The Work Continues!

Hello Beautiful family and friends!

I love you all so much and I want you to know that everything here is going well. We have had a crazy week this week and Piacenza is popping like crazy!

A bit after my last e-mail... Actually now that I think of it, it was the day after just after English class, we found out that Anziano Edwards was being tranfered to Udine to train and we would be recieving Anziano Iacovelli from Alaska to come and be our third companion. He rocks! I am learning so much from him language and missionary wise. I get along really well because he reminds me of a lot of people back home.

Let's see what else has happened....

On Wednesday, We went to Verona for Zone conference which was really good. It was cool to see Verona in the Sun this time. I recived a lot of letters there and that was really awesome. We taught English classs after and then recived a surprise call from President, telling us that Anziano Edwards was going to be transerred.

On Thursday, we had 6 missionaries at our appartment for lunch. Anziano Thompson, Edwards, Icovelli, Tanner (Anziano Iacovelli's companion who I met in the MTC) and the senior missionaries from Verona. It was kind of crazy. We changed companions and got to work.

On Friday we had a lot of appoinments and then a dinner appointment with the Morriggi's. We had Tacos! I dismissed the thought of eating one of those for the next two years. We taught the Plan of Salvation to Fratello Morriggi who is not a member of the Church, but want's to know more about the church and began attending at his wife's insistance. It was a really spiritual lesson. At the end he prayed out loud for the first time in 55 years. 

On Saturday, we had lessons and finding.

On Sunday, we went to Church and then had a visit with Sorella Libé. She has always had basically a candy shop waiting for us, including a cake. She cut us all liberal slices and when it came to me I asked for a pezzitino (little piece) and she said "You eat almost nothing and you just keep getting thinner and thinner. You need to enjoy life some or soon you will just blow away! Also if you become skinny, you will also become UGLY!" She cut me a really fat piece and brought it to me asking "Is that small enough for you? I can make it bigger because honestly you eat almost nothing!" I just shut my mouth and ate the cake.

On Monday, we had scambi and I hosted and taught a lesson in French to a Morroccan man. That was really crazy because my French really has become much worse, but we were able to understand each other and he understood both of my other companions when they spoke really slow Italian. It was really cool. Also I was able to find my way to the house of one of our contacts using a map and memory and help from others--I felt proud of myself for knowing a city in a foreign country. It was really fun.

Yesterday, We had a really cool lesson with a sister in our branch who is giving her first talk tomorrow and we were able to calm her stress down and help her breathe.

Today we went to a castle and got a tour of it by its owner.

This week has been really wonderful and I am feeling closer and closer to God and feeling honored to do His work. I love the people here. The work of a missionary is hard, but there is nothing like it! I hope that this e-mail finds everyone in great health and happiness and in the Love of God!

Hugs!

Anziano John Colin Cook