Dear Family and Friends,
After all that happened to me this week, the lesson I learned the most is I am so grateful to be in Ragusa, especially with Anziano Mars. It's crazy to think that this week will mark one full transfer of me training. So much has happened that it seems to have just blurred into one event with small breaks such as sleeping and eating pranzos.
Honestly, this is the most I have ever walked though. If we aren't teaching, visiting members, or at the church, we are walking outside trying to talk to people. One day, we went to Vittoria, a city nearby, to visit a member, Sorella Ferraro. We hadn't been there in a while so the visit was definitely for Sorella Ferraro and we got the side benefit of eating her delicious powdered sugared donuts/ciambellas. But the next bus wasn't for a while so we decided to use the time to find other less active members to visit. We walked all the way to the edge of the city to this dirt road to find out that the house we were looking for most likely did not exist. So that led to us walking all the way back to the station and dying of exhaustion on the bus ride back. Anziano Mars commented afterwards, "I think we've probably done enough walking for the day." It reminded me of walking and getting lost back when I was a greenie in Pozzuoli.
But walking has its benefits. I feel like I am getting in better shape or at least conteracting the pasta and dolce we eat on a daily basis. Every day we either do a giro to the park, a giro to Via Roma and the park nearby, or just a giro everywhere really. Once we saw a crazy person yelling at a store window and the shop owner just rolled her eyes at him. We do our best to talk to people but they usually shrug us off because we are always there and they understand why we are here. Almost everyone we talk to expresses their frustration with the world and are searching for peace. We try our best to explain that's why we are here, to share the message of the peace that comes from Christ's gospel, but they usually stop listening before that point.
Comunque, we also had some great missionary moments! Emanuele read another 90 pages in the Book of Mormon so that was amazing! And we were able to talk more about the Restoration and praying about the Book of Mormon so that was a success! Also, Sebastiano has recommited himself to be baptized and so we are doing all we can to support him, remind him daily, and just be there for him. We actually have had some very personal and spiritual lessons lately so I have a lot of faith in him and feel like he has a lot more desire to make this commitment with God. Speriamo bene!
Other than that, it was normal crazy missionary things. In English Group, we teach this awesome student named Giovanni who always calls us "his boys". We had a little party after ward council for Nuria and Joseph, members here in Ragusa, and I experimented making a cheesecake. It was good but Fratello Lo Monaco said it wasn't cheesecake (which is good because I don't really like cheesecake haha). These members here just love to joke and are so so funny! We also helped Giorgio Lo Monaco with his service project. It was a little difficult without gloves and certain tools and so they left and came back instead with snacks for the snack break :)
We also went to Catania and did a scambio which was fun (I love Anziano Allen, the ward party we had, and even the finding), but really in the end, what I learned was how much I appreciate my companion Anziano Mars, and the city of Ragusa. Yes, it's hot, but a lot cooler than other places. Yes it's difficult to find people, but when the miracles happen, they are amazing and where are you going to find members this amazing! What companion will talk about his views on world politics, self driving cars, Google, and famous composers? I've never met anyone as complex and interesting as Anziano Mars. Sometimes, it is stressful and I don't believe I can teach and train someone. But everyday is an adventure and God nevers gives us a commandment that he he will not help us fufill if we truly desire it. I just hope I am doing my best for this city, these people, my companion, and especially God in the end. He is my support everyday and without him, I couldn't make it through the day, let alone two years in his service. I thank him for the opportunity I have to serve here and know that he lives, loves us, and only wants to bless us! I just going to keep walking and try to do what he wants me to do.
Vi voglio bene!
Anziano Price
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