Sorella Sobeck in Rome: A New Adventure Awaits!

Well, after almost 6 months in the wonderful city of Bari I'm being transferred to a completely different world. After waiting ALL DAY for transfer calls on Saturday, President called us at 9:15pm to tell me this: "Sorella Sobeck, you've done great work in Bari. But now its time for a new adventure. You're going to Sicily, to the city of Mistretta." I'M GOING TO SICILIA!!!! Mamma mia!!! Tomorrow morning I take the bus with 4 other missionaries from Bari to Catania. The bus goes on a ferry to get from the point of the boot to Sicily. We leave at 8am, arrive in Catania at 5:30pm. And then I meet my new companion, and we take our car (we have a CAR in Mistretta!!! I get to finally learn how to drive a stick!) and drive to Mistretta. Whooo hoo!!!! My new companion will be Sorella Comollo, and she was "born in" and has done 2 transfers in Mistretta. I will be follow-up training her. Mamma mia. It's going to be INTENSE!!!!

I must confess, it's been harder this week than I thought it would be to say goodbye to people. Today I feel sad that it is my last week in Bari, but it's hard to feel too much because theres SO MUCH TO DO when you get transferred. I have way too much stuff...bah. Bari is sad that we're all leaving too, because its been raining alllllll week long. So while I'm really excited for the completely NEW adventure that awaits me in Sicily, I am sad to be leaving my birth city and all the people here who I've come to love...investigators, members, missionaries, all of them.

Quindi, I will write more information about Mistretta when I know it, but right now I know this much. Its reaaaaally small. 5,000 people...a bit different than Bari. There is just a really small branch. It is in the mountains, so it gets really cold in the winter, but it is also really close to the ocean. Its about 45 minutes drive from Palermo, where there are 4 Anziani. Its going to be strange to be the only 2 missionaries in my little area. ALso, everyone who I talk to about Mistretta (or Palermo, or Sicily in general) automatically says MAFIA!!! Yep...Italy is soooo cool! Seriously though, its going to be a completely different world. I'm excited, nervous, happy, sad, and a bunch of other emotions!!! More to come about my new home next week!

This week has been full of goodbyes and craziness. Thursday I finally got my permesso di sogiorno, which means that I'm officially LEGAL to be in Italy. Every missionary has to get this card. WE spent a lot of Thursday at the Questura to get it, and its a good thing becuase I'm leaving...Thursday night we had an activity with the GANS (aka, the YSA) that involved shaving cream and balloons and it was hilarious. The spiritual thought was really good though - that we need to stay on top of the mountain and not let Satan tempt us down by small and simple things (see Alma 47 for this analogy with Amalichia dnd Lahonti).

I have seen all 5 new converts this week, all of whom are still active, and I'm so grateful for them. They each have individual problems (like everyone else in the world) but they are staying strong for the most part and I'm grateful to them for their examples and faith.

Sunday for my last lunch appointment I was able to go to the Valentini family, who are rock solid here in Bari. Fratello Valentini is a man who when he heard the gospel he was sooo prepared and was baptized 2 weeks after he started meeting with the missionaries. Now, many years later, he and his wife are still strong. It was fun to eat lunch with them and laugh and have fun. They had several young grandkids there and they were hilarious. Especially when Marco, who is 8, starting doing the Polynesian Hakka dance from Forever Strong :) :) :)

Also, Sunday during church what happened? The most random small Mormon world moment. I was in sacrament meeting, looked behind me, and I saw this girl who looked really familiar, who was not Italian. I finally realized who it was. A girl who I went to Jerusalem with in 2010. Yep...she got married in August, and her husband served his mission here, also in the ward of Bari Poggiofranco. They were here visiting...my last Sunday in Bari. WHAT IN THE RANDOM WORLD???? Of allll the places to see someone from my Jerusalem group, in Bari Italy. How cool is that. Anyways, so we took a picture and now have that really cool story to share later in life. Huh.

I really don't have much else to say. It has been grand here in Bari, and Sicily here I come! I hope to return again someday here, because I really do love this city and the people here.

I love you all, hope everyone has a great week, and next time the email will be sent from Mistretta!!!

Love, Sorella Sobeck