The best Christmas in Milan

BUON NATALE 

     I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Truly thank you to everyone who sent me a card or little something in the mail it meant a lot to me. 

     This week was filled with lots of food and karaoke. I don't know why but people here go absolutely CRAZY for Karaoke, it is at every party. And I am not complaining.

     We spent this whole week mostly with awesome members, friends, and investigators. Our ward mission leader is  Mahesh and his birthday was Friday so he took all of us out to a really nice Chinese restaurant. Mahesh is a famous dancer from Nepal. Paparazzi used to follow him and everything! When he converted to Christianity he was getting threats. He moved to Milan and owns several stores and businesses. One being an antique shop of things from Nepal. He is amazing and loves the missionaries. For Christmas he gave me a really nice scarf and an antique singing bowl. It's the coolest.

     We met with a couple less actives this week and there was no question as to why we were there. There seems to be a pattern with several of them. Most of them are 20-30 year old girls who feel too guilty to come back to church for living unworthily. Each want the spirit back in their lives. I love the atonement because it is an infinite gift of second chances. We don't have to just remember that around Christmas time, but everyday of the year. I love it. 

     We did some door to door knocking the morning of Christmas eve after getting stood up by our other appointment. Technically we were just going to each door asking if Deilia lived there who was the woman we were originally supposed to meet with. But we always tried to talk to the person at the door as well about our message of Jesus Christ or a at least wish them buon natale, and we got denied hard core every time. Except one family who did take the book of Mormon and promised to read it.

     We gave the book of Mormon out to our favorite Japanese sushi waitress lady down the street as well. It was funny because the book is in Japanese so all the chefs, waitresses, and everyone else came out and huddled around the book trying to take turns reading it. They were just excited to read something in Japanese. I hope something good comes from it.

     Christmas Eve we were with the Coz family who are the best and the nicest and merriest Peruvians. she made turkey so I was a happy camper. We played and laughed a lot and at the end we read the story of Jesus's birth and the spirit was so strong. Each of us went around and testified of Him and his love. The family thanked us and thanked us for bringing that special spirit into their home but really it wasn't us. It was such a special Christmas Eve for me. 

     Christmas day we got up and went to church. I love that Christmas was able to fall on a Sunday this year!! Nothing better than taking the sacrament and singing hymns on Christmas morning. Afterward we watched a Disney movie WHHOOOOOOOOOOO! and then headed straight to a member's house were we had a big lunch with a bunch of people. And then I got to skype with my FAMILY!!!!!! It was the best present I have ever gotten!! I loved it so much. It felt like no time had passed and also that years have happened since May. I am so grateful for my family!!

     Monday we had a big party at the Guerrero's house and played games and shared a spiritual thought and then we taught Fernanda and then we went to Veronica's for dinner with her friend Eva whose from Romania visiting for the holiday. We gave Eva a Book of Mormon in Romanian and she was asking us so many questions! she asked where the church was in her country so we found it on lds.org and she wants us to contact the missionaries for her to come to her house! How cool is that!

     Tuesday was a WHOLE lot of passbys and we finally got into one of our less actives houses and when she prayed at the end she asked heavenly father to get her back to church. It was so cool and we know she is ready to come back. We had Family home evening which turned into just a giant "let's say goodbye to the missionaries" night because Elders Brown, Farnsworth, and Penfold are all leaving and only one is coming and he's a greenie. So now our district will be back to just 4 missionaries. it's really sad saying goodbye. 

     I hope everyone's Christmas was amazing and with New Years  just around the corner I hope you each take the time and seriously think of a way you could improve and become a better follower of Jesus Christ. And if you don't know, pray. He will tell you exactly how. 

vi voglio bene!!!

Buon Natale Sorella Williams & Sorella Castro

Christmas Eve dinner

Christmas day!

Mahesh Bday dinner

    Ciamino last district meeting

Sorella Tullis had to come to Milan and we got to visit for a few min. YAY!
3 Generation picture. Sorella Williams trained Sorella Tullis who trained Sorella Weeks,
Grandma, Mom and baby :) 

BUON NATALE

Ciao!!

