Forlì - 17 - Pain is Temporary, Glory is forever
...except it was incredibly painful and not very glorious.
We went to all-you-can-eat Asian food for lunch after district meeting. It was really good, I ate a lot.
Then Anz Gibb pulls out a pepper that a member had grown. We didn't know how spicy it was so I tried a little piece without seeds and it had a kick but wasn't too bad. So everyone tried a little piece and was like ooooh that's so spicy. Since I said it wasn't that bad, Gibb challenged me to eat the rest of it. Me being immature and over-confident in my physical strength, agreed.
I bit the whole thing off and chewed and swallowed. Everyone cheered and I was a hero. It was great. Then my eyes watered profusely and I felt death approaching. I went to the bathroom to wash out my mouth. There was literally a fire in my stomach and I lost the physical strength to stand so was curled up on the bathroom floor and waiting for death to come. I crawled to the kiddo play room (yes the restaurant has one of those) and just lay there, sweating and in pain while my comp wondered if she should call an ambulance.
(Warning: the next 3 paragraphs are graphic. Skip them if you have a weak stomach.)
Nastia (a friend of the Ravenna Sorelle) brought me a cup of milk, which was about the last thing I wanted, but everyone promised it would make things better. So I took a sip. In addition to the nauseating taste and texture, the milk was WARM. That did it. I sprinted down the hall and left a mixture of sushi, noodles, and stomach acid in the men's bathroom sink. So I got to taste the pepper a second time. But in the end, the milk did end up helping. I returned to the table, incredibly pale and humbled.
Anziano Gibb felt bad about causing me to go through that, so he ate what was left around the steam. He, too, cried and lost his lunch, behind a bush as we walked back to the church.
We went out in search of gelato for our empty stomachs and burning mouths. It helps! And I learned a very valuable lesson: don't do things just because people think you won't. And also, noodles come back up very smoothly.
I still love Ramen noodles (they're a delicacy here).
So other stuff happened this week, too.
Transfer predictions say that I'm going to Torino 2 to be with Sorella Lewis and then I'll train the transfer after that. That sounds about perfect, thanks Kinder egg!
We had a meet the Mormons movie night. It was a weak turnout, but one person we called from our contacts came and has a ton of potential! We gave him the Book of Mormon and he said it will be the first book he's ever read.
He asked about our prayers, because it wasn't a recited prayer, which was a new concept to him. He said the expression on my face when I prayed showed that it was heart-felt and meaningful. He prayed at the end and was so happy when we said he did a good job. I love seeing people's lives change when we teach them things that I grew up with and were just totally normal for me my whole life.
I'm so pumped for this guy!
I am constantly amazed by our branch members. The mom of the new American family had appendicitis. Members immediately organized themselves so that there was always someone to watch the kids while the dad was at work and they even visited her in the hospital, and are now helping with the kids and cleaning the house while she recovers. Even though some can't communicate through language, they show Christ-like love through service and that is so amazing to witness, and everyone can understand that.
Last P-day was spent exploring San Marino, kind of sad bc I'm probably out of the Rimini zone next week. It's been a great 3 transfers, though. Today, we're hanging out in Rimini aka shopping. The huge street market and H&M are wonderful! It's a little chilly here sometimes and I love it! I just bought some sweater dresses so I'm pumped for those and scarves. For lunch we went to a cafe that makes mini sandwiches so you can try a bunch and they have a ton of options, delicious!
I love being a missionary, I love living in Italy, and I love being a part of Christ's true church on the Earth! Read your scriptures, pray, and enjoy all things pumpkin spice!
Love,
Sorella Rachel Riley
About her brother and sister who just ran the St. George Marathon: Awwww I'm so proud of them!!!! Tell Josh I'll do a triathlon with him when I get back. I've already got the biking part down!
the yummy Asian food before I tasted it twice / Anz Shill sporting some Salami pizza socks with sandals. All day, in public. Aka what happens when 18-yr-olds go on missions
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