Final Pictures from Cosenza

Me with Vincenzo Castaldo and Fllo Lopez. Vincenzo Castaldo says hello to you Mom

Me and Gianna. One of our members who went back to the Ukraine

Me on a playground. That bridge was precarious

Kela our albanian member teaching me Albanian

Me, Lina Favre (a member) and Sorella Worsham. Us trying to be Italian

Me with Rosangela Gardi. And the little girl is Marlysa Favre, the little girl with Down Syndrome in our branch

Us with Sorella Anna Minieri another member

Me with Roberta Ziccarelli, one of our investigators, and her 7 year old daughter Michelle

Me at Fllo Gard's bar in Cosenza before I left

Letter # 17 from Cosenza, Italy

Dear Family,
I hope this email finds you all well. This week I have have learned a lot from my Heavenly Father. I love how God teaches us. He chastises, He reminds, and then He builds you up. I have been reminded that this is God's work and that I do not do anything at all. But when you are working hard, God gives you little carrots :) And all of the sudden a miracle comes out of the blue!

This week we have received so many referrals from members. One of our ex-investigators just came to sacrament meeting, and one of the menoattivi that we have been trying to see for weeks we were able to see yesterday. We have been working with our members a lot these past weeks and last Sunday they just started telling us about their friends. Calling us! And offering to come to lessons. IT IS AMAZING :) I AM SO HAPPY

This sunday, one of our ex-investigators came to church with her 7 year-old daughter!! Afterwards, I asked if we could see her this week and she said yes!! We saw her Monday morning. During these months she has not been reading the Book of Mormon. But when we met with her she seemed different. She was listening more. She told us that she knows she needs to read the Book of Mormon and she made a goal to read a page every day. She also had not prayed to Heavenly Father to know if the Book of Mormon is true. However, during our lesson, the Spirit opened her heart. She promised to pray about the Book of Mormon that night. We asked her again about baptism. She does not feel ready. But she does want to pick a date. She promised to talk with her husband about it.

We called her the next morning. She had prayed!! She said that she felt good. In her own words, "I can't really describe it, but it was good." I am so excited for her. I know that she will be baptized. Our goal for her is to help her get a baptismal date and help her come to all 3 hours of Church - not just Sacrament meeting.

We also received a referral from the ward mission leader. A Colombian family with 3 children!! They are so wonderful. We have only met with them once, but the Spirit was so strong there with them. I know that they will be open to our message. We explained, briefly, the story of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. There are a few communication problems, but I know that when they have a Book of Mormon in Spanish it will go very smoothly! They were listening so intently to Sorella Worsham recount the First Vision and I could see the Spirit touching their hearts. It was amazing! Right after I explained how Joseph Smith had been searching for the truth and then a wonderful event happened. The mother just leaned in and asked "WHAT!? What happened?" It was so cool.

The work of a missionary is actually really easy. You just have to keep all of God's commandments, listen to what the Spirit tells you to do and then do it. The Spirit will tell you where to go, what to say, who to talk with, when you need to call them, etc!!

A few days ago I was looking in the topical guide for a specific verse and it led me to a story in Numbers in the Old Testament that I had forgotten about. The story of Baalam (I know Dad knows this one). You know - he was riding his donkey and a destroying angel appears. The donkey sees the angel and avoids it. Baalam doesn't see the angel so he hits the donkey, and so on. Well the topical guide took me to the chapter afterwards, I went back 1 chapter before and I read the whole story of Baalam!! (numbers 22-23). You should all read it. I just want to share the part that stood out to me. Baalam was commanded to say something to King Balak and he didn't know what it was. So he went and spoke the words the Lord had given him. Instead of cursing Israel, he blessed Israel. When King Balak was angry with him, his reply was this

12 And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put in my mouth? (numbers 23:12)

I know that, as Baalam, I must speak that with the Lord puts in my mouth. I pray everyday for the courage to do this and to be an instrument in God's hands.

I love you all and I will write you next week,

Love,

Sorella Rose Preston

P-Day in Cosenza: Having Fun Storming the Castle

The big green church in Cosenza

These are the rivers in Cosenza

Cosenza Città Vecchia

There were so many tiny streets and archways. We climbed all the way to the castle and there were so many stairs !

So many, many stairs...

Sorella Worsham in a cute alleyway

This is my valley :)

 We were almost to the top :)

Stopping to drink at a really cold mountain water fountain :) 

We finally reached the Castle !!! 

