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!!!

 

December 16, 2013 - Caroling in Rome

Bouna sera cari!!

Caroling at the Spanish Steps

Okay, this time I told you I would tell you about the people we are teaching, but first I want to tell you about yesterday, because last night was one of the best nights of the mission and I want to tell yall all about it! We went caroling!!!!!!!!! In ROME!!! At the Spanish Steps!!! It was incredible!!!!! We invited all the Missionaries in our zone, which is like 50 or something, and we invited members and non members, and just tons of people. And 6 missionaries showed up... and one member. Who brought two girls she had met that day in church who were just passing through for the day, but wanted to come watch. Anyway, not the best turnout, and we were nervous, like really nervous. We were a tiny little 6 man-band, versus a thousand tourists and Romans and vendors, but holy cow. What an experience. We started with a prayer amongst ourselves, to ask for courage and the Spirit, and then we began singing Gioisca il Mondo (Joy to the world). We were all scared and nervous throughout the whole first verse (for me the whole song!), but we kept going and got a little louder, and pretty soon, passersby were stopping to see what the heck was going on. When we finished that one, we started another right away since we had quite a few listeners. As time went on, we got more and more brave, and more and more loud, and many people would stop and watch our little 6-missionary group randomly singing at the bottom of the Steps. Also, before we had begun, we had asked the three girls to pass out pass-along cards. We gave them each a huge stack! So, as people stopped, they got a card, and then continued shopping or whatever they were doing. But pretty much no one passed by without getting a card and some Christmas Cheer! It was awesome!!! By the end of the night, we had given away all our cards and two Books Of Mormon. After only an hour of singing. And three members. We are small but we are strong!! God uses the weak, that's for sure!!!

Decorating Andrea's mom's mini tree

We have since spread the word about how successful it was and we plan to go again at least two more times this week. It is awesome. Seriously the best ever. So many people were touched! Also, lots of people took pictures and videos and just stood and smiled for a while and enjoyed it. None of us are like SUPER good singers, but it was enough that all together it sounded just right :) Best. Idea. EVER.

Okay, I have no more time, well just enough for some shout outs! Yay for Sharah and Micheal who just tied the knot!!! Tante buone cose a voi!!!!!

 

Happy Early birthday to my dear older brother MATTHEW SCOTT PATTERSON  who turns the big 23 on the 19th!! What an old man!! Love you!!

The Vatican

Okay, also, I saw the Vatican today... WHAT. Awesome. We didn't go in to the Sistine Chapel yet. That will be another Pday. We jus tdid the free stuff today. Super great. Next time, I will probably buy a fake Prada bag from the Africans and come home and tell you all it is real. HA! Pretend with me please :)

Kay, love you all very much. Hope everyone is already getting fat from the Christmas goodies!! I know I am!! One of my favorite Holiday traditions ;)

Also, I will not email next week, so don't be mad when there is nothing new to read :) 

Kay, love you all!!

 
Sorella Patterson

December 9, 2013 - Finally received her birthday package!

Ciao tutti!!!! 

 

Okay, so my mom sent me like a million questions, and the answers are basically everything I was going to tell you, plus she reminded me of some, so here goes:

1) First, flashback to Pescara: Gianni got baptized!!! I heard it was awesome and that the Spirit there was incredible. No, I didn't get to go, but we had a huge day that day anyway, so it was probably better that way. Yeah, I was a little bummed, but it taught me that it doesn't matter who does the work, just that these people get brought to Christ. But I called him and talked to him on the phone anyway :)  (being authorized... no worries) It was great! And then this Sunday, a member from Pescara who has a stake calling was visiting my ward and told me all about it. Mi manca Pescara, ma è così :)

2) I GOT MY BIRTHDAY PACKAGE!!! I cannot express enough thanks to all of you friends and family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You really are WAY too good to me and I do not deserve all of this. The Scripture book..... WOW. That was way incredibly more than I expected. Thank you, all of you. That was the best birthday gift I have ever gotten. That was just incredible. Special shout out to my AWESOME MOTHER for totally making that happen and for all the hard work and just everything she does for me and for everyone else!!! LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3) You don't want my address here. Mail is real sketchy where I am, along with everything else. Use the address of the mission office from now on, until I get transfered to Sicilia or something. It is:

Sorella Patterson
Missione Italiana Di Roma
Piazza Camaro, 20
00141 Roma, Italia

4) Heard Debb is going to Cali!! She always was a California girl :) Haha. I can't believe her and Hermana Barnes will be in the same state!!!! They are so awesome!!!!!!!!

