Ciao Ciao‏

Allora. I don't even really know what's going on. I have been in Italy for 17 months and now they're making me leave! As I've gotten to my last couple weeks in the last transfer, it's been weird because I've felt almost unimportant - I don't like it hahaha. Sorella Taylor and I are leaving, and both Sorella Bradford and Sorella Openshaw will be training. So...out with the old and in with the new I guess! It'll be really good and there will be a new energy in the work here in Roma 3 which is will need, since a lot of all of our work has kinda been dwindling lately. Sadly. It happens.

Yes, the work. I am going to miss thinking about my investigators and their needs all the time. I will still be thinking about them from thousands of kilometers away, but there is something really cool about being entitled to receive inspiration to help them. That missionary mantle. I know I probably didn't appreciate it as much as I should've, and I know I will miss it a lot. I will miss these people so much. Even if Dario didn't get baptized in the end, and now he is actually pretty much an ex-investigator (yeah...not what ANY of us were expecting...), even if Daniele from Bari is still not baptized, or Giuseppe from Mistretta...I know that I've made a difference for these people. I know that they will remember me. And I know that I will remember them.

I LOVE MY MISSION. Italy is a special place. Yep, there may be a new pope for the Catholic church now, but there is also a temple being built in Roma. There are now 8 stakes in the country. The work is growing. Pretty soon Mormonism will be bigger than Catholicism!!!!!!!!!!! Ok...we'll see. BUT, I feel so priviledged to have been a part of the Italian missionary force. I love this country with all of it's problems. I love Bari. I love Mistretta. I love Roma. I love the people. I love the food. I love the mare. I love the church. I love the temple that's not finished yet. I love missionary work. I love it all. I'm excited to see my family in America, but I already can't wait to come back and visit my Italian family someday. :)

Ci vediamo a prestissimo!

Vi voglio tanto bene.

Love, Sorella Sobeck

Helping Hands last Saturday

Bench work

Dexter's family let us come to his house FINALLY

Famiglia Cadena

LOVE THEM

Daniela I and Sharon - such a great family

So...trains getting cancelled and having to wait forever...in Santa Maria delle Mole...late at night

MONDAY

Meat pie....delicious

DORIS

Corso d'Inglese last time!

Dario and Vincenzo

FAVORITE EGYPTIAN PIZZA GUYS

We went alllllll the time

Last week????????????‏

Well I don't know how in the world that happened, but it did. I have arrived to the point of my last week in the mission field. WHAT HAPPENED!?!?! 

I know I've said it a million times in my emails, but I'm so grateful for my mission. It has not been the easiest of experiences we could say, but I'm grateful. I've learned so much, and I guess after this week the test is going to be applying these lessons that I've learned to the rest of the life. C'è la faccio!!!

This week was a good one! We've seen a LOT of miracles with Dario :) He hasn't smoked now for a whole week, and he quit drinking coffee. Continue to pray for him to be strong because I know its helping him to have the strength, and he needs it!

Roma 3 is on fire! We have 3 out of the 6 missionaries in our ward who are finishing our missions next week, so its been incredible to see these successes right at the end. This past week Anthony got baptized!!!! He is from the Filippines and is a 29 year-old fireball of energy who we all love!!! I love having 6 missionaries in the ward because when one companionship sees these miracles of baptism it's like we were all able to contribute to helping that person :) We all love Austin and we all love Anthony, and we have a couple baptisms scheduled for this Sunday as well and it's just a big team effort! And the biggest player is GOD! I've definitely learned that on my mission - the missionaries are just the instruments of bringing people into the true church of Jesus Christ. But it's all part of Heavenly Father's plan, and the spirit converts and not us. It's important to remember that and stay humble when we are lucky enough to see success.

Someone tried reading my nametag last week who cannot really read, and he called me Sorella Suffering. Hahahaha I laughed really hard. Thanks random person!

I am actually on scambio right now and am in Ladispoli with my dear friend Sorella Comollo! It's been fun to be with her the past couple days and we're going back to Roma after internet to switch back. After being in Mistretta together for 3 transfers we know each other pretty well, but it was awhile ago now and so it's been really cool to see how we've grown a lot and also how we still teach well together. 

Ok I'm out of time. I have one more pday so there will be one more email probably to tell you all about the last week of miracles that I'll have! Vi voglio bene e buona settimana!!

