22/10/2014 The twelfth week

Heather Hastings	Oct 22 (1 day ago)

So much happens in the space of a week and I always have so much to tell, yet I never know what to write about. While Elder Jones is baptizing by the handful practically, we here in Milano are struggling a bit to keep people. They don't come to church and like to get flaky with us. It was a tiring week, but we had some good miracles.

Also, we find out about transfers on Saturday. I am a bit nervous. My first 12 weeks of training are over and then I'm just a normal missionary. I don't know what will happen. I might leave, we might stay, Sorella Carter might leave... we don't know. But in the meantime please pray for me! And, don't send any mail to my personal address, only to the mission home for this week. I will let you know next week if I get transferred...

On Sunday, it was interesting day. I wrote a nice poem about the atonement during sacrament then we went to lunch with our Filipino family. Their food is different but so yummy. Pictures included. Look at that cute little girl! We are trying to get them to the temple. Monday Tuesday we did a scambio again. We are doing another scambio tonight. We had miracles though, in that three people pretty much came up to us asking to come to church! But we passed them on to the Anziani. 

We our short on people to teach right now. Remember Laura and Dani? We decided to drop them because they are ignoring us. It's been a while. Sabrina and Julia both have a baptismal date and we teach them, but neither came to church this week. Diego isn't really progressing either. We have a lot of less actives and a lot of potentials lined up this weekend, and things are going to look up! Maybe tansfers with change things too. The work is good but it's not always easy. That's about all I have to say for this week. I love you and am always grateful for your prayers and support.

Today for pday we might take a nap and play some frisbee. We might visit the cemetary for fun too, ha.

Ether 6:7

Go study Moroni chapter 7. I studied it this morning. Good stuff!

I Love you all!

Talk to you next week!

"Life is not a Goblet to be drained; it is a measure to be filled."

Sorella Hastings =)

Love and Be Loved

Another week 15/10/2014

Heather Hastings	7:14 AM (3 hours ago)

I never know how to start these weekly letters. Last week’s birthday was great! Fuddruckers American style hamburger with cheddar cheese, an Oreo milkshake, French fries. Mmmm :) Then the chocolate factory... pictures will follow. A good day indeed. That night, we went to out ward Mission leaders house to help his daughter with English for a college class. Well, they made us dinner and surprised me with a cake. It was perfect! 

This week we just went around Milano in search of some things. We ate a Kebab for lunch today, finally. Look it up. It's like a gyro, kind of sort of. They are everywhere on the streets here. It was good! But what is the mystery meat? No one knows.

Well, I got to do the scambio this past week in Lugano. La Svizzera è bella! It was like dream land. So beautiful, but so very expensive. The missionaries who live there have to shop in Italy every pday because it so expensive. Craziness. But I had a great time and loved Sorella Boscia! In fact, Liz, she reminded me a lot of you. She is 36 years old and dated someone for five years, got engaged, then broke it off and decided to go on a mission. We spoke only Italian and I did fine! I learned a lot and it was a really cool opportunity. Becca, Lisa and Liz, I love you all :) she felt like one of my sisters and so I thought of you all a lot. Oh, and go buy a Toblerone bar if you want some Swiss chocolate :)

This week in church our dear friend Sabrina came! Ok, I may have said before that she is crazy. She is so funny though and we have a bap date set with her. Well, she was really nervous and tired and asked for coffee. Of course, we didn't have coffee. Then in sacrament meeting, she wanted to clap after a family sang a prelude song. She was getting annoyed that parents were making the kids stop playing and be reverent because she thought they should be allowed to play. Then, towards the end, she pulls out her pack and tries to roll a smoke... during sacrament. We told her to put it away and wait... aside from that, she liked it! We visited her yesterday and thankfully, she said she will come back. Phew. 

Then, on Monday: superhero day! We visited a sweet less active lady who needed us, then district meeting, then pizza, then we helped a lady in the ward recover her passwords from her computer and contacted her niece, then our friend Rosa... remember the girl we were teaching English? Yeah, her. Well, she didn't pass her English test. Just this last Thursday she decided to Move back America. We we hurried and met up with her on Monday at McDonalds. She left yesterday to fly to New York! She wants to live there until January to study English, then come back in January to Italia and finish school. We had a lesson with her on Alma 26:36-37 (I think) and Mom, I gave her a meet the Mormon bracelet that said, "One choice changes everything." It was sad because she was my first goodbye but we are so happy for her! She's so brave. I just know good things will work out for her.