5) So, last week we saw the Pantheon, Colosseum, Spanish Steps, every designer store you could ever dream of, Piazza Navona, and a couple other awesome sights. So today we might take it a little easy! (The pictures are of the Pantheon and Piazza Navona.) 

6) The food here is great, as always, but I miss the Pescaran specialty: arrosticini. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

7) Pray for Andrea!! He is awesome and we are trying to have good lessons with him, but it is always a bit hard. We just need to figure out how to meet his needs, but we are getting there!

Okay, That's all I got for this week! Sorry it was all touristy stuff and not much about the awesome people I am meeting and teaching, but next week it will be all about them, deal? In the meantime, guess what?? There is a huge sciopero going on in Rome. It is like a strike, but all transportation shuts down. We have been told to buy enough food for about a week and a half. They don't know how long this will last. So yay for walking!! :) Also, EVERYthing is decorated for Christmas!! It is so beautiful!! I love Natale!!!

Love you all so much!!! Buona settimana!!

Sorella Patterson

December 2, 2013 - When in Rome

Ciao da ROMA!!!

Non ci credo che adesso abito a Roma!!! Ma è così. 

Saying goodbye to Lucia, Gioia and family, Pescara

So much to tell you all!!! So, The day before we left Pescara, it snowed!!! It was so beautiful!! We woke up to white all around!! It was not super heavy, and it went away fast because of the rain, but it was beautiful and a great surprise for my last day! Okay, leaving Pescara may have been harder than leaving for the mission!! But also easier... It is weird. I love those people so much. A piece of my heart will definitely always live in Pescara and Chieti. That will never change. But the funny thing about the mission is that the more that I give my love to these people, the more love I tend to get, or the greater capacity I have to love more. So I am not losing anything by saying goodbye to and leaving them; in fact, I now have more love to give to others! I haven't taken math in school for a couple of years, so someone else can figure out how that all works... I just know that it does :)

So, my new companion is Sorella Panchieri. She is from Idaho, despite her Italian name... And I LOVE HER. Seriously. She is so fun and so awesome and so dedicated to the Lord! She is incredible!! I have so much to learn from her. This is going to be the funnest and best transfer yet!!! Today, we are going to go see the Pantheon... !!!!! Oh yeah, so Rome is split into four or five different sections. Our section includes The Coloseum, The Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, The Trevi Fountain, and tons of other awesome stuff!! Pdays are going to be the best!!!!! And, once a transfer, we can go to the other sections of Rome and see other stuff. So we will definitely be seeing the Vatican soon..... :)

Okay, this is awesome. The Pacella Family
had us over to say goodbye and we went through
my family photo album and the twins Piero and Andrea
saw the one of me, Mykle and Kyle at our last Mormon Prom
and they wanted to re-enact it.
It's the one under the arch and I'm in the red dress.
I think we did pretty good!

 

 

 

 

 

The ward here is a little different than Pescara, but I already love these members. I can't wait to start serving them and loving them and helping them invite their friends to learn about the restored gospel. This transfer really will be awesome. One member already invited us over to paint her house!! We are planning on taking some youth with us so that they get the opportunity to serve and love like we get everyday. Also, we are planning lots of caroling trips this transfer that will allow us to talk with tons of people!! Christmas is the best!!!

