Sorella Williams: Buona Pasqua from Milano

Buon P day finalmente!

It's been a crazy week. We had a couple scambi and 2 zone conferences. One in Milan, and one over the Genova and Torino zones. We are pooped.

BUONA PASQUA! I hope everyone had a great Easter. I've been reading Jesus the Christ which is amazing. There's a part that says "Christ’s absolute spinelessness made Him eligible, His humility and willingness rendered Him acceptable to the Father, as the atoning sacrifice whereby propitiation could be made for the sins of all men." I love that because He was willing of the sacrifice. He did it by choice because He loves us.

Instead of going to dinner somewhere on Easter, all 6 of us missionaries made a feast! And we did secret Santa gifts. It was the bomb. It was a TREAT YO SELF holiday. I need everyone to know that a certain Anziano consumed, and I do not exaggerate, twelve deviled eggs. By his own free will, no one dared him. needless to say when we got to the castle for finding, he spent the majority of his time in the porta potty :) We had planned the rest of the day to find and proselyte in the streets around the Duomo and the castle. I was excited because I loved last Easter in Siena last year when all we did for three days (since we couldn't get any appointments) was hand out the Easter biglietti and speak with people on the street. So I wanted to do the same again this year. There's no better excuse to talk to people about Jesus than on Easter Day. It was an awesome day!

The next day was Pasquetta so everyone still had work and school off and people actually called US to ask for more soccer during the week haha. Of course we said yes. So for the second time in one week we played soccer and had SUCH a big turn out of non members, less actives, and members. It was amazing. Not to mention the Peruvians showed up in their own jerseys and gave ME one so I played with them. I was on my A game. They would say "passala alla Sorella!!" I Felt like a million bucks:) we were so excited because Gaia's sisters entire family came, including some of Gaia's other siblings. I can't explain how exciting that is. They all came to art class as well...and then to English and French class later that same week. MIRACLES ARE HAPPENING. We just pray they feel the spirit and have the desire to keep coming. We think that's already happened. I have a testimony that prepared people really just are plain prepared. You don't find answers to your questions anywhere else than the true church of Christ. And if you look elsewhere you will be unsatisfied. I love Gaia more than I love waffle fries and strawberries. She got us cute bracelets from her trip to Barcelona.

We met with some other cool people this week too. But it's all blurring together.

Wednesday we had conference which is always great to hear from the stake president and President and Sorella Allen. They spoke a lot about how the traditional methods of missionary work just aren't a thing anymore. They asked us 'experienced' missionaries in our months/years on the mission, how many have done casa and been let in more than 5 times, not one of us raised our hands. President said when he was in the mission, each day he was let into a house. He said it isn't because we aren't good missionaries or trying our best. He promised our generation of missionaries in the world are even stronger than those of his time, but that the world is changing. People can't trust two foreign strangers into their home and no one has time anymore. We are using our efforts in other ways now to invite others to hear the gospel. Not that we have given up on casa or traditional finding, we are just using our time in the most effective way we can. A lot of that comes from these activities we do with other members and using our talents for things. This is why we have been focusing so hard on soccer, FHE, corso d'inglese e Francese, art class, etc. And already they are proving to be much more effective. President really is inspired!

Thursday we woke up early to get to Alessandria for another conference that we had to do a training and role plays for. Part of that may or may not have involved us doing a sweet soccer reenactment and chest bumping in skirts. It was great.

Afterward we hopped in the car with President, Sorella Allen, and the APs. Just a happy family road trip back to Milan. It was so fun. When we got to their house Sorella Allen gave us a little tour of some of the things she's done with the mission home. She's the best. It was weird seeing the mission home again. I was having flashbacks to my first day in Italy. Afterward we just took the metro home.

Today for pday we went and saw Da Vinci's last supper! It was WAY bigger than I thought it would be. It's painted on the wall of an old church in Milan. Crazy what they have done to try and preserve it since 1494. The church was bombed during WWII and the wall fell around it, but the painting was left standing by some miracle.

Do what the prophet told us to do in conference and read the Book of Mormon this week. He was specific, he said "everyday". Doesn't matter if you already have a testimony that it's true! It will continue to change your life if you allow it. Make time for the important things.

Vi voglio bene!

Sorella Williams