest places I have ever been. From the top, you can see all of Bergamo and more. WOW!! We are beyond lucky to be serving here. It is like a movie...no joke. Love it. Pictures do not do it justice.

We had an INCREDIBLE lesson with one of our investigators. We were talking about the Law of Chastity and the 10 Commandments. She loved the pamphlet on the Law of Chastity, and asked for more so that she can share them with her friends. She just soaks up the gospel better than anyone I have ever met. It is amazing to watch how she takes a principle, applies it to her life, and then has this huge desire to share it with her family and friends. I LOVE HER! I had to take a phone call in the middle of the lesson and left for 2 minutes. When I came back, the room was so FULLLLLL of the spirit it was like hitting a spiritual wall! It literally hit me in the face! She is VERY VERY special...to us, and more importantly, to Heavenly Father. She has something good waiting for her...We can feel it. :) She is getting baptized within the next few weeks and we couldn't be more excited.

That's the latest and greatest! I know, it's not as long as it should be, but really, I'm happy. And beyond content to be here. I KNOW this is where I am needed right now. Family and friends, I miss you, and I am SO proud of you for all the amazing things you are doing, whether it is school, work, or play. LOVE YOU ALL!!

Sorella Beus

Bat Sorelle on Bikes... Sept 19, 2012

"Life continues to go on here. We are consistently searching for new investigators to teach. It seems that the weather has decided not to help us with our street contacting. It rains... a lot. We bought some classy ponchos last week and wear those while we are riding bikes. Last night, S.lla Padula said, "We're like Batman...but not. We're BAT SORELLE!" We laughed about how funny we look but decided to embrace it. We'll do anything to stay at least partly dry. Don't get me wrong, I love the rain! I would love to spend the day walking around the city in the rain, but it is tough when you're riding a bike for 20 minutes in the night with rain hitting you in the face. Ah...this is the LIFE! Love it."

So I tried to find a visual of "Classy Ponchos" that would keep them dry....

THIS HAS TO BE IT!!! "Bat Sorelle" written all over it!

Attitude is Everything... September 12, 2012

Isn't it funny how an attitude change 
changes EVERYTHING?! 

I had been stressed about everything...feeling like any setback we had was somehow my fault… but then I decided to only be positive about everything that happened throughout the week. Every time we would get a text or a call from someone who couldn't meet anymore, I would excitedly say "WOOHOO! Where is our new investigator?! Let's go find them!!!" Sorella Padula would smile and we would try our best to talk to EVERYONE that we came across on the street. My attitude change really changed the spirit of our work. Sometimes, it is a little much for S.lla Padula, but she has learned to just laugh and accept the fact that yes, I am like a child on Christmas when something little happens...or also when nothing happens at all. :) Sometimes I just need to smile and express how GREAT this is!! I just chose to BE HAPPY! How great is that?! I have to give a little shout out to S.lla Wightman for this one, because she is the one who taught me this concept. Not only did she teach me this, but she showed it in all of her actions. She reminded me every day that our day could turn out however we wanted it to depending on our attitude. She taught me that there is no reason not to love the mission! So enjoy!! She was such a good example to me and I miss her every day. I guess this is how the mission is, right? You learn and you love, and then you get the opportunity to learn and to love from someone else! Choosing to love the work and choosing to be happy made all the difference. I mean, sometimes, you may need to get out all the frustration you didn't know you had, but that ends. We're never in a constant state of frustration. And I find peace in that. When times are hard, know that you have a loving Heavenly Father who is aware, and He has something SO good waiting for you that you need to be patient for it. Nice.

SHOUT OUT TO SORELLA WIGHTMAN!

I love Sorella Padula. She is FANTASTIC. This past week, I realized that we have grown SO much together. We are different people than we were when we started. She has been preparing me this whole time to be the strong missionary that I can become! She has helped me push myself so that I can look back and see the fruits of our labors… and be proud of all that we’ve done together. Yesterday, we had a wonderful chat about the mission. We talked about how our talents and abilities are not a mystery to the Lord. He knows exactly what we can do here, and now is the time to figure it out for ourselves. We are in a constant state of changing and growing and it truly does take time to catch up with yourself sometimes. I was thinking back to the first week here when I couldn't even form a past tense sentence...and now, we RARELY speak in English. Now, I can express myself, maybe not the same as if I were speaking English, but my point gets across. It’s nice. And you know what?! I’m not perfect and never will be, but I can consistently try every day to improve something. God knows my strengths and my weaknesses, and he will make me useful in the situations I am in with the abilities that I have. He doesn’t expect me, or any other missionary, to do something impossible.