Image they were trying to recreate!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, well that's about it. Oh! So there are two other sisters that live with us, Sorelle Pace and Furlanich. They are awesome. And so fun. Seriously, I am so blessed to have been transfered here!! Missionary work should be fun! Even the hard stuff can be fun!! And it will be :) Also, remember Gianni? Hopefully he will still be baptized this saturday, and hopefully I can go back for it... Pray that it is a yes!!! 

 

Love you all with all of my extra self thanks to this awesome Italian food!!

 

Sorella Patterson

 

November 25, 2013 - Transfers!

Ciao tutti cari!!!

Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes and letters and emails! This has been the best and craziest birthday ever!!!!!!!! Best gift: Gianni says he is ready to baptized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We had a lesson with him on my birthday and he literally said he is ready. It is incredible. I love birthdays. And the Gospel.

Saying goodbye to 2 awesome young women, Gaia & Edith

So for my birthday, the sisters made me a cute little cake and then the Anziani made me a cake... with a broken candle. Haha, they are awesome. It makes this next news pretty hard... We got transfer calls.................... and...........I...........am........... GOING TO ROME!!! So crazy!! And so unexpected!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will be serving right in the Heart of the city. I leave for Rome on Thursday, and this time I won't be coming back to Pescara. That was pretty hard to hear, but I know it is right and I will go where the Lord wants me to go :) I have made some incredible friendships here in Pescara and met some of the most INCREDIBLE people in the world. And then there's Gianni!! It is defintiely hard to think of missing his baptism since I have been with him this whole time and helping him and teaching him and just loving him to death, but he will be in good hands. These next couple of days will consist of one more lesson with Gianni and then saying goodbye to the people I have given my whole heart to for 4 months. Man, this gospel is incredible and gives us such wonderful opportunities and I am just so thankful for every single day I got to spend among these special people here. And now it's off to Rome for some new crazy adventures!!!

I wish I had time to recount to you all the thousand miracles I saw this week, but basta dire che questo veramente è il lavoro del Signore.

I love you all so very much!! Hope you didn't send anything to my Pescara address recently!! Have a fabulous week!!

Love,

Sorella Patterson

November 18, 2013 - Birthday Week

Buon P-Day Tutti!!!

Exchanges for a day with Arrosticini!

What a WEEK!!!!! SO many miracles this week! It was scambi (exchanges for a day) week so our Sister Training Leader came to our city from Roma 5 and did a scambio (exchange) with each of us. It was awesome!! It is so good to mix things up every now and then and learn from others and just have fun!! While being awesome missionaries of course :) One of the pictures is of us on our scambi night with the famous dish of Pescara: Arrosticini!!! SO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!

Winter Flooding in Pescara

Another awesome thing happened this week. So fun fact about Pescara: It floods! Pretty much every winter! Haha, what an adventure that was. We were trying to get to the church for English course when all of a sudden we got off the train and into water up to our knees!! Hahaha, and it was cold! We pretty much swam to church that night, but of course, no one came. Well, Ercole came, but he left when no one else came :( But it was perfect becasue then I got a call from a Sorella whose house was flooded so our little army of 6 missionaries swam to her house and mopped and sang and just had a ball!! It was the first piece of service we have been able to find since I got here!! It was GREAT!!

And the best news of all: Gianni will be baptized on the 7th of December!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT!! So awesome!! He is so great and progressing so fast!! And he has the cutest little puppy EVER!! Everything about Gianni has been a miracle. Seriously. Some people are so ready for the Gospel they just needed to meet the missionaries to make it official! We really are just instruments in the hands of God. Now that he has a baptismal date, please pray for him and that he can stop smoking!! I know how much this Gospel can bless him and his daughters! PLEASE pray for him!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love you all so very much! Thank you for all the birthday wishes! Tomorrow will definitely be the best birthday EVER!!! The big 21!! Haha, yeah, should be awesome. We are seeing Gianni tomorrow and we have District meeting, and English Course, so I'm pretty excited. It will be an awesome day!!! Sicuramente ci sarà gelato... :)

Love you all so very much. Thank you for your love and constant support of me and this work. Have a fabulous week and always bring that umbrella!!!

