Sorella Sobeck in Rome: BUON NATALE!!!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!‏

I wish everyone the best Buon Natale ever, and Buone Feste because theres a million holidays in Italy and I have no idea what they are so I can't tell you exactly haha except they make up holidays so they don't have to go to work...its super special and a very funny think about Italian culture to me. They love to celebrate everything and everyone!

I honestly can't believe it's almost Christmas because it doesn't feel like it AT ALL to me right now. Seriously, Christmas is Sunday. What? Besides teh fact that it turned freezing cold the past 2 days! Today I'm wearing tights, socks, boots, spandex, shorts, skirt. Then my big coat and warm scarf and its still cold outside. Baahhhhh I don't like teh cold. I've been sooooooooooo spoiled in Bari because the weather here is so tame. It was windy yesterday...thats what makes it bad to me! Anyways, I'm not complaining, just telling you all how the weather has changed! I love Bari sooooooooooo much though! It's the greatest!

So I am going my second transfer in Bari and I'm so grateful to be staying here with my trainer. I have lots of goals to meet by the end of the transfer, including knowing everyone in the ward (the ward is big...so this is an undertaking) and knowing the city better. I have often been just walking where I'm told to go, and I am super directionally challenged, but now I really need to learn the city because most likely Sorella Ashman will be leaving Bari after this transfer. This is her 5th transfer here, so its been a long time. Who knows though? Maybe we'll both stay, maybe we'll both leave, maybe i'll leave and she'll stay....chi sa? But while we're not worrying about that now, I need to prepare myself mentally and learn learn learn!!! I also have the goal to finish the Book of Mormon this transfer. I'm in Alma 20 right now, so it really won't be that big of a deal. Theres just so many things I want to study and learn right now though! The Book of Mormon is always the most important thing to study :)

So stuff that happened since last Wednesday. Honestly I don't remember much of the past week hahaha. At least the first half. There has been some great stuff but also some very disappointing things that happened.

First, I told you last week that we were getting Anziano Lopez in our district, a new greenie who is Italian so he was in the Madrid MTC for just 3 weeks before he came here. We met him on Thursday night and he didn't say really anything at all and didn't seem happy. We thought he was just a little shell-shocked. Friday we were talking to Anz. Pedreira (from Uraguay, and his trainer) on the phone about something and he sounded super depressed and he was expecting a phone call from President Kelly. We feared the worst...anyways. Long story short, Anziano Lopez went home on Saturday. We have no idea why. So now we have another Anziano for a couple weeks to be companions with Anz. Pedreira, and then he will be training a different greenie in a few weeks from the MTC. Don't know how that is going to work logistically, but thats how its going down. It was a hectic weekend getting that all figured out...especially since Anziano Kafel (the one who just left here) took the cell phone with him and left Anz. Pedreira with no way to communicate with anyone...AHHHH. What did we do before cell phones? We are so lucky to have them because if makes missionary work a lot easier haha.

Daniele is still my favorite. On Saturday we had a ward activity where we went to an old folks home and sang for them and such. We invited Daniele kind of last minute because we thought he'd say no (he hasn't been to church yet still...we're hoping for Christmas), but he said YES and offered his car so he drove us around with 2 other old ladies HAHAHA. Maria Pia, the one getting baptized but she has a super negative outlook on life most of the time...its interesting, and Sorella Curci who has Alzheimers and is like a young child. Oh my gosh it was sooooooo funny! Poor Daniele, driving us 4 women around town all night long and going to an old folks home. I thought it was great and Sor. Ashman was all worried he would hate us. At one point during the experience he told us that he was going to kill us both hahahaha. He's sooo funny. He gave us each a scarf for Christmas...HOW NICE!! ANyways, that was the funny story of Saturday night going to the old folks home.

Well, I don't have a ton to write this week so I'm going to keep it shorter today. I'm excited to talk to my family on the 26th and to enjoy Christmas! We're going to a members house for Christmas Eve dinner and then we're hanging out with the missionaries and eating with them on Christmas day. We're going to try to eat some American food, but they are all going to make and bring us food too. So we'll just have a ton of food. Not complaining there!! Hahaha so this morning I had pasta for breakfast. yesterday I had cookies and milk. I love Italy.

I seriously hope everyone's Christmas is wonderful!!! Eat some delicious American traditional food for me and sing some carols and have fun! Thanks for everyones support and love! :)

Vi voglio un SACCO di bene!!!

Sorella Sobeck