Something fun and exciting

Hello Family!

Well, how is everyone??  I hope great!  Sounds like all the trips were fun!  Now im just waiting for emily to get back from Thailand and hear about that! 

 

Ok, now i need to explain the title of my email... So, saturday last week we got transfer calls.  So Sorella Pearson answers the phone and President tells her she is getting transferred to Rome 3.  Then he says "Can i talk to your companion?  I have something fun and exciting for her!"  So i get on the phone and he says, "Sister Buma I have something really fun and exciting for you!"  I say, "Ok what is it??"  Then he says, "You are going to be with Sorella Tinoco."  She is ITALIAN!  Holy cow!  Im freaking out!  Haha.  He was saying that he really thinks this is going to be good and that my italian is coming along great.. haha he cant say that cause he has never heard me speak italian.  Anyway, we were thinking that maybe she would be pretty good at English by now because she has been out for a year but her last companion for i think 4 transfers was italian... So im pretty much thinking that she wont speaking English.  Man, i dont know what im going to do haha.  I wont be able to communicate with my companion.   President told me that she is encouraged to learn english so we will help each other.  He also said she is really obedient and super nice.  She is technically from Peru but has lived in Milan for most her life im pretty sure.  Also, her brother is in the same mission and is on Sicily right now and so i have met him before.  I was telling sister bay about it on sunday and i was like "What am i going to say to her when she gets off the train??  Do i say hello or ciao?  Do i say Come sta or come stai or how are you??"  Haha.  This is going to be so interesting.  Im seriously so nervous!!  Im really going to learn Italian fast because i will have to learn it or i wont be able to communicate with her.  Anziano medina says that he wishes he would have had a native companion early on in his mission.  Anyway, if heavenly father thinks that i can do this, then i just need to trust him and trust that it will all be ok.  because on my own, i know that i cant do this.  Thank goodness I dont have to do it alone!

 

Next, We have a new investigator!  We found her doing house.  Her name is Avane and she is from Poland.  Which makes it a little hard but we got her all the pamphlets and a book of mormon in polish.  She has lived here from 6 years so she knows enough italian but she doesnt know very many gospel terms (which is pretty much the only thing i know haha).  She is a care taker of an old, crazy italian man.  Last time we went over there he was just yelling at us to get out because he didnt know us.  Im pretty sure he has alzheimers or something.  Anyway, we are going to have to try and find times when he isnt there or meet her another place because we cant teach while he is there.  She needs the Gospel though.  She is alone here and her 2 children are in Poland.  She has been having such a rough time and needs peace in her life.  We are meeting her tomorrow (Me, a sister from Siracusa and Sorella Lewis because all our companions dont get here till tomorrow night).  Anyway, im really excited!  We just have to talk really slow with her... perfect for me!

 

Oh, this is just a thank you for the packages!  Mom, thanks for the package!  Everything is perfect!  Lois, Thank you for your package too!  Haha, we took a picture in our night gowns.  Im sending them today if i can get it to work.  Jenna, Thanks for the pics!  I wrote you a letter last week just havent bought a stamp yet so it is coming!  YOU WERE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL BRIDE!!!!!  I look at all the pictures you sent me, mom, and also from Jenna all the time and show them to people.  I love it! Thanks!  I LOVE PICTURES!  Everyone else, send more! :)

 

I think that is it for me this week...  Im very sad to say bye to Sorella Pearson but change is good.  Especially for my Italian (probably even more so for my confidence in my italian) this chang is going to be really good.  Lots of things will be different, but it will be so good too.  Pray for me that we can communicate with each other and that it will all work out.  Anz. medina and hill are both stayin too and they promised they would help me too.  Also, I have the Bays.  They are SO GREAT!  They are having us over for the fourth so we can celebrate:)  Have a great week and know that i love you all.  You are in my prayers and im grateful for all the prayers said on my behalf.  Have fun at the baby blessing.  I wish i could be there but right now im where i need to be.  I am so grateful to be able to share my testimony every day!  Im grateful for the the joy in my life because i know this church is true!  It brings me so many blessings!  Dont forget to write me!

 

Love,

Sorella Buma

 

p.s.  Happy Fourth of July!  I cant believe that its already july!!!  That is nuts!  Bring on the summer!  Take some more pictures of Flat Chel.. Oh and i have to say GO BYU!!!!! haha.  thanks for the pic mom!

