This week we had zone conference and one of the kids in the ward got baptized. It was the best. The little boy's name is Christian and I was able to be here last year and see his older sister's baptism! They are a very cute family.
The Zone Conference this transfer was shorter because it was a specialized training meeting not a Zone Conference. We had some addestramenti on teaching skills. Which are so important to always study! I have been working my whole mission on listening, asking questions in lessons, and putting others first! It is hard to change human nature but that is why we serve missions. We have this brief time to put others completely before ourselves. I am grateful that God gives us this time to learn and start to form habits.
Then our mission president and his wife did a special addestramento, it being Christmas. They had us put on a Christmas pageant. It was like being in Primary again but it was just so much fun because everyone had fun with it. I have great pictures to send you! Sorella Mikesell was the virgin Mary! :) and I was the chorister. It was so much fun.
I had a great experience this week. One of our members in the PF ward is from Honduras. Her husband is 1\2 Italian, 1\2 American who served his mission in Utah. He then went to BYU and they met in Spain! They have the craziest life but they are the sweetest couple. They just had a baby girl named Emma Natalia. We had heard that they needed a new Italian triple combination and that they wanted to frame "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" In italian and Spanish to put in the baby's room. Sorella Mikesell and I realized that these were all relatively easy things for missionaries to obtain, so we brought them as Christmas gifts Saturday.
Tesla was opening the triple; a combination of 3 volumes of scripture including the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price; and when she saw it she just started crying! Her husband told us that when they had flown to Italy from Honduras only 5 months earlier they had had to leave all of their scriptures except his quad in English. She had had to leave her scriptures behind. She was so overjoyed from what I would have considered a very humble gift. And with her new-born baby asleep in her arms she sat leafing through the pages.
That moment was one of the best moments on my mission. Tesla taught me so much by her humility and how much she treasured the scriptures!!
Last night the Libertà ward had their primary program. It was stellar!! They had all 5 kids come up and they were all missionaries :) A companionship of elders, and the sisters were in a trio. Then they did a Mostra. (Anyone who has served in Italy will know what THIS is!) I don't know if other missions do it. You go stand in a square and you have a big tripod stand up presentation or boards that talk about certain subjects. Then the missionaries spread out and go and talk to the people around. It is really fun!! And they do it a lot in Italy!
The primary children had made big posterboards and put them on the stand. The primary presidency pretended to be people on the street who asked them questions like, "Who are you?" or "How can I be with my family forever?" "Why do I need to be baptized in your church?" The children had scripted responses. They would read scriptures to respond. They had poster boards about the Plan of Salvation, Christ's Ministry, the Apostasy, the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ, and Families with the Temple!!
They did so good! WHENEVER someone asked a question they would say, "To respond to this question let us sing, 'I am a child of God'." Or they would read a scripture. I was astounded! It was one of the best primary programs I have seen in my life! At the end all the children read their written out testimonies! The message was the need to prepare our children to be future missionaries and that we need to be missionaries all of us, and be the Savior's hands to bring others to Him.
There were many other things that happened this week but I cannot write them all. I ate Squid ink pasta for the 1st time on my mission! I have been wanting to eat it my whole mission. They cut open the squid and remove it's ink sack (I think that is what it is called?) and they make a sugo with ink, oil, and pieces of squid. The pasta they use for this dish is Spaghetti. It is called, "Gli spaghetti Neri" It dies your mouth and teeth black. Sorella Mikesell tried a noodle because she is intolerant to all fish and seafood. I also ate raw squid, roasted fish, and roasted octupus tenticles. All at the same lunch appointment. They also served: A bean and pasta dish, sauages, antipasti of home-pickled tomatoes, artichokes, and melanzane (eggplant), prosciutto crudo, mozzarella balls, roasted chestnuts, and fresh fruit. And we even left before dessert!! Needless to say, I was stuffed and did not feel very well but it was worth it! Fotos will be sent the next week!!! :)
I love you all,
Sorella Preston
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