Thank you for your letters and love! You are THE BEST SUPPORT EVER!!!!!!!!!! I am beyond grateful for you!!! I just need to say I love you again! Please give hugs to EVERYONE for me!!! I just wanna holdju every night. But I know I am where I need to be.

Sincerely,

Sorella Beus

Bergamo... dove i cieli sono blu... sempre - August 29, 2012

 

We had to wait a loooong time but we finally got Katie’s first email from Italy – August 29, 2012

Bergamo, dove i cieli sono blu… sempre

Translation: 

Bergamo…. Where the sky is blue… always

Their Apartment

Katie's Workspace

SALVE! (Hello…)



     So, what to tell you about Bergamo... Bergamo is GORGEOUS! Have you googled it? My companion says everyday, "Ah Bergamo, where the skies are always, always blue..." I love it. It is so true. We run from our apartment to Città Alta (medieval plaza) at least 4 times a week in the morning. Ah...so pretty. We watch the sun rising over the mountains (we are right at the foot of the Swiss Alps) and over the beautiful city and I just can't believe I'm here! It is wonderful.

     In Bergamo, there are a lot of bikes and Bolivians. I feel that we (meaning S.lla Padula) speak more Spanish with our investigators than Italian! Haha. I keep asking myself why I prayed so hard to forget Spanish so I could remember Italian, and NOW I need Spanish, haha. Oh life. It's great. I love the lessons. The people here are really special. They truly have desire to learn about the gospel and progress. It's a wonderful thing! Our investigators are so diligent and brave. The branch is incredibly strong. I love them. They are like a family! It is so beautiful to see this much strength in the church. The gospel is such a blessing and I am loving the opportunity to see it change lives!



     You know how when you watch missionary movies, you never think that stuff actually happens?! Well, it DOES! Who knew? I have so many embarrassing stories already, but each one was worth it. We are riding bikes every day... Mom, remember when I was getting ready and I said that I would probably never have to ride a bike? Heavenly Father sure fooled me! We had only been in Bergamo for 2 hours when we had an appointment and S.lla Padula says that we need to get there quickly because we're running late. We go down the stairs, and lo and behold, she points to the bikes. I wish so badly we could have recorded my first time on a bike in about 4 or 5 years. Not only that! My bike is a "man bike." I have no dignity when it comes to getting on and off that thing. Every time, something funny happens. One time at a stoplight, I went to rest my available foot on the curb, and I didn't realize there wasn't a curb there! As I was trying to catch myself, my other ankle scratched against the "half pedals" that are barely existing. I start to bleed immediately. S.lla Padula asks if I'm okay, and I tell her that I’m okay...but kind of not, haha. She sees the bleeding and says, "Oh...you're fine. Let's go!" So I'm feeling blood run down my leg and fill up my shoe and all this time we are riding as quick as we can to our appointment. When we get there, I am SOAKING WET! No joke. It is SOOOOO warm and humid here!!! As Gloria (our member friend) is getting us some water, I ask her about my leg, and she looks down and jumps back a little bit, haha. Then she so kindly gets me stuff to clean it and all was well after that. Great first impression, right?!

     I didn't even think about buying mosquito repellant. I mean, only nice, friendly, and harmless insects exist in Italy, right?! The morning after my first night in Bergamo, I counted 45 mosquito bites from the waist down!  It was hilarious.  The members tell me that the reason I have so many is because Americans have white, sensitive skin. I would have to say that I fit that description perfectly! Yay. 



     I got lost for the first time two days ago. S.lla Padula is SO fast on her bike! She keeps telling me that I'll get used to it, and slowly but surely, I am starting to keep up and know my way around. Sometimes, I get stuck at a stoplight and have to hurry to catch up. This time, I get to a street where there are a few ways to turn and I don't see my companion! It was so sad, haha. At first, I started laughing at myself, and then I was frustrated, and then I started crying...and then I said a prayer. In the MTC, they say to NEVER leave your companion, so I felt horrible and guilty...but then I realized that I am a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, and Heavenly Father is on our side! We don't need to feel alone! So I just waited there for about what seemed like 20 minutes, and eventually my companion found me. Great experience. Never want it to happen again, but it was fun while it lasted!

     Sorella Padula is AMAZING! She is talented in EVERY way. I love it. She is from Argentina. Everyone loves her. She is pretty young in the mission too! Only 6 months in. She is a great trainer. This is a new thing for the both of us and I just pray all the time to be able to do the best we can. We're doing really well, but any extra prayers would help. The language barrier makes it kind of hard for me and for her. 


                                                                                            Love you all!!!


                                                                                            Sorella Beus

P.S. I adore the letters, pictures, and prayers. I could NOT do this without your support. Thank you for EVERYTHING!!