Tu sei brutto!!‏

Ciao tutti!

I've gotten several questions about my address. Here it is again:

Sorella Kristi Sobeck

Via Giulio Petroni, 99B

70124 Bari, Italy

I would absolutely love mail of any sort!!!!! :) Of course, especially now at Christmas time!

And for some reason every single week I get a BUNCH of failure delivery notices when I send my email. I don't know why. I know a lot of people haven't been getting my emails, so I'm really sorry about that and theres not really anything I can do about it here...my resources are limited as a missionary and I don't have more time on the internet to play around with to figure it out. But my wonderful sister puts my emails on a blog for me if thats easier for people too.  http://italiansobeck.blogspot.com/ Thanks for everyone who reads me emails! It makes me happy to write them and that people enjoy reading them! I'm excited to read them all at the end of my mission!!! Thanks for everyones support for me, I really really appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers.

Ok I have to write something really funny thats happening right now...we are at the internet place and there is currently this African guy speaking English and declaring his love for his woman over the computer...I love Africans! OH!!! And remember Gerald the Nigerian?? He called us this week from Africa just to say hi!! He said "Have you forgotten about me?" Love him!

First news...TRANSFERS! Yes I have officially completed my FIRST TRANSFER ON MY MISSION!!!! Praise to the heavens that I survived hahaha and also my trainer. Transfer verdicts for us is that we are both staying in Bari Poggiofranco! I am so happy about this because I love Sorella Ashman. We get along really well and we both love Bari and the work is going so well. This is going to be Sorella Ashman's 5th transfer in Bari...most likely her last because that is a lot. She did 5 transfers in Ragusa (on Sicily) and now about to be 5 in Bari. She only has 4 total transfers left and she's kinda freaking out about it...haha sometimes its kinda funny. Anyways, I'm grateful! All 4 of the sorelle in my appartment are staying, so no major changes for us. My district is changing. Anziano Kafel is leaving us, and Anziano Pedreira is staying and his new companion is a greenie! We will get Anziano Lopez who is from Italy but originally from Argentina, so he probably doesn't speak English either haha. We are also getting 2 more Anziani in our district, the ones from Bitonto which is a small suburb of Bari. Bitonto is also getting a new Anziano...Anziano Stewert who was in teh group ahead of me at the MTC and has been in Napoli his first 2 transfers. I'm excited to have a friendly face and also to have 6 in my district now!!! Theres some other changes, but nothing is too major becuase President didn't want to change a ton 10 days before Christmas.

Ok, some other news from Bari. I LOVE BARI AT CHRISTMAS. I don't think I've explained why its so cool..so I will now. Every city in Italy has a main Saint. Bari's Saint is San Nicola, aka SANTA CLAUS! So Christmas is really big here. There are tons of decorations everywhere and in the stores especially the owners love to put decorations up. It makes me so happy! There are lots of lights and it gives me comfort that people have some of the same traditions here as at home. It will be interesting and hard to be away from home for my first Christmas ever, but I am grateful to be here in Bari and that I get to talk to my family soon!

Italians have a thing for glasses...particularly red glasses. Almost every Italian has a pair it seems. I think it is sooo funny for some reason.

There is the cutest book ever called Tu Sei Speciale (You Are Special). I know I've heard of it before but I didn't remember it. It's a children's book but the cutest parable for all people. It's about these people made of wood who get either gold stars or gray circles based on the things they do...either good or bad. They were all made by the same sculptor but they all look different. Pucinello is the main character, and he only has circles and he feels terrible because everyone is judging him. He meets a girl who doesn't have circles or stars, and he asks her how, and she tells him its because she goes to see the scultor, Eli, every day and that he should go see him too. Pucinello goes, the sculptor knows his name, and tells him to come see him everyday. Eli says that it doesn't matter what anyone else things except for him, and that he is wonderful. The best line "You are special becuase I made you, and I don't make mistakes." How CUTE. Its the perfect parable for us becuase Heavenly Father created each and everyone one of us and we are special to Him because He made us. We have been reading this story to everyone we teach lately and everyone loves it.

January 8th is going to be our Christmas because as of now we have 2 scheduled baptisms!!! They have both held all week and we feel pretty sure that both of them will happen! Maria Pia and Valentina. Please pray for both of them!! They are both wonderful and I am so much looking forward to their baptisms.

Awesome quote I read this week: "You have not failed until you quit trying." - Gordon B. Hinkley. What a profound yet simple statement by one of our latter-day prophets!! This quote helps me when we have things fall through (all the time) or when people are just not easy to work with. As long as we keep trying and move forward and do our best always, we have not failed. Even when there seems to be no success or goodness around you. Thats when we need to look for the little miracles that happen everyday. I love this quote. I never want to stop trying, even when it's hard and I want to give up. Missionaries who are diligent and do their best are blessed. So are people in general.

