Finger cutting, beautiful city, lots of meetings....

Hello everyone! Well transfers for the lack of better terms....sucked. I will explain. I had to travel by myself to firenze. Well with the luck we had at reggio, while fixing my razor that fell off the stick I slashed my index finger on my right hand. It was pretty bad. The second it happened blood just started gushing. I never felt pain because my body went into shock. Soooo 2 hours before leaving I do this and I had to carry 2 very heavy bags myself. Well after almost passing out(I had the symptoms that I was about to pass out so I laid down and took deep breaths), and after cleaning up my finger with 3 gauze pads because the blood kept coming, I was able to travel. Of course the ticket I had to get was one where I would have to change trains.....well on the first ride I had stand out with my luggage in the train because where the seats where I couldn't fit my luggage and I wasn't going to leave them so I stood up the hold time. Then I had to constantly move my bags because of people having to get through and what not. And I kept accidentally using my right hand and hurting my finger. Then it was time to get off and change trains. So I get off barely and I see the amount of steps I have to go down then up to go get a new ticket and then do the same amount of steps to be at the train platform. Of course there where gypsies that were there so I couldn't take a bag down the stairs and leave the other one up there and then get it after taking down the other. So I had to go down the stairs with both really heavy bags. I was sweating and struggling the whole way, before half way I was almost done. I was so tired from the traveling, the stress, and the nausea from slicing my finger open and what not. Then some girls seeing my struggle without asking grabbed one if my bags and helped me. It was really nice. It made me think about the atonement of Christ, when we are at the edge, tired, exhausted, having tried our best, right when we cant do it anymore he is right there to help, to comfort, and to carry. So I made it firenze!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is an awesome city! I love it. The accent is crazy!! when you say a c sound that doesn't have an e or i behind the c sounds like an h. It was so hard to understand at first. AT first I didn't think it was Italian!! We have tons of work to do to help out the 2 branches here so We had tons of meetings with the sisters to organize everything. After tons of meetings the work is coordinated and moving really well. I hope everyone is well! I am sorry if I do not respond to anyone's emails...I have received A lot so it is slightly overwhelming to respond to all of them plus I'm slower at typing because of my finger... It is doing a lot better and is healing well I still cant put too much pressure on it yet. love you all!!!! enjoy the pictures. the first is anziano devincent and I together as the wounded comps and the other two are of my finger!

Benvenuto al sud! (welcome to the south)

Well the feelings that I have had all transfer has become true! I am being transferred. Despite going to the most coveted city in the mission, I am still sad to leave. The members here are really cool and I really liked my comp. Well I am guessing that you want to know where I am going! Well I will be going to...............Firenze...in american(I say in american because many Italians think that we Americans speak american not English) I am going to Florence!!!!!!! Its crazy because I will going to firenze alone. We will go to bologna to pick up anziano Devincents comp and then from bologna I will travel alone to firenze. weird stuff! I cant believe I am going into my 5th city already!! That is crazy! I cannot believe it. Well this past week we finally got out to talk to people. IT was hard at first but We talked a good bit of people. On Saturday we had an older missionary couple from the mission check our apartment and helped us fix a few things. Many of you will not believe this but they said our apartment was the most clean apartment they had seen in the mission! that's right! I can clean and keep my stuff in order! Haha The mission really does change people I guess! I am doing well. I am sad to hear the passing of our grandma. I know that god lives. I know that this life is not the beginning and it is not the end, and that God has a plan for us even after death and that if we live in a right way we can live with our families forever. I comforted to know that she is no longer suffering from the sicknesses that she had! I hope all of you are well! I will let you know how everything is in my next city next week!

Just when I thought I had seen it all.....

Well I am sure you all have heard what happened this past weekend but I will make an account of what happened comunque. So, Saturday morning I got a call from my comp while we were on scambio(I was in paicenza and he was in reggio) a 9 am on Saturday. He told me that they were in the hospital. He had an allergic reaction to some food which caused his ears to turn red, his lips to swell, and red rings round his eyes. So took the train as soon a possible to get to reggio. Once I got to the hospital he was admitted to see a doctor. While with the doctor, he was given medicine. Apparently he had not eaten much that morning, and the medicine he took was so strong that he passed out. Luckily the floor caught his fall and he went head first. So, he had to get some stitches to patch up the cut on his face. Then they had to do an xray to see if everything was fine. It all turned out to be good. So They had him on a stretcher for awhile. When they went to do a controllo(ummm in english it would be a check up), the doctors had him stand up but he wasn't feeling it and passed out again. So they kept him over night. I had to all the Anziani from Modena to come up and stay with me. It was weird because I went to church with a member who picked me up. While at church I did not have my companion. Man was that weird. I don't know how Return Missonaries do it because that was realllyyyy weird! Through all of that I was only left alone once for about 40 minutes. So that really took up our week. We have been stuck inside ever since. I cleaned our kitchen for 6 hours yesterday, so that was fun. We will find out about transfers on Monday or Tuesday so I will let you all know next week what will happen. Other than that I don't know what else to write about. We have a new investigator who is really awesome! We are excited to work with him and see where it will go. Also, we got a new phone and it is a touch screen phone! When we got it, I was shocked! The church really wants to have some nice stuff! Love you all!

Just keep swimming...

Well this past Sunday we had a baptism! It was awesome! It was really nice. He was our investigator from Haiti. He is really cool. He is about my age. He was really excited to get baptized. But now, its back to the streets again. Our investigators right now are progressing but baptism is far away. We need to find more investigators as well. This past week, we talked to tons of people! We talked to over 500 to 600 people. It was insane. I am doing well. It is raining right now so that's not fun. The mission is getting ready for the huge wave of missionaries that are coming in. I have heard that they might make new zones which would be pretty cool. I could get transferred this transfer. I have a feeling that I will be. I will attach a few pictures. I honestly remember what happened this past week. So much happened. We were really busy. I'm sending a picture of our last district, kebab, and me in the snow on our balcony. I'm learning what it really means to persevere. Its been difficult but I am becoming a better missionary and a better person. Its amazing to see how the mission changes you. I haven't really written much but I honestly don't what else to say. Well, that's about it. Love you all!

Work, Work, Work, there is no other substitution than work.

Allora, This past week, we worked our tails off. We had to teach our investigator A ton! We taught him almost everything that we supposed to teach for his baptism and then we had snowppocalypse happened. All last week it snowed intensely but it never stuck until Saturday. It was insane. There was so much snow. We rode our bikes in it. It was a lot of fun! But very cold. We ended not having a baptisms this weekend because we were not able to get some stuff done and the snow made it kind of impossible so we will have a baptism this Sunday. It will be a lot of fun. The ward is pushing real hard for baptisms. I have not see such a push in my whole mission. We have been working really hard the past few days. Each night I get home and I am ready to just collapse and sleep. Its been good. We have found a few potentials who can become good investigators. My comp and I get a long very well so that is good. We have been counting how many people we have talked to in the past few days. Its been fun. The past 2 days we talked to about 180 people. That's a lot of people. Comunque, the work is hard but we having a good time. Its weird to think I'm hitting my year mark in Italy in a couple of days. I haven't had Chiptole in a year now! Crazy haha. Well the Italian post office is being really dumb. They haven't sold any stamps to any stores for a long time and they are making everyone go to them and pay a ridiculous amount of money to send letters. In Italy it is supposed to be 70 cents to send it, with them it costs 1, 90 cents. To america they charging like 4 euro. its insane. So this is why I have not sent any letters to anyone. I have responded to Lexi, Mel Mel, Alex, Chris, and some others but I have not sent them yet. I will send them soon. Love you all!