Love, Sorella Sobeck

FHE with Vescovo's family

Austin's baptism!!!!

Love these 2 :) Sharon and Ranny

Some missionaries who came for the bap

Pday with Roma 2 sorelle (Teichert, Omer, and Rosato)

PRANZO

I love to see the temple!

Oh hey all. This week went by pretty fast, and it ended up in a very raining pday spent with the Roma 2 sorelle. We had fun even in the rain :) And last pday Slla Bradford and I went to go see the temple site and it's getting bigger! It should be done in 2014, though I don't know which part of the year it will be. I can't wait to come back and see it all done someday!

Some interesting stuff this week. We had to pass an investigator to the anziani because he was way too attached to Sorella Sobeck. That was hard, and uncomfortable. Man. It's really lame that this problem has to get in the way of people's progress in the gospel. Not a fan.

Remember a couple weeks ago that we had received a referral from Roma 1 of a lady from Peru, we met up with her and then found out she was a member of the church already? She came to church with us on Sunday! She lives far away, and with all of the transportation it took her a total of 2 hours to get to church with about 5 different modes of transportation - travel bus, metro, bus, trenino, walking (we picked her up and went with her the last 2 together so she could find it, because the Roma 3 church is kind of hidden). Gives a whole new perspective as I've met these people of the importance of coming to church every Sunday. People sacrifice SO MUCH. It's something I've never had to do, living 2 minutes from the church my whole life and then going to BYU. I love these people for their diligence.

Sunday there were supposed to be 2 baptisms after church. But I learned again how much Satan DOESN'T WANT THIS. He does everything he can to stop baptism. Unfortunately he had some success this Sunday. The Anziani have been teaching Stephen, who is from Ghana. We all saw him on Saturday at the church and he was great and happy. That night at 10pm he called the anziani, telling them that his brother was in Italy, had called him, found out he was getting baptized the NEXT DAY, and fed him a bunch of lies about our church including that we are not Christian. It really scared Stephen, so much that he didn't even come to church on Sunday. It has been really hard on all of us. Sunday in church was rough and we said several prayers together with the 6 missionaries in our ward for help for him and for the anziani. Today I know they're in communication with Stephen still, but he is very confused and we don't know what's going to happen. It was also a day when Satan was probably rejoicing, becuase many investigators didn't come to church who said they were, members were sick, plans fell through, etc.

On a happier note, Austin DID get baptized. I love Africans!!! On Monday the 4 sorelle went to lunch with Austin and also with Dexter (the Filippino who got baptized in August before I got to Roma) and Austin is legit. He feels so good after being baptized. And I found out that day that he felt really sick on Sunday and wouldn't have come to church that day to rest, except that it was his baptism day and he had made a promise with God so he came. :) THOSE are the prepared people!!!!!!!!! Ready to ACT.

Dario is also legit! We fasted together with him for fast Sunday, and he came to church and to the baptism. He wants to get baptized on the 17th! He just needs to quite smoking, so we are working really hard with him this week to help him finally quit forever. Pray for him! If he's not going to be ready for the 17th I know he will be ready soon after, and I'm sooo happy for him :)

We've had some cool experiences at the African camp lately too. David is awesome, we taught him the PLan of Salvation yesterday and we all felt so good. Last week he brought a friend to the lesson too and we re-taught the Restoration to this guy, Oscar, and it was so awesome. I love teaching people :)

I love Filippini. Period. Hahaha. Making good friends with them.

We found a really old inactive lady who is slightly crazy. She is 83 and has no teeth. So when we were there she decided to put her dentures in her mouth and commenced to growl with them in. Yep. Good times!!

I love gelato, I love pizza, I love pasta. I love Italy! I am officially legal to be here until February 2014 becuase I got my new permesso card. But sadly I will not be here that much longer. I will eat as much gelato, pizza, pasta, and everything else that I can in the meantime!

Vi voglio bene!

Love, Sorella Sobeck

P.S. - No time for pictures, EXCEPT for a couple with Gaetanina, the 83 year old with no teeth who is hilarious. Here are pictures of her first with no teeth, and then with her teeth growling at us hahahaha. Love it!

Hannah - I got your letter and I laughed so hard. Oh my goodness - real life hahaha.

COLOSSEO