Cut My Own Hair for the First Time!

Wow! I can barely believe that my first transfer is coming to an end! I has been really great and I have grown and improved in so many areas and I so grateful to the Lord for all the help he has given me and I only hope that I can grow to be the servant that he needs me to be. I have grown to adore Piacenza and its inhabitants. It is like a home away from home and a family that I never thought I would have.

Well Anziano Thompson and I have had an amazing and busy week and there is some pretty wild news that I have to impart. I am pretty excited!

Lets see. Where do I start?

I'll start with a misadventure... I cut my own hair for the first time... lets just say that I would fit in pretty well in a Buddhist monastary (hair wise). It is evident to me from the thin patches I discovered that baldness in an unavoidable fate for me, but I hope to prolong that fate as long as possible. The hats that Mom sent me could not have come at a more perfect time because you never realize with a full head of hair how cold the world is.

We have been doing a lot of finding work and visiting our less actives and new converts. That has been really fun. We visited a lady named Yvonne from New York who has lived in Italy for 30 or more years (she was even married here) she showed us her old year book. That was trippy and I made me think that one day I will be old and grey and 2010 will have been a distant memery for the world and maybe I will show people in their 20's and they will handle it like an ancient record.

History is a crazy thing. I live in a city that was first settled 218 years before the Savior walked the Earth and I walk in buildings that have all probably seen more sunshine than the country I came from.

We had a meeting with Osas and John to give them Baptismal Calendars that basically help them prepare for their baptismal date and their friend Fred (who has been coming to lessons a little bit and has been coming to Church) seemed a bit offended. And when we asked why, He asked us where his baptismal calendar was. We told Him that we didn't know that he wanted to be baptized... and he looked at us like we dropped from Mars and he said "Of course I want to baptized. I wouldn't continue to study with you if I didn't like it and know it was true!" Anziano Thompson and I were shocked! It was awesome! So now we have 4 baptismal dates. 

We did scambio again and I went to Reggio Emilia and that really rocked amazingly. Anziano Collins and I were soooo busy and we were going around town with lessons and talking to people and I havn't felt so satisfyingly tired in a while. Also we made a really good luch of tortellini, spinach, zucchini, eggplant, and panna (cream). It was good.

Anziano Thompson had his birthday on the second of February. That was really fun. President Taina (our branch president) had us and Cinzia over to celebrate. We had Polenta and (I shudder to say...) horse stew, Coffee free Tiramisù (which Cinzia insists is blasphemy) and we watched the Testaments film which rocked.

We went to Church on Sunday and afterwards, we went to lunch with the Moriggi family. I don't think that I can say that I have eaten more in my entire life. Seriously. We had a really good pasta thing that Sorella Morrigi gave us a Mount Everest sized helping of. and I thought that was enough. No its not. After that she pulled out steak and fries. Anziano Thompson leans over and says "I think I am going to puke." The food was good but there was so much. Later, She pulled out apple pie (or the Italian equivolent). We fasted the next day.

Yesterday, I had my appointment with the Questura (Italian Immigration Police) to be fingerprinted. That was really fun. It was a surreal experience. I dont think that I ever thought that I would be fingerprinted for anything or experience the unique feeling that comes from it. Miracle though: We parked our bikes and looked up to see none other than Willy (a less active who we lost contact with because he lost his phone or changed his number!). And later that night we were doing casa and found a lady named Patience. She was amazing. I hope that we get to teach her more.

Just so you know. I don't think that America is the melting pot any more. It's Italy for sure. I have met people from all over the place from New York, to Ecuador, to Ghana and everywhere in between. (For example we met a Sri Lankan lady while doing casa last night and her upstairs neighbors didn't understand us because they were Russian).

Today, for P-day we finally went to Bobbio. Think picturesque Italian town in the mountains and you've got it. It is a super quiet sleepy place (or at least today it was becasue we were there in Prime Siesta time) We walked down by the river and explored a Cathedral and a castle.

Now for the news. I saved it for last because there is no pleasure like keeping people in suspense. Seriously. I wish I could see all of your faces right now.........

Okay. We got our transfer calls.... and.... We aren't getting transfered, but Somebody is getting transferred to Piacenza, named Anziano Edwards. That's right... we are going to be triplets! Yay! We get him tomorrow and the cappi are going to be blitzing us. Tomorrow will be crazy!!!!!

Okay I think that is everything that I can think of. I love you all! You rock like crazy!

Love,

Anziano Cook