Wed, Jul 30, 2008 4:16 am
Buongiorno tutti:
This week has been fabulous! Time sure flies when you have fun, and I am having a lot of it! Before I say anything else, I forgot to mention last week that you can email me at this email address sorellablack [at] myldsmail [dot] net and I won't be able to respond to you by email but if I have time I'll try to write you, so include your mailing address if you want me to write you back. I say that because getting stuff to me by email is immediate and free, and I'm not sure what mail is like here in Ragusa.
So basically everyday I wake up, hear this guy yelling about pomodori (tomatoes) and some other stuff he sells in Sicilian I think, I still can't understand... The city is very much like St. Louis actually in that the weather is hot and humid, and the landscape is very hilly. So in other words, we get quite a workout everyday walking straight up and down everywhere. Basically the directions are either su or giù (up or down).
Yes Ive been eating yummy pizza and focacce and pasta. I can attest to the fact that Ricotta cheese here is the best in the world. I love seeing the sunsets over the trees and palazzi here, (by the way, the plants are very diverse here--palm trees often next to a pine tree, anything and everything.) Everything is 'new' here--Ragusa is a 'new' city. Only established about 1650...cobblestone streets and sidewalks, fruit vendors everywhere, old churches, marble, old ladies hanging up laundry on their balconies, old men smoking outside gelaterie...
So as you can tell, I'm loving every second here. Most people go to the beach all day, and so it's hard to find people to talk to sometimes, but this past week I've felt blessed already. There is a 10 year old Francesco who is a member of our church who we visited last Saturday. He hadn't been to church in a while, he's the only member in his family...so adorable! He came with us Sunday (he reminds me of you Jonathan).
We've been teaching a woman Patrizia who has had a very hard life but is interested in learning about religion. Yesterday we gave her a Book of Mormon and said she wanted to read it all as soon as she could. Something that is already hard is getting to know all these people whose lives have been so hard. I really realize how much I have been blessed with a job if I wanted one, a family who cares about me, and a sense of calm knowing that I know where I came from, why I am here, and where I am going.
There were about 60 people that are part of our church here in Ragusa, and they were all extremely welcoming. (I love getting to greet all the older ladies with a hug and everyone is just so nice!) So in general, if we're pushing citofonos (paging systems? i cant think of the English word... Buttons outside an apartment to buzz and anyway...) people are nice and so if we don't have appointments with people we either try to find people that are interested by doing that or by talking to people on the street.
It is really interesting to see how people are interested in religion here in Ragusa. Overall, I am becoming friends with the people here and really loving every moment. I keep thinking I could really live here for much longer than a year and a half. (Plus they have so many more options for cute little cars
Italian has been going great. I can pretty much understand everything people say, and I've had several moments of thinking in Italian. Unlearning to associate only English to an object or an idea is hard, but I think I'll be able to do it eventually.
My soccer skills are improving, I can score a goal every day or two (we play with the other 4 missionaries in the city every morning in a tennis court like setting behind this beautiful catholic church on the corner). and I love peaches and the fact that they're the cheapest fruit (only 1euro or 1.50 ish/kg!)
Ok well, I've got other things to do, but I hope you are all doing well. Please feel free to email me back and I'll do my best to write you.
Fino alla prossima Mercoledi,
Sorella Charissa Black
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