Palermo and New Companions!

Ciao famiglia!

So this email might be a little short. It's been a complicated p day and we don't have much time.

We had an investigator who works at the Basilica di San Pietro and took us on a free tour! 

This is the view of Rome from the dome at the top.

(Sorella Wightman wrote more about that on her blog - HERE.

This was Kaeli's last sight visit in Rome on last week's p-day before her transfer.)

This week has been crazy. Thursday I met up with Sorella Bradford and our greenie, Sorella Robinson and we  took our really really long train ride from Rome to Sicilia. But it was really cool to see more of Italy! And here is the coolest thing that happened. When we got to the end of the toe of Italy the train shot onto this boat! And then we took a train/boat ride across the sea to Catania. So cool!

A really bad picture of me and my companions on the fun ship that we took from the mainland Italy to Catania.
Sorella Bradford, Sorella Robinson, Kaeli

Beautiful Italy

We spent the night in Catania and then took a 3 hour bus ride to Palermo.

And Palermo is so great!! I was a little scared at first because the reason why there haven't been sisters here before is because it's kinda dangerous. But we are assigned to the safe part of town and we live right next to the Church. Yes you heard right, we have a real Church! And it is so beautiful. We also live in the nicest apartment building in the mission! We even have AC! wooo! I will try to send pictures next week when we get more settled in. We also have a member living upstairs who is simply amazing. He set our whole apartment up before we got there and he is taking such good care of us. And in the apartment building right across the street from us, there is a really important judge that lives there, and there are 2 police officers outside the building 24 hours a day and they always drive around our block. So no need to worry  about our safety!

Our neighbor's little girl who loves me! She borrowed my extra name tag and wore it all night!

We haven't made it to the beach yet. Hopefully next pday or something. Like I said, this p day is crazy and we have like no time to do pday things :(.

This week we have been busy setting things up and getting to know the city and getting Sorella Robinson's permesso done. But I love the people down South. I just love Italians and I have no clue how to even describe how amazing they are. They are the most kind, generous, loving people in the world. We have received so much help this week and we couldn't have done any of it without all the amazing people we met.

It has been interesting to leave the comfort of my trainer and see how Sorella Bradford does missionary work! My companions are great! And it is fun to not be the greenie anymore. People don't talk to me like I can't understand anything they say and I have more confidence to speak to the members because they don't know how long I have been on my mission! It is so liberating! And it is fun to be with a greenie and help her with the things that I was just going through.

I am sorry to hear about the tough fair. Dang it! But I loved the pictures and the boys look so big! man. It feels like I just left yesterday, how can they have grown this much already?!

So we decided to go get a gellato the other day, it was Sorella Robinson's first one! And we stopped in a bar while we were walking down the Street and we started talking with the man behind the counter, we told him who we were and told a little about our message. We told him we believe in living prophets and he then told us that his name is Giovanni Profeta. Johnny Prophet! How cool right?! And we kept talking and we exchanged numbers and asked if we could come see him some time. He then proceeded to tell us that we were like sisters to him and that if we ever needed ANYTHING to just give him a call. If we were lost or if we needed to talk. Anything. And then he gave us some free pastries to take home with us for breakfast the next morning. (this is all happening within 5 minutes) And then the best part, he started teaching us the word of wisdom and the law of chastity. (the two hardest lessons for Italians). Mr. Prophet is great! And I hope that we can work with him.

But really. in all honesty. Every.single.Italian. is like Johnny Prophet. Just one small example about why I was called to teach the greatest people in the world.

Pretty church here in Palermo.

We found a statue of Joseph Smith! Okay just kidding, but doesn't it really look like him?

I am so sorry that this email is so all over the place! We are actually doing email in this like gambling place.  Let me tell you the story real quick. So we were walking down the street looking for an internet point. We asked a lady where we could find one. She didn't know. But the man right next to us was eaves dropping and followed us down the road and when we got to an internet point and found that it was closed, he called his friend who owns this online gambling place and made him open up the place for us to do our internet. And so now I feel bad taking the whole time to email when he is just sitting around waiting for us. But here is one more example of the great people that the Italians are.

I love my mission!! I love you guys! And I hope you have a great week!!