November 17, 2014 - Birthday week!

Dear All,

Flood!

This week will just be a photo collage, how's that? Alright, here we have the flood, the best food ever (arancini), and the train ride down here. It was about 10 hours I think. And part of it was on a boat since we came to the island. It was a LONG trip, if I hadn't mentioned it yet... and I will have to do it again pretty soon... unless they fly Elder Fossa and I up, which could happen... we'll see.

Arancini

10 hour train trip

Common crazy things seen in Sicily

Okay, adding on to my big email, 

This week we went to Siracusa for an exchange and it was awesome. I went running with my temporary comp in the morning for the first time in... a while... and almost coughed up a lung. She is a cheerleader at UVU, and fresh out here so still in good shape, and man... I've got some work to do when I get home.... but whatevs I am going to keep eating this incredible food until the day I leave, which by the way, will be Saturday the 6th of December, when I go to Rome for a couple of nights until the day I really leave. Also, LABAN gets baptized this Saturday up in Rome 5!!!!! I am SO happy for him!!!!! He and his roommate are getting baptized on the same day. How awesome. I am so happy for them. 

A delicious American (Mexican) lunch
for our Italian district leader

Well, we taught a lesson to a bus driver on our way home one night, we went bowling and I kicked tail, and we had an American dinner with a family from the base. This is one of the weirdest transfers, but I am loving it. I am having all these crazy or cool or crazy cool experiences almost daily in which I can see clearly how my entire mission prepared me for that conversation or lesson or experience. It is really aweosme and an awesome wrap-up. I am loving this. And this place is seriously just nuts. I will say that after this transfer, I am REALLY proud and grateful to be an AMERICAN. I LOVE Italy. But I am American. 

The awesome church building in Siracusa.
That city is seriously beautiful.
The prettiest one I have seen in Italy I think.

I love you all so much!!! Have a great week!!

Sorella Patterson

November 10, 2014 - Hail! Oh, and 4 Weeks left!

Dear friends and fam,

This week was straight up crazy. I don't think I can send pictures today, but here's what went down. Wednesday, there was a freak hurricane thing that brought golf ball size hail, the one day the elders let us use their car to go see a less active in the hospital.The streets tuned into rivers, literally, and it was breaking up the pavement of the road. Cars around us were beginning to smoke because water was getting in the engine I guess. We said a prayer and turned the car around, headed to a member that lived out in that city. But on our way there, the water was getting too high to drive in (I was driving because my comp hasn't taken the test) and the wind and hail were getting crazy, so we decided to ditch the car and find shelter. We parked on the first hill we saw, and ran into a little hunting goods store (convenient if this was to be the End, eh?). While there, I chatted with a woman working, asking if this was normal. She said no, they'd never seen anything like it! The power then went out, taking our cell phone service with it... Haha, it was crazy and awesome. When we thought it was letting up enough to go back to the car, that's when the hail got bigger... So we determined to stay and figure out why we were there. That's when this woman's husband came to get her (in a nice big truck, seemed american to me it was so big). She offered us a ride to our car, but I couldn't say yes for some reason. Then they drove away before I could say anything about who we were. But, by some miracle, they came back and offered to have us come with them to their house and wait out the storm, with pranzo. DEAL. I couldn't say NO to that one! So we climbed in and went home with some strangers, to find this AMAzing family of 5 that I know we never would have found without some freak flash flood and golf ball size hail. I just love the way the Lord works sometimes!!! è proprio pazzesco!!

Comunque, it was a great week. That storm pretty much lasted from Wed to Saturday, and then I got sick. But I will be better tomorrow I think. Man, I get sick a lot lately. I am kinda tired of that. But it's okay, it could be worse. 

We got to go visit a family on the American base this week. It was the weirdest thing. It is literally a tiny piece of America in the middle of a crazy backwards Italian island. They all have minivans and trucks and yards and garages and flags. It is just the weirdest thing ever. 

Anyway, things are going well. I am getting REAL excited to come home, but I know I will miss this more than I can even imagine. But that is okay. It has been a good long ride, and is still going. The thing is, I don't feel like I am ending my mission. I just feel like I am getting transferred really far away and that my work will just change, not end. I don't want to ever not be a missionary, ya know? This is the best thing to do, and I guess I will just have to always do my best in what ever circumstances I get into. That's the plan anyway. 

