First from Rome

Oh my dearest family,

It's finally happened!! I'm here in Italy...Dad seems to have already figured it
out...yep, i'm in Rome! Rome 1 to be exact. I honestly thought that of all the places I
wouldn't be sent here, but I'm so happy I was.

This place is incredible! We are living on the same street as the stake center, where two wards meet. I think my ward is the largest in the Rome mission...we have 3 sets of missionaries. 2 sets of elders and us sisters!! The work here is incredible too. We have about 10 investigators I think? Maybe more. I'm still pretty new here so i'm not 100% sure! Today marks the anniversary of my first week on the mission! The members in the ward are incredible. We have found a lot of the investigators through referalls. The rest come from investigators, street
contacting, and the bus.

My favorite contacting is on the bus! People here seem closed off, but I say hi to them and they usually ask if I know them, but once they realize that I'm learning Italian they all want to help me. Then they all get curious about why i'm in Italy and there's my chance to share the gospel! Italians are a very curious people...we get stared at a lot on the street. Especially me, I think it's because I look american! Also maybe because we look a little bit like the jehova's witnesses. We
spot some every day! There are also gypsy's everywhere. Begging or stealing...i'm so fascinated by their culture. They look really poor, but I guess they steal so much and beg so much that they get a ton of money. My companion was telling me that they have lamborginis and nice villas.

Anyways...I love Rome! Did I already say that? I live in a really nice part of town. We went and did casa in casa (ringing at the the apartments) last night for the first time. We didn't get in, but we did only do it for about a half an hour. I'm so glad we have a lot of appointments here, because it's easier to find people on the bus and through referrals! We keep trying different ways though for finding. It's funny, but I was expecting that finding would be all that we would be doing in the field, because they stressed that so much in the MTC! But we actually do a lot of lessons with investigators, meeting with members, and doing service.

And eating. Let me tell you...Italians eat slow! It's a fun experience though. My second day here we went to dinner with Marco Antonio and Monica at a Chinese restaurant. (Marco Antonio manages our apartment building, he's been inactive for 3 or 4 years. He and his wife are from Peru, and he served a mission. His wife Monica is the Primary president and is wonderful). The dinner ended up being about 3 hours. I was freaking out a little inside wondering why we were with them so long, and why we were out so late! Mostly because I didn't understand what anyone was saying for about 3 hours. Then I realized later how important it is to strengthen the members through friendship and spirit. Marco Antonio has been seeing missionaries who have lived in our building every day for years, and nothing has happened. So yesterday I came up with an idea...and I asked him if Sorella Barbiere (my comp) and I could come on Sundays after church and do a little spiritual thought with him. He says he misses the gospel, and he knows he needs to come back to church, but his pride is getting in the way. We're hoping that by bringing the spirit into his life again, we can find a way to bring him back. I just realized I haven't even talked about my companion! Sorella Barbiere is my companion, and yep, she's Italian! From Genova. She is so kind and patient with me and my language disability (kidding!). I was terrified when the two sisters came to the villa the day of transfers that I was going to have an italian companion who couldn't speak english, but she has been in the mission for a year and 3 months, and she has learned english so well through her other companions. It's such a blessing to hear her accent, and she knows the italian language backwards and forwards, which is helping me so
much! Italians just love her too.

We had lunch with the Bishop and his wife on Sunday for his birthday and their anniversary. Let me tell you, this was HUGE. They never have the missionaries over, and they especially never invite them. The bishop also doesn't like to work with the missionaries. So yeah, them inviting us over for a family thing was incredible. I had my first taste of italian cooking, and my first experience with a 4 hour long meal! I was going pazzo by the end not understanding why we were there so long, but afterwards I found out from Sorella Barbiere that she had found out why the bishop didn't usually work with missionaries (he doesn't like it when missionaries baptize investigators before they're ready), and now their family loves us. The result...the bishop WANTS to come to a lesson with an investigator. Miracle! Yay! The investigator is Angelo. He is an 80 year old man who Sorella Barbiere and her comp met the day before transfers. They gave him a card and he showed up for church on Sunday!

The Bishop met him and was really excited. We had our first lesson with him which was CRAZY. He wasn't listening to Sorella Barbiere and the member we had brought for at least a half an our. He just kept fighting them and saying he didn't believe in miracles and that he was God's son (he also started ranting about how the youth today are terrible...which is what all the older italians talk about =)). I didn't understand what was going on at all, but I could tell it wasn't good. I just kept praying to know what to do, and I stopped him and bore my testimony. It was the hardest it has ever been for me to speak italian, but the words started coming easier from the spirit. But he listened. I started bearing my testimony about Christ, and then I started crying. Ah! haha, but at that moment my companion said she could feel the spirit come back into the room. She said she's only cried once during a lesson on her mission, and this was the second time. He listened to our testimonies, and the scriptures we read him. Then he told Sorella Barbiere that when he saw her and her companions on the street, it was because he had felt this incredible urge to turn around. Then they started talking to him. I know it was the spirit. He called yesterday and told us he had read in the Book of Mormon, and the pamphlets we gave him. He said he wants to know why he had to meet them that day, because he doesn't understand it. God is working miracles today! It's incredible.

Yesterday we went to do a lesson with a new member. She was an hour late, so while we were waiting we were talking with the lady she takes care of named Nadia who has Alzheimers. She is the most adorable woman I have ever met in my entire life. We sang songs together, and I sang her some hymns. She used to be the main Soprano in the Milan opera (which is one of the best in the world). I just love her so much!

Interesting tidbit about italians, they all do "baci" ...which are the kisses on the cheeks. It was a little awkward for me at first, but now i'm used to it! Also, they eat a lot of fish. They fed us octupus the other day, which is so strong and squeaky, I was trying not to gag. =) I miss you all and pray for you! I show everyone the picture I have of our family that will listen, and they all say we have such a beautiful family.

Here is the address for the mission home (I pick it up every 2 weeks).

Sorella Jenessa Miles
Italy Rome Mission
CP 11/282 Montesacro
00141 Rome RM
Italy

And my apartment!
Sorella Jenessa Miles
Via Peveragno 3/15
00166 Rome RM
Italy

I love you so so much! Baci!

Jenessa