Starting with the questions....
1. How was church today? How was choir practice?
Church was good. It was fast and testimony meeting so I got to bear my testimony. That was super cutie. Choir practice....it was so long! It's really fun to get to sing in the choir, y'know, but it's not like what I'm used to. They sent a text saying to start at 4:15 and we were with the bishop's family for a meal appointment after church and it was so fun -- they're so cutie -- and so we went with the bishop's wife so we got there early. They live out in another city so that was the only way for us to get there. We helped set everything up. Practice was supposed to end at 7:00, so at 7:15 some people said they wanted to leave, but I didn't know any of the songs so we decided to stay because this was the last practice. So choir practice was like four hours. But it's good!
2. What stood out to you in your studies this week? What are you studying right now?
Mmmm.....I can't really remember. I'm so tired and sleepy....I can't remember. I promise I study every day and I have good studies! I just finished up Mosiah and so a lot of my studies have been trying to figure out the intricate plot line of Mosiah. I think I literally took one day and was, like, wait -- so these people left this place, and then these people from Zarahemla left this place, but then this happened, and then this happened, and this happened, but somehow they're all back and I just had to draw it out a few times. I think I got it.... One thing I've been studying and thinking about -- this is what I bore my testimony about -- how the gospel is supposed to be a way for us to simplify things, not complicate things. I told the story that the choir director in the MTC told. It's about this boy and his bike and really, really wants a bike and so he begs his parents but they have to save up money and finally they get him this bike. And one day he used the bike to go to his grandparents' house and he came home and seemed down and sad, and his Mom's like, "what's wrong? Don't you like your bike?" And he's like, "yeah, I love my bike, it's really pretty, it's great. I'm just tired. My arms really hurt." And she said, "What are you talking about?" and he said "My arms are so sore. My bike is so heavy!", and she's like, "dude, what are you doing?" and then it turns out that instead of riding the bicycle he had been carrying the bicycle on his shoulder to walk to his grandparents' house and walk back. Just that idea. We have a man/family that we're teaching and we did a lesson with them about why we do it all, y'know? It's not to put another thing on is, but it's to make it easier and to help us get to where we need to be faster.
3. What made you laugh this week?
I can't remember.
4. What was the most beautiful thing you saw this week?
Today we went and saw some caves, some caverns, stalagmites and stalagtites.
5. How did you serve someone this week? How did someone serve you this week?
I've been really good about doing dishes in the house. Members here are so cutie and every time we go over they're like, "drink this juice," "eat this cake," "come over for pranzo", and it's just so nice.
6. Tell me about the people you’re working with….
When I got here we had a list of names of people we're teaching but are they really being taught....? Some of them haven't really responded to us and some of them don't know that they're being taught because people have been really casual with them. Some of them aren't progressing, and some of them can't progress. One man and his wife would love to come to church and if he didn't work so much....he literally works SO much and he works in the fields picking olives, and he leaves the house at like 5 and gets back at like 3, or something. And sometimes he has to do afternoons, too. He works on Sundays. He works so hard. And if that wasn't the case they would be at church but they can't because of his work. We're teaching a woman named C and we need her to pray about the things that she's learning but she doesn't understand that we need to pray to Heavenly Father.
7. Tell me about a tender mercy or miracle you experienced this week.
That's actually one thing that we've been keeping track of because we want to work on following the
Spirit better. Two things. We were having a listen with C and we wanted to re-teach her the restoration but really hit hard on the apostasy. I felt like she needed to understand that before she could progress, so she could understand that it's not just relative, whatever you want -- there is one street. She and her son were talking casually about the medieval times and it was just perfect for us to talk to them about the apostasy, so that was a tender mercy. Another one is that I'm feeling better.
8. How are you feeling??????
I am feeling a lot better. This week, I think Monday, Tuesday, and maybe Wednesday were rough, or maybe just Monday and Tuesday, and then Wednesday and Thursday I felt really, really good. I was so happy, I had so much energy, I felt so good. And then Thursday I didn't feel good after a little bit and Friday I felt pretty normal, and I've been feeling pretty good since then.
9. What do you love most about Bari so far?
I love the members here. They're just so, so, so, so, so, so incredible and we're really focusing on working with members. I'm making up for the fact that I haven't done it my whole mission. We're really focusing on working with members, especially with Sii Una Luce because it's such a great program. If you're not doing it, DO IT! It's a great opportunity for us to invite the Spirit into our lives but also for us to help others feel the Spirit. So we've been working a lot on that.
10. Have you tried any new foods this week?
I don't think so. I had pandoro (???). We were walking after the caverns and we were almost to our bus but we were hungry so we went to this place and he was closing and I didn't even realize that. He was literally closing the upper gate thing and I just walked in and he said they were closing and I was just like "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" He's like, no, do you guys want something? And we said yeah. So we went in and we asked if we could do sandwiches and he said yeah. He asked what we wanted and I said, "Whatever you think" and he was, like "brava!" And so he made us these really, really good sandwiches.
11. What can we specifically pray for for you and your companion and the people you’re working with?
I would say pray specifically that we can be able to minister to people one-on-one, especially through Light the World, that we can really bring light to people one by one.
12. What do you love most about the Italian people?
I really like the culture here. Just the calmness.
13. Do you know I love you?
Yes, I do.
This week we met a super cutie couple that Sorella N actually worked with and she got baptized a year ago, they're actually from another country and so we got to go over. So we had this big pasta alforno that the members gave us and we told them we had this big pasta alforno and we would come over and bring it and so we did. And we had this cutie little pranzo and it was so cute and they kept wanting us to eat more, like fruits. They wanted us to try every fruit and we were like, "no!" and then she made this really cutie pudding thing and then we got to talk about the temple. And they want to go to the temple but I think they need someone to help them get there so that's one of our goals. They talked about going to the temple in February and he's like, "I'll ask President if you can come!" Yea! Any other highlights? I don't think so....
The highlight is Sii Una Luce. Honestly, if you haven't visited the website, do it! Go look at it! There are so many good resources, and I know that as we serve others that we will invite the Spirit into our lives and that as we invite others to also participate with us they will feel the Spirit and they will be more centered on Christ this Christmas.
Love you all. Ciao, ciao, ciao!
Sometimes you just gotta eat pasta alforno to get you through 9 am study time...
Sorella N hit six months!
Christmas.....
At the caverns
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