First Pday in Ragusa (aka Week 7)

Ok, here is the lo down. 

We got in on Tuesday morning, so tired, so gross, and just sick of everything. But, life goes on. We met the Italian missionaries, which there are actually 9, while we English are only 8. And there are more sisters then elders, so that is also really different! This was a special group. From the airport, we stopped by the temple sight. There is so much left to be done on it!  So, we did some touristy stuff, like seeing the coliseum and a roman forum. So cool!!! Then the next day, we had some training, and got our iPads.  So useful! 

That night, we got our Golden Envelopes, which give us out first city assignment.  Mine was Ragusa, which is in Sicily.  So Friday, up at 4, left at 5 for the train station which was a good 1/2 mile walk... With luggage... That was intense.  Then, 15 hours to Catania, Sicily, and 2 hour bus ride to Ragusa. It was a long day. But I made it!

So, Ragusa is on a hill, about the size of Unconoonuc.  It's is quite a hike, I have not done the whole thing yet.  It's so pretty though, look up some pictures, because I don't have any of the city itself yet.

We are close to Etna, so when I started this letter we had our second earthquake! The first was Sunday night. I wonder if I'll get to see an eruption when I'm here!

We had pronzo, or lunch, at a member's house on Sunday.  It was so good! It was not Italian food from Olive Garden.  It was like these chards with bean purée and olive oil, that you mix together and put on top of these rice cakes.  I loved it.  Oh, and Gela, which is part of our district, is said to be the place gelato started, so we had gelato. Ahhh. Love.

It's warm here, but everyone is bundled up like its -20!  

We have one investigator.  We had two, but we dropped one on Friday.  I haven't met the other yet, but we'll see.  So, one lesson with an investigator, and we had one with a member family, the Campos.  It's a mom and a daughter, the daughter is leaving soon to serve a mission in Leeds England! She is so cute! 

I haven't said a whole lot yet, people talk too fast, and I don't understand their accents yet.  The older people speak Siciliano as well as Italian so they like to mess with us, and switch to Siciliano... It's a struggle. 

But I bore my testimony on Sunday! 

I can't believe Lucille! I cried.  Poor Ellie. But she is in such a good place, I know it. 

And Issy! Finally! The play! Let me know how it goes! 

How is Jack, still going to graduate? Has he done anything with BYUI? How about mission papers? 

I love it here! I am doing great! I'll see ya all soon, on Mother's Day!!!

 Vi voglio tanto bene! 

Sorella Hills

P.s. No one can pronounce my name, so I might get a new name tag... Sorella Colline, which is the same thing, just Italian.  A lot of missionaries do it out here, English is hard to say.