     This week was crazy and packed. I'm also extremely sick and just want to throw my body off a roof top but other than that it's been great!!

     We had our last scambio of the transfer (what what) laaassstttt scccaammmbbbiiooo (uh uh) last last last sca sca scambiooooo YA! Man, what a time to be alive. 7 scambi in 4 weeks. And because we are such amazing STL and such loving, beautiful and, humble people, we did it that way so everyone could be in their cities for the week of Christmas. It's a great time to make friendships with members.

      Anziano Johnson of the quorum of the seventy come to visit our mission so we had a big mission tour. He is the general authority over the church in Europe. Aka he's a busy man. Basically President just split the mission right down the middle in two and had two big conferences on Wednesday and Thursday. It was awesome and they all spoke and inspired us so much. I had a chance to speak with him one on one. Prettttty neat.

     We also had Consiglio which is a leadership meeting with the STLs and Zone leaders. That was super fun because I got to see old friends! It was also my year mark. Which is so crazy. Anziano Johnson came to that as well and gave us really helpful advice as how to be better leaders over this mission. 

     This Christmas season has been really fun for me also. The whole city of Milan is really beautiful with trees and lights and shopping. This year's Christmas video made by the church is truly amazing and has been shared with almost everyone we have talked to. On sidewalks, metros, streets, and proselyting and the duomo. We had our church Christmas party which was really fun. I even got to ride one of those weird hover board things..and completely fell. We had a couple investigators come so it was awesome. 

     We saw Fernando and Iglida a couple days ago and it was AMAZING. the spirit was strong and they are making big moves towards marriage. They know this church is true. We talked about the importance of families and had them read The Family A proclamation to the world. There truly are no ifs, ands, or buts, in that. Fernando wants to be married and said he would tomorrow. She is scared to offend the parents but we reassured them that it was the right thing to do and that it would bless their family tremendously, but ultimately it's their decision. They are making a lot of progress. 

     We have other progressing super exciting investigators right now as well and I really hope I can just stay in Cimiano and keep working with them. We receive transfer calls Saturday and I don't know what will happen!

Sunday we were all invited to a massive Filipino party in a tiny apartment. I'm still dreaming of the food. It was so fun. Filipinos go crazy for karaoke so that was probably the highlight of the party. 

     I hope everyone truly appreciates that this year Christmas falls on a Sunday. We cannot choose a better place to be or a better gift to give Christ than by going to church as a family on Christmas day. Everyday I meet people who are so lost, so lonely, or just without family. Their Chritmas will not be anything special and when we tell them that we are having a special hour of church on Sunday they get excited to have somewhere to go. Reach out to those around you and invite them to come. I read something this week from President Monson and it really made me think. He talked in a conference about Alice in Wonderland how she walked up to the cat and asked him what road she should take and he said "That depends on where you want to go". Let's decide that our end destination is Christ. We are given promise after promise that the road will be paved for us. Complicated decisions suddenly become more simple when we ask "Does this take me towards Christ? Temple attendance? church attendance? the spirit? my family? or does it take me away from those things?" 

     Have you ever given someone a present that you thought a lot about, put a lot of work into, or spent a lot of money on, and they were just kind of partial about receiving it? They Didn't understand how hard it was for you to give them that thing? Or maybe they accepted it but now its just kind of sitting collecting dust. We were given that gift. Jesus Christ gave us EVERYthing he could, his life. Do we accept it gratefully? happily? humbly? promising to take care of it always with love because we know what it meant for him to give it to us. Or the fact that the Father gave us the gift of his own actual child as sacrifice? I don't think any one of us appreciates it to the magnitude we could. This year let's take that present and treat it with respect. We take the name of Jesus Christ by being baptized, we follow Jesus Christ when we persevere to the end. Let him have the heavy burden he already paid for, he wants to take that off our shoulders. Follow Him and his example and we won't just have a happy life, but our happiest life. It is truly the greatest gift of all. 

I know this is the church of Christ on the earth today. I love my Savior.