I love you all. I hate these cockroaches. I love the warm November, and I am sad I will not see President Eyring and the Pope mix it up in a few weeks. That will be such an awesome event! 

Love y'all, have a great week!

Sorella Patterson

November 3, 2014 - Oceanfront Property

Hello Friends and Family!!!

Okay this is going to be super short, but...

Catania is the best. I can see the ocean from my apartment. It is one of the two homes in Italy of the Mafia... my comp is the BEST..... the ward is struggling REAL BAD.... and I got called as STL again, but President forgot to tell me, so I found out from another missionary.... on our way to the AMERICAN NAVEL BASE where we spend two hours every Sunday in church with AMERICANS singing in ENGLISH and listening to ENGLISH. It is the most awkward uncomfortable thing EVER. But I love it. This place is seriously crazy. And I have so much to say, but no time, so next week will be better. We are pretty much forgetting about investigators and focusing on member probs and the 650 less and inactives in the Catania ward (not the American one). It is going to be great.... :) I love my life and my mission and I am so excited for this last transfer. I love all of you, have a great week!!!

Sorella Patterson

October 27, 2014 - Headed to the Islands!

Well,

Laban and his roommate Omede

The Lord has spoken and I am going to the Island again! This time, Sicily!!! I could not be more excited for this last transfer. I will be with Sorella Pinkston too, who if you remember, is like my bff in this crazy country. I am just so happy. Honestly, I cannot believe how blessed I am. I don't feel even the tiniest that I have earned such trust and such a blessing. It is literally the dream last trasnfer. I cannot even begin to express how I felt when President told me that. He is just the best. Man, life is good. 

Sacrament Meeting in the hotel
Church for the last 4.5 months. it's been good :)

Laban is going to get baptized either one or two weeks after I leave, I am so happy for him!!! And his roommate will be baptized in December. It is just incredible. The Lord is really blessing this place and I know He will keep doing it. I am sad to say good-bye to people but not super sad to go. I know that there is so much waiting for me, and I am just excited. Rome 5 has in many ways been my "refiner's fire" and I bet there is another around the corner, but that is okay, I think this one made me a little stronger ;) we'll see... ;) 

Mom, I am down for that Christmas volunteer thing, it sounds fun! And for the flight, that is perfect, thank you!!! And I will totally come to seminary, I can't wait!!

You could pretty much ask me anything right now and I would do it. I am just feeling REAL grateful, and in debt to my Maker. Seriously though. Life is just good. I am going to Sicily. 6 weeks. Good food. A real ward. An already best friend so we don't have to awkwardly get to know each other. I cannot even wait. I will miss Sorella Decker and all this work we did and the car, oh I will miss that car, but the warm island is sounding reeeeeeeeeal good right now.Have I told you it is cold here? It is cold here. Can't wait. 

I love you all. I hope that you are all well. I hope you are all still studying the words from general conference. I reread "Approaching the throne of God with Confidence" or something like that this morning. I think it is one of my favorites. I have plans to put it into practice to improve myself. I hope I never stop looking for ways to improve. I owe a lot of that to you all for your good examples to me. Love you all tons,

Sorella Patterson

October 20, 2014 - Guess What?

Hello All!!

 

Not much to say other than I can't belive that next week I start my last transfer of my mission... weird. I am just trying not to think about it any differently than another transfer, and to just keep applying the wealth of knowledge that you get after 16 months. It is going :)

Guess what? Laban told us he REALLY wants to get baptized. And he decided on November 1. I am SO proud of him. It has not been easy, and is about to get harder, but then comes his baptism day and I know it will all be worth it. And now he feels it too. I can't even believe how far he has come, and how much I have grown by knowing him. Man, the fruits of my labors may not seem like much to anyone, but to him and to his future family and children, it makes an eternity of difference. And you know what? I might get transfered in a week and miss his baptism, as is typical for my mission, but that is okay, because I did my very best for him and I have no regrets, and he and I are forever changed because of what happened here :) Sorry for getting so cheesy lately, I don't know what is going on, but I don't know how else to express myself anymore. I guess I have always been a pretty cheesy person, and now I don't care who knows? It's probs that. 

