Crepi il lupo!: The seventh day of the eleventh month

Hi.

It's November. I've been in Italy more than a year. Yowza.

First things first, I've already heard about the elections - one of the benefits of having a senior couple (with internet access) close by! To be honest, I'd basically forgotten about it being election day. Voter apathy, I suppose...or that I'd much rather just focus on my work here than what's going on in the political sphere. Eh.

Dad, you remember how you told me you'd like to go to the American Military cemetery that is just outside of Florence? Well we drove past it a few weeks ago and then I saw it again yesterday as we were driving back to Siena. It looks pretty cool. We talked to the Capeces about going for a pday so we can go scope it out. And thanks for the luau advice. I was thinking that maybe I would go and buy some stuff to make a real flower lei and then give it away as a door prize or something, but I dunno.

Sorry to hear about Squeaky's hurt wrist! Personally I think she should make up a cool story about how she hurt her hand, like she was fighting dementors in her ninja class or doing a backflip off the back porch or something.

Slla Nilson's dad emailed her a link with pictures of the Rome temple construction - it is really coming along! One of the members got up on Sunday and said that the Rome temple is the second largest infrastructure development in Italy right now, behind the Metropolitana in Milano...which basically means that hundreds workers have jobs right now because they have been able to work on the temple. Just another way that the temple blesses families.

We had interviews with President yesterday during district meeting, which means that I got to get a big hug from Slla Wolfgramm! They were in Spain last week for a mission president something or other and they talked about the age change for missionaries. She said that they were told to prepare to receive 200 missionaries!!! We only have 135 in our mission right now! She also said that the church went from processing 700 mission calls a week, 14% females, to processing 4000 a week, 50% females. Can you even believe it??? Slla Wolfgramm told us "and they'll be here sooner than you think. So be ready, because you'll all be training!!!" Crazy!!! She also told us that the church is sending us four new senior couples - all of them speak italian (at least one member of the couple) and they are all going to Verona. Why? Microfilm. They are bringing 20% of the Church's camera equipment and will be working with the Italian Government to put all of their records onto microfilm. Isn't that awesome?! We had decided last week that we are going to try and push genealogy in our finding work because we have a family history library here (that's the computer I'm using today) and no one ever comes! We're gonna be putting that spirit of Elijah to work!!!

Slla Wolfgramm also told me some great news about the work in Milano...which I confess I illegally confirmed via text message last night...but it made me so happy I couldn't help but dance around our kitchen like a crazy person. Slla Gomez and Slla Heuple had a baptism last week!!!!!!!!!!! It was Nathaly, who had been in Ecuador with her mom, Alicia, for like two months. NATHALY IS BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!! Yeah!!!!!! And that's not all!!!!! Giovanna has a baptismal date schedule for THIS WEEKEND!!!! GIOVANNA IS GETTING BAPTIZED!!! For realz!!!!! AND THEN they told me that they have a baptismal date with a guy that Slla Heupel and I found last transfer!!!!! AWESOMENESS!!!!!!!!!! So super exciting I couldn't even stand it!

Well, I am loving Siena. I would write all about it, but they say that a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'm just going to send a bunch of pictures. I love you all! Have a fantastic week!

Love,

Sorella Soh

Me and Sorella Nilson on the train to Firenze