Hello everyone, I still love Italy. I was talking with my companion
and she pointed out how I have not really had a culture shock:) I think
it is because I have heard mom and dada stories growing up and have
studied the culture so I knew a little what to expect :)
This week has been nuts!!! We moved, ITALIAN STYLE!!. They told us
the day before we were moving so we spent most of Thurday packing up
everything. They said they would arrive Friday at 9:30am and Fratello
Pastano arrived at about 10:30. I thought he would be this sweet little
Italian man, INSTEAD he was about 35 with some huge rose colored
sunglasses that he wore everywhere! HE was so funny. But he and Claudio
(Member but dont know his last name) helped starting to move us. Claudio
was amazing because he spoke a lot of English because he served his
mission in Idaho, at least i appreciated it because I know none of the
vocabulary used in moving. We got all our stuff into Claudio and Fllo
Pastano minivan that looked a bit like a hurst and started making trips
to the Anziani house in the Poggiofranco ward (A. Bradshaw and A.
Zgjaini). They would be moving to a new apparment that none of us had
seen. However at the same time it was capi conference (conference for
all the zone leaders) and so A. Bradshaw was gone and his companion had
an exchange. But they didnt tell A. bradshaw before he left that he
would be moving to a new house. So He and A. Zgjiani were not packed at
all!!! We got all of our stuff moved (The Anziani had taken it from the
car and to the appt) and so we went to go see our apt for the first
time. It was a bit smaller, the door didnt have a knob, and all of our
stuff had been piled in one room since nothing else in the appt was
packed up at all.
Fllo Pastano and Claudio disappeared with A. Larsen and we had no
idea where they were. So we started making lunch, it was about 1 or 2
pm, and then they showed up just in time to have some. They had been
moving furniture from our appt to the Anziani (We thought, we learned
more later). S. Comollo and I had appt so we had to leave.
When we came home that night, the house was still not packed up! A.
Zgjiani would not pack up his stuff for some weird reason and he and A.
hurlburt had talked while S. piccirillo and s. Wagoner packed up the
ANZIANI KITCHEN STUFF! :)
Sat morning:
We woke up and started to pack up the anziani stuff without them so
we could unpack ours. The anziani came at 11 instead of 9 when they
said and A. bradshaw was back. they finished packing up their boxes and
moved everything downstairs to the entryway of the appt building to wait
for Pastano. After 1 hour or so we decided we needed to call and see
where they were. Fllo pastano told us not to start moving them with our
car because they were still doing other stuff (?) Then we found out that
the Poggiofranco Anziani had a baptism that night and had to fill up
the font, make programs, write talks, and change before 6:30, it was
then 1pm. So we S. comollo and I took them to the church inour car while
the other sisters waited with the stuff and met up with Fllo Pastano at
our old apparment, where we learned from a. larsen where the confusion
had come from. Fllo Pastano and Claudio had to move Ragazzi who were
living in the ANziani apparment into our old one and the ragazzi had not
packed or anything. Fllo pastano had not asked for help so we could do
missionary work. but we were still leaving out of boxes at the moment
because of the clog up. SO we helped them move stuff up into our old
appt and then went to make lunch. After lunch we took the Poggiofranco
Anziani stuff to their new appartment and helped load it all in before
we ran to more appointments.
We made it just in time to Nicholas baptism. It was so wonderful!
He is african so he speaks a little bit of english and that was where I
met Rosa Magno. I loved talking with her and I am going to try to attach
some photos we took. they asked me a few hours before to play the
piano! NOT good... I have never played where people tried to sing a
long. I found out the songs right when I got there but i just played
right hand and muddled my way through.
Also on Sunday they expected me to play the piano. No one here
plays piano because their houses our so small they usually dont keep
instruments like a piano around. I was terrified as i tried to sight
read these hymns. Itwas uncomfortable but next sunday I know what to
expect and I what the numbers our so I can practice :) I love to play
the piano but i felt like an imposter saying I knew how to play. But
after this mission I am sure I will be great at playing hymns :)
This Sunday was fast and testimony meeting, It was so wonderful.
When all the members found out who my parents were they freaked out!:)
But Mom and Dad they all say hi and they are all very excited to see
pictures of you. Sorella Bellomo and Fllo Petroni remembered you as well
as some others :) Also so many of their children are strong in the
church it is wonderful :)
I think my favorite meeting in church is Relief Society. In my past
wards people would sometimes comment and often it would be the same
people a lot. But overall it was a feeling of calmness and pensive
thinking, or people falling asleep. In Italy... It is INSANE :) ALL the
sisters want to read and comment. As soon as one starts to comment,
another will interrupt, and then 3 more will start a sub conversation,
until eventually all the 15 sisters are screaming and interrupting and
commenting, and you are just trying to follow the thought process. I
loved it!! It was so crazy and just sat int the back trying not to
laugh.
The moving ending perfectly fine, last night the Anziani got into
their appartment, we got a door knob,and we dropped off the last of
their stuff this morning. I shared the moving experiences because the
whole process was so italian. They all took their sweet time, they didnt
ask for help, and it was just in general confusing :) But I loved the
experience it was so much fun.
