February 10, 2014

(In my email I told Jenni that we got tickets for her to see the Carl Bloch paintings at BYU.)

Carl Bloch. I'm crying. I need to see some art. Ahh the museum! Thank you sooo much. My makeup bag got stolen from my backpack two weeks ago. Left my wallet though, hallelujah. Who does that? 

 

I can't wait! Early Monday I'll be on a train to Rome, we'll do some things at the office, have interviews, our last dinner, and then the next morning I'll fly home! I can't wait to see you all.

 

Sorry no letter, I'm just transferring pictures for everyone. Things are wonderful though. This has been a transfer so full of good things. Hard, but it's like everything I needed to learn still was just forced into these five weeks. I'm so grateful...everything is perfect. I am so excited to see you all!

 

Jenni

February 3, 2014

This sunday in church the first hour was combined, the subject was genealogy, and I wrote down in my journal that I wanted to go through all G&G Davies' pics and put them on the new Family Search website. Same with what we have of the Buckley side. Those little books she made all of us were great, but we can put it all online now. So yeah, tell them I'd be happy to go up and help for a few days. 

Man, non vedo l'ora. I can't wait. I am so, so excited to be back home. Getting to Italy, I just about died. The food, the language, everything was ancient and picturesque...and I love this country. I love the people. But these days I'd rather get a jamba juice than a gelato, a Cafe Rio salad over a plate of lasagne. Pasta and pizza and panzerotti and focaccia, almost every day for a year and a half...one of the best things ever, right? But I can't wait for a bowl of cereal, with milk that is refrigerated instead of boxed. So many little things.

More than anything, I'm so excited to see all of you! We are so blessed. I'm so grateful for each member of our family.

Have a wonderful week!

Jenni

From her mission presidents blog:

January 27, 2014

This week was really good. We are so excited about Miriana. Her baptismal date is February 14th, and two of the anziani's investigators, also young women, got permission from their parents to be baptized that same day. Valentine's day! Miriana said she'd ask her parents this week, is still worried about her dad...but we're just praying and know that if it's right, it will happen. In church sunday there were six young women: one new convert, three investigators, one less active back for the first time in a while, and one new beehive. Vescovo gave a great lesson the second hour, told them they were the future of the church...the spirit was so strong, and I couldn't hold back the tears. I feel so grateful to be here my last transfer. I feel like I learn so much from every person I meet, even in the short conversations and greetings. I love this ward, and can just tell that there are going to be miracles. As a district we've been trying to visit all of the members, and so far from what Sorella Baker and I have done, we've seen how willing the members are to give referrals, come to lessons and just do whatever they can to help the work here. It's incredible. 

I'm looking forward to zone conference. I can't believe how fast this is going by. I'm so grateful for the time I have left, and will try my best to make a difference, work hard, and love the people here.

Sorella Buckley

February 27, 2014

Sergio stopped in Foggia on his way to Napoli. Il mio fratello Tarantino.

February 20, 2014

It's been an incredible week. 

On the drive from Foggia to Rome with Anziano Carr and Anziano Pizza, I kept thinking ''how in the world?'' Things always just seem too good to be true. To drive through the Napoli zone one last time, past the Reggia of Caserta, with two of my favorite elders from the MTC. (No other sisters? What?) We talked about everything, plans and people, stories, had peanut butter and ritz crackers, and all the candy from mom's package. The closest thing to a road trip a missionary could imagine. 

Driving into Rome, through the familiar streets, passing the park we had cleaned for the stake helping hands project my second transfer where I scraped the tip of my pointer finger off with a saw and became best friends with Gustavo...so many random memories came flooding back, and I was on the verge of tears, just overwhelmed with a feeling of gratitude for every single person I've met, for all of the experiences, everything I've learned. As we pulled up through the gate of the Villa, I felt it even more. There was Bird, Miller, my brothers! I went downstairs to put my backpack down and was met by Sorella Bradford and Vincent. What a reunion. Dinner was Hawaiian haystacks. Can we say America? And then Me and Bradford talked to Sorella Steurer for a while. (the mission secretary, aka my ''mission mom'' - after the Kelly's left - ). That's when the tears started. I tried to keep it together for, just a few, but really. She was talking about our group...we really are like a family. I feel like all these new ones have so much drama and stuff, problems with obedience...when they made the announcement about the age change President Kelly was apparently like ''oh man, good thing I'm going home. Here comes EFY.'' Not those exact words of course, but you know. The mission really has changed. And it's good...above all I just know I was here at the right time, with the right people, all the right experiences and places...Heavenly Father knows us perfectly. I have no doubt about that.