The first one is when we did chalk and i drew the plan of salvation.  (I didnt write plan of salvation or draw the celestial kingdom... Blame anz. hill for that... haha)

Week 20--Hello!

Ciao Famiglia!  Come state??  I have so much i want to say today and of course, i dont have tons of time so i am going to try and start with the most important things first.  But before that, i just want to say that i cant believe that pretty much my whole family is all over the world this week!  Its been fun to think during the afternoon what everyone would be doing at that time.  Except, i cant realy figure out what em is doing because i have NO idea what time it is in Thailand from where i am.  So mostly i just picture her dying of heat and trying to imagine how great of an experience she is having.

 

Well, first, we had zone conference last week.  Elder Teixiera from the 70 came.  It was AMAZING.  I wish i could explain how i felt but i really cant.  But it was exactly what i needed.  First Sorella Kelly spoke.  She is the nicest person in the world and radiates the light of Christ.  While she was talking I really felt the love my Heavenly Father has for His children.  I know He loves his missionaries and is with me all the time.  Even when im too dumb to realize it.  I know this work is not done by Sister Buma.  And im so grateful for that... haha.  I would be completly wasting time here without His spirit with me.  Sis. teixiera challenged us all to read the book of mormon in 60 days!  Im really excited!  Then elder teixiera spoke and he is GREAT.  He spoke on finding and how to make our finding more effective.  Basically, he gave me the courage i needed to open my mouth!  its been great.  I want to talk to everyone and im doing it by myself  Since friday i have gotten 5 numbers all by myself!  Anyway, his son went to Japan and baptized 7 times what everyone else in his mission had baptized by the end of their misison.  His dad told us that he just talked to everyone that he possibly could.  He wasnt anything so super special but he wanted everyone to know what he knew so he always opened his mouth.  That is what i want to be able to say.  That is doesnt matter how many baptisms i had but that i knew in my heart that i had talked with everyone that the Lord put in my path and gave as many people as i could the opportunity to accept the Gospel.

 

Next, i was reading in 1 Nephi 17 the other day and had a great experience sitting there reading about Nephi building a ship.  The Lord commanded him to build and ship and he had NO idea how to do it but followed what the Lord had told him to do and because of this, the Lord took care of the rest.  if nephi built the ship the lord promised that he would carry them across the sea, make their food sweet, be their light in the wilderness and prepare their way.  I thought about how Nephi building the ship and getting to the promised land is like me being on a mission.  This is where my Heavenly Father wants me and i have NO idea what i am doing but through prayer he is able to teach me how to build a great ship.  He will take care of the rest.  I follow the commandments and do my best and He takes over.  It has been such a comfort to me!  Im so grateful for the Book of Mormon and the examples in it that help me know what i need to be doing!

 

Oh this is random but i wanted to tell you because i loved it.  In our sigonella branch this week i was asked to play the piano for the primary children in sacrament as they sang to their dads.  It was SO cute.  I love little children and their spirits.  I was so grateful for them because my songs were not flawless but they are great no one even paid attention to me!

 

Another random thing, we were on the sigonella base last thursday for a relief society thing they wanted us to come to.  Anyway, so a member is taking us home and we go to leave and the gate starts closing and there is guy in front of it with a big gun.  Oh and all the military members had hard hats on (they never are just wearing these).  so basically they were having what is a called a "shelter and place" and no one was able to leave and no one was able to come onto the base.  It was like this for like a half hour or something.  We still dont know what happened but it was pretty crazy. 

 

I think that is all for me today.  Sorella Pearson is probably leaving me a week from today.  I am going to be sad but its something i know i need.  She doesnt really let me talk in lessons or use the phone which is just something i need to do to learn.  She realizes that she needs to and tells me that she needs to let me talk but then forgets.  Its good for change sometimes because that is how we grow!  Im super nervous for new companion but thats just how it goes.  Ill let you know the verdict next week.  I sure love you all so much!  thanks for your emails and i hope that everyone is enjoying their summer!  Let me know how all the trips went and STAY SAFE!  I miss you but i know that i am where my Heavenly Father wants me to be.  Until next week!