Okay, another guess what? RUSS came to church in Rome 5 yesterday!!! WHAT!!! He is a friend of mine from England, we met in Texas years ago and have been in contact ever since, and he has been following my blog thing and then came to Rome for vacay and found me in church!!! Haha, it was the best surprise ever, and I got to translate Sacrament meeting for an investigator of the Anziani and a good friend of mine. just the coolest thing ever. 

Zone Conference was awesome.

My memory card is officially broken. The pictures are still all there, but I can't access them on the computer. Sorry, folks. No more picutres. I'll try something... Well probably not. Oh well. I still love you all though!

Have a great week and live the gospel out loud!

Sorella Patterson

Zone Conference October 2014

Rome East Zone - October 2014

October 13, 2014 - 8 weeks to go!

Hello All!!!

So sorry, but I think that my memory card has a virus or something, so no pics from the Sistine Chapel. Well, you can't take pictures of the ceiling anyway, but still, no pics of me and Viazzo. Mi dispiace! But, it was SUPER fun. I can't believe we finally went. We got in for a sweet discount, I think because of our tags... I don't know if they knew who we are, but whatever, I'll take it. ;)

This week was a really good one, not because we did anything special, but I am just feeling really good these days, like at peace with being at the end, you know? It is weird. Not to get morbid or anything, but I think it will be a sweet passing... okay just kidding, leaving Italy is going to be the worst things ever, and I am not ready, but at the same time, I know it has to come and it is okay. I still have two months and one more transfer, so who knows, maybe I'll see Sicily finally or finally go find Debbie's family. Either one is okay with me. I am learning so much right now about missionary service and I can't believe they ever let me come out as unprepared as I was. This really is the MTC for life. So weird. But I am grateful for it all, even the really rough patches, because at the end of those tunnels I learned the most. Now, looking back, I am starting to see why certain things were oh so necessary and why life is so dadgum hard sometimes, and it just makes sense. I know that these things were probably just sneakily preparing me for worse things in the future, so I should probably hold all this for my wise older years, but I am just feeling really grateful for this chance and for how good God has been to me. I know He has my back, so whatever else is next, bring it on. But with mercy... please.

In other news, our new roomates are some really nasty roaches that are popping up. But, the hot water finally works in our kitchen sink, for the first time since I got here in June. Washing dishes just got that much more exciting!! What else.... uh... Yeah, I think that is it. 

Laban is working on deciding on a baptismal date. Keep him in your prayers! 

Haircut time

This week is Zone Conference... look for pics. I painted my nails for the first time here, so watch out America!

Alright, basta. Love you all. Remember, it is all about HOW you serve, not WHERE you serve. Keep smiling, have a great week!

Sorella Patterson

 

October 6, 2014 - Finally going to the Sistine Chapel today!

Aloha friends and fam!!!

Thanks to Allessandra for sharing these pictures on Facebook!

This week was pretty lame. We were at home for quite a bit of time since I was sick and then Sister Decker got it, then mine came back with a vengeance and now they are both pretty much gone. Man, it was fun. 

BUT. TODAY WE ARE GOING TO THE SISTINE CHAPEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WITH SORELLA VIAZZO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   

It was worth waiting my whole mission and not going because I get to go with my awesome comp Sorella Decker and my best friend of the last 16 months, Sorella Viazzo, and her greenie :) So, me and my MTC companion and our greenies. That is pretty cool, cute even ;) It will be a great day. I am so happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Okay, also this week Laban came to confernece, just one session, but I think he was pretty excited and he seemed to like it as well. He is just doing so well and I just love him! I will have to go to Africa some day and see the countries that produce such incredible people. Seriously. They are amazing. I love Italians, I do. I just also love Africans. a Lot. I kinda just love people... ? 

I am finally getting a haircut next monday... it is about time. 

We are really just excited. After conference, we are both super pumped to GET OUT and just work. We are gonna have a great week. I haven't felt this good in a while. I am just so thankful, for everything. Life is always good, even when it is not, life is good. 

 I love you all. Find a reason to laugh out loud today!

Sorella Patterson