Hello again from Italy!

It is week five, so you all know what that means! Get the transfer guesses in! Also, no more mail for this transfer or I might never ever get it. Sorella Burkman thinks that she will be staying and training and I will be leaving and training. I currently just feel like I could just a gelato so I am not trusting my instincts. ooooooo let the anticipation begin! 

"the only three people in Italy wearing helmets."

"Why must it rain on the sister missionaries, why?!?!"

Okay, highlights of the week! 

I was able to watch the Saturday morning, evening and Sunday morning sessions of General Conference. It was the perfect spiritually uplifting that I needed. My favorite talk was Elder Neil Andersens, restating that women are as equally as essential to God's plan for happiness and if we all had the priesthood then hello, we wouldn't need our exalting covenants. It was a delightful reminder of my eternal role and purpose :) I also loved Elder Holland's talk about mental and physical illness. Obviously the situation with Sorella Burman's dad has left an impression on me and I felt a lot of peace knowing that he may be limited here on earth but he will be freed from his limitations through the Atonement. it has us both in tears and again. he threw it down! 

Next good news, our boy Abraham decided he is ready for the waters of baptism! He passed his interview and will be baptized on Friday night by Sunny! This is a huge miracle for Sorella Burkman and I because we found him and started teaching him in our first transfer together. To watch his spiritual growth has been rewarding and incredible. 

We also taught a man named Dominic. He is 24 and from Ingleterra, also known as England. He is a  proper British bloke and studied philosophy at Cambridge. The first thing he says when we sat down together was "I don't believe in revelation or divine intervention".....ribbit....ribbit.....i am totally thinking "Well he is just going to love our discussion on the restoration then....or not". He became super deep and philosophical. I was doing my best to make sense of his "English" and Sorella Burkman was mentally running away as fast as she could. We relied heavily on the Spirit because we had no idea how to help these man feeling the confirmation of the spirit. I was able to respond to all of his questions with a somewhat intelligent answer and was able to speak to him on the same level. This was a huge miracle because as my Italian has gotten better, my English has gotten worse. However, he accepted a Book of Mormon and a return appointment. We are going to blow his mind with simplicity! 

Weekly joke brought to you by the Bazan Family - we visited them last weekend and gave the best restoration lesson we have ever done. Fratello Bazan took notes even! After they treated us to some hot chocolate and torta (cake). Somehow we got on the topic of Gemangy, like that scary creature. Alan asks Sorella Gurkman if she has ever seen it and Sorella Bazan jumps in with...."of course she has...ci mangi, ti mangi, me mangi! Gi mangi!!!" hahahaha in italian it translates to He hate us, you, and me! i laughed for a solid ten minutes. You probably aren't reading this but that is your problem, it was the funniest thing i have heard in while. 

In other news, it has turned frigid here overnight. In Utah, the leaves change and it they fall and then snow comes. Here, it is perfectly sunny and warm and the next day it begins to rain and just never stops. hahahaha we got caught in a huge rain storm on our bikes and were literally soaked. Let the winter adventures begin!

Well fam, I love you all and am so happy to be an Alley! 

vi amo! Sorella Alley 

"Classic Italian man."

"This is Anziano and Sorella Jefferies, he is the branch president
in the neighboring city. I absolutely adore them "

"You would not believe how excited Sorella Burkman was
to find Sudoku in Italy. Nerd."
(Editor's note: that is Sorella Alley's "DON'T SMILE" face)

"In honor of the family tradition of sugar cookie making!"

"We found this gem of a coat on the road. It was actually still on a hanger,
hanging from a donation box.
"Donation Box" to us means, "Ours for the taking." Thank you wealthy Italian woman."