Sorella Patterson

November 11, 2013

Editor’s note here (aka Mom): Normally Megan sends me a separate email just to me, but I thought it important to share a part, so on behalf of a worried mom, here is her request for a prayer on her behalf:

Mom,

Tossing a coin into the Trevi Fountain
(ensures a return trip to Rome per Roman legend)

This week was rough with my companion being sick. I did everything. Definitely pushed me to my limits and maybe a bit Beyond. But I survived and learned a ton, so that means I probably did okay. But now I'm sick, and everything hurts, so pray that it goes away fast so I don't ever have to go to an Italian hospital, they scare me to Death. I have been to one a couple times now, for investigators, and it's not ever a place I want to go. I am nowhere near sick enough for that right now, like it's just my throat and body, but just to be safe, include that in your prayers. :)  No reason for alarm or anything at all! But I do need to be in perfect shape before Sunday, because we are doing a musical number! :)

 

 

Boungiorno tutti!!

So last pday, we went to Rome since Zone Conference was the next day and also in Rome. It was awesome to see the touristy stuff for the first time! Also, while we were there, I met this lady named Aimee from New Zealand and we got to talk with her for a bit and invite her to Church (in Rome). Hopefully she went! Also, this American couple came up to us (only in Rome!) and they were also Mormon and so I comitted them to give away a pass-along card and they accepted! They said they already had someone in mind. It was awesome! I love this work!

So, we had stake conference Yesterday, so that meant going back to Rome! Lots of long bus rides this week! But it was fun, and great to see lots of members from this new stake coming together. Also, since the stake is so new, lots of new callings happened, which meant lots of sustaining of our dear Pescara members. So many of them are making such huge sacrfices for the Church and for the Gospel. I am so astounded b the strength of their testimonies. What a blessing to serve amongst such angels!

So, this week is going to be crazy with tons of appointments and lots of people to see and invite to Christ. At district meeting, we have had a couple trainings on setting goals, and it is something  that my companion and I are trying to work on now. We have set some pretty good ones this week and are commited to them, and it is going to take all of our heart, mind, mind, and strength to accomplish them! Also, my companion was sick all last week, and now I am a little sick (nothing crazy, just a cold) so we are trying not to let anything slow us down :)   Gianni and Lucia and Ivana and Lia are counting on us!! :)

Love you all, so great to hear about all the awesome stuff happening in the ward. You are all such awesome examples for me!! Have a great week!!

Sorella Patterson

 Pictures from last week's zone conference:

 

 

 

 

 

November 4, 2013 - Wearing out the apostrophe key!

Buongiorno Tutti!!

What a week!

So, last week, before the talent night at church, we found some papers on our desk with the name of a man and his number and some things the missionaries had taught him ten years ago. We decided to call him up and invite him to the Serata di Talenti the next day! We called and he answered and naturally was a little shocked that the missionaries were calling him ten years later... but he said he would like to come. He then said something along the lines of, "It is really very strange that you called inthis monent. I have been going through a really hard time and been looking for peace and joy. Maybe this is a sign from God..." I said, "You know, it could be that indeed!" I told him to come to the talent night and we would talk. Sorella Worsham and I were really excited to meet him (Gianni) and we couldn't wait for the next day to come!!!

Our prize for winning the food war at the talent show!!
Our Brownies ROCKED!! (Me and Sorella Knudsen, love her!)

Then came the Talent Night. We show up. No Gianni. We wait. No Gianni. It ends.... No Gianni. WHAT?! We call him the next day and he says that he couldn't come becuase he had to see his daughter off to college, but we just assumed it was his way of saying he wasn't interested. However, he then said he was really sorry and could we come by to meet him at his home because he was indeed very interested in learning about our church/gospel!!

