Gone Swimming!

When I decided to go on a mission and become a "fisher of men" I didn't think it would include me having to actually cross rivers to find the fish. But this week I basically swam home a couple times. The rainy season is now in full effect. The other night we got caught in a torrential downpour. We were on our way home when it started to rain ALOT. We sought shelter in a little ice cream shop and waited for it to slow down, when it did we RAN for it. But we didn't quite make it home before it got heavy again. We again sought shelter this time in the mercado.  We watched as the water filled the streets up to the point where cars couldn't even drive...it was nuts. We were soaked. the water was flowing down the streets like they were rivers. I wish I could have taken a picture. We didn't want to be out too late so we decided to go for it. We ran into a couple of members and the 4 of us worked as a team to cross the street while protecting our bags and their food. The water was above my knees at some points, it was CRAZY. My books stayed dry so no harm was done. Actually it was a lot of fun, I was just laughing the whole time. (The attached picture is of Hermana Bowers and I with the hermanas we live with, Hermana Sanchez and Hermana Gonzalez after this crazy storm...the other hermanas had quite the adventure getting home 
too). 

Things are going well here in Monte Cristo. Its hard work and this week wasn't easy but we are seeing small miracles. We are teaching a woman named Lisset. She is preparing for her Baptism next month and has a real desire that her whole family can learn about the gospel. In fact we are now teaching her niece and sister. They are all amazing and are applying faith and repentance in their lives like I have never seen. So many changes in them. I love this gospel so much. Lisset also told us that she loves the way Hermana Bowers and I teach. She said she feels like we really care about her concerns and really use the doctrine of the lessons to answer her questions. That made us super happy. 

We had a multi-zone conference this week with President and Hermana Glazier. That's also a fun experience. Hermana Glazier taught a great principle. She said something that really hit me, "It doesn't matter where you are, it matters where you are going." It's so true. We were sent here to this earth to learn and to progress. If we aren't doing that it doesn't matter how great of a person we are; we are not fulfilling our potential or our purpose here on earth. 

I was wondering if you could do me a favor and go on my facebook and get me Irene (Celso's wife's email). Just send her a quick message that says 

" Hola. Yo soy la mama de Hermana Giossi. A ella le gustaria enviarles un mensage pero necessita su correro electronico. Si prodria enviarlo a mi, seria bueno. Muchas Gracias. Rhonda Giossi." Thanks mom!

While we're talking about business I was wondering if maybe you could pick me up a cheap watch. Something simple. And also in a future package some MIO (it's the drink mix stuff). Thanks.

Sounds like you will all be having alot of fun today. I fully expect pictures. And make sure you let Zach know I say FELIZ CUMPLIAÑOS! I miss Nana's cooking alot by the way...I was thinking about it last night haha. 

Love you and Miss you!

Hermana Victoria Giossi

P.S.

Take care of Pop-Pop sounds like all this exercise and being rejected is taking it's toll :/

The Count of Monte Cristo

Hello Again. 

Well it sounds like it was quite the exciting week at home. 2 5k's and a spin-a-thon, and apparently Pop-Pop went and worked out too? That's more athletic activities than I've done in my whole life  haha. You guys are CRAZY! I'm so excited to hear about the Tough Mudder! When is that again? Also, you guys all look great! I need to start running if I'm going to catch up with this super attractive fit family of mine. 

I had a pretty exciting week too. On Tuesday I got to go hang out at Presidents house while Hermana Bowers did medical examinations on the new missionaries. It's kinda fun being her little assistant...kinda of. And then we found out about changes. I probably should have seen this coming but I just didn't want to focus on it. About 2 weeks ago President informed Hermana Bowers and I that there was "A very good probability of changing the two of us together to an area which is in the mission over which he will preside". Usually President doesn't take a companionship and move them together to a new area so I was a little shocked. I was even more shocked when it actually happened. Haha. We are now opening an area called Monte Cristo (hence the lame email title). It's a challenge but I do enjoy a challenge. We are outside the city now, which I like. It's a lot different. Poorer. But the people are more friendly. We also live with 2 other Hermanas which is pretty fun at night. We all mostly just read and journal together but it's nice to have company. 

I am attaching some pictures of clothes that I really like and serve me well. You probably should not send me anything that costs too much money as the hand washing does not treat clothing very well. My wardrobe is sad.  (because all my clothes are stretching like CRAZY due to hand washing). Also, another more fitted style black skirt would be nice. Blehh I'm picky. 

I love you guys so much and I miss you like crazy. But I want you to know that I am growing so much. This is probably the hardest thing I have ever done, but I get to experience miracles every day. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live. I know that they love us and that if we have faith the love is SO easy to see. Prayers are answered everyday. 

Love you,

Hermana Victoria Giossi

P.S. You asked what the chapels here look like. Here is the mansion chapel that I now attend on Sundays. It's two
stories...and has an elevator. 

Gettin' Caught in the Rain!!!

