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.