My heart is full

     I can't believe the day has come where I write the last email of my mission. I can't exactly describe how I'm feeling other than saying that my heart is so full!

      Gaia was baptized Saturday and it was amazing. She of course was nervous and there was a moment where the three of us were in the bathroom together getting her ready and she asked if we could all say a prayer to calm herself down a bit and feel the spirit. We were all in tears! Her whole family came to support her as well as several of the ward members. She wasn't planning nor wanted to bare her testimony, but when the time came she changed her mind and stepped up to the microphone and shared the sweetest testimony. Anziano Simkins and I sang the primary song "I feel my saviors love".  A funny moment was when Sorella Anderson and I were at the stairs of the baptismal font to put towels around her and help her change. The minute she walked down the
stairs, Anziano Aglaure was just behind her (he had baptized her) and he looked at me with the most scared face and said "shiz!!" He pulled out from his pocket his phone completely soaking wet and broken hahahaha. He had forgotten it was in his pants when he got in the water and hadn't noticed until he got out. It really took one for the team.

      My birthday was Monday and the ward members and missionaries were so sweet! We taught and said goodbye to Marilena. Tina took us all out for a Philippine dessert. We went to art class which was a party. Everyone was SO nice and got me the cutest little gifts! Then Gaias family came to the church after art class with pizzas and she surprised me with a homemade strawberry cheesecake which was DIVINE.

     Tuesday we had serata famigliare (family home evening) and a bunch of ward members came to
see off me and Anziano Simkins (going to Treviso) and Burkert (going to Novara). We all got a chance to bare our testimonies and then we partied. I have never felt so much love! They were very hard goodbyes.

      Today Gaia is taking us out for Pday, from there it's just English class tonight and packing.

      My mission has meant so much to me. I don't think it's even really hit me yet. It feels like my heart is being divided all over Italy. I'm grateful for the things I've learned, how I've come tunderstand the gospel, for forever friends and memories, for more carbohydrates than anyone would need in a lifetime, and understanding a small portion of Gods love for his children.

      Thank you for so much love and support and prayers. I know this is the true church of Christ. I love my Savior.

Vi voglio bene,

Sorella Williams

Gaia's Baptism

Saying good bye to Marilena

Cimiano ward birthday party for Sorella Williams

Birthday cheese cake from Gaia

Scambios and Gelato

Ciao!!

This week was great!

     Thursday we taught Marilena and then took a train to Alessandria. I was with Sorella Mays who is a brand new missionary so it was fun to work with her! We took a train to Asti and met with the bishop's wife who has THE CUTEST little down syndrome baby I've ever seen. Then we went and did some finding which is why they asked us to come to Alessandria, to help them with street contacting and finding people. And I got the compliment I've
wanted MY WHOLE MISSION. I thought it was going to be impossible..but finally..two groups of people that we talked to separately both thought I was ITALIAN! What a success. Everyone knows I'm American which is obvious, or they guess English or French. But they asked me if I was from Varese or Bolzano which are two northern cities where very white Italians live!! We did it people, 18 months later and we finally did it.

     After talking to some cool people we rewarded ourselves with gelato. The best gelato I've had yet my entire mission. And it was for free thanks to the member working there:):):) then we were cutting it close to get on the train back to Alessandria, so we ran to the station and jumped on the train and started talking to this way nice lady named Alexandria. 30 minutes pass which is about the time to arrive at Alessandria and the train stops and says we've arrived in Torino...we were shocked. We had taken the wrong train! We quickly got her information and jumped off the train. We had taken the train going in the complete opposite direction. I don't know that area very well and was completely distracted talking to the lady! So we run and get on the right binario and wait for the right train going back to Alessandria. We were just laughing because Torino is completely out of the zone much less their area. Oops. The train comes by and we get on and my phone rings and it's Anziano Harris saying "Williams.. What are you doing in Torino!!!" Just so happens in the whole 10 minutes I was in Torino, his train had gone by going back to Milano and had seen me on the binario!! Hahahaha. We ended up sitting by a nice guy named Luciano on the way back and gave him a Book of Mormon! So we just agreed it was meant to be. Torino was pretty from the window haha! We saw a cool castle!

     We went to the gelato festival with Gaia at the Milano Castle!!! It was the best. Some of the best and worst gelato I've ever had haha. One kind was made with donkey milk and hemp seeds, another was licorice with rosemary. Just scary. But we tried all of them of course. It wasn't easy but we suffered through. We also planned out the baptismal program for Gaia.Saturday is coming quick!! We are so excited and she is so ready. I love her so much.

     We had a karaoke party that night. The hits this time were, I believe I can fly by Fratello Huang, Sargent peppers Lonely hearts club band by Gabriele, and immortals by George.

     Saturday was good, we played soccer and saw our investigator Lorenza. She's a 21 year old student here in Milan from Sicily. We are excited to keep meeting with her.

        Church was interesting. We had a bunch of new people there. 3 new couples. Our favorite lady got up to the pulpit and prophesied that in 15 days an earthquake will happen and the second coming will begin because god told her. Everyone freaked out and the bishop escorted her off the stand. Not one of the new people stayed for the second hour. So that was nice.

     Monday we had a scambio and I went with Sorella Orr. It was great. We had our last dinner with Rita before she leaves town for the summer and we taught her sister the restoration. We also met and gave a Book of Mormon to the lady we talked to on the metro last week Elena.

     Today for pday we are going to the Scala Opera House! We are so excited. We will be seeing La Boheme tonight with Sorella Tullis and her new comp Sorella Huntzinger (Lo Russo got surgery and is recovering in the mission home and she will go home with me in my group) I'm so lucky to live in Milan!

     I'm noticing more and more the difference between understanding/accepting the truthfulness of the gospel, and living it. I'm entering into my last full week as a missionary and I seriously cannot believe it. I am grateful that although my circumstances are going to be changing soon, the simplicity of the church of Jesus Christ does not. I love my savior, and I know that this church is true.

Love Sorella Williams


Gelato festival at the castle




Alessandria scambio


Varenna


Last week's Pday, we ran into the Como Sorelle in Varenna