Letter #2 and Pictures from Cosenza, Italy

Hello Everyone,

It was great talking with everyone on Sunday. If I was not able to connect with you I am sorry. I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day!

 

Here is my address:

 Via Delle Medaglie D'oro, 154

87100, Cosenza, Italia

I am loving it here in Cosenza. The 2nd day we bought a map, which is very helpful. But since then we learned that they just changed all the names of the streets so no one knows the new names or the old names. And we have a map with all the old names :) It still works but it is funny!!
 

Mom and Dad just so you know you MUST save up now to come get me! I am planning on it and telling everyone. I will be done (probably) Feb 20th...We can go see all of your old missionary contacts and all the members. It will be a great trip!! :)

 

 

The branch here in Cosenza is relatively small but the people are the best. It feels like a big family. Everyone jokes with each other. Everyone is friends and whenever they see a new face they do a great job socializing and including them! There is always someone at the church building for an activity or a course.

In fact some of the students from English course got permission to come and teach self-defense and ju jitzu\Krag ma ga (I have no idea how to actually spell those). They teach it every Friday. It is low-key and some of them are hilarious!!

 

 

When we arrived everyone was asking if we would come (to these classes) and as we mentioned to them, the biggest problem is we cannot do more than shake hands with men. So we probably could not do Ju Jitzu. Well, it was okay, because one of the English course students\Krag maga instructors' girlfriend comes and she also knows everything. So we decided to come and try it. And it was the BEST.

 

 

We talked to them and they want to have prayers and spiritual thoughts at every class (In fact Claudio, (Ju Jitzu man) asked us if we thought it would be a good idea to pray first!! Our answer was YES! This past Friday we learned to escape from an attacker when he grabs our wrists! It was such a useful skill! I feel so much safer already :) Mom - you no longer need to worry about your daughter.

 

 

I have seen so many miracles recently, some very real ones. I am always amazed by how much God is in our daily lives.

 

 

The scriptures always say that God will give you in the moment what you need to say. I had always wondered what that means. Would God just magically start speaking through you, like a telecom or something? Recently, I realized what this scripture means. As we have been doing some finding in Cosenza I have seen how it has been given to me what to say.

 

 

One day we were trying to figure out Sorella Worsham's permesso and we had gone to a tabaccheria to buy a specific stamp she needed. While we were there a woman came in. She knew of the church. She was British, and in England she had worked across the street from one of our church buildings. We had a nice conversation, gave her a pass-along card, and then went on our way. We walked out the door and got 5 steps when I realized, "we should have got her number!!!" Sorella Worsham and I looked at each other - I was undecided if we should go back because it would be so awkward. But Sorella Worsham just turned right back around to go to the tabaccheria. I followed and I was racking my mind of what we should say. Then the thought came, "ask if they know if there is a place to make photocopies" So I did. They said there was not one close by but they would make one for us. The British woman was miraculously still there with her Lotto ticket, and we talked with her and asked if she would like to exchange numbers, she said she would love to! I realized after the fact that it was God giving me what to say to start a conversation and eventually get her number.

 

 

The next day we were out finding and there was a group of people at a bus stop. I felt the need to go talk to them. Inside I was thinking, "Ahhh! There are so many in one location! What am I going to say?" I walked up and the first thing that came out, I was asking for directions.  I then made up a fake place we needed to go and a few people told us. I then started talking about the church and some looked very interested and they all wanted pass-along cards. It was not a perfect situation, and I forgot to get their contact information, but God gave me what to say.

God really does use us, imperfect as we are, as His tools. And He will bring things to our mind and touch people's hearts through our words.

 

 

I LOVE being a missionary. I can't imagine anything else. I hear people listening to their pop music here and it does not appeal to me at all. I dont miss music or TV or movies, I could care less. I just want to do this for the rest of my life !

 

 

I love Italy! The other day an old lady was working in her garden and we stopped to talk with her. I commented on her beautiful roses and she cut the biggest one and threw it to me. I LOVE ITALY! Where else would people do that?!

 

 

-Sorella Preston

Sorella worsham and I with our rose. It is huge!

Us at the Branch BBQ they did for Mother's Day in Campagna :)