So Wednesday, we went over there with Sorella Marino and met Gianni, and it was one of the best lessons EVER!!! The Spirit was so strong and Sorella Marino, a VERY recent convert, bore awesome testimony the whole time and it was just incredible!! Such a tender mercy, when most of our other appointments have been falling through. Then we invited him to church, but he said no, he didn't really like crowds. That was a bummer, but we left happy anyway. Then, Saturday night, we decided to call him to see how he was doing and then we felt like inviting him again to church, and he said yes!!! And he came to church on Fast Sunday!!!!!!!! and Fast Sunday in Pescara is the most spiritual thing EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our bishopric all bore their testimonies and every single thing was exactly what our three investigators at church needed to hear!!!!! They are such inspired men. They have no idea what our investigators need, but they have the Spirit and when they talk with the Spirit, the Spirit really does bring their words to our hearts, just like the scriptures say. It was seriously incredible. What a miracle, the whole time with Gianni. I'll keep you updated on him. Also, Ivana came to church, and even brought a friend!! WHAT! She is already doing missionary work, haha!!

I just love it all so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pumpkin carving with the Young Women!! Such a great activity!
This is Guia, after the activity, she came with us to deliver the pumpkin
to an older lady, Flora, who comes to our English Course,
and who will hopefully be coming to church for the first time this Sunday :)

Also, Zone conference tomorrow is in Rome, so we got special permission today to have pday in ROME!!!! Coloseum, here I come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ciao from Italia!!

Sorella Patterson

 

October 28, 2013

Pumpkin carving with Annalisa!!

Ciao cari!!!

Okay I have very little time but tons of miracles to tell you about...

IVANA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She accepted a baptismal date of November 23rd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can hardly believe it slash God-is-a-God-of-miracles-so-it-totally-makes-sense!!! It was awesome. PLEASE keep her in your prayers and pray that she will make it!! She is totally awesome and I lvoe her so much. We have been teaching her for about 3 months. She is the mother of 3, an older son, who is about two years older than her only daughter, who is quite a bit older than her other son. Sound familiar?? Ecco perché I love her. Also, she is just such an incredible person.

 

LUCIA DI MARZIO!!! She is totally reading the Book of Mormon now!!!!! 

The Irimia Family!!!!!!!!!! They came to the ward activity and LOVED it and met SO MANY members!!! And Massimo, the dad, even helped out with moving stuff, it was awesome. He is pratically a member... almost...

Something I have been studying and learning a lot about lately, well two things: one, the Atonement. The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know. Also the more I learn, the more I come to love my Savior even more. Two, using your strengths. I have been so focused on fixing things that I think I am bad at that I have forgotten to use the gifts and talents that God has already given me!! Non va bene!! We should always be seeking to develop what strengths God has given us!!

Love you all, thank you so much for your prayers an emails. I definitely attribute some of these miracles to y'all!!!

Con cuore pieno, 

Sorella Patterson

October 21, 2013 - Transfers

CIAO CARA FAMIGLIA E AMICI!!!

New Companion, old companion, me

So, my new companion.... IS AWESOME!!! We are already getting along so well and having so much fun and some great adventures, and I already feel like a better missionary with her... and it's only been 4 days!!! I am so blessed!!! Her name is Sorella Worsham, she is from Utah, she sings beautifully, and has an AWESOME testimony of the gospel. She is so encouraging all the time and puts up will with my craziness so far and yeah this is gonna be the best transfer yet!

So, because of transfers, we haven't been able to see many of our investigators this week, but I am excited for Sorella Worsham to meet all of them. I have a feeling she is exactly what Pescara needs right now. This transfer is seriously going to be so awesome. 

So, my dearest best friend Debbie Byrne is about to embark on the best year and half of her life, her mission in Santos, Brazil!!! Please everybody hug her like crazy for me!!! Love you Deb, you're gonna change lives!!! You already changed mine!!!

So, we have a ward talent night on Saturday... It's going to be the best ever! We are going to do a little sketch as missionaries, so stay tuned for photos! It's been great though preparing for it and getting our investigators involved. It is going to be a great opportunity for members to invite their friends and family to the church and they can get to know some 'Mormons' and see that we're pretty normal... relativily ;)

Weekly planning! Our apartment is getting so cold!!!
PESCARA is getting so cold!!!!

