Another Week

Hello all. I don't have any interesting or cleaver remarks to start off with so I will just dive right in to the week. Things are going well in Rome 2. I think that my apartment here is the complete opposite of my old one. It is much bigger and more open. It is on the bottom floor instead of the top, there is ice cold tile instead of old warn carpet, and the sun almost never shines through the windows. I think Heavenly Father has a sense of humor, for putting me in the fiery furnace apartment in the middle of summer and then the ice box apartment for the winter. Just kidding I shouldn't complain. I bet it is just as cold in other apartments at this time of year. And we have some little portable heaters and plenty of blankets. We are set.

So this week there was a Blood drive and they asked all the missionaries to participate... which was a good thing since the majority of people who showed up were missionaries. It was kinda funny to see how nervous people get about donating blood. My companion was real nervous cause she has never done it before, but then it turned out that because she lived in England for a year during the Mad Cow scare she can never give blood, and she could go crazy in 6 years, ha ha. I on the other hand was good to go, so good in fact that they decided to take blood from both arms. I guess I am just a slow blood giver and the lady thought it wasn't working well so she asked if she could try the other arm. I said sure and it was going better for the first little bit, but then slowed down again and she came over and was moving the needle around and being all gentle and asking if it hurt and then this guy came over and with out the same gentle hand he shoved the needle in deeper. It only hurt for a second and then the blood flow was nice and steady. The funny thing is that even though both arms were (and still are) a little bruised it was the first arm that is more bruised then the second one that was stabbed. I think that makes for a good analogy, when we beat around the bush and sugar coat things it causes more damage then when we just dive right in. It is better to be upfront and direct with out message then try and sneak it into conversation. ( there is a gospel application for everything when you are a missionary I know I am weird).

I think we found a new finding technique. The other day my companion made brownies for an activity and pulled them straight from the oven before we got on the bus and everyone around us was sniffing the air and asking us what we had. Maybe we can line the road to the church with baked goods on Sunday.

This past Sunday was awesome. There are a lot of Americans (like 4 or 5 families)in our ward and so I have to translate for young womans. Not only did I learn a lot about drug abuse but I also realized that I understand this language well enough to translate an entire young womens lesson. I love that! You never really see your progress when it is so gradual, but last sunday I just felt so grateful for the gift of tongues.

In the last few days we have had some different appointments with potential investigators and members and I have noticed that in both instances comments have been made about the feelings they feel when in the homes of these members or at the church and how they contrast with everything they feel in the world and it just makes me so grateful once again for the amazing gospel of Jesus Christ and the Joy that comes from living the commandments and principles of the gospel. I love being a missionary and I love this church!

I hope life is going well for all of you!! Vi voglio Bene!