Anziano Packer Bruce Blazzard: Week 50

Famiglia e Amici,

These last few weeks many things happened. Monday, after emailing we took a bus to a shopping center to get some short sleeve shirts and shoes. I asked for some help picking out shoes this time and told the guy repeatedly that I needed shoes that would withstand walking miles each day for another year. I hope the shoes I picked will work. The next day we had DDM and then a few lessons before English course. The next day we went to the Questura early in the morning to sign something for Elder Toronto's permission to stay in the country. While there a mini rebellion took place outside the building in which we heard a bunch of shouting and screaming from angry Africans wanting their documents. Then we ran to do a lesson in a park. After we ran to catch a bus to Bitritto to do another lesson. Then we had a lesson with a group of young people who afterwards told us they weren't ready to put God first in their lives and dropped us. The next day, I went to Bitonto to do an exchange with Elder Borough. We did some finding and not a lot of people wanted to talk to us. We had some really good panzerotti though. Then we did English course before taking the train back to Bari. There, we had to buy our tickets to Rome for the conference the following Monday. They had previously told us that they would have bought the tickets but then they made a last minute change of plans. Luckily I had just enough money in my wallet and on my mission card to buy it. Unfortunately, we are pretty much out of food. The next day, Friday, we planned in the morning before doing a few lessons in the evening. On Saturday, we did a lesson in the morning before doing a finding blitz with the district in Bari later that day. On the way down to the square where we were going to do it, we saw a group of street performers break dancing. They were pretty good. The next day at church we were super busy. I ended up playing the piano, translating with the headset, and giving a talk. Afterwards we went to Bitritto to have lunch with a man (who is the son of a man I met in Ragusa) and his wife. We ate out on the shaded deck while listening to some classical piano music and enjoying the view of a beautiful rolling Italian countryside. We had a delicious pasta with tomatoes, olives, and cheese, chicken (with Hidden Valley Ranch!! (it doesn't exist here)), buttered corn, candied strawberries, and pistachio gelato. Then we had a a lesson. Monday we had a lesson in the morning before catching the train to Rome at 1. We sat next to an Italian marine, a British woman, and some Brazilian tourists who didn't like us talking too much. When we got to Rome it was pouring rain. We then headed to the Catholic convent where we would stay the night. It was fun seeing all of my mission buddies again as they arrived at the convent. It was a pretty nice place with 4 comfy beds to a room with good water pressure. Also very clean. In the morning (we woke up at 5:30 to get on the bus at 7), we ate a breakfast of raw ham and cheese sandwiches and cheese spread on old toast. We then took a bus to a hotel where the conference would take place. I was able to see my old MTC companions Elder Mika and Elder Trejo too. Then Elder Bednar arrived and he basically just asked questions and responded to comments. It was powerful and he explained things very well using personal experience and the scriptures. He is an Apostle of the Lord. Afterwards we got soaked by the continuous rain making our way to the train station. We took a train back to Bari and then housed 8 missionaries in our apartment. The next day, they left and we did a lot of finding and one lesson. Today, we are hoping to receive money for the new month so we can get some food.