Us at the top! It was so windy and you could see the storm clouds coming in :) 

Letter #16 and Pictures from Cosenza, Italy

Dear Family and Friends,

This past week has been amazing and there are so many things to write and stories to tell I cannot write them all so I will just have to suffice with the highlights.

This past week was Ferragosto. It is a big holiday in Italy. Everything closes down for that day and everyone goes to the sea. In the past people left for the whole month of August, but because of modernization and more people care about money, they do not close down so soon. Slowly over the past few weeks our members have been trickling away, and our investigators - but they all come back in September :) YES! I was so terrified for this month but it has been wonderful. God has made so many miracles happen! I can feel His hand guiding this work. It is nothing I do.

To quote Ammon, a prophet and missionary from the Book of Mormon "Yea, I know that I am ^anothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will ^bnot boast of myself, but I will ^cboast of my God, for in his ^dstrength I can do all ^ethings; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." - Alma 26:12

There have been people just stopping us on the street. Members have been inviting us to meet and teach their friends. We have been helping our inactives that have stayed in Cosenza. It is AMAZING! And I MUST praise His name!

The other day we realized that there are some parts of Cosenza that we do not know - and that we have not done proselyting in before, so we started out the day planning to walk to some of these areas. Before we left, we went through the ward list and looked at all of our members who live in Cosenza and found their streets on the map. None of them lived where we were planning on going, but as we walked we would find ourselves on little streets that sounded familiar. The same streets where our inactives lived. We were able to find two addresses like this. And one of them still lives there. She was not home but it was amazing to me. God truly guided our footsteps. As we walked we met two old contacts, and students from corso d'inglese. It was so wonderful! We had left the house with a direction we wanted to walk and God inspired us to take certain small roads. It is hard to explain because the promptings of the Holy Ghost were so subtle and natural.

I thought Ferragosto was the month of August but it is one specific day, August 15th. On that day we deep-cleaned our apartment. 

Deep cleaning day we found this hideous house dress - so we took pictures with it!

We went outside around 1pm and I thought the ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE had happened! IT WAS Terrifying. There was no one on the streets and it was so quiet!

This Saturday we also had a district (smaller than a stake) activity in Sila. Which is the big mountain here close to Cosenza. We carpooled from the church with the members. It took about 2 hours before we left because people were chatting and we had to make pitstops to pick up the drinks and such :) It reminded me of family vacations. With six children it is IMPOSSIBLE to leave when scheduled. So you schedule a good 2 hours before you must leave.

We arrived in Sila - which reminded me of family camping trips :) The members from Crotone had already arrived and there were about 6 Italian men trying to make a fire with pine cones and needles. (Don't worry I got a video that I will show you upon my return). It was wonderful.
It was a great activity and the members loved it :) I feel so blessed that I could go :) I love you all so much. I have to leave but I will write you next week.

Sila. Some members from Crotone brought some music with them. That sister in the black danced the whole day. :)

Us with some members from Crotone :)

Sorella Worsham and I at Sila

We also went with Sorella Thompson (the wife of the senior couple that serves in Crotone) into the little tourist town close by and found a Christmas shop. It had the most beautiful stuff - I loved it.

The Christmas Shop

We also saw the grossest bathrooms I have EVER SEEN!! See attached Photos :) When Sorella Minieri saw our pictures of the bathroom she started gagging :)

Disgusting Bathroom

Sorella Worsham's reaction to the bathroom

PS We also went to go see Cosenza Città Vecchia and the Castle here today :)

Thank you for all of your examples for me!

Sorella Preston

Random Gathering of Pictures

 Us eating ice cream and fruit cups at a members house

This may not be legible, but I found this graffiti finally - "Rosa TI AMO"

 

 Me and Sorella Worsham :)

 This is Castrovillari, a town close to Cosenza. And the mountains look exactly like Utah!

 

 We were stranded in Castrovillari, and had to scrunge up 8 euro bus fare in change :) 

Oh what fun for the bus driver. Who was surprisingly patient as he counted our change

Our shopping adventures today at the mall. We found so many treasures :)

My future pair of sunglasses when I get home ;)

Hello 70's

The leotard is back in! :)

An Itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka-dot bikini! That is so small! I was kind of terrified imagining someone wearing that

Letter #15 and Pictures from Cosenza, Italy

Dear family and friends,

Thank you so much for your wonderful emails. I love knowing what happens in your lives. Even if you think it is boring, for me it is a novelty :) Also I am glad that the family reunion went well. Mom, thank you for the update about Grandma. Because I sent her that BOOT!! It was a mother's day gift to all the woman in the branch so I decided to send it to Grandma :) 