Alright here's the deal, it escaped my mind until this past week that on Sunday May 12 I can talk to you on the phone. So now I am kinda panicked that this isn't going to happen. But I do want to talk to you so I will be waiting at the phone at 8:30 PM your time on Sunday the 12th (Mother's Day). Sorry it's so late but we have church until 6:00 (your time) and an appointment the hour after. So I will be there waiting, it should be the same deal as Christmas except that my new phone number is: 

Hope it works out :)

This week was good. We had interviews with President which was definitely the highlight. He is so inspired. He asked two simple questions and the spirit was so strong in the room. I am going to pass the questions on to you: How has your conversion become deeper in the last month (or 6 months)? and How do you feel about your Savior Jesus Christ? Questions to ponder and maybe write down. I had to answer them in the moment...that wasn't easy. I hope I made sense.

The only other things of note that happened is that we got caught in the rain (see attached pictures). It had been kind of a hard day and then the rain started as we were finishing our last appointment. So we RAN home, it took about 5 mins and as you can see I got VERY wet AND I had an umbrella. You may notice a dry spot on my skirt... that's where I was clutching my bag to try and keep my books dry (success! Only because I had them in a plastic bag. I was laughing the whole time...it was like the rain just made everything that had gone wrong that day better. I was SO EXCITED. I just wanted to stare at the rain all night. It's hard to explain but it rains different here. 

Also, I got to explain to a Latino elder what Pepto-Bismol is. That was fun to describe in Spanish. And he still couldn't find it. 

Oh and we have an investigator that according to her husband "never stops reading" her book of Mormon. He told us that and then when he left the room she informed us that he doesn't know the half of it. Sometimes when she is supposed to be cleaning the house or something she reads the book. She says she take the broom and the mop with her upstairs so it looks like she is going to clean but instead she just sits and reads. And then when her husbands calls her to ask what shes doing she walks out with the broom and tells him to leave her alone because she's trying to clean. We were cracking up laughing. If only all of us had the desire to read the scriptures like that. 

I have other stuff I could tell you about but we'll just save it for Sunday (haha, now you HAVE to call) I'll also think about the birthday package and we can talk about it then.

Love you and Miss You!

Hermana Victoria Giossi

You Can Never Do More for Him than He Does for You

Hey!

Good news, the church reimbursed me for half of the value of everything I lost last week, I was able to go to the distribution center this week and replace my scriptures and a couple other things. I still need to get a new bag, and all the camera stuff though.The camera wont be hard to find here (I'm in the city remember), nor will it be expensive. The one I looked at last week costs $100 and I have $50 set aside from the church. And I can get the memory cards cheap. I'm sure i can find an adapter somewhere., I'll look and then let you know. As far as the pictures they're gone but the good thing is in the mission you always have a companion so I will just ask Hermana Harria and Hermana Perry for their pics. I was really worried about how I was going to replace all this stuff, thank you so much to Nana for her love and support (now i'm almost crying).

I got my package this week! You're right it was super fun! I've already been using the stickers and the clothes of course. Beef jerkey is delicious. LOVE the bracelet! And I am using the pens as part of my new scripture marking system. The packages get her fast I guess, because that was only like two weeks. 

That's so cool that President Packer came to the ward. Mission Presidents sure are special people. I know that if I don't end up in the same mission as President Glazier I will really miss them. But I also know that the President and his wife are called of God and will be amazing and loving too. I am proud of you for doing missionary work. And I know you will be blessed for it. I often wish I had been a better missionary before my mission and have promised to be one after. 

Things are going well here. Hermana Bowers and I get along pretty well and we're starting to work well together. She works hard and has such a strong desire to help our investigators. Plus, being the nurse is NOT easy, people are always calling, we spend hours every week just helping the other missionaries with their sicknesses.  I have alot of respect for her.I do miss Hermana Perry sometimes. We became such good friends. I just felt like I was companions with one of my friends from school. So, yes it is a different relationship but I am learning just as a did with Hermana Perry and I know that Heavenly Father put me here with Hermana Bowers for a reason. 

The work here is going well. Mariateresa is doing really well, we just need to resolve this one problem and she's golden. We're praying super hard to get this all worked out. It's breaking my heart a little that she can't be baptized yet, in fact it was really bothering me and then she said something that made it okay. She told us that because of things in her life she used to feel really sad and lonely but ever since she started talking to us and learning she's been happy because now she knows that she is never alone. I LOVE THIS WORK!

I read the book Our Search for Happiness by M. Russel Ballard this week and loved it. I wanted to share something with you that I really liked. The book is addressed mainly to people who aren't members and want to know more about the church, about the missionary program he said, "The Lord does bless His missionaries just as surely as they bless the lives of those they teach and baptize. Difficult languages are learned with astonishing speed and skill. Financially strapped families back home find unforeseen means to support their missionaries. Weaknesses become strengths, challenges become opportunities, trials become triumphs and adversity becomes adventure in the service of the Lord." I know that I am truly in the service of the Lord. I am His servant bringing His saving gospel to his children. I love this Gospel and this work with my whole heart. I am grateful everyday for this amazing opportunity. I know that Christ lives. I know that he loves each one of us. 

I pray for you. I miss you. I love you. 

Hermana Giossi