The next day we had capi conference. Lots of good information, lunch. Of all the things I've eaten here, nothing beats a simple panino with prosciutto crudo and formaggio. Inside pizza bianca...buono. We watched a dvd they made with pics from all the areas and missionaries. I kept thinking ''How am I going to leave?'' Goodbyes were tough. We decided to drive home a different way, through Benevento. I'm convinced that Italy is the most beautiful country in the world. It has everything. Rome aside, museums and ruins and food and fashion aside, the coasts, mountains, campagna...it's just too much. 

We made it to Bari where I met up with Baker and stayed the night with the other sorelle. After huge panzerotti from La Maddalena. Train ride home the next morning. Past the vineyards of grape vines and olive trees...the sea. I love my mission. 

After being back in Foggia for a day, trying to organize my thoughts and just focus on these last few weeks, I read this quote from Elder Holland:

''The past is to be learned from but not lived in. And when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead and remember that faith is always pointed toward the future.''

''You get a strange feeling when you're about to leave a place, I told him, like you'll not only miss the people you love but you'll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you'll never be this way ever again.”

Yes, I am going to miss this. I have met such amazing people here...missionaries included. Especially missionaries. I just want to do everything I can to show Heavenly Father my gratitude, to put what I've learned into practice, to keep studying, to maintain the relationships and friendships I've made...to live up to His expectations. I know I can't ever do even the smallest part...but I can try. 

Yeah. My thoughts are kind of all over the place these days. So I'm just focusing on being obedient, loving everyone. We set a baptismal date with this fifteen year old girl named Miriana for the fourteenth of February. Pray for her! The only setback is the fact that she doesn't think her dad will let her. So we're just going to keep doing all we can, ''expect a miracle''.

...after thinking, ''how will I go home?'' now I can't wait to share a room with my SISTER. Cami dearest, I'm counting down the days. I got a phone call from Sergio!! He told me he will be coming to Foggia soon. Couldn't be happier.

So things are good. Good enough that I love the mission, everyone in the ward, our investigators and can focus, but then there ìs...which helps the thought of leaving the rest seem a little more bearable.

Anyway, I love you all so much! Have a wonderful week!

Jenni

January 13, 2014

I love you! Sorry, next week real deal.

From one of the anziani. A whole deck and then this...I've never felt so loved.

Drive to Foggia. I love Puglia.

Funny story. My last day in Battipaglia we were at the Cossu's. I cried like a baby. Walking home got a phone call from Sorella Delia. Lunch at her house? Guido came. Made me a bet that I'd be fidanzata within four months of going home. As I shook his hand on it I said ''Mi dispiacem hai gia perso''. You already lost. Anziano Scherbel laughed and said we better make it at least a year. So I guess I've got my own place to stay in the mountains and a great dinner when I come back. 

January 6, 2014

I’m getting transferred!

I'm going to Foggia on Thursday morning, and will be companions with Sorella Baker. I almost couldn't believe it when the call came. Heavenly Father knows the desires of our hearts. He answers our prayers. He wants us to be happy.

I loved being able to talk to you all at Christmas! We have the best family. I love you all so much and can't wait to see you in a few weeks! 

Jenni

I tried to send pics but the computer wont read my flash drive. I guess I can just show you when I get HOME!  There are no apostrophes on this keyboard. And six Nigerian men and one Hungarian are watching me email right now. in a little basement outside the station in Napoli. Perfect way to spend my last pday, right* (a question mark). I love the diversity and chaos here. It ìs such a good change.

December 17, 2013

Hi! I'm in Messina, was in Catania, and we're getting on the ferry to reggia Calabria. Arancini, cannoli, granite, oh my. We'll email for real tomorrow.  Love You!!! ps. Mount Etna's errupting. Nbd.

Primary Program

Christmas Lights and the castle

Anziano Bennet's in Napoli!

President can't wear that tie in Rome...

Sorella Francom (finally met my granddaughter)  Vincent taught her in Catania.

Hours in the questura to get Ghio's permesso di soggiorno. 

arancini. cannoli. granita.  ate all within an hour of each other 

Another thing I saw from the car window. Mt. Etna erupting. Vesuvius and Etna in one day. 

Sorry the picture quality is so bad

Crossing on the ferry from Reggio to Messina. The only ones crazy enough to freeze out on the deck. It was beautiful.

Road trip to Sicilia

President Scherbel didn't believe me when i said i could see snow on distant mountains. He doesn't know the Buckleys. I can tell an antelope from a deer, thank you. And that's not alkali.