Anyway, thanks for all your love and support for the work here!! While you're praying for all the missionaries you know, don't forget to pray for your own missionary opportunities!!

Vi voglio tanto bene!!

Sorella 'Aggressive Goal Maker' Patterson

 

 

 

October 14, 2013 - Christmas Carols in October!

 

Fossacessia
 

Ciao famiglia e amici!!

Well we got transfer calls..... and I'm staying in Pescara!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a blessing!! Yesterday, we had an awesome ward fireside about ward missionary work and Fllo Giusti was the bomb. He and Bishop Conforte really got the members pumped about spreading the Gospel. Then the missionaries shared their testimonies about how the lessons and work in general go so much better whenwe have members with us. It's true. Member missionaries, and not just those formally set apart, but ALL members who assist in this work are angels. Their help is so precious, and the members in this ward are just awesome. Fratello Bosco has been in this ward for ever and ever time we look through our old area book, we find another old referall from him, some dating back to 2001!! Proof that even if you have lived and worked in the same place for 12 years, there are ALWAYS people to invite to hear the gospel!! And then there's Vescovo Conforte, who with all his Bishop responsibilities somehow manages to find time to go to at least 2 misionary lessons a week it seems. He is incredible. These people are truly angels!

Okay, time for the devastating news: Sorella Mistura is ggoing to Caglieri! That's in Sardegnia BTW... crazy. She will have now been to Sicily, the mainland Italia, AND Sardegnia! What a mission!! Except she has to leave Pescara which is really rough. This place is blooming and the ward is seriously incredible. It's hard to imagine another area like this one!

Well, gotta go! Have a fabulous week and pray for Franco to stop smoking!!



Fossacessia

 

Love you all so very much,

Sorella Patterson

PS every morning we sing a hymn together to get ready for companionship study and for the past few times that's it's been my turn to choose, I always choose Christmas hymns :) The other sisters are not as pumped about it as I am... Makes me think of Tanner William Low and how much he loves to sing Christmas carols at this time of year!!

Pictures: Fossacessia (Mom, you'll get more info in like two weeks)



"Sophisticated"





"Sophisticated fail"

October 9, 2013 - Conference was Awesome!

Editor's note (from Mom): Megan asked for a scripture from everyone for her birthday that has helped you through a hard time or been a standard for you. If you wouldn't mind telling how it has helped you, she would love to hear that. If you haven't sent me your scripture, please do. I am making a booklet and have to get it in the mail at the end of October to arrive in time. My email address is samuelsontl@ldschurch.org. Thanks for contributing to this project for her!

 

From Megan:

Ciao cari amici e famiglie!!

Come state?? I hope you all got the opportunity to listen to or watch General Conference this past weekend!! Those men are definitely called of God!!! Such an awesome Spirit that I felt when I listened to their words! We watched it in Italian, so I didn't understand it all, but the Spirit made up for what I couldn't understand, for sure! 

Making Don Julios at Conference---mmmmmm Nutella!

Conference Dinner with the Di Marzio family

So, Pamela is doing awesome! She has invited her husband, Franco, to begin taking the missionary lessons, and he seems excited for his baptismal date of November 2 (!!!). He needs to quit smoking and drinking coffe, but piano piano as they say here. They are a sweet couple and they both came to the church to watch general conference with us. 

The Di Marzio family is doing good! Lucia invited all the Sisters over for pranzo on Sunday, and invited her parents, who we are actually also teaching, so at the end of the meal we shared a big spiritual thought on some of the things we had learned the day before in conference and Antonio was able to bear his testimony for his parents, sister, and grandparents. They are such a strong, united, loving family!! It's always great to be with them. Please pray for them to accept the fullness of the Gospel!

So, Massimo didn't come to Conference like he said he would, and his wife keeps saying they don't have time every time we call. We are not worried yet, but please keep him in your prayers too that we will be able to teach him still. Also, his wife Gina and daughter Alexandra that their hearts will be softened.