BUON NATALE

Sorella Williams

Consiglio (Leadership conference)

Merry Christmas from Sorella Castro & Sorella Williams

Consiglio and one year mark with other people from my group!

Sister Allen & Sorella Williams

One year mark!

Christmas time in Milan

     This week was good! Genova was beautiful and amazing and so was their focaccia and pesto even though we were only there for a little bit. We had a big miracle on a bus. We were talking to the lady in front of us and we said that we were Mormons when this lady behind us says "you are Mormons?" And I said "yes have you heard of our church before?" And she said chuckling "yes, I was baptized in 2002" WHAT. She was a less active that didn't even know where the church was in Genova. We swapped information and now she is found! Also the lady we were originally talking to was extremely interested. Her name is Elena and she is amazing. Her parents died not too long ago and she feels extremely lonely. We told her that God loved her and that our church members are like a big family because that's what we really are. She told us there was a light in us that she had never seen before and that she wanted it too. It was such a tender mercy meeting her! We taught her and when I told her I was going back to Milan she was so sad and offered her spare room to me for as long as I want haha. I almost accepted. Luckily we had gotten lost and were in a strange part of town otherwise we would have never taken that bus and met those two ladies.

     2 new investigators came to church this week!! Fernanda and Janet. Fernanda has been challenged to come to church for a while and finally did for the primary program. And Janet came to all three hours of church! We are excited about them.

     We taught a less active family Guastella. She is extremely sensitive and if you are too strong or too bold she never lets you back into her house. It's been a year since she last let the missionaries in so we are being really careful. Which is different because I am not necessarily a very patient person. Especially when you look around her
house and she has pictures of Jesus and temples all over. We found out that she had served a mission in 2001 in Rome and loved it. We couldn't believe it. She has two cute kids ages 10 and 13 that need the youth and the activities of the church in their lives. She still has such a strong testimony so I don't get why it's so hard to come back. But they invited us for dinner next week which is a huge step.

     Saturday we had a breakfast party with Fernando and Iglida which was hilarious because I made pancakes and they could not understand it. Syrup made them very confused. Well I was just whipping it up IHOP style in the kitchen and they were like ENOUGH THERE'S LIKE 10 PANCAKES. and I was like I KNOW YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO STACK THEM. they only put like one dot of syrup on their plates. Hahaha oh my goodness it was so funny.

     We went with the Anziani to Edgar's house to give him a blessing for his leg and it was such a great experience. Edgar got hit by a car a year ago and has had multiple surgeries. He is still home bound and it is so hard for him. He is an amazing person I love him. His wife Teresa is an investigator. He had funny Christmas hats so that was a
huge plus in my opinion.

     We taught Betti our investigator and it was a big step. She did not read the Book of Mormon but we taught a lesson on Jesus Christ and the spirit was strong. She said she feels different with us in our church. We bore testimony that it was no coincidence and that this is truly the church of Jesus Christ and that she can know so too if she reads and prays about the Book of Mormon.

     We had youth stake activity and it was THE BEST. each kid wrote their testimony in a Book of Mormon and then we wrapped them up with Christmas wrapping paper and went to the duomo and gave them to people. Since we are missionaries we were assigned with groups of kids to help them do it. It was a lot of pressure because they all speak perfectly but when it came down to stopping them or answering questions they would get so nervous and not know what to say. But my little group handed all of theirs out and it was such a cool experience for me and
them. We got some numbers of people and I really hope they read the books. By the end they had a lot more confidence and were able to talk to people. I loved it so much!!!

     We had a scambio with Savonna yesterday and we taught Helen and Mamma Repoyo. We were two hours outside of Milan on a bus in the middle of NOWHERE when I hear "ciao Sorella". I look up and it's Sorella DiCriscito from BRESCIA!!! It was the best moment of my life I think. I was so happy to see her and to hear about how Brescia has been. Oh how I miss that celestial kingdom. Then we had a funeral to go to which was sad, but then we helped this funny lady Marta move which was fun and she fed us so it was worth it. The poor Anziani had to move all her furniture down 6 flights of stairs all the while all the neighbors would poke their heads out doors or windows and shout at them how to do it the right way hahah. Italians are so funny.

