Letter #6 and Pictures From Bari, Italy

Hello all,

I wish to apologize for my lame-o message last week. We were coming back on the train from Putignano and I was getting a headache ( I never get head-aches). We went to the internet point immediately to write our emails and I kept feeling sicker. I couldn't think straight :) Then I said to my companion, "Excuse me, i will be right back I just need to go throw up" Which I then went and did in a Bangledeshan internet point, with no running water or toilet paper in their bathroom. They also did not have a mirror so I came back and Slla comollo, "What's on your face" My reply, "Probably vomit :)" So we closed our computers and went home. I slept the rest of the evening and felt great the next day. We have no idea why I got sick but all is well now :)

 

Last Preparation day we went to the Grotte di Castellana and they are beautiful. We walked 3 kilometers underground!! Our guide was the sweetest old Italian man. Old Italian man is an identifier here. That is all you have to say and the person you are talking understands completely what they look like:) They have a cute little gait, have a cane, and usually wear hats that look like they are from newsies!! You see them riding their little old bicycles smoking a pipe on the way to the open market :) They are so cute!! I just want to hug and squeeze them :) 

 Our guide, Giuseppe, had probably been working at the Grotte for most of his life and he would point all the cool things. They didn't allow cameras except at the beginning so I don't have a lot of pictures. The coolest thing was that he saw our name tags and asked us about them as we waited for the rest of the group to show up. We were able to tell him about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon! We shared the gospel beneath the earth!! :) We talked for about 20 minutes  and he said he would like a copy of the Book of Mormon to read!!!! He gave his address and so we are going to mail him a copy today :)
 

Once we exited the cave we saw a trulli and we took some pictures by it. Trullis are the ancient houses of Italy. All their homes looked like this (see picture) in the past. In Albero Bello (a small village) the villagers still live in Trullis :) We want to go there another preparation day :)

Me on top of a Trulli

We were going to take the train on to Putignano but we did not know when it would arrive and Putignano was only 4 kilometers away, so we walked. It was so much fun !!! We walked along the side of a freeway, but it gave me opportunities to take pictures of the olive vineyards off the road :) All the trees here look different! Their limbs grow twisted. They remind of the trees from the Disney Snow White !! :)

Sorella Comollo and I along the highway

Country side along the highway

More countryside

Weird Trees

When we got to Putignano the open market was closed (where we wanted to go) but we went to a restaurant and had a really good 3 course lunch :) then we caught the train back to Bari and the internet. You know the rest of the story :)
 

I actually just mailed a package for birthdays and christmas presents for Algots family. I was hoping they would arrive by this week but I dont think it did. Let me know if it makes it. Dont worry I am sending another one soon for christmas!! :)

 

 

Tomorrow we are going to celebrate Thanksgiving at English course! I am making Apple Pie and Sorella Comollo is making stuffing :) It is going to be wonderful!! Could you send me some recipes for christmas? I would like Grandmas rolls recipe and the pineapple coconut cake recipe ( I could probably do this one with our betty crocker book but i would like to compare recipes) For christmas we get to watch a disney movie each!! I picked Tangled and Sorella Comollo picked Brave (She has not seen it yet) I am excited :) But i dont know if I am going to be able to pay attention to a whole movie because I am unused to spending that much time in front of the TV.
 

Our work this week has been wonderful!!  Charles came to church (He is Mikes uncle) for the 3rd time. He loves church and the Book of MOrmon. We have an appointment with him tomorrow and we are going to explain the Restoration. We have to go very slowly because he does not speak a lot of English and you have to talk the way they do and the way Baptist ministers talk because that is what they are used to :) But we will see :)

 

 

We also had a baptism this Saturday. Eleonor Petroni was baptized by her father. It was beautiful!! There was tons of relatives and members, I loved it. During refreshment, the bishopric knew of the pictures you sent me (I developed them so I have the hard copies:)) Before I knew it they were passing my photo album about the room and everyone was screaming and excited and saying "look at me that was me 40 years ago" and "That is my sister". I was afraid that I would not get it back :) But they all say hello and they all remember MOm and Dad. Tonia Modugno (maiden name) says hello. She lives in Taranto with her family :) She was one of the girls in the group YW photo you sent me :) The same saturday there was a baptism in the Poggiofranco ward. Marianna, the other Sorelles investigator was baptized! We were able to stop by and say congratulations before they left. Marianna is amazing. I love her :)
 

I practiced driving this week which was wonderful and terrifying. We did not leave the church parking lot though :)
 

Sorella Comollo is amazing. She was sharing with me some of her insights she had. As she was reading in the Doctrine and Covenants she kept seeing the phrase "The field is white, already to harvest" Her first thought was, "then why does is not show? Why aren't there more baptisms and more members?". Then she thought about the phrase "Planting seeds". And she realized that the seeds have already been planted!! Everyone on the earth today has one thing in common. They were born after the restoration. They saw it happen before they came down to this world and they brought insided of them that seed! That is why the field is white!! This is not doctrine but it still rings true to me. Often times people hear the message of the Restoration and they always say, "That makes sense". The gospel of Christ rings true inside their hearts :) All I have to do is find the people who are listening and nurturing the seed that is already there :)
 

For example, just yesterday, we were leaving the church around 11:00 Am after receiving a bidone (The person did not come to the appointment). I was shutting the gate and locking up and I saw the billboard sign painter looking at us. I just ignored it because we get stared at a lot :) Then before I knew it he walked over and asked if this was the church where we offer an english course gratis (free) because he wants to learn English. We gave him a bigliettino (Pass along card) and wrote the hours of the English course. He seemed very earnest and interested in coming. I don't know if he will come but I saw that he knew, something had spurred him to leave his work and come and talk with us :) The Lord also taught me that I cannot ignore it when people are staring at us. It is an opportunity! :) I just wanted to share that with you because it amazed me when it happened :)