Crotone! Transfer 5 Week 5!

Hey everybody! This week is going to be a shorter weekly email so I have time to respond to all the other ones! 

This week has been great as usual! We have seen lots of success and are super excited for this week! On Monday night there was a cyclone that blew into Crotone apparently the first since 1992... well we were outside! We were on our way back from Catanzaro and we walk out of their apartment to head to the calabro which is like a little train that goes from their apartment to the actual train station. We almost got washed away, the streets were flooding, the old river that usually has no water in it was flowing like the Mississippi and my shoes were definitely soggy... as usual the train was late but at least there was a roof over top of us! We finally made it to Crotone and I called a member to come and take us home, it was a miracle!

Tuesday we had a great DDM, Anziani Haws has introduced a new assignment to the agenda, DDM snack, I had the snack this week so we brought cookies and milk! It all went well and then we made gnocchi and bacon pasta stuff together, it was way good! We did some "Family Photos" because Anziano Allen is my son and Sister Bonzo is his Mom... and then lots of other pictures too! 

Wednesday the highlight was definitely the worldwide Broadcast from the Missionary Council! It was an incredible experience, they had it set up as a tour of the Church Office Buildings where they brought us in "To sit in on" an "actual" Council! They discussed some really important parts of missionary work and made some really interesting changes to the schedule that we follow everyday. I was hoping wake up time would change to 8:30 but it's definitely still at 6:30... one can hope right! They changed around how we do our studies and our morning schedule so we have more time to exercise and get ready for the day and they moved around our companion study so that we can fit it in where it best fits us. They also changed our Preparation Day so that it begins at 8 AM it gives us more time to get our personal things done and be ready for the week! It was really interesting to see how inspired the church is as they change the different aspects of missionary work!

Thursday was a really good day with our investigator Antonio, he is the one that came to Church two weeks ago to find one of the members, we had a really great lesson to review the Restoration. Last time he kept saying hat he felt the Church seemed really new compared to all the other ones and that he didn't understand. We explained using cups how Jesus Christ established a Perfect church and then that with his death and the death of his apostles the authority to act in his name was taken from the Earth and fell into Apostasy. As we restored the church with the Prophet Joseph Smith it was like a light bulb went on in his eyes and he totally understood! He even said "So if you take out any principles of the Church the whole thing crumbles!" Ding ding ding! It was such a spiritual lesson and we both felt the spirit testifying so strongly to him! He came to Church on Sunday as well! We are hoping and praying that he will receive his answer! 

Friday! We had probably one of the most productive weekly planning sessions I've ever had, we got so much done and made some awesome plans for this next week. It's so true that when you take the time to plan and use that time wisely that Heavenly Father will help things to fall into place! That afternoon we went with Salvatore and his wife to buy some new pillows (we were in desperate need) and since we had a ride home we bought a few cases of water so we wouldn't have to carry them home... definitely worth it! The Sorelle also told us that they haven't had a toilet seat in their apartment for like 6 months... I know weird... so we bought them a new one, they were pretty excited! 

Saturday was pretty good and we got a lot done! Flashback to Wednesday Anziano Allen dropped his tablet and it broke the screen and doesn't turn on... so we were trying to find a repair place. I don't know the words for that so I probably sounded like a moron saying "It's broken, it fell" but we got the point across. Haha then in the afternoon it was pouring like its done all freaking week so we spent some time at home and looked through our Area Book, I made about a million phone calls and set up some appointments for this next week! We're still working on getting Anziano Allen to use the phone, he's getting there! I totally sympathize, it's still hard for me sometimes! 

Sunday, I gave a talk on Sunday and the topic was "Missionary Work" it went really well and I realized that I am tomorrow 8 months of the way through my mission! It's so crazy how fast it's gone but it also feels like I've been a missionary forever! I'm 1/3 done! The rest of Church went really well! I almost forgot, this week we sent Antonio to the temple for the first time! He is a New Convert of less than a year and he got to go to the Switzerland temple this week! It is so neat to see the success stories of these people and know that you've helped them in some way or another! I love Italians! We did a "Gesso" (Another one of those chalk things where you draw in the sheet) last night and it went really well! We talked to some really cool people and also some crazies! Turns out they're everywhere! Before the gesso we made brownies for that family I talked about last week, we did a "Family Home Evening" activity with them and taught them the Plan of Salvation which in Italian is one of the hardest things for me to teach but it went really well and Anziano Allen did a great job too! This family is so prepared for the Gospel and at the end she said "So what are we going to talk about next Sunday when you guys come over?" I could have fallen over... lets go!

This morning we have been super productive! We made a meal plan so we can be more organized and then went grocery shopping and then made burgers at home for lunch! We are emailing now and then we've got some plans for tonight after P-day! I hope you all have a great week! I miss you all and I can't wait to hear about your weeks! 

Love,

Jacob