Another scripture that I love from the Bible. Hebrews 10:35-36. There is a fantastic talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland called "Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence" based on this scripture and I LOVE IT. I encourage everyone to read it!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Ok, I'll tell you all about Saturday, because it was just a funny day, mostly because of how much food we ate....let me explain. We had a good lesson with Michele (ex-Mafia man) in the morning and watched "Find Faith in Christ" with him and talked about having faith in Jesus Christ. It was a great lesson and everyone felt the spirit. Then we had a little lesson with Carmen, who is in the process of filling out her mission papers! We are doing mini mission-prep lessons with her when we can. We went home and right after eating a bigger than normal weekday lunch (big plate of pasta, fruit, and then I ate a ton of chocolate...haha YUM) a sorella from the ward, Sorella Magno (shes so old and cute) called us to come over and do a favor for her. So we were only home for like an hour and we walked over there (on the way we got transfer calls where we found out from Sorella Kelly that we were both staying whoo hoo!) and she wanted us to teach her how to play the piano! HOW CUTE! She's so old! She fed us each this MOUNTAIN piece of tiramisu (Italian dessert...its made with coffee but Mormons make it with Orzo...the Italian subsitution for coffee), which I don't really like very much honestly. It's basically soggy cake that tastes like Orzo, which I do not like. Hmmm...not so appetizing to me but you eat it graciously anyways. I was sooo full at this time. Then we went to Aquaviva to see a family. Aquaviva is like 45 minutes away and we took the bus and when we got to their house we read Tu Sei Speciale with them. And then came the food. First they brought out a family size bag of POTATO CHIPS!! They tasted like Lays! I loved it...except the quantity. They kept putting more and more on the plate and telling me "Sorella, mangi!" Ahhhhhh. So the potato chips. And an entire 2 liter bottle of Coke between 5 people. And Taralli biscuit things. And Focaccia. And cookies. I wanted to throw up!!!!!! AHHHHHH. Then they drove us back to Bari where we had another appointment in Japigia with Valentina. They asked us if we wanted anything to eat and we groaned hahaha and told them everything we had eaten that day and they just laughed. Then we had to walk home from Japigia becuase we missed the bus, and its like an hour walk. Mamma mia. We just felt sooooo sick!!! Good times in Italy!!!! :)

Subject line explanation...yesterday morning we had a meeting with Michele at the church. He was already there waiting when we got there and we said the typical Buon Giorno to him. But as we said it to him there was this old cute man walking past MIchele and he thought we were talking to him. As soon as he saw the 2 of us he got really wide eyed and said stuff like "Che belle raggazze! Siete alte!" Michele is just nodding and saying "Sì Sì siete belle. è io sono brutto." Old man "Sìììì tu sei brutto!" And then he hits him, laughs, and walks away. HAHAHAHA. Translation, this old guy was just drooling over us (as is typical with the men here over American women...its interesting) and telling us how beautiful we are and then he told Michele how ugly he was HAHAHAHA. We were busting up afterwards. Now Sor. Ashman and I always hit eat other (softly!) and say Tu sei brutta!! jokingly of course. Mamma mia. Good times.

Pictures!

my favorite kind of car in Italy! It's called an Ape (pernounced Ah-peh) and it is tiny and only has 3 wheels. This one had so much stuff on it!!! This is on Via Giulio Petroni, one of the main streets in the city and actually the street we live on. You can see some Christmas decorations!

 my district! Me, Sor. Ashman, Anz. Pedreira, and Anz. Kafel!

 in the nativities here, they don't put Jesus in the manger until Christmas eve midnight mass. It's weird to see all these nativities without Jesus!

 the main church in Bari - la Chiesa di San Nicola!

by the sea early one morning because we had to go somewhere for my permesso. We're never out that early, especially by the sea because it's pretty far away, and it was so beautiful!

Ok, thats all for this week. I'm getting excited for Christmas!! I was thinking that if I wasn't on my mission I would probably be taking finals this week (or next...I don't know). So sad...hahaha. I hope everyone is enjoying the season! Remember to make room for Jesus Christ in your life and to remember Him always. I love my Savior and for His perfect example. I'm grateful for Christmas and I hope everyone is happy!

Ana - yes I got your letter last week and theres one currently in the mail on its way to you!!! :) Can't wait for the recording!!!!!!!!! HAHAH!!

Miriam - got yours too and one is on its way to you too! Thanks!

Sis. Nef - I already got your letter too, thanks!!!

Thanks everyone for the love!! You're the best!! BUON NATALE!!!!!!!!!

Love, Sorella Sobeck :)