     Today we have a member of the 70 visiting the mission so the whole mission is coming together over the next two days!

This work is true and I know it!

Love Sorella Williams


Youth activity


At Edgar's house with his Christmas hats


The member from Brescia I ran into 2 hours outside of Milan, what are the odds?!?


The Duomo at Christmas time


Conference

South America in Milano

Ciao tutti!!!

     This week went so fast! Unfortunately I don't have a ton of time to email because we have to take a train to Genova today to do a scambio! 

     We have been teaching Fernando and Iglidia. They are amazing and cute and young with a little baby! They have such great questions and truly want to learn. In between lessons they always search for information themselves about the church so when we come they have questions like "We saw that you guys don't eat or drink certain things? Will you tell us what those things are so we can stop eating and drinking them too? We just want to do this the right way" We have to keep from laughing when they ask us questions like that because they are so perfect and so ready for the gospel in their lives. It's so easy to feel the spirit in their home. We bore testimony that we knew, that they knew that this is Jesus's true church on the earth today. They also said they knew that it is true. The one obstacle from keeping them baptized is that they are not married. And they can't get married until he has a stable job (long story). We spoke briefly last week about considering doing a fast together to find some clarity in their situation. Well Sunday they came to church and they were so excited to tell us that they were fasting all day. They said "We aren't really sure how long we should fast for so we just decided 24 hours. We thought we weren't supposed to eat or drink anything in that time so we didn't. We also started it with a prayer so we can feel the spirit while we fast today. Are we doing it right?" ARE YOU KIDDING ME. We were in shock. The miracle was that Fernando (who is studying web design) was given an incredible opportunity for a job interview at a really nice company. It was an answer to our fast. When I was with them and we were all starving naturally we were just talking about all the foods we love. Which I said how much I miss an American breakfast. One thing led to another and now we are having a big american brunch Thursday hosted by yours truly;)

     So far all my scambi have been with, a Danish, an Argentinian, a Canadian, a German, an African, and I'm companions with an Columbian Italian. haha! how crazy is that?

     A couple days ago we had Sorella Zombra with us because she lost her passport so we had to go to the African embassy place for her country and do all this paperwork and such. While we were there, there were all these Africans waiting in the waiting room staring at us.  Sorella Castro and I were the only non Africans there. We started talking to them and next thing you know we were teaching the restoration to the whole embassy including the workers. It was the coolest!! I felt like an actual preacher haha! I have never had such a big audience before. I hope something good can come from it!

     We ate with like 3 Peruvian families this week and I'm in love with their food. It is AMAZING. So they gave me a bunch of peruvian rice and honestly I'm set for the rest of next year haha. They are the nicest people. And they were good to me and spoke Italian to each other the whole time so I could feel a part of everything. Every time they started speaking spanish (I can understand a little but not everything) I would just tell them to stop talking bad about me behind my back haha. It made them so frustrated because they definitely were not. It's just really fun messing with them.

     We went to a huge South American birthday party for a one year old. I was planning on keeping a low profile and talking to people who were around me. But they hired a clown. Clowns freak me out and I feel like they are like horses, they sense fear. Clowns always gang up on me!! The clown had me center stage the whole party!!! Every time I sat down he would pull me back up in front of the whole party to do something stupid or play a game it was ridiculous haha! We met some cool people at the party though and we hope to teach them soon!

     I also had to eat an entire fish head this week. Every last piece of it. And that's all I'm going to say about that. 

     We had zone conference this week with President and the Assistant President's. Usually the STLs have to give a training, but because President needed more time than usual we didn't have to. What a miracle that was because we had NO time this week to do ANYTHING. Scambis are so time consuming...but good. 

