Happy Birthday Kayla!

Well, can I just tell you my birthday was a lot of fun! The night before we made the cake (SO good!) and it was pure American goodness right here in Italy! I miss American food so much sometimes. But, I think our bodies arent used to that sort of sugar or preservatives because we both got really bad stomache aches and had diarrhea! But it was worth every bite and I would do it again! S. Glass got up in the middle of the night and put signs all over the apartment that said Happy Birthday and other cute things and even wrote on our bathroom mirror in lipstick! Yeah! That was always my favorite thing you did. We talked about birthday traditions and lo and behold look what happened. I loved the cards! I took a couple pictures of everything and I had all my cards lined up on the table and candles (2) and it was good.


I cant believe im nearly half done. Its a really weird feeling. I thought it would feel different. Somedays it feels like its whipping by, but then it feels so slow and like Im just never going to be finished. I really want to make the last half the best!

I am for sure washing my hands. Oh! I had an awful experience! There is an investigator of the Anzianis who is homeless and we met him on the street in front of an ACTUAL Gastation!! They dont exist here and we found one! I stepped inside and took a deep breathe. Anyway, we bought icecream there and then met this guy and we had to shake hands and i didnt want to because he is homeless. Then S. Glass touched my icecream cone and i couldnt handle it so i gave it to her. THen i got your cards! when we got home and got distracted and ended up licking my fingers after eating peanut butter and crackers! I freaked out and wanted to cry. But, Ive learned my lesson now! wash hands when you first get in the house, then read letters.

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Alright, here is the work update:
Eva is in her mid fifties, early 60s and she wants to be baptised so bad! She has had a couple of baptism dates, but her always works on Sundays and cant come to church. We had a special fast for her so her boss will let her off and now we are waiting.
Valentia is 23 and is getting baptised the 5th of July. The only reason she is waiting is because she is living with her boyfriend who is a member and they are getting married July 4th! She is solid and the only problem is she wont come to church if Marco is home. He works crazy hours at a bakery and plays the Im too tired card and pulls her down. We are teaching enduring to the end and trying to help her.

Carmen is in her 60s and is a referral from our mission president. She loves church and for a while would only come to church and not let us over. Then, she randomly came to conference, loved it and lets us teach at her home! She is amazing and is planning on being baptised when she feels she is ready. She wants to know everything. She is gone for the week visiting her daughter, so we will see her in a bit.

Irania is 14, speaks ok Italian but mostly spanish. She was really interested for a while, but with her family (all members but mostly less active) keep hounding her to get baptised and so she is backing off. Its really hard to see, but we will work with her and pray a lot.

Jashmine is 9, Philipina but speaks only Italian. She is slipping a little because her dad wont let her be baptised, but she believes it all. She gets confused sometimes because shes so young and is being taught Catholism in school I think. Her mom was a return missionary and now is completely less active thanks to work. I wish she would put her foot down on the being baptised part. She keeps saying someday, but the longer her daughter lives without the Holy Ghost the harder its going to be for her to be strong.

Olga is the sister of a member and is so confused. She married a Morrocan and was a practicing Muslim for a while, now she is all for Christianity. Her daughter, 9, and her are our investigators and she is going slow. I almost think she likes being confused. But, we are working with her and she is doing good. We have only met with her 3 times, once before I got here.

Those are our main investigators right now, but we just found a man from Sri Lanka and luckily we have one member from Sri Lanka who is going to come with us to help translate! He, the contact, is here with his family, so with all hope and luck we will have a new family in the ward!!!

I just don't have time to add a bunch of stuff! So Kayla gets to do all the information today! :)