MERRY CHRISTMAS

The line of the week this week was, "I didn't ask for this!!!"

Haha from Monday until Thursday we were traveling. We had some pretty crazy experiences on the train that were very funny and super awkward and a little bit scary at times, but we made all of our trains and are alive!!

I was so happy to be back in Taranto. I love that city so much. We had the opportunity to go to a meal appointment with Mariella (Matteo's mom)(she's like the best cook ever) and it was super fun and loved catching up with her. There is some good news!! My permesso (a document which states that I am legal to live in Italy) expires the exact same day that I go home! So I don't have to renew it, which is a huge miracle. Also we went to English course and it was the day of Santa Lucia so there was like this parade going through the streets and Giovanni (guy that played the harmonica) was like "I had a feeling you were going to come today!! It's santa Lucia!!" He was very happy to see me haha. 

The quote comes in because anziano wright (an elder in my district) was furious because they out finocchi on his horse sandwich and he didn't order that hahaha. But that was exactly what Sorella demann and I were feeling this week. We had the strangest bites on our legs. Mine were in a circle and hers were in a straight line and we had no idea where we got them. She had bed bugs in college like a year ago and she said they looked exactly the same so we were kind of freaking out about that, but luckily we haven't been bit again so let's hope for the best. 

My favorite part of the week was when we got to go to the old folks home and I played the violin while other people sang Christmas songs and it was super fun. It reminded me of the good old days in Jane Mensel's violin concerts at old folks homes. They love hearing the music and it is sooo fun to see their faces light up. 

I hope you all have a very merry Christmas!!! This week I was reading something that talks about the significance of the star. Why did Heavenly Father choose to make the sign of Christ's birth a star in the sky? It's like Moses with his staff. LOOK and LIVE. We have to do our part to look and to follow the star that lights up our paths and our lives. And through Christ, we can be saved. I don't really know if any of that makes sense, but it makes sense in my head haha. There are some weeks and some days and some moments when we just want to scream "I DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS!!!!" Haha. But if we got everything that we asked for we wouldn't be able to become the person Heavenly Father wants us to become. And for that I am incredibly grateful for a father in heaven who knows me so well and knows exactly what I need to become what He needs me to become. 

BUON NATALE E BUONE FESTE!!!!!

Sorella G