Lesson Learned...

Do not travel on the day called Sciopero. Because this is the day where all the Italians go crazy, stand in the road, park their trucks in the middle of the road, and shut everything down because they don't like their government.. and that includes the trains. We decided to go to Savona for our district meeting. We get there thinking everything is all hunky dory until we had been sitting on the train to get back to Sanremo for four hours because all the stations are blocked. The even better part is we have to go through Imperia to get to Sanremo and that is where everyone was going crazy because that is where the union or something like that is... finally after four hours our district leader gets the bright idea to pray... 20 or so minutes later, we found another train that took us home. So what is the lesson learned here... Probably ask Heavenly Father to help first before you are in a train for four hours. Pretty sure prayer is pertinent for all troubles though! So what i am getting at is PRAY!! WOW, because really, It works! We are very lucky though that it is mostly over in Sanremo so it is safe to be walking around again.. and we can buy food again. Sometimes this thing goes on for three days or so or until the government decides to change something.. It is almost like a fiesta though. They do this every year! And still... fixes nothing. What a bummer. So our branch president called us the other night because his wife had washed her hands at the church and lost her wedding ring. The word for ring and lamb are very similar in italian, so Sorella Egbert thought what he was asking us to do was to go to the church and find her lamb... I totally thought of you mom. I will bring you home an Italian lamb so it doesnt get eaten here... but what he meant was ring. It was hysterical because we could really just imagine her carrying her pet lamb around... Why not? I mean they bring their goats into the kitchen? What would be the problem.. hahaa, anywho, the work is moving forward. We cant seem to teach the actual lessons planned with the mom and daughter who have baptism dates this month, but Heavenly Father knows what needs to happen.. It is where i need the divine gift of patience... which i lack. I will always remember what Nana told me... patience is a virtue.. Trust me, i try very hard to have it too. I just really want them to have this special day all together, but you cant push people! They just have to feel it and if we continue to teach them with this faith, i know they will be baptized. As for our other baptism date, she is soo ready and perfect. When we talk about elect people, she has a neon sign above her head. She knows everything is true. We asked her to live the word of wisdom, she said okay without a question. She is amazing! It just brings so much hope to see these wonderful people changing their lives. I was just thinking about why i know this gospel is true, and it is because there is nothing else in this world that brings this happiness, peace, or even just content feeling in life. That is the perfect way to describe how i feel in my insides. Content... with really everything.. Content to be a missionary, and just with the progression of this work.. Really more content. I bounce up and down sometimes because i am so happy!.. Sorella Egbert thinks i am a freak.. but we all know it is true. LITTLE DRUMMER BOY IS PLAYING! I LOVE NATALE! Ah, i am so excited for Christmas here. I get to be here with these crazy people that i just love with my whole heart. I made a new homeless freind. Her name is Maria. We made cookies last week and i stopped and gave her two because we always see her and she is just really nice. She sits outside our church door sometimes too so i gave her crackers today. She really is great! Just a really humble person.. i like humble people. I should be more like them... maybe just not homeless.. i dont want to be that.. Well we are just so excited for Christmas!! We are going to make sandwiches for the homeless with the giovanne this coming week, make cookies today and bring them to random people. sing christmas songs in the Plzz. Colombo with some branch members, and just bring the wonderful message of our Savior to everyone!! Because everyone needs it. I read it again in a talk by Uchtdorf. The brightness of dawn always comes when our nights seem the darkest. We need to bring that to people because we know it, and they need it. Serve someone this Christmas season! Just do what Jesus does.. he brings everyone happiness. Do the same!!! HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!

LOVE YOU ALL!
Sorella Voods (or what they all call me now)