Letter #20 from Bari, Italy

Hello dear family,

I heard that the church opened 58 new missions!! I am so excited. And another random news note we just got permission to email friends, converts, and priesthood leaders.

These week has been amazing we have one new investigator who is crazy awesome! Do you remember the Albanian family I told you about? They invited us in because we were American!! The wife is progressing and her two sons are investigators!!!! YAY!! We stopped by again a few times but since we could never get hold of her by phone - it was bad times. We finally stopped by and she could talk with us. (She is so generous and always tries to be a good hostess but our visits were not planned. She would want to give us food or make us something!).


We brought her a Book of Mormon in Albanian and she loved it! She was amazed. Her husband was there and he came out to talk with us. Again he made it clear that he was not interested in religion. We had started explaining the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith and he said that he respects us, views us as his daughters but does not want to hear about religion. His wife interupted him and said, "What are you doing? I want to hear! You are telling them to close that book. I want to know what is inside and who that boy is!" He said that he was speaking as the head of the household but if Elvira wants to listen she is free too.

 

 

I was AGHAST. He was very open. He gives his wife her freedom to believe or do what she wants. Their home is full of love and respect and you can just feel it. Their 2 sons are normal, functional, healthy children. They come and give their mom kisses. The oldest son, Andrew is 16 and he is not an angsty teenager. I love them all. Parim is very sincere and kind (even as he is rejecting our message) and he loves his wife and you can tell.

 

 

So after he said Elvira is free to do whatever she wants she thanked him and asked us to continue. Parim did not stay for the rest of the message. We just finished explaining the BOM. We had to end the lesson quickly because she had to go tutor her next door neighbor's daughter. But she said we could come back.

 

 

We came back and she was so excited to see us. She shared with us some problems she is having being in Italy and being Albanian. Sometimes the Italians are not nice to her because she is a foreigner. She wanted to pray for them that their hearts would be soft and not full of hate!! (How awesome is that!) We then finished explaining Joseph Smith and asked her to read the introduction of the Book of Mormon and pray and ask God if the book is true. She opened up to us about what it was like growing up in a Communist country and not being allowed to practice religion. She said her mother calls her everyday and tells her to pray because it is a blessing. To pray and thank God for the sun, for freedom and for her life and for her family. In this lesson we invited her to be baptized. She said that she had never been baptized in any religion because religion was not allowed. She said that she wanted to be honest and that she should not say yes until she reads the Book of Mormon and knows for herself that what we are saying is true!!!! We asked to stop by the next day and see how her prayer went. She agreed and gave a beautiful prayer at the end of the lesson.

 

 

We came back the next day with a Book of Mormon in Albanian for her 2 sons. We wanted to make sure they felt included. We came up and we disturbed their pizza-eating but as always they were so excited to see us. She asked her sons to cut off a piece of their pizza and give it to us! :) HAHAHa. It was so cute - but of course we refused. She had read the introduction but had forgotten to pray about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. She also had flipped open the book and read a little bit. We asked her to read 1 Nephi 1 before our next lesson on Saturday and to pray that night. We gave a Book of Mormon to Dennis (10 year old youngest) and Andrew and they were excited and promised to read 1 Nephi 1 as well. Then Elvira said, "I think my sons should meet with us too and read and learn to pray." (THAT was what WE were thinking!)

 

 

We called the next day and asked if we could stop by and drop off some focaccia that Sorella Fuller had made. She cheerfully said yes. We came and she was so excited to see us. She gave us Turkish Delights to eat. Her husband was there and he talked with us about our mission. Then We asked to give a little spiritual thought. he said that he "HAD TO GO" but Elvira asked him to stay and he did!!! We talked about the Plan of Salvation because Parim's mother is very sick. Then at the end we asked in him to say the prayer as the head of the household. Elvira convinced him to do it and helped him say the right things!! Oh the power of a woman!! He is softening up:) After our thought Elvira said, "When you talk it is like Honey coming out of your mouths. You are beautiful on the outside but your spirits are beautiful." I WAS SO EXCITED I just wanted to scream, "THAT IS THE SPIRIT" Spirit = honey!

 

 

This was a lot just about one family but they are amazing!

 

 

Today we are going to Ostuni, the white city AKA - Minas Tirith!!! (Editor's Note: From Lord of the Rings filming locations). We have found all of the locations from Lord of the Rings. Ostuni = Minas Tirith. Matera = Rohan. Albero Bello = The Shire. On our way to Albero Bello Sorella Fuller asked where we were going because she did not understand. Then she saw a Trulli and she said, " Oh my goodness - we are going to the Shire. It's a Hobbit's house!!" The whole time at Albero Bello she was trying to find a short person. :) HAHAHA We have not found Mordor yet, (I THINK IT MIGHT BE BARI :( but I hope not :)

 

 

I will send you pictures next time!! I love you all!

Bye Sorella Preston