Tally-ho! (Week 8)

We did it. We went to Paestum! The ancient greek city. It was INCREDIBLE! The three of us got there and stood at the base of these giagantic ancient greek temples built 550 BC and in my head I was thinking, is this real life? Wait - is this really my mission? Im teaching people that come from this culture, this deep rich, heavily religious culture. I LOVE IT! Holy smokes I love it. After we explored the temples and city, we went into the museum and saw these really beautiful paintings that they took from inside the temples to preserve them.There was tons of ancient greek potery too. The best part of all this, was that there were little Italian kids just running around, like these ancient temples and museums were their backyard.

Okay. I had my first gelato. I cried. Yes, I cried. I shed tears of pure joy. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever beheld. I wanted to laugh because it was so great! But I was crying because it was so good. It was so confusing and so good. You guys, it taste like ice cream but not. Its pure. And its way different than the gelato in the US, this stuff is the real deal. Its heaven.

The food hear is Napoli has awakened a new love inside me. I have a passion for the cibo, the food. I get myself a pizza once a week... Also, the people feed us A TON and its offensive to say no. Needless to say, Im gaining the weights. My face is real full. But hey you know, you can tell they love me! Becuase they show their love by their food!

The day after Paestum, our P-Day, we went to Rome for Zone Conference. It was a spiritual feast. When President and Sorella K. spoke to everyone, they spoke to me individually and Im sure most everybody felt the same way. The K's are fantastic! Im sad it was my first and last conference with them. But I hear good things about the new president. Trey Walker wasnt there, apparently he got transfered to Scardenia! Woops, I missed the memo. But, I did see Sorella F. and I was so great. We hugged for 5 mintues straight and talked in all our spare time we had in the conference. OH! While we were in Rome we drove by the Colluseum. Rome is so weird, and so cool. Its an ancient city, but so busy and so alive.

As for the work: its coming. As sisters here, were opening the area. Were starting from scratch! So we do a lot of finding. A LOT of finding. Yesterday we were walking through a park and we saw a cute old man sitting on a bench behind a big indoor soccer feild building. So we approached him, and it was my turn to do it. Right as we step past the building where the man is sitting there were 12 old men sitting by tables playing poker and smoking cigars (classic Napoli) - I had NO idea what to do. I thought I was going to talk to this one old man, okay but now I had a crowd of smokin ciggies old men! Oh mama mia mercy. I just stared. And they just stared. Probably thinking why on earth is this tall Amercian girl just standing here. (By the was they all think were English, when we tell them were American their eyes bugg out. They love Americans and everything about America.) Youre all going to be dissapointed in me. But I didnt say anything ha. haha. I just stood there. And then Sorella Wagoner steped in thank goodness.

The other day were walking down the street and an old lady stopped and said, My goodness you are all so beautiful! Are you American? Come over to my house for lunch on Sunday. And gave us her number. WHAT! Yup. These things happen a lot.

We just have one progressing investigator. Shes like our big Italian mama. And shes just that. She is big and she is an Italian mama. Shes movin along, but shes movin slow. Pian piano (Slowly but surely). Shes sweet, and shes patient with my Italian.

The comapanions are good, Im once again blessed with little angel companions. Keep Sorella Wr. in your prayers, her stomache probably are really hard for her.

Today we are going to hike Mt. Vesuvius, its in Napoli. Its the volcano that errupted and gassed Napoli and covered Pompei. They say its really cool! Im so exited! Next week, The Malfi Coast. The next week after that, Pompei.

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. Thank you for the time you take to write me too. Ahh, my family is the best. I always feel so unworthy of my blessings, but my family. My family I feel most unworthy of - God has blessed me with all of you angels in my life, your all too good to me. Thank you, thank you a million times.

XOXO.

Sorella Jobella