December 30, 2013 - Christmas Pranza

Editor's note here:
We got to Skype with Megan on Christmas day. It was awesome to see her and to feel her joy for where she is and what she is doing. Here's my favorite picture of her through Skype:

Skyping with Megan on Christmas morning!

She didn't send a lengthy email today, but she did describe her Christmas celebration to us. Here is her email this morning:

So, I have a good amount of time today since just a few peopled emailed today. So, I will try to answer most of your questions. The post Christmas was interesting, haha.

Our little tree on Christmas morning

We were all exhausted and just wanted to sleep and stop seeing people, but that's not what missionaries do, so we went to our pranzo the day after Christmas and then had our weekly District Meeting right after a long and exhausting Pranzo. That district meeting was very special though. Our District leader, Anziano Barone, knew we were all very tired and knew we probably would not get much out of a long and intense training, so instead, he said he wanted to do somehing special for Christmas and give us each something. What followed was something I will probably never forget. He then went around the circle we were sitting in (we had been too tired even to bring in tables) and told each of us what he admired in us as missionaries. It was incredible. I could not believe it. His kind words and honest praise brought such a spirit of love and unity to our district and helped us each to see the good qualities of those we work so closely with. It can be hard, when around someone 24/7, to appreciate all of their good, because you also get to see most of their bad. But after he finished, Anziano

Barone told us about how it always helped him to love his companion and others more when he first looked for the good in them. At the end, he began to cry when he expressed his love for all of us and how grateful he was to be in this district and to have the chance to work with all of us. It was beautiful. It changed the whole feel of the meeting, and the whole feel of our district. That's what can happen when you have a servant of the Lord who fulfills his promise to be obedient: he or she can be guided by the Spirit to say exactly what God's children need to hear. And it can change a lot. 

The next day, I got very sick and the next day I stayed in bed all day. But then I had Anz. Barone and Rigby give me a blessing and I went to church yesterday and today we are going to see the Colosseum! So don't worry, I am on the mend :) 

For New Years Eve our ward is having a party at church, but it starts at like 7:30 and we have very strict orders to be home by 9 PM. It is going to be a crazy night! We have been hearing fireworks for the past two weeks, so that night is going to be something else! We will be safely watching from inside our top floor apartment :)

 

I will attach pictures of the rest of my 4 course, multi-hour Christmas pranzo:

 

3rd course

4th course!

Megan from the viewpoint
of a 7 year old on Christmas

Editor's note again: I took pictures of Megan's friends at church yesterday as the twins are now home from their missions to Ecuador and Mexico City. We had to take the standard twin picture of them kissing Megan. I sent them to her last night and here is what she responded:

 

I miss the twins so bad!! I wish that I could have been there when they got home!!! They BETTER be there when I come home!!!!!!!!  Everyone just looks so HAPPY!! I love it so much!!! I could not ask for a better group of friends!!! 

Mykle, Megan, and Kyle

Okay, so this is probably the last week with my companion. She has spent 5 transfers in this city, so she is likely leaving. I have no idea how to get around Rome, no idea where anything is, no idea about a lot of stuff, but I know the Lord will help me if He takes her away! Who knows, maybe He will throw me and Sorella Viazzo together after all! Magari!

Okay, well I can't think of anything else... I hope that everyone had a great Christmas and will have a fabulous new year!! I will be starting a diet, possibly, since I now only have one year to get in good shape and work off all this bread. Yeah, we'll see. 

Okay, gotta go for real now. Love you all!!!