Transfer 1 in Piacenza

Hello everybody! I know it's been forever but things have been so crazy here that it's been hard to even think about this email. As my last email said, I am now in Piacenza. This area is so far the craziest place that I've been, which is really nice. With not having the most time left I have tried my best to give this city my all. We are a branch here, but less than a year ago it was a ward. So we know its possible to get back haha. I know many people have been praying and helping so lets see what some of that looks like.

•In the past transfer we have had 77 people from the street or referred agree to meet with us again! (Not saying they all did but they we're still taught a little bit more about Jesus Christ and his gospel)

•We now currently have 3 people with a baptismal date (and a few more praying about a date)

•we've had 35 people come join us in church over the past 6 Sundays

•Many members have started returning after they took a break for awhile or just used to come infrequently

These points are just the big picture of all the miracles that God is providing in this special city. 2 of those people on date actually just showed up on my first Sunday, so I assumed that they were members. Its a mom and her son, along with 2 younger brothers. They cane because a member was having a little birthday celebration and invited her friends. As soon as I was told that this family was actually just visiting we were able to exchange numbers and give them a Book of Mormon. They have come almost every Sunday since and the mom says this is the first time her kids have ever wanted to come to church because they love going to primary (the Sunday school for children).

Our other friend on date actually asked to be baptized the first time he came to tour the church. So we're working hard to make sure he is taught everything but he understands the blessings of making that first covenant with God with the power of the restored priesthood. 

We have an old member names Gianpietro (he's as Italian as he sounds), and he used to be inactive. But he takes us out every week with a friend to get pizza and has invited us to a lot of cultural events and its been fun! I can't say that I fully understood everything that we go to because its usually some theatrical Italian event that uses words that not even Shakespeare would imagine but they're still fun! And he was very happy to hear that my companion and I are staying and just kept saying "oh good they listened to my prayers". 

At church the other week we were eating some food to celebrate the anniversary of the relief society when a member came up to us (I was worried we were gonna be told that the amazing looking cake wasn't for us), and she instantly opened up and said that it has been a struggle for her to study the book of mormon or even the bible recently and she wanted us to come over and study with her to help her. And so we did and got to talk with her kids as well who are starting to prepare for missions. It was a very tender moment and they are such an amazing and caring family.

We did service my first week for a part member family. There was a whole bunch of down trees that we cut and sorted. We actually don't know how useful we were...all we really did is move logs like 10 feet from one pile to another. But he thanked us a lot! 

We've been hitting some good morning runs which help us be in shape to run to the train station when we're running late. It's always a good time to start being in shape for when I'm back home😌

This p-day we did nothing. We've been changed to a trio so I build a new shelf and my companion (Elder Wallace) build a new bed before we went to the train station to pick up the new guy (Elder Winegar). 

. All good stuff and sure to be a great new transfer

Love you all!!!!