 

Love,
Sorella Buma, Chel, Chels, Scrapper--your pick!

Happy Father's Day

Hello! 

How is everyone doing??  Pretty much all of my family is leaving this week to go and do fun things!  Everyone is going to cool places.  Have fun!  Im so excited for everyone and to hear all about it.  It sounds like everyone is super busy getting everything together for all the trips.  I dont like that part... but getting there is always worth it!

 

Well, i will start by telling you all about Cinderella.  First, it was a ballet.  Second, the Theatre is AMAZING.  I took pictures but really they dont do it justice.  We had great seats in the center in a box on the 2nd floor.  When we come back i want to take you inside this building.  It is soooo old and gorgeous.  During intermission they had refreshment stuff but its nothing like America.  They had a big open room with couches with big glass windows that over looked the piazza.  This room was just as pretty as the theatre.  Its just such a different culture here.  I loved it!  Ok... the only thing that was bad was that the ballet was SO modern.  It was so strange because you are in this beautiful old theatre and then they come out with really modern costumes and everything.  I didnt hate it but i really didnt love it.  It was worth it though to get to be in the Opera house and just experience that. 

 

Here is a little bad news.  I have to go to the dentist next week... I think i have a cavity because it hurts to eat cold things on the right side of my mouth on one of my top teeth.  Anyway, apparently there is a really good dentist here, Sorella Pearson went to him in like November or something.  So i figured that i might as well get it taken care of here where i know there is someone good.  I might just be paranoid... but i want to at least go and see about it.  So that is something i get to look forward to this week.  Sorella said that he is great, speaks perfect english but the only bad thing is that the lady that cleans the teeth just has NO mercy.  Im pretty sure she is way worse than Barb haha.  Im nervous for that.  Sorella was bleeding pretty bad she said...  I hope it goes ok.  I dont understand why all the sudden in the past 2 years i have had cavities.  Is there something i am doing wrong??

 

Other than that its been a pretty normal week.  I have been kind of homesick this week...  I have figured out the phrase "forget yourself and go to work" is a lot easier said than done.  I have been praying a lot recently that I really can 100% give my heart to my Heavenly Father.  I already only have a little over a year left and I dont want it past be wasted at all.  I dont want to come home and have any regrets or feel that i could have served better.  I want to come home knowing that i have returned with honor and served the people of Italy the very best that i could.  Its definitely true that we are our own worst critics.  Sometimes it seems overwhelming to think about all the things that i need to do and change.  I really am so grateful for prayer though and the feeling of love that i feel as a young missionary kneeling down to pray.  I know my heavenly father knows im not perfect but just wants me to be trying every day to be better than i was the day before. And i am so grateful for that knowledge! 

 

Anyway, sorry for the shorter email this week.  It was a good week and we are just finding, finding, finding.  We had SO many appointments fall through this week but what can you do?  We invite and then that is all we can do.  We cant force anyone.  Oh ya, we have zone conference on friday.  Elder Texiera from the seventy is coming.  Im really excited.  I think this is just what i need!  Well, I have to go because we are leaving to drive to Taormina.  Look it up!  Its beautiful.  Ill let you know how it goes!  Love you all!  Be safe in all your travels this week and have fun!!!!!  Happy Fathers Day and Happy birthday BUBBA!  Love you so much!   

 

Love,

Sorella Buma

Week 18--Ciao!

Hello everyone!

As always, thanks for your emails.  I am missing emails from some of my sibblings... YOu know who you are.  Dont forget about me!  I love to hear from you even if it is short.  Thanks for your love and prayers though. 

 

First, the other day we were walking down the street and heard this guy speaking in english on his phone.  so when he hung up we asked him how he knew english.  He says, "well i lived in Utah."  What??  SO random.  He continues to tell us that he studied at BYU for part of his masters.  I was so excited!  A little connection haha.  His professor here knew a professor at BYU and so this guy when there for a bit.  Also, this was a professor that i had and LOVED.  Random story!  But great.  Plus he said that he would meet with the Elders.  So that is great.  Usually we give younger guys to the elders because most of them only want to listen because it is 2 young american girls.

