Letter #3 From Cosenza, Italy

Dear Family and Friends,

 

I am loving Cosenza, it is so wonderful. It is just the best size. We can walk from one edge of the city to the hour in 3 hours (at the most). It is nice because if it is too hard to get a bus we can just take a little jog and get anywhere we want to!

Both the Anziani and us have been seeing many miracles recently. People have been stopping US on the street and asking, "Who are you guys!" We then tell them and they are so excited! We have been meeting so many people. There is this group of old men who sit outside the bars right next to our palazzo. They are there everyday, all day. We now know all their names and say hello every morning. It is so much fun and another Italian thing to do! They must be in Pension because otherwise they would not be there all day.

Recently the Anziani and us have both been feeling the need to go to one place. It was really cool.

When we first got here, we were looking at the ward list and the 2nd person listed lived in Castrovillari. We then tried to found out where it was. Then, that first Sunday we met a family from Castrovillari who come every Sunday. And they asked us to come visit them.

Then last Saturday, we were trying to plan and we decided that we needed to go visit people who live in Castrovillari. We looked at the ward list and there are almost 10 families who live there!! We then went to correlation. The Anziani were there. The ward mission leader was talking about members and then all of the sudden he mentioned a name and the Anziani stopped him and said "Wait, we wanted to ask you about him." That morning they had found an old area book and ALL of these old records fell out onto the ground! EVERYONE lived in Castrovillari. They were of inactives, members, former investigators who lived there, etc. 

We have since learned that there used to be a big branch there and then it was closed. So we realized that for some reason we need to go to Castrovillari. We GOT the hints!! We are planning a big trip up by bus this Saturday! I am excited to see what happens. :) *Editor's Note: Castrovillari is about 75 kilometers directly north of Cosenza, about an hour by car. Both cities are basically on the 'arch' of the the 'boot' that is Southern Italy.

I got to go but I have one request from ALL OF MY FAMILY and that includes IN LAWS

*exclusion: Emerson because he cannot use a keyboard or write :)

For my birthday in a month or two I have one desire!!

I want everyone to send me their typed conversion story. How they knew the church was true. I don't want just a testimony, but the events, the dates, the moments!! I am so excited!! I know that each of you, at time in your life, there was a moment when you knew the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was the Church of God. I know in my life I can path my conversion from certain events that have happened. Conversion comes slowly, but all of us have big breakthroughs. I am excited to read all of your stories. You have some time to think and plan and send them to me. (You can email them :)

I love you all so much! Talk to you next week and happy Memorial Day (Sorella Worsham just told me that it is this weekend :)

Sorella Preston