Prato, Week 4

Hi all,

This is going to be quick because we've got to jet out of here to catch a train to Florence. We're going there for P-day! Yay!

This week was great, crazy, hard, pretty much a normal week in the mission! Last p-day we got to watch the pixar movie "cars". It was fun, we watched it at the church with our district.

Saturday was great, is was what we call a Zone Blitz. All the missionaries here from Prato (6), from Pistoia (2), and then the Florence missionaries all got together for a day of work in Florence. We met at the church at 10am and worked the entire morning. We went on exchanges so I was with one of the Florence sisters. It was fun but made me realize how I'm so lucky to have Sorella Roper as my trainer! She really is the best! I'm so grateful for her.

Anyway, then we went to the sisters apartment for lunch. Then headed out for the afternoon and went and did sondaggio (survey) right in the heart of florence, right by the duomo and in those cool streets. We then all meet at Piazza della Signoria and sang hymns in the piazza. It was really fun. We talked to this family about the church who were so amazing. They were catholic but it was cool to explain to them our church. The dad asked me what made our church different so that was a perfect set up. I talked to him about the restoration. It was awesome. Me and Sorella Roper went for a minute and walked by the uffizi and then looked at the ponte vecchio for a minute with the night lights reflecting in the river. Oh man, I love it. I can't believe that it was two years ago that me, mom, andy, and tom, were waiting in that forever long line to get into the uffizi! I would have never thought I'd be walking back through that piazza as a missionary! So that was a fun day on saturday.

We've been really busy lately. We had a great lesson with Nurshia. She doesn't understand why it's necessary to be baptized again. We had to explain to her the whole authority part of the restoration. When we told her that the authority was restored to Joseph Smith through John the baptist etc....she held her book of mormon up to her face and started laughing. Hey, you can't blame her though. It really is a...what's the word... amazing... I guess, story. But I know it's true and hopefully when we meet with her later this week we can really teach with the spirit so she can see and know that it's true. I'm excited.

Yesterday was crazy. We've been trying to contact this referral but she's never home. We had a lesson with our Russian investigator, titi. We taught a very visual lesson on the book of mormon. We just want to make sure she's understanding because her Italian isn't great. Meanwhile, the older Italian lady she lives with who has alzheimers, I think, keeps interrupting and saying the same things over and over. It's great though. We met with another investigator last night...an Italian lady, probably moms age. She's a heavy smoker but very intelligent. She wonders where God is in all the calamaties of the world. She barely let us get a word in edgewise but I'm excited to meet with her more. She's so ready for this gospel.

Things are going well here in little Prato. I'm learning new things everyday. I love the people here and am so grateful for them.

I love this gospel and know it's true.

Thanks for your prayers and support.

Love, Sorella B.