 

Next, we were out trying to find this lady that we talked to at a bus stop.  I had already given my Book of Mormon out that morning so we didnt have with us but she said that we could come to her house and give it to her some day in the morning.  So yesterday we were on her street but couldnt find her last name on the Citto (to get in any apartments you have to ring from the street and then they open the gate).  Plus she told us it was number 24  but didnt tell us the letter.  and there was 24 a b c d.... So we decided to just do some house at these apartments and hopefully find her.  next thing i know, i turn around and she is walking down the street with her daughter.  they were so excited to see us and she had told her daughter about us.  They were just leaving but we set an appointment with them for tomorrow morning.  Also, the last name is wrong on the street thing so it was just such a miracle that they came out at that exact moment.  I am just praying that their hearts will continually be prepared for the message we are bringing to them.  After they left we continued to do house there where they lived.  Someone opened the door so we just went it.  Hiked to the top and worked our way down.  No one would even open the door for us till the very bottom.  Then we found this SUPER old man and this lady that works for him (cooks for him and cleans.  kind of like a nurse.).  She was from Polland and they let us in for a min!  They said that we could come back on saturday morning to see them! 

 

Anyway, we also did finding with the elders with chalk.  Basically you go down to a busy piazza (we went down town on a sunday night) and draw the plan of salvation with chalk on a sheet.  I drew it and i will send pics of it next time.  It was so fun.  tons of people were coming up to us to see what was going on.  I dont know that anyone will have real interest but it went well.  Also we met this young couple from Holland!  Sweet huh! They spoke perfect english! 

 

Other than that, thats all i have to say this week.  Oh and we are going to see Cinderella tomorrow!  its in the opera house but we arent sure if its a ballet or opera.  Our mission pres. gave us permission and said that he loves cultural things.  Ill let you know how it goes.  It should be cool.   its a really old old opera house.  Ill take pics!  Love you all! Have such a great week and dont forget to write me!  Oh and pray i dont die of heat and humidity!  its HOT!  But its worth it.  I know why i am here and i have a testimony of this restored gospel.  I know it has been the biggest blessing in my life.  Im grateful for my Savior and the strength he gives me every day.  I really know i couldnt do this work on my own. 

 

Love,
Sorella Buma

Week 17--Humidity

Ciao Famiglia Mia! 

Mamma Mia!  It is humid here!  And it is just the beginning of June.  Which, by the way, i cant believe it is June already!  That is nuts!  I thought it was bad when it was raining but now i kinda wish the rain was back... Haha.  Just goes to show, we always want what we can't have.  At least im a sister and we just wear skirts.  I cant imagine how the elders feel walking around in pants every day.  Anyway, sounds like everyone had another great week!  School is almost finished and everyone has great summer trips planned!  I look forward to lots of pictures:)

Well, First thing.  Fillipo and Patrizia wont answer our calls or call us back.  Im SO sad about it.  I just wish i could help them understand what they are missing out on.  But, like everyone said, everyone has their own agency and we can only invite.  I really hope that with time we can see them again.  They just need the gospel in their lives.  Anziano Medina talked to their son the other day and he said they are still reading the Book of Mormon and praying as a family.  So at least they are doing that!  But for now, we arent able to see them anymore.  We need to find more investigators! 

Ok this is a tiny story but i want to share it because i was SO happy after.  Well, the other day we were sitting as the bus station and this old lady sat next to me on the bench.  My companion was on the phone but i just opened my mouth and tried to talk to her by myself.  It was GREAT!  I didnt understand every word but i understood enough to carry on a conversation by myself.  My first one ever.  I really felt the gift of tongues. It was one of the neatest experiences for me.  I know i didnt talk well but it was enough that we understood each other.  Plus she was SO sweet and i just really enjoyed it.  She kept looking at me and smiling and squeezing my hand.We exchanged numbers and she said that we could come see her and talk with her sometime.  Oh and it was so cute.  She starts telling me how she plays the piano at the university and then asked if we wanted to come hear her play because it was probably her last day playing.  Unfortunately we were on our way to see someone...  Anyway, she was so great and I will always remember my experience with her.  We just had a little connection.  This is a side note but i am so grateful for anziano medina because he is SO nice and just tells me how good i am doing and is always quick to being encouraging to me.  I really really needed him.

