Hello!

Hello Family!
    First i want to say that im on the main land today!  Haha.  Its so great.  We are in Regio Calabria just for today.   Anziano medina served here and there is a member that said we could come to her beach house today and have a BBQ and stuff.  Im really excited!  it should be a lot of fun.  Its interesting because i just kind of picture all of Italy like Catania... And that is just not the case.  Its a lot cleaner here and just a different world.  Its going to be weird to go to another city.  I LOVE catania!  I have all my friends that i see every day and i love the people here!  If i leave, its going to be really weird to go to another city.  Im really nervous and excited for Saturday when we get our transfer calls!!  I have no idea where im going except that im pretty sure im not going to Sardegna (which is sad, i want to go there) or Rome.  WHo knows!
       Anyway, for the week.  Ok, i want to say this first.  Haha.  So sunday in church there was the Young women's program (apparently they have this every year and it is like the primary program but for the YW.  It was really great actually!  I think we should start it in our wards.  All the Young Women gave talks on the virtues.  And the best part was that i understood everything!!!  Such an accomplishment!  I love when the youth speak in church because its so much more simple and i can understand.  But this was the funny part.  All the parents were taking pictures of their kids in the middle of sacrament meeting!!  Haha.  I have never seen that before.  Sorella Tinoco was shocked that i havent seen that.  The church is the same everywhere, yes, but there are some things that show the church is still young here.  I wanted to get my camera out but i figured it wouldnt be a good idea for me to take pictures...
      Next, I had my first experience with an investigator having a dream.  For those of you that dont know, people in Italy have dreams all the time.  But until Monday, none of the people we are teaching had had this experience.  Anyway, Lidia called us monday morning in a panic and said that we had to come over that day.  (I dont know if i have told you about her or not but we started teaching her about 2 weeks ago.  She is like 55 or something).  She didnt even go to work because she had this dream and needed us to come over.  So we went over to hear about and it and help her know what it meant.  Basically, she saw an angel that walked towards her with some plates (like ancient records) that had something written on them but she couldnt understand them because they were in an ancient language.  Then the Angel told her that the things written there are true.  She also woke up feeling like a completely new person and that she had a clean slate.  Like everything she had done in the past was gone and that day she started a new life.  Anyway, we talked to her about it and she came to the conclusion that it was an answer to her prayer.  The night before she had prayed to know that the Book of Mormon was true.  This was her answer that indeed the it is true!  I told her the part i liked the most of her dream was how she felt when she woke up.  That literally as we accept Christ and His Gospel and are baptized this is what happens.  We become a new person and all our sins are washed away.  We can really start to use the atonement of christ in our lives.  And then we set a baptisimal date with her!!!!! october 15th!  I dont think i will be here for it but im so happy anyway.  I have been praying and praying to find someone in catania that is really ready for baptism.  I have been here for almost 6 months and found so many people that were close but as of now arent ready and willing to make that step.  Lidia is an answer to my prayers.  I wont be here to see her baptized but im SOOOOO happy to know that she is going to be able to have the blessing of the Gospel in her live.  I know it is going to change her in so many ways.  She lost her husband 13 years ago and has really struggled since.  I am so happy so knows about the perfect plan our father in heaven created for us!  I love sharing this with people!!  I cant imagine how much harder life is without knowing that we have a Heavenly Father and after this life, we can live with him forever!
     We talked with the Evangelist family again twice this week.  The wife was SOOOOO happy to see us.  She is ready to be baptized its just her husband.  They already switched to the evangelist church and so i think he is afraid to switch again.  Anyway, they told us that they have found some things in their church that arent right.  like that they only take the sacrament on easter and that its not like a family when they go to church.  I think with time they will want to learn more about our church and be baptized.  They are awesome and want to badly to find the truth!  The not so great part is that the husband lost his job and so they had to move to live with his mom because they couldnt pay for their house.  So now they live super far away and cant go see them because his mom doesnt want us to come.  They did say though that they will try and come to church this week especially because its probably my last week.  We'll see!!
     I think that pretty much hits the highlights for us this week!  Oh ya, i wanted to get a response from those of you that have served missions about the best way to handle the polygamy thing.  Lots of people here think that we are polygamists.  Obviously the answer to that is no, but what exactly do you say when they ask why we did it in the past?  Some advice on this would be great:)  Basically we just say that heavenly father commanded His children in the old testament too.  Well, i hope you all have a great week!  Im excited for next week to tell you about transfers!  Its crazy!  This could be my first city change!  So weird!  Anyway, thanks for everything.  For your emails and your support!  I love my family so much!  I am so blessed to have you all in my life!  Thanks for supporting me as i try my best to serve the Lord here in Italy!  talk to you next week!!!

Love,
Sorella Chelsea