Transfers are next week! I cannot believe how fast time is flying!! I don't think I'll be leaving, but then you never know. There have been quite a few changes in our zone recently, like transfers before the transfer date, which is a little weird. But I know that everything is guided by the Lord, because this is His work, so whatever happens will be a new adventure and exactly what we need!

Thank you for all of your prayers and love and support! I hope the weather there has cooled down! It is almost cold here! Well, it is cold at night, haha. It's awesome!

One last thing, tell everyone that as of October 14, pdays will be MONDAY.

Anyway, gotta go but I love you all with all my heart!!!

Love,

Sorella Patterson

For Dave...

"Dave can start packing for Italy!"

Sorella Mistura has been walking too much--
Maybe she walks in her sleep

October 2, 2013 - Smile!

Okay, I have about ten minutes and two more emails, sorry I never have enough time for everything!!! Please include whatever you want on my blog, but just be sure to put something because... we had a family move to Italy from America and they came to our ward and the mom said she googled 'church in Pescara' and saw my blog and knew all about me!!! haha, totally awesome! They have lived in California, Texas (Denton!), and I think Utah. Next is Germany, crazy. 

Anyway, PAMELA GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pamela doesn't look happy, but Italians just don't smile for pictures!
Reference the picture of Lucia Di Marzio if you will.

 

It was totally awesome, and then she bore her testimony for the first time!! Then in church the next day when she received the Gift of the Holy Ghost, you could literally feel the power of the Priesthood in the room. So insanely awesome!!! ANDDDDDDDDDDD... we had three investigators at church that day and I KNOW they felt something.! One was Massimo, the Dad of a family we are teaching. He came with his 5yrold son, because the mom and 15 year old daughter didn't want to come. But he had promised to be there and we didn't actually think he would come but he showed up in Sunday School and I wish I could describe how happy I was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was incredible and the Spirit was so strong throughout all the meetings and he thanked us so much after church and told us that we were very brave for doing what we do (going into strangers homes to give them this gospel) and that it was a really good thing and that we are welcome whenever we want. It was awesome.

Luigi also got baptized! The Anziani were teaching him, but Sister Mistura found him, so we all helped in this one :)

 

So this week has been crazy and I wish I could tell you the half of it, but just know that when you see tons of flower looking things in the air, they could be ants, and if you think the Isaiah chapters are hard in English try them in Italian, and always bring an umbrella!!!

Love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorella Patterson!!!

Editor's note: These are pictures from Zone Conference from the mission president's wife's blog:

 

 

September 25, 2013 - Surprise Visitor

Okay, I wish I had time to respond to everything but I have 8 minutes and I type slow.

Buongiorno tutti!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, guess who found me?? That's right, the good ol' Byrnes!! Didn't see that one coming, haha. But for real, it was a surprise and it totally caught me off guard, but it was so cool to see them here and understand Debbie's Italian grandma for the first time. Debb is going to be a rockstar missionary soon!!

Debbie "found" me at Church on Sunday!

So, Pamela is OFFICIALLY getting baptized this saturday, like we picked out the dress and everything! It is going to be awesome.

Our ward mission leader finally returned from America; he has been gone the whole time I was here. The work is going to take off now, I know it. We have already seen tons of miracles and it's been less than a week! He divided our zone up since there are 8 of us, and S. Mistura and I will concentrate on Chieti, which means the famiglia Di Marzio!!!!! Also, crazy story, Lucia Di Marzio is the Sister of our ward mission leader, Fratello Giusti. Their mom and dad also live in Chieti and we found them yesterday, and it was so crazy and they want us to come back! The mom even wants to come to church! I seriously just love this family so much!

Tomorrow is zone conference! Love yall!!

Sorella Patterson

(Editor’s note here…I send her pictures of my garden every now and then, so today she sent me this)

Mom, I take pictures of my neighbor’s garden frequently. You'll see them in a year or two.

That's a big squash. This is taken from my

third story balcony.