     There was a family this week where I just loved being in their home and I couldn't understand why. Once we started talking to them I realized it was because they have the spirit with them so strong. They are just a happy family who love each other and laugh so much. They have a son preparing to go on a mission to Rome next month and while talking about it, the dad got teary eyed thinking about having to say goodbye. Which made me think about my family and how difficult it was to say goodbye. I was able to talk with them and bare testimony that God loves his missionaries and that this is the most important work in the world and the Lord will not leave him or them. We as missionaries are away from home and our families, so when we walk into a house where the spirit resides and a happy family, it's easy for us to get emotional because for this little bit of time, that's something we don't have. Or at least it's not the same. Don't take for granted having the spirit in your home. Pray as a family, read scriptures as a family, and truly thank God for what you have. I can honestly testify that those who walk into your home can feel that difference as I have so many times on the mission! 

you all are great!!!

vi voglio bene!

Sorella Williams

A South American sandwich

Milo East Zone Conference

A huge Christmas tree with real crystals

A family has a bunny that acts like a dog

Happy Thanksgiving from Milan!

I honestly don't know where to begin!!

     First, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and just know I truly am so grateful for so many great friends and family in my life. I am especially grateful for the mission and the happiness that I have here. It's the best. I celebrated with a fresh, straight out of the toaster, top of the line, PB&J on Thanksgiving because we didn't have time for anything else. But it's ok because last year Christmas day we ate PB&Js in the MTC so I'm just keeping the tradition alive. BUT really I did get to eat a piece of homemade pumpkin pie from Sorella Arbon who I did a scambio with. It was so great. 

     We did 3 scambi this week....wowowowwo. un po dead. But that's ok. Scambi are the best and also the worst. The worst because you have to double book your city with appointments for two days for each scambio. And since we did three this week we had to double book just about everyday. And I had to learn how to navigate the most confusing metro system in Milan REAL quick. But they are the best because you get to learn so much from each sorella you do scambio with. Its like a mini new transfer with a new companion. And by the end of the day you're so dead tired you end up just laying on the floor and laughing your face off with them. So all turns out well. 

     I really love Cimiano. These members are all over the board. And luckily for us there is a lot of work to do. So much happened this week and I really don't know where to begin. We are teaching like crazy. We have been fasting this week for a couple who wants to be married but there are some complications with the family. They want to be baptized, but obviously cant until they are married. The spirit was so strong as we testified about how God hears and listens to the desires of our hearts. I told them that I don't know one thing more important to God than the family unit and he is with them as they try to complete theirs. We have other progressing investigators and I am excited to see them this week to hopefully set baptism dates. Sometimes you just have to be bold!

     This week was a series of events of being at the right place at the right time. We met a Ukrainian family living in an apartment the size of a closet. I felt God's love for them so incredibly strong the first time I met them I couldn't help but cry. They are in extreme poverty but don't complain. They smile and offer us whatever they have and are so grateful to just be together as a family. They had nice houses in ukraine and the dad was in the military as well. but when the war started with Russia they were forced to flee and must live as refugees here. They are incredible. We met a woman on the bus and I sat down next to her and asked her "whatcha doin today". Clearly she had been praying for someone to care because she looked so relieved to be able to talk to someone. Just a couple months ago both her parents died and she is scared living alone now without them and without a job. I hugged her and told her God loves her and she began to cry. She promised to come to church this Sunday. We were at the church when a lady walked in. We showed her the new Christmas video and by the end she was completely in tears unable to talk. She told us that the video was an answer to her prayers about a huge problem she has been having at work. We met this lady named Betti who is trying to learn English. We have taught her English only a couple times and share spiritual messages each time we meet afterward. Yesterday, while I was with sorella Burgess who I LOVE, on scambio, we taught her the restoration and she was fascinated. She wants to read the Book of Mormon and the Bible together to understand how they are both testimonies of Jesus Christ. It was such a change from the other times we have taught her. She believes that God gives his gospel to all his children, also if they lived in the Americas long ago, so why not have more than one book of sacred scripture? It was fantastic! We truly are seeing miracles here! I wish I could write everything; good, bad, crazy, funny. It's just not possible. 

     I absolutely love Sorella Castro. and I'm never leaving Italy.

     I thought leaving home would mean I could avoid my mom forcing me to get a flu shot each year. I got an email from President telling me I have to get mine tomorrow morning. I told him no. But then he said yes. boooooooo. I was so close. 

