Friday, September 19, 2014

Transfer Day, Scriptures, and Dogs

(Note from Kari: Every 6 weeks, one of the missionaries in the companionship "may" get transferred, or moved to a different area.  They find out about a move just a few days before the transfer, which is every 6th Thursday.  Tomorrow is "transfer day," so I asked David if he was staying in the same area, Udine.)

Hi, Mom!

TRANSFER DAY. Yes, I'm staying in Udine.  99% of the time, missionaries stay in the first area for at least two transfers, because they're getting trained.  I'll probably be in Udine for six months (four transfers), because President Dibb prefers to keep missionaries in an area for four transfers, and leapfrog missionaries halfway -- so there's usually an experienced missionary in an area.

None of the anziani in my apartment are leaving this transfer, but we expect two of them to go next transfer.

No, I have not gotten the sweaters yet.  If you sent them to the mission office, I won't get them for a couple of weeks, until the next zone conference.
Double-Decker bus view
The pictures are of me on a double-decker bus while it's raining.  The other is a picture of my district for this past transfer.  Everyone wants pictures, so we just put our cameras on a table and hit the 10-second button.  So that's everyone, but they're off-centered.  Next transfer, two of them (the Pordenone Elders) are leaving and not being replaced.  And one of the sisters is going home and being replaced.
Udine Zone

HOME NEWS RESPONSE.  Cool that Kara is running for Class President, and nice that people are asking about me at the block party.  I guess that means that we've lived in Massachusetts for 7 years now. (Note from Mom: we are IN our 7th year, if you want to get technical. We just hit the 6-year mark in August.)  Wow. Most people in Italy live in the same city their whole lives, so they have us beat, but that seems like a long time.
Udine church

Here are pictures of a church rising up rising up over the surrounding area.  In the smaller cities, further out in the country, there are those towers that look out over everything, and can be seen from miles away.

To answer your questions:

SCRIPTURES. I have been reading 3 Nephi, and all of that is important, with Jesus coming to the Americas.  I try to underline important phrases and verses by different topics, but the whole Sermon on the Mount section is very powerful, so I stopped because I didn't feel like underlining the entire chapter.

CHURCH MEMBERS. We eat with members of the church occasionally.  One family switches off sets of Elders each Saturday lunch, so we ate with them on Saturday and asked about their family mission plan.  Another family lives nearby, and we have dinner there once every 1-2 weeks.

For Brother Rotar: The man who made "Fufu" for us is from Ghana.

I have not given a talk in Sacrament Meeting, still just giving prayers in Gospel Essentials class.  The Italian is coming along pretty well.  I can talk with people understandably, if sometimes slowly, and I understand most of what they say to me, or at least the idea behind it, even in non-religious contexts.

DAYTIME ACTIVITIES. We don't knock doors during the day.  We usually do that from 1730-2000 or for part of that time, once people are home from work.  Otherwise we walk around the park, the "Centro" city area, or along the river, or call people.  So when we have lessons, it's a nice break from walking.

Udine apartment bedroom
DOGS.  Dogs don't chase us, but they bark.  At this point, I absolutely despise yippy dogs.  They bark at us while we're trying to ring people's doorbells.  And I can't do anything about it.  The worst is one dog that barks at us every time we try to open the garage area to park our bikes.  Every night.  It's annoying.

These last few pictures are of my bedroom, and desk, and shelf, since you asked.
Udine shelf

Udine desks

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