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