Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Possums Taste Like Chicken

Hola Familia (and the people reading this on my blog)!

Another week has gone by, crazy how time just flies. I'm sorry about the shortness of my letter last week I just was clueless about what to write and didn't have much time-this one should be better...I hope. I'm glad you enjoyed it though and the stories (I have some more from this past week). I need Keelan's address still, I have a letter for him and I don't know where to send it.

I will keep Scotty and her family in my prayers, I can't imagine losing everything you own like that but it is wonderful that the church family and community have rallied around them. Also Pop-Pop I will pray for you and your arthritis pain. I received yet another hilarious email from him this week. How is Nana doing? 

Sounds like things are exciting at home as always.  And Mom, of course you are trained by the same trainer as Dr. McDreamy. It's so funny how everyone knows him and is in love with him. Sounds like you're all going to be workout machines by the time I get home...me, I'm just gonna have really good calves from walking hills and stairs all day long. Oh, and Zach, I miss you too buddy. I will be sending a letter out for you today with some Spanish words for you to learn. Have fun! 

Alrighty, I think it's time for some little stories. I love this place, I've yet to have a day where nothing weird or exciting happened. My week went something like this: 

-I saw a couple half dead possums lying in the middle of the street that some people were about to eat-but it's okay because apparently they eat hens around here alot and supposedly possums taste like chicken! Uggh!

-Jehovah's witnesses came to our door this past week and started quoting bible verses at us. We tried to tell them that we weren't really interested because we were missionaries for our church too but they wouldn't listen and started asking us all these questions about what God's name is and trying to make us say it was Jehovah. The man got really frustrated and asked if I'd read the Bible, I answered in the affirmative and then he spouted off some random verse really fast in Spanish and asked where it was in the Bible. I informed him that I had not yet memorized my Bible in Spanish but when I did I would let him know. 

-We went and taught the little boy who asked if we were from God- he told us lots of stories. Sometimes he and his sister pretend to be super heroes (because God is like a Superhero but WAY more powerful). And this one time he went to the beach and saved a little girl's life by giving her mouth to mouth because he saw it on TV. Also, sometimes he and sister have holidays where they celebrate God and Jesus and read stories from his scripture stories picture book. It was a very interesting lesson. 

-Last Monday I received a leg massage from a two year old. She is the daughter of one of the members of the ward. There is this family that we absolutely love and sometimes hang out with on P-Day. So we went over last week and the Hermana cut our hair for us and while she was doing my companions hair I was playing with the little girl. We were spinning and jumping and all that fun stuff but then I got "tired" so I sat down. She wanted more but I told her I was tried. Then she just sat down and started rubbing my legs, her mom told me she was giving me a massage. Then after about 5 mins she wanted me to play again because she thought where  she gave me a massage I would have energy. It was pretty adorable. 

-We have a little friend living in our house/backyard. The other night we came home from working and we were getting ready to plan for the next day when we heard a plastic bag rustling in the kitchen. We slowly walked over, Hermana Perry in front, and as we got to the door she let's out this huge gasp and flips the light on. "WHAT!?" "There's a huge rat in here! It's was in the garbage but now it's behind the fridge." So she grabbed the broom and started poking behind the fridge (I dont know where we thought the thing was going to go from there but we weren't really thinking). Then the rat came running out towards us right past our feet and squeezed itself under our back door and outside. Well our backyard is completely closed in with concrete, so the sucker is here to stay unless we can kill it or chase it out the front. Gross right?

We had some good teaching experiences too. We have this one investigator, she has been investigating since before Hermana Perry got here (that's a pretty long time) and she is reading & praying and understands everything she just never has time to go to church. I want to apologize right now to all the Elders that taught me, especially Elder Millet. I'm so sorry for being so difficult and not doing the things you asked when you asked. I know now that you just knew it was the only way things where going to change. I'm sorry I was THAT investigator. But anyway we were talking to Maira this week and I think we finally got to her. She has received answers to her prayers and knows she has to go to church so she can really make the decision to be baptized. I shared my story with her about receiving my answer when I went to church and she seemed to really like it. It was really cool to be able to share my own experiences with her and let her know I understand. Plus, it was the first time I successfully told a story in Spanish by myself. 

We also started teaching this guy this week and he's progressing really well. He has alot of challenges but also a real desire to change (I was actually hoping Pop-Pop could send me his story of quitting smoking to come back to the church). So we were teaching him one day about the Atonement and Repentance (GREAT lesson) and he was loving it and then he wanted to ask us a question. I could tell he was a little nervous about it but he still asked. He started telling us about how much he loves that we are always telling him to ask God and he will give answers (he REALLY likes that, he tells us every time how much that impresses him) and then he was like, " I was just wondering if you have asked God about me and if He has a purpose for you guys coming to visit me, like if there's a purpose for me." (or something like that, rough translation). It's hard to explain to an investigator just how much you pray for and about them. It's hard to express to someone how you feel God's love for them every time you teach them and help them make a change. It's hard to put in to words what it feels like when you're planning a lesson and you know it's the Spirit because you and your companion both feel you need to teach the same thing even though it's out of order and somewhat random. We did our best to tell him all of this and to let him know that we were coming because we know he is important to Heavenly Father. We expressed how we know Heavenly Father loves him, we did our best and I think he liked the responses.

 After my letter a few weeks ago I got an email form someone telling me how much they loved my blog and asking if Heavenly Father "really loves us", I promise you he does. Do we always deserve it? No. But I have felt Heavenly Father's love for his children and it's incredible! 

I love you and miss you and pray for you everyday. 

Love, 
Hermana Victoria Giossi

1 comment:

  1. Great letter - let us know how the possum really tastes (haha). I think that the young mans question is so real for a lot of people. As they begin to feel the truth they wonder does Heavenly Father really love me, am I of some worth and what purpose does He have for me.

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