Sorella Williams: 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