Sorella Sobeck in Rome: TRIO!

What a crazy week! Started out last pday of going to the bone church. Yep, in the basement of this church where a bunch of monks were buried, another monk (living...don't worry) wanted to arrange all their bones in some sort of artsy arrangements. For the things I've studied and the things I actually like, this has been the coolest church I've EVER seen. Call me weird, but seeing thousands upon thousands of bones down there arranged all cool-like was sweet. From my love of anatomy, I had lots of fun naming all the bones I saw :) Followed that up by going to the Trevy Fountain, the Pantheon, and Piazza Navona...I love Roma :)

THe next day involved waking up early for transfers...Slla Bradford came up from Sicilia (Ragusa) and she's great. She is almost as tall as me, which is awesome after having 3 companions in a row who are 5' 2"...she was born in Pennyslvania but has lived allll over the world - Norway, France, Germany, Tanzania, and Singapore. DOes she speak all these languages? Yep. It's so intense! Being in her 4th transfer she speaks Italian so well and its wonderful! She has a fun and crazy personality and we have already cried many times together from laughing so hard. THe fact that she lost a night of sleep coming up on that all night bus from Sicilia has helped the funny factor too hahaha.

It's also been sooo much fun to have Slla Winward back in ROma 3 for this week!!! She dropped off Slla Camp, who is now "dead" and she has been in a trio with us...so much fun seriously. I have 3 of my companions in my house right now. I feel so powerful in 3 and I've never had that experience, so having a few days of extra power and that we could take down anyone on the street has been fun :)

Some cool experiences of the week.

Gave away a Book of Mormon to an African couple on an extremely crowded bus the other day, and gave them as a referral to Sicilia where they live. I love giving referrals! Their names are Bless and Gift. From the Ivory Coast. Legit.

On Saturday we all went way out of Roma to this place called Isola dei Liri so visit a member family, and I talked to this young girl on the bus ride for like an hour and a half...talk about a million questions she asked haha. Those are always fun conversations and I enjoyed it.

Had an FHE with Doris and Monday, and then after with Blessing on Sunday night. Ike came part way through and he was praising my African food eating abilities. Which is ridiculous, becuase I don't like fufu, but it means they like you. We asked him what he's going to do when I leave and he said "OH. When Sobeck leaves, I will die that day. I must prevent it at all costs." HAHA I was busting up. Those Africans are so great!

Dexter's birthday was yesterday, so all the sisters and some of the Filippini all went out for lunch to a Filippino restaurant and it was DELICIOUS.

Lots of LAF-ing (Less Active Finding) as Slla Bradford invented. We've gotten lots of cancelled appointments and plans in the past few days so we've been getting to know Roma a bit better! Yesterday we got caught in a huge rain/thunder/lightening store, and good thing we had umbrellas and good thing I was wearing my ugly boots, but we got super wet still haha. Wind. I sadly lost A glove later too at Termini and don't know how that happened.

Hilarious experiences doing house to find new people to teach. We went to look for an inactive and we did house in the whole building. Once half they were all jerks but it was hilarious! The other half we got like 5 passbacks and talked to some cool people. I like doing house becuase you NEVER know what it going to happen behind every door.

Our investigators are doing alright - its been a slower week with them so I don't have much updates. We are trying to help 2 people quit smoking which is an interesting experience. It all depends on them and if they really want to do it. As a missionary we really have to try and help people resolve things, but not do it for them at all. It's a difficult balance to find sometimes - helping them act and giving them the tools to do it, but having the faith in them that they actually WILL do it...and then not getting heart-broken if they don't. Story of the mission. What will I do when I don't have to worry about everyone else's problems like this?

I love the Roma 3 ward. THe members are so great and welcoming and I really feel like a part of them. It's nice :)

Tomorrow we have Zone Conference, but its not Zone Conference. It's a mission tour and thats why its so early in the transfer and why in Roma we have pday today instead of tomorrow. Elder Kent F. Richards from the Europe area presidency is coming and we're all pretty excited to meet him tomorrow.

Ciao!

Sorella Sobeck