Have a great week vi voglio un mondo di bene

Sorella Williams

Back to back scambio

BENVENUTO A MILANO!

BENVENUTO A MILANO!

     Thursday I moved to Milano to be with Sorella Castro! It has been a marathon since I got here meeting people, having a new companion and trying to get comfortable with buses and metros all over again!! Just when you feel like you finally know the people, you leave that city and start a new one.  We are over the ward here in Cimiano with Anziani Farnsworth, Penfold, Brown, and Johnson. It's weird to have so many elders with us in one area, but there is a lot of work to do so it's understandable! I absolutely love my companion Sorella Castro. She was born in Columbia and moved to Italy when she was young. She is fluent in both Spanish and Italian which is SO helpful because there are huge amounts of South Americans in this area and those 4 years of Spanish did me no good. But I am pumped because 1. I always wanted to experience serving in south america:) and 2. it's a break from pasta. They make Spanish food just like my dad does so who is complaining, not me. I also have gone though most of my life believing I am Latina so being with Castro is fulfilling that desire. I'm trying to learn Spanish. I can understand a lot of it thanks to Italian, but can't speak it for the life. We'll see!

     We have an exciting area and already Sorella Castro and I have seen major miracles. There's a couple people we are trying to get ready for baptism if they act on the feelings of the spirit and accept the invitation. One being Giuseppe who is AMAZING but believes he needs to be perfect in order to be baptized. We are really trying to teach him the atonement and how it covers every nook and cranny of our lives even the parts where we are weak. There is also Fernando and Angela, they are a miracle couple who just walked into church one day. They want to be baptized but are not married. They want to get married, but there is some drama in the family that they are trying to work through so we will be praying and fasting with them this upcoming week and doing all we can for their situation. There are a couple of part member families and a lot of less actives that I am still trying to get to know. 

     I'm not kidding when I say this has probably been the craziest week of my mission so far. We have, for whatever reason, seen it all this week; crying, laughing, yelling, and the most random service, lessons in places I can't  even begin to explain haha.  Every night we have been going home saying "Did that really just happen?". I'm so tired!! haha but it wont get any calmer because tonight starts the fist of many scambi (splits) that I will be doing now that I am serving as Sister training leader. So that should be fun. lolz because I still don't know this city, but oh well. We are the STLs over Milano Est and Genova Zones. Usually all sorelle come here to our city for scambio and we host both of them...but since we have Genova and we are both dying to see that city we are doing scambio in Genova next week :) I will eat Genovese pesto and focaccia and die happy. 

     I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving and truly appreciates their loved ones and friends and our amazing country. I will most likely be eating beans somewhere or missing the bus, soaking wet because I, like always, predicted it wouldnt rain and didnt bring my umbrella:) Or that was just the theme of this week at least. 

Vi voglio bene!!!

Sorella Williams

Sorella Castro & Sorella Williams

Ciao Brescia!

wooooooooooooooooooow

Alright this week was the craziest week ever. 

     We got transfer calls! I am going to be an STL (sister training leader) in Milano with Sorella Castro who is a native! So my Italian is about to be tried to the max to say the least, but it'll be good for me. And I am excited to be with Castro. She and I were in the same arrival group so I met her my first day in Italy when I had just come from Provo and she had just came from the Spain MTC. I'm excited she's a cutie. And it's a little nerve-wrecking being STL (sister training leader) because I have no idea what I'm doing, but here we go! More importantly Sorella Tullis got called to TRAIN. She's my baby and shes already training!! I'm a grandma haha! So she will be staying in Brescia and we have been working all week trying to get stuff ready and not think about the horrendous divorce that is about to take place tomorrow morning at 6:56 AM I REPEAT 6:56 AM. I swear the office elders who book the trains just like to torture us. 

