Sorella Sobeck in Rome: It's getting cold.

So I know I'm not in Siberia, but man its been a bit chilly this week.
I bought these thick tights from a Chinese store and I wear them all
the time...December has arrived and with it winter and lots of rain.

I've enjoyed this week. I feel like we've been running around like
crazy people (but what else is new, especially in Rome when we have to
take the buses and such everywhere from one side to the other). I did
scambi (I think its called exchanges in English) with Sorella Smedley
on Thursday adn it was fun to work with her for the day. We even got a
bidone and then bought some coke and soccer stickers to make us feel
better haha. We had a party with English course on Thursday evening
also to celebrate Thanksgiving with them (a week late) and we all
wrote things that we were grateful for :) I love that holiday.

Our ward is soooooo diverse. WE have members from so many different
countries, and there are many people from South America. On Friday
night we went to see a less active member who is from Brazil and
married to an Italian who isn't a member. We ate dinner with them and
it was a good experience. She's legit. We weren't planning on eating
with them, so we ended up getting home really late, but the COOLEST
thing happened on the way home. We left her house at 9.00 and headed
to the metro. We got on and it was really crowded and we were
standing. I saw a guy reading a book and it looked a lot like the one
I was holding in my hand. I motioned to Slla Openshaw, who was on the
other side of our compartment and told her to look at him...she got
the funniest look on her face. I started talking to the guy to see his
book, the BOOK OF MORMON, and asked if he was member. He's not. He was
given the book 1 year ago, has read it twice, and said he reads it to
feel calmer...he's going through a pharmacy program now and went on th
emetro to read it to feel better because he doesn't read at home.
Coincidence?? HECK NO. I will never believe in those again after my
mission. He wouldn't give us his phone number, but I know we were
supposed to come home late that night so we could get on the metro and
remind him that there are missionaries who want to help him understand
that book a whole lot better, along with a bunch of other things.
Really cool experience.

And it was followed by another one the next day when we were waiting
for the ghetto yellow train to go near the church. There weren't many
people around, but there was a creepy older guy and a younger girl.
The young girl was looking at us, and I wanted to invite her to
English course, but then SHE approached US, started talking to us in
English to see if she could stand by us and not by the creepy old guy
(umm, yes please), then asked if we were Mormon. Apparently she lived
in Las Vegas with a host family who is Mormon for a year, went to
church with them, has been to a temple open house, and has a BoM in
English. Now she has one in Italian :) SO COOL. She also wouldn't give
us her number. But from these 2 experiences I really know that
Heavenly Father puts people in your path that he wants to have contact
again with the church...we were the first missionaries she had ever
seen in Rome, and she lives super close to the church. Again, no such
thing as coincidences.

We had Zone Conference yesterday. I love being in Roma. All the
anziani from the Napoli zone come up, and we got to have zone
conference at the church and then all go (in 2 groups since there were
so many of us) to the Villa to eat lunch. Legit. The best thing was
that while walking there we all got caught in a rain storm. I'm sure
we were quite the site...a big group of missionaries running the
streets of Rome to get cover becuase none of us had umbrellas haha.
Hilarious.

I love the mission. It's full of wonderful experiences and memories.
During Christmas time its so great to be able to concentrate fully on
Jesus Christ and what He did for us...and to bring that message to
others. It's hard to be away from home, but wonderful to help other
families feel that joy. I love my Savior!!!

Have a happy week everyone!!!!

Love, Sorella Sobeck