January 13, 2020

It's officially been six months and time has flown by. It's also strange because I've been in my first city for my entire mission haha.

I'm learning stattarúle, the dialect in Statte, from a guy in my English course. It's basically a ten minute class after English course. It's crazy because the dialect comes from Italian but sounds nothing like it. The grammar is kind of the same but also the grammar also doesn't exist in dialect technically. It's very weird. I've only learned simple phrases like bè wagnù! Shamene ca ije tarde. Which you can't pronounce just by reading it, and it's nothing like Italian . It translates basically to alright boys! Let's go because it's getting late. Things like this just keep the language interesting so it's not awful to study every single day. And yes learning a dialect does help with my real Italian.

I'm still learning guitar and stuff so that's cool too. I had exchanges in Bari so I got to serve there for another day. They have an African investigator who knows the doctrine and covenants better than I do I swear. He's literally the definition of elect. 

In Statte the work is currently focused on less active members and their families. It's pretty awesome being able to create these strong bonds with people who speak another language haha.

But yeah not too much going on. Just out here grindin'. Vi voglio bene e ci sentiamo fra poco! 

January 6, 2020

New Years is awesome in Italy. We were on top of the highest building in Taranto and saw the whole city exploding with fireworks. I also bought a new leather jacket because Saldi started the 6th (today). The language is soo much easier now. Now I can tell people in stores that I speak Italian when they try to speak English to me haha. And we can have normal conversations without the whole, what? I don't understand you. Like you just said you speak the language bud like come on. So yeah that's cool. I don't know if I said this but i'm learning guitar. By the end of two years I might be half decent. And I eat a lot here. Like a lot. I'm starting to take working out more seriously. I did 300 pushups last night. Not all at once but in like 25 at a time. I really don't want to let myself get fat out here haha. 

This is my blackout year? Apparently that's the year that you actually serve the entire year. So that's cool too. Time flies yet I feel like I've always lived here. Maybe because I've spent the entirety of my mission in one city. There's really not much to say because it's hard to remember every little thing from the week haha. For those who still know I'm alive, I'm doing great!! haha.

Ciao tutti! Vi voglio bene.