     First and foremost we had our Serata Musicale and it was awesome!! over 60 people showed up so we were so glad it wasn't a flop. We had a bunch of people singing and playing instruments it was great. Also hilarious because the microphone broke so we just had to use the podium mic so people were like belting Celine Dion songs up at the pulpit haha. All was well and then Davide rolled up with his heavy metal band. You guys I cannot begin to explain to you the shock that happened when we realized it wasn't just a heavy metal band...it was full on screamo. It's one of those situations were you kind of just stand there with your mouth open not knowing if you should laugh or cry as a man screams english lyrics in the chapel. We had to do a bit of damage control after that lovely performance but 3 Euro later I am a proud owner of a signed copy of their album. Who knew my first screamo concert would be in a church chapel? Good Stuff. 

     We went to Cecilia's art studio again Saturday hoping just to share a spiritual thought with her. It's been hard to tell if she actually wants to progress in the gospel or just likes our company. So we went and her husband was there and they were working on this big beautiful wooden Christmas tree. We sat with Cecilia in the back room and her husband even sat in with us TOO. We were so pumped. We had brought a simple excerpt from a conference talk by Richard J. Maynes called "The joy of living a christ centered life", which was awesome because it has a metaphor about ceramics so she really liked it. We talked about slowing life down a bit and appreciating all the amazing things our loving Heavenly Father  has given us. We really felt the spirit so strong and Sorella Tullis and I were really able to say what we were directed to say. We asked them how they felt and they began to cry. It was a HUGE 180 degree turn from how our visits usually go. I know they felt the spirit and I know it testified of the truthfulness of the message. They were truly speechless. Afterward we said goodbye (they gave us a delicious thing of pastries from a shop down the road) and we were in total shock. It was a big step for them. And we were so happy they were together as a couple to have that spiritual experience. I know they will continue progressing with the missionaries. 

     We met with Laura again and challenged her that when she comes to know (and she will as she prays with a sincere heart) that the message is true and the Book of Mormon is the word of God, if she would be baptized. She accepted the invitation! She has such a good heart and genuinely wants to know the truth. I know she will find it. 

     We met with the family Cucurachi's and they are AMAZING. The wife is Brazilian and the husband is Italian. Their story of how they met is so awesome, but that's for another day. They are a family where the minute you step into the door you feel different. Their home is a place where the spirit resides. They have worked to keep it that way. We ate yummy brazilian food and she surprised us with an american dolce, brownies! with cute little american, brazilian, and italian flags! We had such a spiritual experience as we talked about the gospel in our lives and how blessed we are and by the end of it we were all in tears! They are a family so special to us. 

     Sunday was so hard. I didn't tell anyone I was leaving yet because I wasn't ready to talk about it and I was honestly procrastinating. But I asked the bishop if I could bare my testimony since i'm leaving (he nearly called president to refuse my leaving haha!). Before my mission when I thought about the perfect area I imagined it would be one where I felt like I had given my all and loved the people and felt like I was leaving it better than I had found it. Well I realized just how much I loved these people Sunday. And I also realized how easy it is to love people who you serve. Never had that hit me so hard than as I walked up to the stand and looked at all the people sitting, looking so sad up at me. All we had done was serve them and I don't think I've ever loved people so much in my entire life. I could barely hold back the tears! It was the hardest testimony I have ever had to give! After the meeting my face was COVERED in lipstick due to Italian mamma kisses and we had about 203929385 lunch and dinner appointments set before I leave  this Thursday! The people have been so good to us here. Monday I said goodbye to Stefania and Samuele and Manuela. Don't even get me started with them. They had written me the sweetest letters and kept saying "well milan isn't even that far you can still come to our wedding and baptism!" ugh if only it were that easy. Tuesday I said goodbye to Irene, the Di Angelis, the Garattis, and the Dibenedettos. I did my best to keep it together my word. Even though it's so hard to say goodbye I am just so grateful that the Lord has put these incredible incredible people in my life who I have learned SO much from.

     It is just a cool thing because as a missionary you work so hard for the people, plan, meet with, pray for, EVERYTHING. You love them so much. And you don't always get to see that reciprocated back, but I was shocked to see truly how sad the people were to see me go and it was a tender mercy from the Lord. 

