This is in the Village of Alberobello, a city set on many hills.

 A view from a wall looking over some of the village.

 We had to stop. We have a McDonald's in Crotone , just never went. But we did go in Taranto. It is much less money at Mc Donald's for shakes!! 1 euro !

 This little car was outside one of the members apartment, there are several PINK cars here in Crotone. None are Mary Kay though!

 Flour and gluten free, can you guess the difference? I had made cookies a few days before and they looked beautiful!! Sale is salt and zucchero is sugar. I put 2 cups of salt and 1t of sugar in the mix. I was so upset to have to throw all that gluten free flour away, I couldn't even laugh about it. Everything comes in very small containers. The prices are not too bad but it takes such effort to get enough and haul it up to your apartment, you understand why they shop everyday.

 Milk comes in these little boxes about 3 cups, this is cream and they are found in the store on shelves, not in coolers. Eggs are also on shelves 6 in a container. The oven is centigrade, we guess temps. Food is a little difficult as well, we thought we had bought plain yogurt, there is no sour cream, along with many other ingredients (we are using all kinds of alternate ingredients) anyway back to yogurt, I was making cream of potato soup and used yogurt , it was sweet. It makes for a interesting taste. But not as bad as you might think. We found a bottle of maple syrup it was 8 oz for 5 euro. We bought it and were excited to have it. We found powered sugar, there was one cup in the box. 2 euro. We eat little and know when we are invited to eat , they too are paying high prices to feed us so we eat little there. Fruit and veggies are cheap! that is what everyone eats.

Brother B's first hair cut in Italy. He is ready to have it done again. He said his barber washed , massaged, and trimmed his hair, then he washed it again massaged it and trimmed some more and a third time, this time with hair drying and curling irons to finish the look. They have barbers for men and saloons for women, no mixing!
Hair is important and we see very different hair styles all over the city. But all are attractive and well groomed.
We were told at zone conference to keep our shoes polished and in good repair. Shoes are a source of pride here. Italy is known for their beautiful shoes. ( While at Aberobello we came across a street market. one whole street was shoes!) The Mission President told us one of the members confided in him that he was embarrassed to take the missionaries to a friend he wanted them to teach because they looked untidy and their shoes had wholes, and scratches. Their shoes had not been polished and looked like beggars.
The President provided polish and asked everyone to clean up their act.
Just for those who are gluten free, we have a new discovery, We found a gluten free store one block east of us and gluten free restaurant one block west of us. I am in Heaven, this store is very reasonable so it a store of choice!

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.

 Good Morning in Crotone, it is not crowded today , but men are out visiting, This a street with many shops inside and out. Our Landlords shop is on the street below.

This is Giancarlo, is one our investigators who would like to be baptized, but the are some complications.
He is selling clothes on the street.

 The horns are a blaze but this is not a normal day, the usual day we see a few big trucks unloading and then I can tell you, the horns are deafening.

 One look at a night walk in the street. It is very much like Spain  meet and greet , eat and a little shopping. Each night, except Sunday.

 This a pretty good look at the cities set in the hills and mountains. The tip top of mountain is snow the other light patches are cities. Wish we could a better picture of these cities. We are here for a while so I'm sure we will.

We asked our Produce friend if is okay to know his name? He said yes, Antonio. He told us our favorite clementines are almost gone, the ones we bought today are the  last.

We also went to continue our permesso application today, license to teach and preach. We went and were measured for height, (I think our weight was guessed) had our finger prints done twice by two different departments along with our hands and palms which were then scanned into the computer and printed onto our growing file. The Italy Government knows a great deal about us. There was a line at the doors when we arrived 30 minutes early, and waited with people from India, Africa, China, and other countries?  When the doors opened, one of the men from Africa ran up to hold the door open. There were several people ahead of us but when I walked in and thanked him, he said BIG, Very BIG! We had been standing next to some men from India and next to them I did look very BIG.

 Our first part went very quick, we were told it would take hours to complete by other missionaries, the next step & the second set of prints took longer not bad though, and so we waited in one of the waiting rooms. If we could have filmed what we witnessed you would have thought we were on a TV set with Mr. Bean. Brother B and I turned to each other and said, Mr Bean should walk in any minute. Everyone was very kind to us and tried to hurry the process along back it was really comical to be in the middle of the “SET”. We did complete that step and got a thumbs up from both of the personal who were very helpful!  The next step will happen in about 40 days.  Many great events happened in 40 Days. We get to start our first day on our 40 day wait at Zone conference and see a new part of Italy. Mama Mia! Mama Mia!  What a beautiful land. (And yes they say, ‘Mama Mia” all the time.)