Oh another story.  We were at another bus stop and this crazy lady, no teeth pretty much and eating a block of cheese (Dani would have DIED watching it haha), starts talking to us.  She asks where we are from and we tell her we are American.  Then she looks at me and says, "She Has almond shaped eyes.  She looks Japanese.  Yeah, she is japanese!"  Haha.  Oh my it was great.  Even the crazy italians can see my asian flap. Haha.  So apparently im not American, im Japanese. 

Oh also, I ate Nduja the other day with our district in disrict meeting.  This is what it is.  Spreadable salami (spelling??) which is gross enough.  But then they store it in a pig stomach.  It was so gross!  They made my try it so i ate one bite...  So gross.  Im sure that isnt the worst thing i will eat here which is terrible...  Oh well!  I just dont want people to tell me what im eating to after its over. 

Another thing.  Palermo, the other big city on sicily, stole our senior couple.  so we dont get them here anymore!  its sad.  We were so excited!  Maybe next time...  But for now, it is still just the 4 of us in Catania.  Which is fine.  I love my district.  We have a lot of fun together. 

Last thing.  We are stopping English course till about september and we are going to do a bible study thing.  I am excited to learn more about the bible and do something different but i love my english class and im sad.  Giorgio is my favorite.  He is like 60 or something and is great.  He loves sailing and promised me that when we come back to visit he will take all of us sailing.  So be excited!

OK well, im off.  Thanks for everything you all do for me.  Thanks for all the emails.  And for the letters!  It really is so great when we come home and there is mail!  I love it! Have such a great week and I cant wait to hear from everyone soon!  I love you all!  It is hard being away but i love what i am doing.  I love Italy and i love this Gospel!  Until next week!

Love,
Sorella Buma

The first pic is of our "Family" at the ancient temples in Agrigento.  That is where we went for p-day yesterday.  It was the coolest p-day ever!

Next, my feet tanlines already... haha.  I can only imagine what they are going to be like in about October.

Scale Dei Turchi.  SO Beautiful.  Anz. medina and Hill

Us doing Yogo on the beach... Haha.  It was Great!

Week 16--Transfer 2 has started

Hello Everyone! 

As always, thank you for your emails.  I love them!  I look forward to hearing from everyone each week.  Sounds like all is well. All is well here.  I thought i would start by saying just a couple of things about Catania.  First, it is the hottest city in Italy.  Summer here we come!  Haha.  That means that everyone is going to stink way more than they already do.  haha. Lets just say bus rides are interesting.  We try to not breath.  There are lizards every where.  We have found them in the church and they just kinda creep me out.  they arent big but they are SO fast.  they come out of no where!  Pretty much everyone has a vespa and there is so much traffic that its the only way to get around in a timely matter.  we really want to get one but we dont think that our president would be thrilled about that... haha.  People are super nice here and love Christ but just really arent interested in a new religion.  Basically i love Catania.  Its a big city and im really nervous for when my companion leaves because ill be the one that is supposed to know where im going... haha.  All the streets look the same and they are all one way streets downtown pretty much.  So i need to be paying more attention.  Also, you smell so many discusting smells walking down the streets.  haha.  We dont even want to know what we are smelling.  

 

We have bad news, Fillipo and Patrizia called and said that they dont want to investigate the church anymore because they dont want to pay tithing.  We are going to try to keep working with them but its hard.  It broke my heart when they called.  I just had seen the biggest change in them.  Especially Patrizia.  She is so much happier now and you can see it in her face.  I am hopeful that we can go see them later this week and try to figure it out.  Its just hard because they are SO poor and they dont think that paying tithing is right....  Its one of those things that they wont have a testimony of until they try it out.  There are blessing waiting for them.  I know it.  They just need to take a leap of faith and trust that if they pay the Lord first, they will be blessed.  So right now pretty much we dont have any investigators.  FINDING.  Im actually really excited for it!  We need to trust that the lord will guide us to those that are ready and just get out and work.  Ill let you know how it goes.  We have boxed off some zones on the map that we want to do house in.  Im excited.  Finding always has some good stories. haha.  

 

We have a new missionary here.  New, new.  So im not a baby anymore. His name is anz. hill and he is from southern california.  He just got here thurs night so i dont know him that well but i think he is going to be a great missionary. He has a lot of enthusiam for missionary work.  

