Happy Trails

Hi,

Lots of GROWTH and REFLECTIONS this week! The mission has taught me many a thing -- and not just getting used to being identified by my last name ("Hey, Fuller!").

Fun note! We went as a district to the "Old Wild West" restauraunt! Slla V got ribs and I got onion rings. And our table was situated in a real life old fashion WAGON! The wall was covered with quotes from Toro Seduto (translation: Sitting Bull). Good job Italy. We mainly went to this restaurant so we could see the temple construction. THE ROME TEMPLE IS BUILT NEXT TO AN IKEA! Do you realize how many people will see the temple!? SOOO MANY!

So, what did I learn this week? I learned that perspective really does matter. That it's easy to let our situations control us. Sure, I have excuses as to why this is hard. Heck, they aren't excuses: MISSIONARY WORK IS HARD! Life is hard! Being me is hard! But they should never be used as excuses to not be a good person. Really. Character (pass it on, as the billboards say!). Happy, positive, kind, patient... when times are good. And when times are bad? And people are nasty? Happy, positive, kind, patient. Obviously I'm not sickly chipper (when I'm sad, I can cry with the best of them). But being able to cry and then pick ourselves up and keep going. Keep helping. Keep trying. Even if we fail. Just because something seems impossible doesn't mean we stop trying.

Sorry it's short. Out of time.

SHOUTOUT! To the Moss children (I don't know if they get this letter -- Mom, tell the Mosses I got their letter and will send their children a postcard of the  Coliseum, as requested)!

lots of love
Fuller

Listen with your heart, you will understand

Hi!

Scripture of the week! aka Shakespeare has nothing on Jeremiah!

"And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies."

Crazy imagery right? Here's the rest of the scripture, because I like it: "But they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth, for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord." (Jeremiah 9:3).

Is this going to be one of those letters where the missionary harshly judges the entire country where she's serving because of some negative experiences? Haha, nope! Maybe the opposite. We've had some tough runs this week, mostly with people telling us that they can't believe in a God that has commandments or running up a general wall of people feeling that religion is just a constraint on them living up to their full happiness, when instead they are sacrificing the realization of their full potential for momentary happiness. Sad. But in the words of the Clash: I get beat up. I get thrown out. But I'm not down. I'm not down.

But, we did have a good week of meeting with members, both active and not. We've seen some beautiful parts of the Italian countryside (everyone go google Bracciano right now! I've decided I could live in this mountainous lake territory). Yesterday it rained buckets and it seems that the weather is FINALLY getting cold. And I get to play the piano every week in church. So there's not much to complain about.

OH! And I forgot to mention how a HEROIC member got out my ingrown toenail! She's an esthetician and just ripped it right out! That was fun. But there was such a difference between the nasty pain of the festering toe and the clean pain of the open, but cleansed wound. Like sin and repentance and stuff! I'll leave it to y'all to work out the metaphor.

Okay, that's all the news! Love yer guts.

Sis Fuller

I'm Going the Distance, I'm Going for Speed

Hi,

Guess what! I wrote in my journal this week! AND I brought it with me. So you are all in for a treat! Be prepared for random thoughts and things!

You know what I like learning? Languages! I've stopped bemoaning the fact that I'm not in a complete language immersion (between having an American companion and the fact that the ENTIRE ward of Ladispoli speaks English. At least five children in Primary under the age of nine are bilingual, it's nuts), and I've tried to improve my Italian as much as I can. Another missionary read me a letter from home in Portuguese, and it turns out I can understand a good part of it. Thanks Latin-based languages!

We met two Polish twins on the train (as opposed to just one Polish twin, or three of them). We were just chatting and then before we said ANYTHING they just said, "Hey, we should meet up some other time and talk more about these things. Can we give you our number?" Yes please!

I teach the advanced English course and I've learned that, no matter how old we get, we must NEVER LOSE OUR IMAGINATION! Our English program has us use situations to teach English (e.g. going to the supermarket, going to the mall). We often do "simulations" or role play, where we pretend that we're at the mall and practice conversations.

Some of the students just repeat the practice phrases. "Can I help you?" "Yes, I am looking for apples." "Oh, the apples are on aisle five." Poor guys. They've stifled the imagination they had when they were young. Instead, some kids really get into it. Personal favorites:

"Excuse me, can you show me where the drinks are?"
"Find it yourself. I don't want to work here anymore."

"Do you like this dress for your girlfriend?"
"This dress is too cheap. I am a rich man. I want to spend lots of money. Money money money money."

"Excuse me, someone spilled on aisle six."
"I am a shopkeeper, NOT a cleaner! I refuse to clean up this mess. Clean it up yourself."
"... But I'm the customer."

Hahaha. Good job, English course!

Life is hard, but the gospel makes it better. And laughing, and imagination!

Here's a great scripture I read this week, where Jesus encourages us to act and not just rest on our laurels:

"And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said unto him, 'Blessed is the womb that bare thee!' ... But he said, 'Yea, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it.'" Luke 11:27-28

I agree.

SHOUTOUT to Katie Delis! And Paul! Thanks for the little (and big) letters (or emails) of encouragement. They do help. I appreciate you!

PICTURES
...075: Hail to thee, Master Crumble! You kept our country out of war!
...076: We played "Minute to winit" games for family home evening. It included cookies and whipped cream all over our faces. Good times had by all.

love you all!
Sister FOOLer