Monday Feb 2, 2015

We met Victoria the second week we were here, she is a twin. She and her sister care for the children of one of the families in the Branch.  She has been coming to activities and has attended the last two weeks at church. Sunday was Fast Sunday and members bore Testimony of the Savior in their lives and how many have had prayers answered. Victoria got up and thanked the Family she works for, for inviting her to church. They are wonderful examples of what a family can be. She said she had never felt the feelings she has when she is in church and when the Missionaries talk to her. The feelings are new and she likes them!

We were with the Sisters on Saturday when Victoria was taught a lesson. The lesson was partly about challenges and through the Atonement the Lord lifts and helps us carry our burdens. She had a very good friend die during childbirth and a few months later the baby also died. She has wondered about her own life, what is in store after life, and how do you deal with grief. One of the Sister Missionaries got on line and showed a clip of Stephany, the woman who was burned over 80% of her body in a plane crash and how she is coping with and continuing her life, helping her family, and setting goals with her husband. The woman and her twin were watching and tears could not be kept back.

Isn’t it amazing how one life can change the world  through the internet.

Le Castella at night in the village of La Castella

We have been to many of the member’s homes and found very few have heat. Only one with what we might call central heating. The rest use a room heater with little output or have no heat that we could see and they wear many layers of clothes. The seniors in the area especially use little heat. It is too costly. We feel rather spoiled and extravagant in using ours. But we do use it. We have had rain on and off for a few days and the humidity is high even with temps in the 40’s, it feels very cold. It is becoming more and more apparent the needs and difficulties many face. The most painful is the lose of family. Work is hard to obtain and because there are so few young people with which to marry that are members or with the same standards, the children look to leave Crotone. I can feel the broken hearts of many Sisters in the ward because their children are far way or are making plans to be far away. Some are alone and some are fortunate enough to have one or two children around.

 We have several widows and a couple of widowers living on meager income. They live lonely lives but none wish to remarry. They feel it will show their devotion and true love by not remarrying. I told one sister we had 3 single sisters and hoped very much that they would remarry, (open mouth insert foot), I was told…’ We do not think that way’…

We have made a few trips around the area to neighboring villages, where some of the members live. They are quite places, well one is, the other one will be very busy soon with tourist season. It is by the sea.  On that trip the wind was howling around 50 miles per hour and the sea was whipped up. I could not take still shots and so I took movies, as you see the waves you fear for your lives, just as the Disciples did. ( It does not do justice to the power of the wind.)

One can only think of the HYMN "Master the Tempest is Waging."

1, Master the tempest is raging, the billows are tossing high!

The sky is o’er-shadowed with blackness. No shelter or help is nigh.

Car-est thou not that we parish? How canst thou lie asleep

When each moment so madly is threat-ning  A grave in the angry deep?

2, Master with anguish of spirit  I bow in my grief today.

The depths of my sad heart are troubled. Oh, waken and save, I pray!

Torrents of sin and of anguish Sweep o’er my sinking soul,

And I perish! I perish! Dear Master. Oh , hasten and take control!

3, Master, the terror is over. The elements sweetly rest.

Earth’s sun in the calm lake is mirrored, And heaven’s with in my breast.

Linger, O blessed Redeemer! Leave me alone no more,

And with joy I shall make the blest harbor And rest on the blissful shore.

 Chorus : The winds and the waves shall obey thy will: Peace be still

Whether the wrath of the stormtossed sea Or demons or men or whatever it be, No waters can swallow the ship where lies the Master of ocean and Earth and skies.

They all shall sweetly obey thy will : Peace be still Peace be still. They all shall sweetly obey thy will: Peace, Peace, be still.

So sorry the best film will not up load , I think it is too long, But this gives you some idea. Not really,  we were being blown almost over!

We captured the last part of some of the bells. I mentioned how I loved the bells because they remind you of church , and Jesus Christ. Sharren pointed out that everyone who can hear the bells is also reminded of Heavenly things, and in that moment we are united in our love of the Lord.

Thank you Sharren. At some point we will understand the timing of the Bells, there at many chapels in the city and they all play at different times, not always on the hour. But they are beautiful and we can all appreciate their music and reminders.