Pizza, Pasta and Prayers: Letter #16

Buon Natale e Buon anno!

Well – this week has literally been crazy. But that’s okay, because on Saturday THREE of our investigators were baptized!! MIRACLE! We are so proud of them and they are so happy with their decision. They are already doing missionary work and introducing us to their friends and it is so great. We love them so much and are so proud of them and the decision they made to be baptized. I am grateful that Heavenly Father sent me here at this time where I would get the opportunity to even meet them.

But so rewind a little bit, before the baptism was Christmas! It was SO nice to be able to talk with you all again! It felt like I was right there with you. Sorry my Italian is so bad, haha – I promise I am working on it. But Skype was awesome and we had a lot of time – but then we missed the train back to our area – so we got to stay an extra night in Firenze with the other Sorelle. Party Round #2! We had a lot of fun together, haha – we exchanged presents and ate Christmas candy and even got to watch one Disney movie of our choice – and you better believe we chose Emperor’s New Groove and we loved every single minute of it, haha! We literally were laughing the entire time; that movie is pure Gold. Then we had lunch at a member’s house and it was so good and then we Skype'd!

Saturday was the baptism and one of the girls getting baptized asked me to give a talk so I gave a talk and I don’t think I messed up too horribly, haha – Italian is hard. But that’s OK – I have 14 more months to learn it, Haha! But the baptism was great and they were all confirmed the next day in church and our Branch just loves them all already. It was great.

On New Year’s Eve, we had to be in our apartment by 5pm (we called it lockdown, haha) because apparently people here go crazy on New Year’s. So we stayed in and finished our area book and journal’d while watching The District – crazy New Year’s Eve for us, am I right? Haha. There were tons of fireworks at midnight and our neighbors were clearly having a big party all night long that they did not invite us too – how rude right? haha just kidding.

Mom! guess what! You will be so proud of me. On the way home from the baptism, while we were waiting for the train, I bought a reward for myself for making it through the day – yep, you guessed it, a diet coke, haha! Best thing ever! Have fun watching The Bachelor on Monday!!! I can still be excited about that even though I am a missionary right? OK good, because I am, haha.

I hope you had a fun time in Utah for New Years and had a really good Christmas! I miss you all so much but I know I am right where I need to be right now. Thanks for all you do for me, I LOVE YOU!

Sorella Alli