Crispy towels and TJ's

Pizzas eaten: 8

Gelato eaten: 6

Books of Mormon handed out : 6

     So if the name of this email didn't get your attention, hopefully this story will. First off because my mother asked me too, I will start off this email with all the things I've noticed thus far since I got to Italy. 

1. Eggnog flavored gelato is called English soup for some reason

2. Everyone smokes and there is no legal age for that, drinking, or getting a tattoo.

3. Nobody has a drying machine. Only clotheslines.

4. Every one has shirts that have English writing on them and nobody knows what they say

5. Italy loves America like America loves Italy. They like each other but nobody says anything.

6. None of the dogs are neutered. Ever.

7. There is a day of the year for every Saint and a day of the year for the rest of the saints that didn't make it on the calender.

8. Jehovahs witnesses are called Testimone di Gehovahs so instead of jw's we call them TJ's. Not sure why j and not g but there you go.

9. The drivers here are crazy. Speed limits are like social cues that nobody picks up on. People just walk into the road and the cars stop. If you're on a scooter one way streets become two way streets and sidewalks become streets as well.

10. There are a lot more street performers here than in America. And they're cool.

11. Everybody thinks that we're Amish because of a bunch of movies that were poorly translated where the word "Mormon" sad subsidized for the word "Amish".

12. If you don't know Mormons you know that 200 years ago we had more than one wife. Like it's preached in their churches that we will convert you to make you another trophy to be collected. That's a little hard to dispel.

13. There are so many dialects. I don't know when it's pure Italian or if it's napelletano

14. There are gelaterias everywhere. Everywhere. Everywhere. 

15. Fireworks aren't illegal so guess what goes off every night until 2 in the morning.

16. Everyone uses an app called WhatsApp instead of their phones actual apps.

17. DoTerra is something they do here

18. Rotary international is here as well

19. They only have celebrations whenever they are celebrating saints.

20. There are random 30 minute rainstorms that come from nowhere all the time.

21. Also clothing is very optional here.

22. 20 pound watermelons are very common here. They cost 5 euro and yes I ate one.

23. Everyone has their collars turned up because they think that cold air on their neck will make them sick.

24. There are a variety of handshakes depending on your relationship with any specific person. So there are quite a few handshakes.

25. People botch (kiss) cheeks from right to left. If you're looking at them that is.

     And to address my title, my towel is crispy because all we have here is air drying and it's very hard to air dry a towel fluffily. I've found that people of all religious backgrounds love talking to us about our religion and give us time and all questions. Only TJ's Bible bash or attempt to whenever we talk to them. It's fun though because they say they don't believe in spirits and I always ask them what it means when Jesus said he gave up the ghost. They never have a good response for that one. But we love talking to them, my companion (pics to follow) emails one every preperation day with answers to questions that he receives from him during the week.

     I have quite a few stories accumulating the longer I'm in Italy. I'm starting to understand a lot better and to speak more Italian as well but my companion still does most of the talking so I help where I can by stopping people on the streets and teaching them until I can't find a word and my companion, Anziano Daniels, steps in. This Sunday I stopped a couple and we taught them for a moment before we were interrupted by an older man wearing a bright orange shirt and he started telling us how our book was wrong and other things. He was also convinced that we were evangelists and that Mormon was a title for them. While he was talking a family passed by and asked me if we were TJ's so I turned away from the orange man and started talking to them about our church and that we were Mormons. When the mom asked me what a Mormon was and her husband had the same look I handed them a book of Mormon and started teaching them in somewhat broken Italian about the restoration and Joseph Smith when to my surprise another man came over with questions and was attempting to ask me so I grabbed my companion and he started talking to the new person and the orange man just walked away angrily. God blessed us that day im sure. The mother also took a restoration pamphlet and gave us their number and we got a return appointment as well for this Saturday. A Gelato and gospel meeting, or so that's what I'm told.

     Until next week! If you have any questions send me an email and I'll be sure to answer them next time!!