 

I knnow this is super short this week but we didnt get as much time this week.  I will try and write some more next week.  I want you all to know that i am so grateful to be a missionary and see literal changes in people as they come closer to their Savior.  I didnt think i would ever be here, especially in Italy but i love it.  I love the people and the message that i am here to share.  Thanks for everything!  I love you all so very much!  Have a great week!  I cant wait to hear from you!!!

 

Love,

Sorella Buma 

Week 15--Ciao Tutti!

Hello Fam!

   Well another week has already gone by.  Its just so true what everyone says.  Days could go on forever sometimes but the weeks seem to go by a lot quicker.  Thanks for all the emails this week!  I Always love hearing how everyone is doing and how things are at home.  Sounds like everything is good.  I like to hear that.  I cant believe that you had a snow storm in utah that big though!  Thats crazy!  I dont think it snows in Sicily...  But maybe by winter ill be somewhere else.  Who knows?  As for now, me and my companion are staying together for one more transfer together in Catania.  Im happy especially because this city is huge and the streets are way confusing so i need to learn it better before she leaves me.  Also, tomorrow Anz. Medina is getting a new missionary!  So i wont be the only new one here!  I am so excited!  I knew the missionaries that are coming tomorrow in the MTC so it will be fun to see who will be in our district with him. 

    Ok, this week was great.  First, Zone Conference.  It was SO fun to meet all the other missionaries serving here that i hadnt met.  There are a lot of us here.  We had p day with them and it was great to get to talk to them and get to know them better.  President kelly talked about desire and how our mission is obedient but he doesnt think that we have quite the desire we need to baptize.  he talked about how we need to make sure our goals are always in our minds and that we are consistantly looking for ways to make our goals happen.  I loved it.  It was such good motivation.  I want to set good goals with my companion for the transfer and then write them down where we see them every day and really try to look to reach them.  Its like faith, we cant just pray for it and expect it to come.  Our desire, like faith, comes as we go out and work.  then we can see how this message is blessing people's lives.  its something i really want to work on!  I had to bear my testimony because i am a new missionary.  It was a really cool experience for me.  I know why i am here and i am so grateful to be on a mission.  I know Joseph Smith was a prophet and i am so grateful for his courage to say a prayer and then to always do what he needed to do.  That one prayer changed all of our lives and i just want people in Italy to know that they can be with their families forever.  That is the greatest blessing.  That this life is just a moment and if we are faithful, we will be so blessed in the next life. 

     Anyway, then we had stake conference this weekend too and president and sister kelly were here for that too.  It was great but i really couldnt understand a lot of it.  With any background noise it is really hard for me to focus on what people are saying.  But Fillipo and Patrizia came and they were so excited to tell those they met about the fact that they are going to be baptized.  I looked over at them during it and Fillipo was crying.  It was such a happy moment for me.  It is such a blessing to see the Gospel change lives and really get to see it first hand.  He kept telling people that he knows this is the true church. SO COOL!!!!!

     K, update on Fillipo and Patrizia.  They were acting weird i think because they havent quit smoking.  patrizia knew it would be hard but i dont think that Fillipo really understood how hard it was going to be.  We went and taught them yesterday with the elders though and explained to them that they best way to stop is just to stop.  because right now they are trying to just taper down.  They didnt seem to really want to do that though.  We are going to see them tomorrow so it will be good to hear how its going.  I love them though.  They want the Gospel and are really trying.  I dont think they will be able to get baptized on the 28th but i really think they will be soon.  They are pretty much our only progressing investigators right now.  we really need to do some good finding.

     Ok last things, Have you taken care of my pharmacy license yet?  I just want to know where thats at.  Ummm... I have had about 20 mosquito bites on my legs so far... haha.  its terrible.  Now i have bug repellant though and we got something to put in our room.  So im hopeful that helps because it stinks to walk around all day when my legs are just itching.  I should have taken a picture.  Its been insane.  and my companion hasnt had any!  I think thats pretty much it for the week.  Thanks for your prayers and letters!  Thats all i need!  To my friends that have emailed me, you will have letters coming your way.  Sorry i cant email you.  it stinks.  But thank you for writing.  Honestly you dont understand how much it means to a missionary.  Well i love you all so much!  Have a great week and i will write you next week! 

 

Love,

Sorella Buma