Sorella Williams: Spring break in San Remo

Buona giornata carissimi miei

So this week was crazy. But we saw miracles.

     We were on the metro headed to the hospital to visit an old member lady. A couple of people our age sat across from us and very obviously and quickly began to talk and laugh about us and mock us. This isn't the first time by any means, but it was just so dumb and obvious that they were making fun of us. I usually just ignore people like that, but I could see they started to google our name tags to see who we were. I just wanted a chance to say "Yes, I am a missionary for the church of Jesus Christ" and end the questions or debates. But I wasn't sure how to get over to them without making a fool out of myself and make a scene on the train. So I prayed and said "ok if you would like me to introduce myself and the church to these losers I will, but please move the lady next to them at the next stop so I can sit down and do it" sure enough!!!!! The second I ended my prayer the lady stood up and left. And we weren't even at a stop yet. What bigger sign could you get. So I took a deep breath and went over and sat down in the middle of them and the guy next to me got so squirmy. Sorella Anderson was just smiling at me as she realized what I was doing haha. So I looked at the guy next to me (the most obvious one who was laughing at us) and said politely and nicely "I saw you were looking at my name tag, I wear it because I am a missionary" before I could say another word he got VERY embarrassed and annoyed that I had spoken to him and told me to shut up and "shooed" me with his hand. All his friends were silent because they were surprised I said anything at all. I felt stupid honestly. But wanted him to feel a little bad for treating me like trash so after a while I said "sorry, I just wanted to ask if you knew where the hospital was in this area, I have a friend there I'm trying to visit today" he just stared at me. You could tell he felt bad. Soon his friends were trying to give me directions to the hospital. When the stop came I said thank you and Sorella Anderson and I stood and turned and vogue walked away. All jokes aside though I thought about why Heavenly Father provided a way for me to sit next to them if they were just going to shut me down so hard, but then I realized that he knew I would feel bad if I had gotten off the train and not said anything to them. So he let me try. And I felt good about trying. Plus you never know what could happen. And double plus, I knew for sure how to get to the hospital haha.

     We finally were able to go to the hospital . We've been trying for a couple of days to visit this member lady who has been there for a good bit of time. She was the CUTEST. she loves the missionaries. She was one of the first Peruvian members in our ward. We brought her something to read and a little spiritual message. Turns out her nurse was listening in the whole time because she called us later that day saying he told her that he wanted to come to church with us Sunday!!!

     After the hospital we took a couple of trains to get over to San Remo!! It's an old old beach city right on the coast next to France and it is BEAUTIFUL! I fell in love with it. You could see the ocean from sorella missionaries balcony.  The entire time we were with the Sorelle in San Remo, we did finding because that's what they need help with right now. I said a prayer before we went out just asking for some good people to stop for us so that the sorelle can get excited for the work again. Nearly every person we stopped had a conversation with us!!! We found a lady who had even read the Book of Mormon before. We found another lady who started asking where her dad was who had just passed away two weeks ago. She was in tears and so grateful when we promised and bore testimony that she will be with him again. So much so, that she gave me her necklace hahaha. We also penny boarded on the board walk with some KEWL YOUTHS. In the morning, before we left to go back to Milano, we went on a run to the beach and watched the sunrise over the sea. It was fantastic. Sorella Anderson and I pretended it was our spring break since it is right now over at Utah State haha.

     Once Sorella Anderson and I got back to our city, we saw Aydee and Fanny and the Scotto family and a lot of other people. It's definitely hard being on scambio so often because you have to plan really well who can be seen when you're separated and who needs to be seen when you're together because sometimes the members or investigators feel like they can't tell us how they are doing personally if there's a stranger there. They don't open up as much. But it's nice to get so much work done. Double the help. But also hard to double book the city so many times.

     Sunday was stake conference which was great. We all met at the Lampagnano building and it was the best seeing president Allen and all the Cimiano members sitting together. I love them!! Afterward we ate the best Peruvian food with the Costa's. They made my new favorite drink called Ciccia made from black corn, cinnamon, and some sugar. I think I drank 3 gallons alone. That night we went on scambio with the Savona sisters. We went all the way out to Egypt to find this self referral named Blessing. She lived so far my word. But blessing was the blessing of my day:) she's from Nigeria and has lived in Italy for 10 years. Luckily she speaks Italian because that means she can talk to the members and understand when she comes to church. That's always a struggle because many Africans only speak English. She was baptized in Nigeria when she was young, but lost the church and now wants to come back! We retaught her what the Book of Mormon was and it's significance. We also learned that we can't teach for ANYTHING in English. She was so sweet and I just wanted to hug her and take her home with me in my purse.

     The next day Sorella Anderson and her scambio sorella went to appointments, but me and my Sorella just had one pass by to do and then finding. So on the way to the pass by, Laura's house, we started talking about the mission and how to work and trust in the Lord and how to just forget yourself and do it. When we got to the doorstep to the less active pass by, I felt like we would spend our time more wisely just finding the whole morning, which is always hard because nobody really wants to do finding over an appointment. But it just seemed like the right thing, especially for this Sorella to gain more confidence and see miracles happen from it. So I said a prayer in my head asking for Laura to not answer the door when we rang the doorbell. I've never prayed for that before. Laura has 7 people that live at her house with her, so one of them is always home, especially because half of them don't work. So I rang the doorbell...and no one answered. My prayer was answered! So we went to the castle and did finding and talked to tons of people and it was awesome. We met a lady named Ornella who confided in us and told us she was on her way to the hospital to be with her brother for his first round of Chemo. They only found the cancer a month ago. She cried talking about it. We promised her that we had a message that brings families together and we exchanged numbers and promised to see each other again!

     We also saw Francesca! The 19 year old girl who loved our accents on the train a while back and coincidentally got off at the same metro stop as us after I was panicking we would never see her again!! We met with her yesterday and shared a video called Padre terreno padre Celeste and a little bit of the restoration. She's a cutie. She said she would come to church and some of the youth activities so we are excited about that.

     Today for p day we went to Bellagio!! Which is the famous city right on lake Como. It's where George Clooney's house is:) it was absolutely beautiful. You have to take a bus out on this tiny little lakeside curvy road and then the actual city is very small but amazing. Pizza was enjoyed.

     The anziani have the baptism of Ernesto (finally) tonight in Navigli so that will be great!

     Saturday is transfer calls and I'm freaking out. I would like to stay in Cimiano with Sorella Anderson. But we'll see what the Lord wants I guess.

     I have a testimony that God sends tender mercies in the shape of small beagle puppies after the end of a long, hard, great and exhausting week. I saw this little guy on the road and didn't even ask permission, just sat down right next to him in my skirt in the road, named him Rusty and had the time of my life. The owner was so confused
haha.

Vi voglio bene

Sorella Williams