Last Pday we ended up driving over to San Pellegrino which (who new?) is a little frazione by Bergamo. No wonder I got addicted to buy bottle of San Pel this summer, I was preparing myself for Bergamo. But it was a beautiful drive through the mountains that made me think of Grandma Sandi and the Alpine loop. We had tried to go to the cemetary but of course it's closed Wednesday afternoons. So we ended up going on our nice little drive with Fratello Fichiera and his step daughter Nichole, who I am helping with her Math. He's one of the members who's teaching us Bergamasco and is just so cool. I'll send pics next week when we're at our normal internet point and can upload pictures.
It's been kind of a funny week and half. Lots of our investigators are out of town and we've been having trouble finding new peeps to teach, but we've been teaching tons of new converts and less actives, which is also important. And we've actually been having some good success getting people to come to church. One lady even came to an appoitment to teach with us.
We had a really great zone training with the Pres Wolfgramm last Friday and I am just so grateful to be here as a missionary. Even if there are days when no one really wants to listen to us or appointments fall through, I just know this is where I should be and I'll never have a time like this again, where my life is so simple but so focused, where the spirit is always with me because I'm working to bring happiness to others. I can't imagine my life without this time. I was talking with Nichole last night after a math session about prayer and knowing that Heavenly Father is always listening us without judgement and I was telling her about how neat it is that this is my job, to have conversations like this, to help people realize who they are and who they can become. I love it.
Spring is coming which I am super happy about. My companion loves basketball (barf) so I agreed we could play with the Elders today, but I'm just happy to be outside. It's easier to be happy out working when there's sun and the magnolia trees are blooming and when you're happy it's easier to stop people and start talking to them.
We had a neat experience on the tram the other day (I kind of hate that I just used to phrase 'neat experience' but anyway...) We sat down in a seat with two seats facing us and both internally made the goal to talk with whomever sat across from us. A man sits down and starts talking on the phone in Arabic. We both assume that he'll be Muslim and not really have any interest but Sorella Jacobson starts talking to him anyway. Turns out he is Muslim and has no interest, but he's nice we finish talking to him and meanwhile a little in front of us there are 4 dudes sitting. They have cigarettes tucked behind their ears and just look kind of like hood rats.
One of them keeps looking at us, and gets up and sits in the 4th seat of our little spot and we both assume he's got some scherzo planned, but he instead asks Posso verdere quel libro? He starts flipping through the Book of Mormon and says how he heard us talking to this other guy and wanted to hear more. He's read the whole Bible but really isn't convinced by it and wanted to know how it was different than the Bible. I was so surpirsed I kind of babbled like an idiot, but we got the point across and gave him the book and got his number for the Anziani (we gave them at least 4 referrals last week, lucky dudes). It was kind of a perfect example of what Pres Wolfgramm says, of being in the way so we can get out of the way. If we're where we should be doing what we should be and we're in the way, that God can help us get out of the way and see what His real plan is for this moment.
Also I think I told you about Marisol last week, who we ended up teaching about the atonement. Well we say her again Sunday night and made sure her husband would be there and brought the Bishop and his wife. We were there for ever, like 2 hours, but it was an awesome lesson. I'm now best friends with their 6 year old daughter Alessia and we were able to read about Moroni and the Title of Liberty and talk about how the gospel gives us what we need to defend our families.
They got out a lot of their concerns and the Bottas were able to say all the right things to help them see how the gospel can help them. We invited them to start praying as a family, and they were a little worried, especially because their 18 year-old son has started doubting that there is a God, but we talked to her on the phone yesterday and followed up and she said they've been praying together and it's already made a world of difference.
Final funny story. There's a less active family we visit that's in the other ward but it's all women so it's hard for the Anziani to go see them. A mom, two daughters and the 8 year-old daughter of one of the daughters. Anyway, Claudia is the little one and she is so funny and is always so excited when we come and at the end of our lesson she wanted to read us a story from her Children's version of the Bible. So she was reading to us about when Moses got the 10 commandments and she starts reading the commandments...but the book changed them! The funniest was instead of keeping the Sabbath day holy, they wrote to celebrate religious holidays. We were all kind of confused for a minute and realized what it should have been and then started cracking up. Welcome to Italy where you only need to go to church on Easter and Christmas.
Ok, I'm singing Adele at a ward talent show Friday, what? So I gots to go practice.
Final funny story. There's a less active family we visit that's in the other ward but it's all women so it's hard for the Anziani to go see them. A mom, two daughters and the 8 year-old daughter of one of the daughters. Anyway, Claudia is the little one and she is so funny and is always so excited when we come and at the end of our lesson she wanted to read us a story from her Children's version of the Bible. So she was reading to us about when Moses got the 10 commandments and she starts reading the commandments...but the book changed them! The funniest was instead of keeping the Sabbath day holy, they wrote to celebrate religious holidays. We were all kind of confused for a minute and realized what it should have been and then started cracking up. Welcome to Italy where you only need to go to church on Easter and Christmas.
Ok, I'm singing Adele at a ward talent show Friday, what? So I gots to go practice.
Love you all! Thanks for everything and your prayers and being so great. I was cracking up reading Dad's e-mail and informed my companion that there is no doubt I'm in the right family.
So excited for Ian! Every week I hope to hear where he's off to.
xoxoxoxoxo
sorella bush
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Sacchi di bene = lit. "bags of good," colloquialism for lots of love. I told W. we were sending "bags of good" to her, maybe five or six, and that she might need a little donkey to carry them around.
Anziano/i = Elder/Elders
Frazione = township
Scherzo = joke, prank
Posso vedere quel libro? = Can I see that book?
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