Good morning, my beautiful friends, or whoever reads this blog, if anyone reads this blog....
Awk.
So I am finally here! IN ITALY! It is a beautiful sight, this lovely country. When we flew in, there was an absolutely picture perfect sunset over the whole northern part of the country that really actually took my breath away. This is a lovely place to be, it really is.
I am serving in the area of Muggio, which is just north of Milano. Me and my companion, Sorella Harward, live in Monza, the piazzino (small city) just east of Muggio. The Muggio area consists of 20 or so piazzini (small cities...), including Muggio, Monza, and many others. We are opening Monza as part of the area, and we are the FIRST sister missionaries in the Muggio area in 20 YEARS! I know, right? It's really hard, opening and all, but we have so many great blessings being here in Muggio. We have a huge ward, 150 active members, which makes it the second largest ward in ITALY. And they are VERY excited to have sister missionaries. The sisters here hug us and kiss our cheeks non-stop, we feel very loved of this ward.
Sunday was our first sacrament meeting with the ward, and Sorella Harward and I were asked to bear our testimonies. To 150 Italian Mormons.
Yikes.
It went pretty well. I used the words I knew, and bearing my testimony is pretty much all I know how to do, and I wept in front of that whole Italian congregation, so it's whatever. And then I was shaking from anxiety so much, that when I was stepping off the stand, I totally tripped. And everyone in the congregation gasped, fearing that their pitiful little greenie missionary might fall on her face.
I can't make this stuff up, folks. This is real life we're talking about.
But it's okay because right after sacrament meeting, a whole circle of Relief Society sisters crowded me with hugs and kisses and Italian words of kindness and love and happiness. So it was good.
We are teaching a lady named Elena in Nova Milanese who is about 85 years old, but doesn't look it in the slightest! We actually kind of thought our elders were lying to us when they told us she was that old. She is very active, and I love her and her family to BITS. Her daughter and her daughter's husband are very active members of our ward, and their daughter just got back from a Temple Square mission, and their son just left for the MTC! They are GOLD, and I'm SO glad that they are able to be with us when we teach Elena. She has been taking lessons for almost a year now, and we think that she is so ready for baptism. So we're inviting her. TONIGHT! It'll be great. She is amazing, and makes homemade pasta that is BUONISSIMO. I want her to be MY grandma. :)
We are doing really well here. The work is slow (because we are opening), and we've had a lot of strange and exciting adventures, but the work is moving forward here, and fast!
I hope all is well back home! I've gotten a couple of emails from a few people, but I want to hear how you all are! Speak to me, friends! :)
I love you all, the church is so true. It's RIDICULOUS.
Love,
Sorella McPeek
{2 Nephi 31-- the whole thing. It's GOLD!}
P.S. Sorry, no pictures! I forgot my camera at the apartment when we left for email time. Sorryyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!
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