Week 45 - Bari, Italy

Amici e Famiglia,


It was a little unusual this week.  On Monday after emailing, we took a train with the district to a city called Polignano.  It was really beautiful and I took a bunch of pictures so you're welcome. We also got some gelato for the first time in a while which was as good as ever.  Later that night we had a few lessons with an investigator and less-active.  We decided to stop by this food shop on the way home because our homie works there to say hi and he ended up giving us some free panzerotti (folded over fried pizzas) and an omelette thing.  I love free food.  The next day we did street work in the morning walking all over the old city where the castle is.  We definitely will have to return to take a look inside some P day.

 Then we had a lesson with a few new-coverts, English course, and a lesson with an investigator afterwords.  An English course student gave us this coffee cake which we politely accepted and then gave to our homie at the food shop who gave us free food the day before.  Before we left he offered us some more free food.  This time, focaccia (baked garlic bread with oil and tomatoes... really good.)  I politely offered to pay which he responded to with the most hilarious fake offended look.  He was like, "You're going to pay?"... and then a second later he said, "That will be 2 euro."  He is a good business man.

 The next day we had a lesson with an investigator before getting on a train to Rome.  It was a long train ride (4 hours) and one Elder accidentally bought his ticket for a wrong day so he got slapped with a 100 euro fine pulled right off his debit card with an Ipad and card reader.  When we got to Rome's main terminal (Termini) we took the metro (subway thing) to the Spanish steps to do some missionary work.  The metro was packed and full of gypsies so I stuffed my hands in my pockets holding my wallet and other possessions and positioned my bag in front.  We were seriously packed in like sardines.  We had to leave right after we got to the steps and head out to where the Rome 3 elders lived.  We slept there and the next morning we headed to the Rome 2 church for a mission conference.

 President Teixeira (seventy) of the European Area Presidency spoke to us and we had a great meal of pasta, baked chicken, potatoes, fruit, and cookies.  Then we had to hustle back to Termini using the metro like always to catch the train back to Bari.  We pigged out on all the candy I received (thanks mom and family.)  We arrived back after 10 pm and we had to house 6 elders from Lecce, Statte, and Taranto.  The next day after they left we had correlation with our ward mission leader and I shared skittles.  The ward missionaries really enjoyed them.  Then we went to Bitritto for a lesson and later that night we had a lesson with the group of young adults at a member's home where we went over the restoration again and watched the 20 min. movie.  The next day we had a little exchange and then after we had a lesson with an investigator at Burger King.  I'm happy to report the whopper still tastes like the whopper. Then we went to the evening session of Stake conference.

 One speaker spoke about how the full time missionaries are the attackers and the members are the wings relating missionary work to soccer.  They pass people to us and we score (or baptize them.)  The next day we went to the general session of stake conference and it went well too.  Then we went to a meal appointment at the bishop's house.  We had pasta with a meat ragù sauce, thin fried chicken breasts, fruit (kiwi and an apple), and some cake.  It was delicious.  Then we finally had time to do the weekly planning.  Afterwards we went to a family home evening at the senior couple's apartment (it was amazingly nice.)  It was a youth activity and tons of people showed up including our investigator.  The treats at the end were good as well and included chocolate chip cookies.  Today, it is raining so I don't know what we will do for fun... probably go eat something good.  Have a great week errbody.

Anziano Blazzard