I am melting like a popsicicle on the 4th of July!

Is it really still May cause pretty sure it feels like July! Yikes it is hot! It has been reaching the hundreds already! I think that it is gonna be one smelly summer, especially since our main form of transportation (after walking of course) is the bus. Bus = no air conditioning, tons of people packed in to a tight space, and very few users of deodorant that contains antiperspirant. Joy! But enough complaining because the fact that this country is full of gelato makes it all better.

So I gave my talk on Sunday. I think it went pretty well. I wrote it out in Italian and English so the person translating could just read what I was saying, which I think worked out really well. The girl translating is an American who is married to an Italian and her Italian is good, but still not amazing so I think she appreciated the English version. All of Sunday just seemed to go really well. I felt like the spirit of the meetings were focused on Missionary work, which is great because we are having an open house in the church on Saturday and the majority of the people who will come, won't be the people we've invited, but instead those the members invite. I pray that the members can pull through!

We had a really good lesson with Yvonne and 2 of her sister-in-laws last Thursday. One of her sister-in-laws, Irene, was in a car accident 7 months ago and is suffering from a broken leg and just arrived in Italy from Cameroon to receive some medical treatment. (scary thought to think that someone would be desperate enough to come to Italy for medical care.) We talked about being cleansed from our sins, faith in the lord and obedience to the commandments. When we asked if anyone had any experiences to share about when they were blessed by showing their faith, the other sister-in-laws, Judits, shared an experience about when she was still living in Cameroon (she also lives in Italy now) and her son was old enough to start school, but she didn't have any money to buy him dresses (school clothes) and she didn't know what she was going to do, she just prayed and put her trust in God. Then out of the blue a women called her and asked if she would do her hair for her. She had done hair for some people, but because she was without a car and lived kind of out of the way she hadn't done hair for a long time because she couldn't get to people and no one wanted to come out to her, but this lady called and said she would come to her. So she did her hair and was paid well and was so happy because she knew she would be able to buy dresses for her son. Then her father called and she was talking to him on the phone and she asked him how everything was going with the orphans (I am not really sure what orphans she was referring to her English wasn't super great.) and her father told her they didn't have any money for food and he didn't know what to do, so she told him, don't worry I have some money for you. So she sent all the money she had just earned and sent it to her father. And she didn't know what she would do for her son. She was really concerned because it was getting time for school to start, and she had no money to buy her son clothes. Then one day some one came to her house and left for her a bag and she looked inside and it was filled with dresses. She said that she just cried and prayed thanking the lord that now her son could go to school. Wow, it was such a good lesson and the spirit was so strong. Both the sister-in-laws speak French more than English so we told them we would bring them some French books of Mormon later on in the week.

Saturday we were able to go pass by Yvonne's to drop off the French books of Mormon and then while we were in that part of town (we have to take a train to get there) we decided to pass by some members that lived close by so we could remind them of the open house and also so I could have them read over and correct my talk. They were leaving as we were getting there but they told us to come back in an hour, they said the Elders are coming over as well. (oops) we didn't realize the Elders had scheduled an appointment with them, but the family told us that really it was not a problem at all, and that they would be happy to have us over for dinner with them and the other missionaries. So we went back and had dinner with them that evening and then on the way home at the train station we ran into one of Yvonne's sister-in-laws with her book of Mormon in hand. Wow that was such a beautiful site!

Ok, So mom requested I share something weird or exciting that happened this week so I thought I would share the story of the pigeons. I think I mentioned in another email that we have pigeons living on our balcony. They hatched and they are ugly!, but I don't mind the babies, it's the big ones that I really don't like! I just think they are so gross! Anyways it has been so so so hot lately and we just have two little fans that we plug in to cool us down so we have been leaving our windows and the balcony doors open. There aren't screens on windows in Italy (don't ask me why I have no idea!) and so it is pretty much just open. The first few days we did it I would always shut the kitchen door because I didn't want pigeons coming in. Everyone told me that I was silly that they wouldn't come in so I said fine we can leave it open. The 3 other sisters laughed at me and my pigeon fears but the other day me and my companion were in our room doing language study and I heard a weird noise coming from the kitchen. I looked at my companion and said, “what is that noise?” there were some kids outside screaming and stuff so she was like, “kids playing.” and I said “no not that noise, the other noise. Please go into the kitchen and tell me there is not a pigeon in there!” She just laughed and said.. “and if there is?” “Tell me there's not.” so she walks around the corner and I hear her gasp and then laugh and then say “there's no pigeon in the kitchen,” followed by the closing of the kitchen door. Gross!! there was totally a Pigeon in our apartment. As soon as those babies are gone that nest is being swept off the balcony! Eww! I was gonna send some pictures of the baby pigeons, but I forgot my camera at home today, sorry. Next week.

Hmm... Ok I think that's it for now. Monday we receive transfer calls again so next week I will let you all know if I will be staying in Florence next week. Until then, take care and enjoy the summer time and every time you feel sweaty and gross you can think of me in the streets of Italy or adhered to the hard plastic bus seats. Lots of love!