My New Congregation!

So we walked the beach for a long time and we are way far away from the car. We stopped at a gelateria where they sell real good gelato aka ice cream and had some and walked back. Once we got to the car, she asked me if I had the keys. I said that I had the keys to the house but not to the car. And she was searching her pockets and she couldn’t find them and then I remembered. She left them buy the fountain where we stopped to take some pictures. This fountain was waaayyyy down the street and really far. So she wanted to walk all the way down there by herself. So I told her that I would walk down there with her…even though I didn’t really want to do it because it was sooo hot and I didn’t where sunblock and my arms were noticeably a different color from the rest of my body. But she said no no its too far. So she actually was walking down the path trying to find a bicycle “to borrow” so she didn’t have to walk back but all of them had locks on them. Then I thought what if we flag down a guy on motorbike to take you down there. So we stood on the street waiting and of course no motorbikes were coming but a few on the other side of the street and they didn’t stop because they didn’t see us. So she resorted to walking down there by herself.

We she came back she came back out of the breath. She stated that she was able to have a guy take her on his moto to get the keys but had to run all the way back. Crazy! But afterwards we went home and she made some pasta and we had our first lunch together! It was kinda hard to express myself sometimes and understand her but slowly we were able to understand each other. I always have to remind her to talk slowly! Lol My Italian English dictionary always came in handy. So after lunch is “riposo” aka nap time! Well I got to take a nap but she had to rush to work. She works at this meat company for her dad. So we get all the best meats that we want including this really good meat from argentina that she says is really expensive but since she works for her dad the we get it all the time. That is one meat I will miss. I will have to see if I can “smuggle” that in my luggage! =)

Well when my nap was over I prepared to attend my first congregation meeting! I’ve kept in contact with the presiding overseer this whole time and so he is really the only person that I know. Originally he was suppose to pick me up for my first day but his car was still getting fixed and it wasn’t ready yet. So Roby dropped me off. Its wasn’t too far of a drive actually. So when I first walked in the friends were real warm and welcoming no problem. This one sister of Indian decent greeted me and said “so you must be the sister from America, we’ve been waiting for you!” How cool! I so we started talking and immediately I started to make field service arrangements. Now with the first sister I made arrangements with her name is Paola, a pioneer sister probably in her early 40s. At first I was real intimidated by her….the way she came across but I knew she had to be somewhat cool because she wore electric BLUE mascara! She pulled it off good too with her short black hair and hazel eyes! The first thing she said when I wanted to make arrangements was that they way they do service here is by “appointment”! WHAT?!? I thought she was joking and i started laughing. She said no really if you want to go out in service you have to make an appointment a week in advance because if you do it the same week then we are all booked. And the way she said it was like real straight to the point firm! WOW! Very different! Well one of the reasons is that they go out in service in pairs and not in car groups so its only two at a territory. So I was able to make a two appointments at least for for Friday and another when I come back from the wedding.

The meeting attendance was tiny. A couple of studies showed up but what was interesting is that I found out its actually easier for me to give a comment with less people than in my own congregation. Strange! We also have a cute congregation baby name Elisabeth, she is half Nigerian and half Italian! She is the most happiest baby that you will ever meet! After the meeting an Italian couple kindly took me back home. They were telling me how service is in the territory. How the Nigerians sometimes don’t take studies seriously and its hard to maintain them. They do move and a lot of them are illegal. So its can be challenging at times but they say they love it and wouldn’t go back to the Italian congregation because Italians problems are they not opened minded. Its only catholic beliefs and no other. So they said its real hard to preach to Italians. But this couple is real cool and funny! She Raffaella is sooo pretty like Cuban or Puerto Rican or something. So this couple said that they will pick me up for service on Saturday. We are going to preach in the COUNTRYSIDE! =) Our territory consists of Silvi, montesilvano, francavilla, Pescara and Chieti.

written by  ItalianaCinzia on July 9, 2010 from Pescara, Italy
from the travel blog: Serving in Italy 2010
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