Serving An 18 Month LDS Mission

In the LDS church, when a girl turns 21 she has the opportunity to choose to serve an 18 month, self-funded mission. I have wanted to go on a mission since I was a little girl. My parents both served a mission in Rome in the 1970's. In 2001-2002, my sister Letty served as a missionary in Hong Kong and my brother Algot in the Philippines. As soon as I turned 21 I submitted my papers. The Prophet and 12 Apostles determine through inspiration which of the more than 300 missions worldwide each missionary will be assigned. I was overjoyed when I opened my mission call and discovered that I was called to Rome, Italy! I feel immensely blessed and I feel that God has been preparing me to serve the Italian people. Each week, while I am on my mission, I will send my sister Letty an email and pictures to post on the blog. I won't see this blog till I come home, so I will be unable to directly respond to your comments until then. However, the sidebar will always have a current street address for me, and I promise I will respond to your letters! If you would rather write via email, just email your letter to my sister and she will print it out and send it me with her weekly snail mail!

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Letter #4 and Pictures from Bari, Italy

Dear Family and friends,

This week has been so much fun but also a bit different. Some other missionaries outside our zone needed the car so President loaned it to them. This has given us a great opportunity to get to know the bus system of Bari and go by foot.

I love walking! I feel like I get to see so many more people and interact more with others. 

The other day, we were on splits and I was with Sorella Ruppe. We went to go see an inactive sister in the Poggiofranco ward. Tina Tarantino and her 91 year old mother, Carmella. As soon as we sat down at their house, Tina turns to me and asks, "Did your father serve here 40 years ago?" I responded yes. She told me that you taught her and her mother. Tina would have been 17 at the time!! It was so wonderful. She is pretty negative toward the church. But the whole time she would say random things like ... "You smile just like your father!" or "Your eyes crinkle like your father's." It was wonderful to meet her. Dad, do you remember her?

Also mom and Dad, My companion, Sorella Mikelle Mikesell, is cousins with Rock and Joy Erickson from St. Louis!! How cool is that!

Mom, I don't know if Sorella di Cataldo still lives here. I think she moved to the north. The other week there was a marriage. Clarissa Mongelli, and Fabio Di Cataldo got married. Their civil marriage was done in our church building and last Tuesday they went to the Switzerland Temple. I am pretty sure she is related to them. But I don't know those families. I have also not heard from Francesco Bellomo, but I will keep my eyes peeled.
Us with Sorella Bellomo at the wedding of Clarissa Mongelli and Fabio Di Cataldo
Us with the Bride!
 BIG NEWS: 

1) Mom and Dad today is Grazia Bellomo's birthday. She is turning 82. She wants to call you guys on Skype. We set a time for Ott 4th at 7pm Italy time. 12pm your time. Will you be on the internet! And on skype? She really wants to talk with you.

2) Also Sorella Ruppe wants to go work in Alaska. Do you still have connections in alaska. If you do start buttering them up so that a super nice Italian missionary could come and work for them :) or live with them.


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