2016-08-24 Transfers

Transfer 5!! At the end of next transfer, I'm already halfway done!
Isn't that crazy? I still feel like a baby in this mission!

Especially because my new companion is in her 11/12 transfer. Almost
ready to die. She's from England and she's the bomb. Tiny. So short
haha. And super funny, I love her. Her name is sorella Barlow! We have
a few people we are working with and they all have great potential.
I've been in transfers where we are working with a billion people and
it feels like we're running up a hill of mud. That's really hard and
you feel helpless, like you want to help these people but you're
stretched too thin or you don't know how. Instead, we just have maybe
a fat handful of people were working with and almost all of them are
totally genuine and willing to work with us. It's just our job to
listen to the Spirit and in that way we won't mess up haha!

Well we said goodbye to anziano Gorton, purtroppo. We also got donated
a brake cord (for a bicycle) by a guy we met on the street who we later found out is
an ex-sniper and high-end construction worker (ex. The Shard, Holiday
Inn). When we asked him about his faith, he bore a fantastic testimony
of God and it was a moment in which I knew I was being taught. Thanks
to our fabulous Italian members, our investigator and her 7-year-old
daughter were able to come to our church for the first time! She loved
it! Without my suggestion at all, she asked me where the font was, how
to become a member of the church, and what happens after we are
baptized. We have taught her the first two lessons. Who knows, maybe
we'll make it to the fourth lesson, which is something I've almost
never done so far! We have faith. There's also another lady, American,
who's husband is less active but wants to come back. She's a heavy
smoker and likes church a lot. She suffered a mini-stroke two weeks
ago. She can't be more than 30. I worry about her and care so much
that even if she doesn't get baptized, if we could just help her stop
smoking then that would make me extremely happy for her. All-in-all
Pordenone is fantastic and I am very glad to be here still :)

(Mom's note:  Jill did not feel the earthquake that occurred in central Italy.  It had no effect in her area.)

Best District Picture Ever

Jill and Sorella Barlow

Anziano Young

Jill

Grotta Gigante

Jill and Sorella Barlow

Aniziani Young and Green

Anziano Young

2016-08-17 Ambushed!

Wednesday a seagull ambushed me and clawed my arm and stole my last lunch cracker

Thursday we went to the most beautiful paesino (small village) in Italy, poffabro

Friday we rode a marathon up a hill and then when we got home we found out we were going there again the next day. We also talked to an old Italian lady who showed us tons of pictures of her grandchildren, told us how pretty we are, and discussed about a woman who used to be in our ward but has since converted to Jehovah's Witness

Saturday got a flat tire

Sunday Hoki's and yesse and Andrew!!

Monday District meeting and another bike ride to Dardago

Tuesday made and destroyed a fruit pie but it still tasted good, tried to see people but no one was at home

Wednesday p day said goodbye to anziano Gorton and bought American food it was weird and had a fantastic dinner with yesse and Andrew, they actually asked us to teach them. They gave us gifts because they're literally angels sent from heaven.

(Martha's note:  I have no idea who Hoki, Yesse, or Andrew are.  This was a very quick note that Jill sent.)

Where Jill lives in Pordenone 

Last district meeting before transfers

Family life skills?  I have no idea what they teach missionaries anymore.

Transfer chairs

American Mix Skittles!

This is either Dardago or Poffabro

Gardening - with Airliners

2016-08-10 Cooling Down

So many thunderstorms lately! The weather is finally cooling down and
I think fall might be on its way in a couple weeks.

We had a fantastic lesson this week with a woman who can't read super
well. So we not only introduced the Book of Mormon to her, she almost
pleaded with us to read it with her. That's the first time I've read
so much of the Book of Mormon with an investigator and it was so
powerful. She loved it. Not because it's a cool book, but because she
felt the spirit. And that's because the book is true!

Had our weekly argument/educated discussion on religion with our
less-active family, and are swimming in referrals right now that we're
trying to follow through on. It's been a good week! Transfer calls
this Saturday already ugh! We think one of us might leave but we don't
know.

Venice once again

2016-08-03 Lasagna

This week was really good! We met a family from Ghana and so now we

have new investigators. We also baked a lasagna for the anziani's
less-active who started smoking again and wants to come back to church
because it's really hard to find work out here. Apparently they talked
to him about fasting and he said "yeah I do that all the time, because
I don't have food." So we made him a lasagna because anyone who tries
to reactivate themselves deserves love in the form of carbs and
cheese.

Citrofono

Burano

Burano - Famous for Lace

Jill in Burano