Sunday Feb. 8 2015

We have been to zone conference the theme was “FAITH” I kept thinking of one of my favorite quotes from Sister Hinckley, “First I will obey, then I will understand.” One story captured my attention completely. Sister Arnold shared an experience about her Senior Companion. Sister Arnold was engaged in personal study when her companion turned to her and said, someone is waiting for us to find her, we need to get out the map, pray and go to her. Sister Arnold was a new missionary and was a little dazed but obeyed. They found an area on the map they prayed about, it felt right and they went out. They had been tracking, (knocking door to door) for 2 hours. They came to a door and when the door was opened the Lady at the door started to cry. She opened her arms to the Senior Companion and they were welcomed in. This lady was someone the senior companion had taught in another city. This woman just disappeared and they could not find her. The senior companion had been transferred, moved to another city, and was sad they could not locate the lady. They had taught this lady at the church a couple of times and had no address for her or phone number, it had been 4 months since their last meeting. The story was impressive, this lady had been in a terrible accident and was in a coma for 2 months and moved to a different area for treatment. She had just been released from the hospital a short time before. She had been praying, because she was in a new city, that God would send Sisters to find her and teach her. She pleaded that God would do this thing because she did not know how to find them. She was overcome when the Sisters were at her door, God had heard and answered her prayers and much more, sent the Sister whom she loved and wanted to be taught by.

We had our interview with the Mission President and all is well. There are still some difficulties in the Branch and it will the end of the month before any changes might be made.

We had heard about a city called Alberobello, ( All-bear-row-bel- low) not far from Taranto, where zone conference was. We wanted to go to Bari because there is an Ikea there. (We had purchased lots of household kitchen items at the Ikea in Roma that were too big for our economy sized appliances here in Crotone.) Anyway the village of Aberobello was on the way to Bari and it is very unique. We stayed in an Tulli,( Too- lee) an unusual construction of a home. We stayed at a bed and breakfast. The pictures tell the story best, although the fact that they are made of 5 feet thick walls at the base and very cold inside is the other part of the story. The owners are a retired medical doctor and his wife, a retired school teacher and their oldest son. The shape is different and we asked the story behind it. The people who built them in the 1700 and 1800’s did not want to pay taxes so they came up with a way to collapse the roof quickly. If they had dwelling places, they could be taxed. When the tax collectors came they collapsed the roof and said “this is just a pile of rocks, NO DEWELLING place”. The place we stayed at had all been plastered in, but when you see how cleaver the collapsible roof is, it is amazing!

 Taranto Has a real building, large and spacious, I will take better pictures next time. We just don't appreciate the beauty of our church buildings in the states!

 This is the Tulli we stayed in, the small door is to the bathroom, the walkway into the bath is at least 4 feet deep, .

 The doors ways require lots of bending down.

 This is outside the Tulli, the square building in the back is the addition the owners put on.

 Hard to tell but the inside is a cone shape.

 There is another larger Tulli available to rent and the owner showed us. We thought of some of the senior couples. By the way this place is very much like Allen's in Lindon place. They have olives groves, vineyards, peach, cherry, clementine, oranges, lemons, limes,and pecan trees. We had his celementines for breakfast they had a different and delicious flavor from the ones here in Crotone. We asked him about that and he said every area has their our variety.( Just for those who know the movie 'Letter's to Juliet" the owner really looked like the older star who marries in the end.)

 The outside of the larger Tulli.

 Pool side.

Leaving the bed and breakfast, there are a few trees flowering.