     In other news we were walking down the road when this wicked awesome roller blader came flying around the corner in tights and a little shirt jumping in the air, doing tricks and stuff. LIKE A GAZELLE. We immediately started running after him and we got to talking. Turns out he was AMERICAN. a Texan named conor with one "n". We were like conor what the heck are you doing bladin all over Brescia and he said "I've been blading all over Europe for weeks guys". Needless to say we swapped information. 

CI VEDIAMO IN MILANO PEEPS.

Sorella Williams

Sonia with Sorella Williams & Sorella Tullis

Conor the blader

Serata Musicale

Last Sunday in Brescia

Election day and I'm in Italy

Well what an interesting week it has been.

     First of all happy election day America!  As soon as I could I ran to the wifi spot by the cafe down the street to see who won. I was so anxious. Everyone always writes to me and says "man you're so lucky you live in Italy and don't have to deal with all this election stuff". I beg to differ. Never in my life have I been involved in so many political conversations than here. The minute people hear my american accent they want to know everything. And this has been going on my entire mission. I just hope with all this excitement and happiness or heartbreak or whatever it is you feel you remember how blessed we are that we have the right to vote. Italian politics do not work that way and their government and political system is corrupt. We need to remember that God is in charge, America is His nation "The United States is a Christian nation, and the Lord has promised that as long as we keep him in mind and worship him this Country will stand--this Government will stand. No other nation can take it or destroy it". -David O. Mckay. 

     This week I was crazy sick which is soooooooooo fun as a missionary. Especially when you have to take your sick butt all the way to Verona to do a scambio and your little bag of medicine you brought with you and your comfy sick sweat pants are LEFT at the house you had been teaching at!! hahaha I had the worst luck this week. But all went well. The scambio was good. I was with Sorella Taylor and we taught these cute Dominican ladies and they fed us strange nut cake while they laid in bed. What a party that was. But all was worth it the next day when we ate sushi with these cute 14 year old italian girls. They thought it was all so gross aka more for me. Oh my gosh how I missed miso soup.

     We had a really good lesson with Stefania and Samuele Monday night. I feel like every time I write about them I don't really express how amazing these people are. They have come so soooo far. I have absolutely loved being their missionary these past couple months. Just the idea of leaving them brings tears to my eyes. Their wedding is December 10 and her baptism is January 31 and I couldn't be more happy for them. We have put our whole hearts into teaching them each week. They aren't like normal investigators, they have been taught for 2 years so they know the doctrine pretty well at this point. Which means when we plan for their lessons we take all week to pray, think, plan, and find what it is exactly we are supposed to teach them. Once we do, we study it ourselves, and then of course we study the words we will need in Italian just to teach it! It's such a long process but such a humbling one as well. I have such a testimony of Heavenly Father putting words into your mouth the very moment you need it. They ask incredible questions that even in English I wouldn't always know how to answer. But sure enough each week, each question that is asked, a simple answer is popped into either of our heads and we are able to deliver that message. Truly it is the holy ghost who does the teaching. I have learned more in those hour long lessons each Monday night with them then I think with anyone else on my mission so far. 

     Saturday we have a big party that we have been planning called Serata Musicale! Anyone who can play an instrument or sing has been invited to do so while the rest of us un talented people sit and eat. I'm so pumped. Davide is coming with his band. I asked him what kind of music they play, he says they base themselves off Metalica...so I'm pretty excited to see what that's like haha!I love surprises. Especially when they are in the form of rock shows in the chapel. We should just invite all our African brother and sisters in the area because their churches are just like that here!

     We also get transfer calls Saturday and I am already shakies pizza. I don't have a clue what's going to happen. But either way we will be happy. Its just been me and Sorella Tullis here the whole time and truly whatever happens we can say that we gave our heart and soul to this city. I have never been so utterly mentally and physically exhausted in my life. But there is no better feeling than walking into church and every person you see, you have a personal relationship with. We have worked so hard and I am forever in love with Brescia!

I hope you all have a great week!!!

vi voglio bene!

Sorella Williams

Scambio

Massive cemetery in Brescia 

You better believe I've been listening to Michael Buble's Christmas CD everyday