What else to say? We are busy. Time is flying. Sometimes it’s a like a dream, listening to all this Italian around me. In this past week I really feel like my Italian has exploded. The gift of tongues and the power of God through prayer is real! It's SO cool! 

We did laundry this week and it took two whole days for our towels to dry. Welcome to Europe... fun times. I am glad that I also bought that quick dry towel.

Life is good, as I've said. Nothing to worry about me. I have the coolest companion ever and we get along mostly great. We laugh so much, and she's so crazy, but she is such a good teacher and example to me. She makes me come out of my comfort zone, and we work well together. 

La vita è bella!

Vi voglio molto bene! Grazie mille tutti per ogni cosa!!! A dopo!

Sorella Hastings =)

Love and Be Loved

It's a great day to be alive :) 08/10/1994

Heather Hastings			2:28 AM (7 hours ago)

Last night we hurried home after serata famigliare, planned, cleaned the whole house and went to bed. This morning we studied early, and for companionship study Sorella put up the birthday banner, through out some confetti and I opened the gifts the family sent :) we are emailing now then will get some foccacia, then we are going to Varese to eat lunch with the Sorelle in our zone at Fuddruckers, then going to the chocolate Lindt factory and will explore this beautiful land! Oh, and it's my birthday. I am SO grateful for my life here on earth and for my family. I am grateful for the knowledge of God and his plan, and for prophets, and for the scriptures. I know that all of these things are true!!! thank you everyone, for all you have ever done to bless my life :)

Well, I did it. I gave in. I woke up this morning and put tights on. The last three days it has rained all day and it is fredissimo (really cold)!!! 

I have a request: the family sent a package and mom and dad sent letters weekly, but otherwise my stack of mail is like, non-existent. So, if friends or anyone want to send me a letter, feel free. 

ALSO, if you send a package, throw something small in a little bubble envelope. Like fall candy from America, or some photos, or... i don't know. It's cheap and small and easy. 

Here is the mission address:

Sorella Heather Hastings

Via Antonio Gramsci 13/2

20090 Opera, MI 

Italia

Also, an easy cinnamon roll recipe would be wonderful, if that exists. And maybe someone could mail me some baking powder in the next 13 15 months? It doesn't really exist in Italia... 

Now for some good stuff. Life is so good!!! Last Thursday I got to be senior comp for the day and visit our two most progressing simps with a brand newbie. We had members at both lessons and went so well. It was stressful, but I learned a lot and really was able to rely on the spirit with what to say, and the language came well. Sorella D'Ambrioso her dad is from Italy, and she enjoyed getting advice from me because I just went through everything she is about to experience.

In preach my Gospel, there are four basic points that we teach in the Gospel, on page 7. President Dibb challenged us to use these points in meeting people, and well, Friday we found FIVE new investigators! What a miracle. We ate lunch with a member and she invited over three friends for us to meet. We are eating again together on Friday. So cool!

Remember Diego, my favorite crazy Italian family? We visited them Sunday night and taught him about the basics, Prayer and such. We asked him to say a prayer, and it was so genuine, funny but amazing! We have hope! Then because I have a bad cough his mom gave me this grandma scarf to walk home in (because Italians firmly believe in scarfs to avoid sickness. it's like medicine) and she gave us Ragù and cheese. Score.

I got to interview with President Dibb yesterday at Zone training. Sorella Carter told him that I would be ready to train after this transfer (yikes) and he said he is proud of us. We are blessed to be in Lampugnano , in such a big ward. Well his brother married President Monson's daughter, so that's where the connection comes from.

Speaking of Prophets... conference was incredible! It went by so fast but it was perfect. Prophets’ are REAL! We can receive revelation for ourselves, and we must serve others with love. We must walk as Christ walked, and as we obey the commandments we will change and have more joy. The Temple is our ultimate goal in this life. Good stuff. As we watched the two morning sessions at 6pm at night, ya'll were watching it at home. Kinda cool. We are so blessed. SO so blessed! Go back and relisten/rewatch the words of the prophets. They only do good if we remember them and APPLY them in our life. 

I found a scripture to share with you today: In the Book of Mormon, Ether 6:7. Read it. reread it. How can you apply this to your life? If we are like the scripture says, then Satan cannot come into our life. We turn to the Lord, and he will help us. Good stuff.

Well, this weekend I get to go to Lugano for scambio and next Monday Varese comes to me. Fun stuff. Time is flying. I am loving being a missionary and love this work!!! It's so great. Truly, I love you all. Thanks for all you do! Enjoy the beautiful fall season in America and keep your chins up! BE awesome! 

Sorella Hastings =)

Love and Be Loved