Spiritual note this week i have seen so many miracles I cannot
count. I shared finding the BOM for mike in twi but we saw him again on
Sunday and he was already in Jacob. He just sat there in his broken
english saying, "it is true, I know, I know"
Last programming, Sorella Comollo shared her dream of reaching 21
lessons in a week. It has only been achieved once in the mission and it
is our standard of excellence. I thought that was such a nice thing to
try to once have 21 lessons. Then she stated, "okay let do it this
week!" I was shocked but we still tried. By wednesday we only had 6
lessons, and many of our progressing investigators were dropping us or
couldnt meet with us all week. But we didnt give up. We tried to give
lesssons as we did strada or on the autobus. We would ask people after
we talked with them for a bit if we could pray with them and then we
would leave an impegno (committment). Then we had moving which took up
so much time. But we started meeting so many amazing people and we would
have in the last 3 hours of the day 5 lessons on friday. If someone
didnt show up we would happen to be by a less actives house and we would
stop by. Old investigators called us and asked to meet with us! On
Sunday we realized we only needed 4 more lessons to reach 21!!
We gave
our last one and it was 8 pm. We were right by the hospital so we ran
inside and shared a message with a family waiting in the waiting area.
The spirit was so strong even during that lesson and we drove home
reaching 21 lessons. In fact realized during planning that night we had
reached 22!!! It was so amzing. I cant believe how much I saw the the
Lords hand this week. As we were doing strada, sorella comollo saw this
woman walking toward us and she just said, "We need to talk with her".
As we stopped her, she shared with us how she has been searching and
trying different religions and that she has been praying to know if
Jesus is real and which church she should go to! Her name was emilia,
she said she would try to come to church this sunday. As we walked away,
sorella comollo shared with me that for the first time on her mission
she had felt very strongly the spirit prompt her to talk with someone.
she knew we had to talk to that specific woman.
Also on Friday we were
talking with people on the l'autobus. I met Patrizia who was so
interested in our message and as she left she kissed her pass along
card. And S. Comollo met one of our miracles. She sat next to a young
chinese man named Guangxing. He only speaks Mandarin and a little
Italian. As she talked with him, he saw her pamphlet with a picture of
Jesus Christ on it. He pointed to the picture and in Italian he said,
"Gesù, I want to know about Gesù". We met with him Sunday and taught him
a little about Jesus and how to pray. And then we met him yesterday and
gave him a BOM in chinese. He was so excited and he wanted one in
italian too. We would just have him read it in chinese and then ask him
to explain or what he learned from what he read. He told us the BOM told
him he must believe it.
He lives in the other wards boundaries so he
will be meeting with A. Bradshaw and A. Zgjiani. We told him about them
and he was excited. A. Bradshaw and A. ZGjiani are teaching another girl
from Beijing, YIshing, but she is leaving in 2 weeks. We asked
Guangxing if he knew and he did!! WE called the anziani to give them his
number and A. Bradshaw said, " Wait does this guy sing and is he
studying opera" I said yes and A bradshaw explained that Guangxing and
Yishing are best friends and that they have already met Guangxing and
gone a little walk with him!! I was so surprised and just awed at the
power of God. He was not some random guy we met on a bus, we were
supposed to meet him, Sorella Comollo was supposed to talk with him
specifically!! It was so amazing! :) I am starting to see more and more
how much God loves His children and how no one we talk to is random but
special and being prepared by God to hear His word.
Another exciting new, Giovanni who came to conference met with us
on Sunday and we asked him if he had prayed about a baptismal date and
to my surprise he said yes!! and he wants to be baptized 28 di Ottobre.
Sooo cool!! He has had 3 prior baptismal dates so Sorella Comollo looked
him in the eye and asked him it this date real and does he take it
seriously, he said he did. We taught him about fasting that night and
went through the baptismal interview questions with him. He needed to
learn about the law of chastity and decima (tithing). We met him monday
and talked about the Law of Chastity using FOr the Strength of Youth
pamphlet. After we taught him that he wanted to know about tithing
too.... so we told him. He agreed to live both!! He is smiling now and I
can see how happy and excited he is! Keep him in your prayers that he
will stay strong and that he will keep this baptismal date. He is
homeless at the moment so we have to talk with the bishop and the ward
to see if he can still be baptized. The only problem is if they are
homeless and dont have an address it is easier for them to become
inactive. Our mission president, when we called him told us it is up to
the bishop and we just need to work closely with him.
Last thing, I lost my retainers!! :) I left them at the mission
home and I realized when I got here to Bari. I called Sorella Kelly and
she said she would bring them down for zone conference on the 23rd. So I
didnt tell you because I would get them in 3 weeks. They were in the
same bag as my sample shampoos and toothbrush travel case. She called me
Monday and said that the bag had been thrown away. She had not heard
about my retainers and when she realized my retainers were in there she
became sooo distraught. She was trying to brainstorm and apologizing.
The cleaning lady had thought the bag was junk left by departing
missionaries and had tossed it!:)
Also I get to sing at zone conference! Anziano Bradshaw asked me today! Yay, I am so excited :)
Bari is so beautiful and Focaccia just so you know is the best food
ever made. It is more like our pizza in america but AMAZING!!
Love you all, sorry if this email is crazy.
Sorella Preston
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