Also David, I had a great laugh about your koolaid days :) I shared that with Sorella Worsham. Neither of us knew that koolaid was invented in Hastings; Nebraska either :) 

This week we have seen so many miracles. Especially with English course. They have started a new English course program. It is certified, organized, all of the missionaries in our mission will have the same schedule and the same publicity, there will be a website, etc. It will be the best finding tool. Even better than the mostra, it is predicted. We can to people's homes and do a miniature "huddle" - there are endless possibilities. Even before everything was ready to start publicity, we have people who want to come. We have been talking it up in the ward and with all the members and they all want to come. Which will be wonderful because then all of our contacts at English course will immediately have member friends. The Branch President is going to come, and the ward mission leader.

For the first miracle, a girl stopped us on the street this Saturday. She said that she had come to English course 3 years ago and wanted to know if we still did it. We told her when it was starting again, exchanged numbers, and then she saw the picture of Jesus Christ on our biglietto (Faith bring Hope biglietti) and she said "Oh, and I would love to learn more about the Lord, even though I am orthodox." My jaw dropped. We had done absolutely nothing, but God had guided us to be in the right place at the right time. We called the next day (Sunday) and set up an appointment for Monday. The appointment fell through, but she still wants to see us.

We have also been helping a couple who just came here from Albania. They are both members and we baptized there in Albania, but he is Italian. They have so much faith and the girlfriend is so nice and has the strongest testimony. She was baptized 2 years ago and he was baptized in February. They moved to Italy, Sibari, and they had no idea where the church was, but after 3 months, she said they HAD to find the church. So they tried to without a computer, and miraculously they found it. They drove every Sunday from Sibari to Cosenza (about an hour drive). Then they moved here to Cosenza. They are amazing. We have been trying to see them often, and the members are trying to help them find a job.

They want to go to the temple so bad. To be sealed and also to do the work for their family. The one problem is they are living together. Somehow in Albania there must have been a miscommunication or a difficult situation and it was not communicated that they are not legally married. They view themselves as being married, but they are not married legally, because he is waiting for a pending divorce from his first wife. In Italy, I learned, it takes 3-10 years to get a divorce completed and finalized. They have waited 2 years already.

We taught them about the temple this Tuesday, and explained what they must do to enter. We explained that they cannot go if they are living together. They both understood, and they both understood why. We read 1 Nefi 3:7 and we asked them to really pray and converse with the Lord to find a solution. The only solution I can think of is one of them moves out. The Branch President has been meeting with them and helping them. As we said to them, it will probably require sacrifice but they will be blessed. They want to obey God's commandments. And if they make this a matter of prayer I know the Lord will present the best solution.

I love you all so much and now I am going to attach pictures, I hope you have a great day!

Love,

Sorella Preston

PS

Random facts on Italian fruit:

1) Today I bought a prickly pear, like from Jungle Book. I got a nice package but then I felt like I had a spike in my finger and sure enough there was a thin white little prickle. Every single time I touched that package my fingers got covered in them!!! I hope they taste good and it is worth it in the end!

2) Mom, do your zucchini grow orange flowers? Because if they do I will be so happy. Italians eat those flowers. They remove the leaves, soak the flowers so they open up. Then they put a slice of cheese inside and twist the flower shut. Then they batter them and fry them in olive oil!! I had those on Sunday and I was in heaven. I hope I can somehow find Fiori di Zucca in America. 

P-Day in Rome!

Me and Sorella Bradford at the Colosseum (the wind made me immodest - you can see my knee in this picture :)

 Colosseum again, Slla Felice, Bradford and Pace

 Rome is so old :)

  Prison where Peter and Paul were held

The same prison where Peter and Paul were held

 Me and Slla Bradford at some pretty thing

Slla Felice, Slla Preston and Slla Bradford at Saint Peter's Square

La Piazza di San Pietro

They have modesty police. If a girl is immodest (or a boy) they have to wear this white shawl thing because they are entering a sacred place. I loved this!

 

La Pieta

 Me in front of the Pieta

 Sorella Buckley, Bradford and Felice in the Basilica

This is where Peter is buried (under those four pillars)

 Peter holding the keys! Sorella Buckley, Preston and Felice

 Capi Conference (left to right) Slla Christensen, Bradford, Spicq, Merenda, Wagoner, Preston

The Sardegna missionaries, Slla O'connor, Anz Woolsey and Walker