Week 36

(Week 6 Bari)

Gelato with Sorella Taylor

When we study the language Italian!  Sorella Taylor got popcorn!

Outside our church building.

I will miss my dearest Sorella Taylor!!

After English course with some of the young single adults.

Transfer calls!!!! I will be staying in Bari Poggio Franco and "killing" again! Sorella Jones will finish her mission here in Bari. Sorella Hamilton had actually served with her before and I've heard really great things about her so I'm excited! I'm really sad to see Sorella Taylor go. We have been working so well together and it has been so fun serving with a young companion. I'm glad to stay in Bari though. We have some really really great stuff happening in our area and the ward and area grows on me everyday! 

Our investigators are doing well, some were hard to see this week but
we were able to pick up four new ones from bus finding and English
Course. Hashtag Blessings for Obedience.

Miracles on miracles: 

One day we took off visiting members in a little city outside of Bari.
We ended up getting lost so we were asking people for directions. We
asked a girl and she takes one look at us and says, "My mom is a
Mormon!" Like what!?!? This family had recently moved from Peru to
Italy. Huge miracle that we found this woman while just asking for
directions! 

Another morning we ran past a members house to take them brownies as a
thank you. They weren't home so we rang one of the intercoms and a
woman popped her head over the balcony to see what we wanted. We asked
if we could leave our card and brownies at their door and she said she
would take them and give them to the family later. Her name was
Antonella and was super sweet so we left them with her. Sunday morning
at church the member family told us that Antonella and her little son
had eaten a couple brownies and want the recipe! We now get to go back
with the member! 

Priscilla is a 26 year old student from English course. We called her
up one night to see if she would like to meet with us. We met her in
the church one night and she was literally soooo adorable! She told us
all about how she loves the way we pray and how she doesn't believe in
the saints because they are paid for what they do. She is so awesome
and we're praying and hoping things go really well with her! 

Typical bus ride:
We hop on the bus and split. I go towards the front and Sorella Taylor
takes the back. We open up conversations with a nice ol "Buon
Giorno/Sera". We try bringing up a gospel conversation after. Without
fail, every bus ride has some of the strangest people on it. This week
we had a crazy runner man in neon green spandex, a man holding a tower
of books trying to sell them to us all, always nuns, but my favorite
this week was on our way to church there was a man all in robes with a
hood. He looked like a wizard, but he had a wooden sign around his
neck that said something along the lines of "I am the son of the
prophet ... I am protected by law." Strange classic Italy. 

Haircut story: We called our less active friend Angelo to see if we could
meet with him and then if afterwards he would trim our hair. He worked
as a hairdresser so we knew we could trust him. We were waiting
outside his house and then he took us to his salon. They asked us who
wanted to go first so I stood up and before I knew it with two clips
they had cut my hair. They washed my hair and started to blow it dry.
Then the man asked me how I wanted my hair, he asked me if I wanted it
curly and I said sure or just natural. So he starts taking little
pieces and clipping them up in all sorts of little places until he had
pinned up my entire head. I look over and Sorella Taylor is having
her's blown out nice and straight and smooth while I am still sitting in
a chair with my hair like that. After awhile they come to take all
the clips out and my hair looks like I stepped out of the 80's. 












We were
DYING!!! I could not stop laughing and we had to hurry and leave
because everyone was wondering if I didn't like it. The best part was
that Angelo was reading his book of Mormon and sharing his testimony
through the whole experience. 

I really, really love the mission so much. We had a lot of sad lessons
this week with people yelling, not accepting our message and just
making us feel sad inside, BUT Heavenly Father never fails to put a
miracle or a funny experience in our day to make us smile and laugh.
All the small miracles really make me realize how much of a role
Heavenly Father has in His work. It amazes me that He works through
imperfect instruments like young 20 year olds, but His work is perfect
and changes lives. 

I can't believe I'm almost halfway finished with my
mission. There is soooo much more to do! I love you all and pray for
you everyday! 

Vi voglio bene! 

Ponderize scripture John 15:5 

Sorella Nelson 

Pday! Went exploring the biggest cave in Italy and played Capture the
Flag while waiting for the train!

My train hat I got from one of the train workers named Vito!  I told him I liked his hat and the next time we saw him he gave me a brand new one!

Sorella Lagattolla with our favorite drink Orzoro!

The Caricola couple.  He is my absolute favorite!  They are holding a picture of the Rome Temple that Sorella Taylor's friend made.

During a lesson a woman gave us these Catholic charms, bracelet and pocket hankie...

The fish market!