** Email from 6/26/13 **

So I kind of took my sweet time reading emails, unfortunately I dont have much time now to write haha oh well, less crud for yall to read. This past week was awesome, we taught 14 lessons and made 5 baptism dates. Within one week, Ive never gotten that many dates in 2 transfers. We are seeing some cool miracles. One already fell off, our new converts sister. sad but thats how it goes. its like a rollercoaster everyday man. super successful then the next minute you are like for reals?? but hey. no complaints. im learning how to be a better missionary and person thats for sure. we were in milano yesterday and had to go to the new missionary conference, milano is huge mind you, and we were by ourselves without anyone else. totally got us thru the metro system from different lines and found my way to the church. i was super proud. even asked someone where to find the other line for the metro. my italian is getting better, still got miles to go tho. 

i had to give a talk in church sunday about when and why i decided to go on a mission. i was so nervous! speaking italian in front of a bunch of italians! the bishops little old mama was in the front row smiling at me with glossy eyes and that made me feel better. 

in fatti on sunday we had 2 ppl in church, crazy story. so were on the tram a few days ago and this nigerian dude starts talkin to us, ive actually seen him around before and had like a 2 second convo with him. hes like oh wheres your church i will come sunday and bring my family...im like in shock haha. so he actually shows up with his wife and baby, im sitting with them, and i hand him a book of mormon in the middle of sacrament, i could tell they werent really getting alot out of it cause idk if they know italian too well. not reallly the best place to explain the book of mormon but i felt like i should give it to him then. so then hes like oh, can i give you my address and you can explain more. hahaha im like um freak yes! so we go there that night, they are asking the perfect questions and then hes like well if we start coming to your church every sunday do we need to be baptized? hahaha are you serious? that never happens. bam baptism dates! then we saw his wife the next night and taught her the plan of salvation and she said she loved it. 

idk if i forgot to mention this last time but another cool story. 

okay so were doin some parco a week ago, pass up this opportunity to talk to this man and i felt bad, bout an hr later after roaming around this huge park we go back and home boy is still chillin on the bench. im like heck yes. slla walch is like, you know what would suck? if he totally left as soon as we get over there....he does! as soon as we get closer he gets up, so then im going stealthy stalking him around the other side to meet him on his way out of the park, we pass by this little filipino man on the bench and i said buongiorno to him and he smiled really nicely and said the same back. without a second passing i literally stopped, turned around, starting talking to him, sat on the bench, and we ended up teaching the full restoration, gave him a book of mormon and he accepted a soft baptism invite. haha. 

the other dude i was chasing after ironically only moved to sit on a different bench! he ended up leaving during our lesson tho.

it was super funny cause my poor trainee was just confused at what i was doing haha. 

the hardest thing is having ppl actually meet you for return appts! idk how to avoid no shows, ppl are sooo flaky. we get more bedoni than real lessons. its all good. 

well, come sempre, vi voglio bene. grazie per tutto. ciao la mia gente!

slla Gillette

 

Email from 6/19/13 - --- had to repost, some creep left a comment - he has been cyber stalking me!

So incredible story. Saturday there was a baptism for the other ward and it was our new converts bday, she came over to the church to chill with us for a bit, so she was like "hey your mom wrote me back on facebook so i wrote it on a piece of paper for you to translate." I read it and one of the lines is "If you see Kassi tell her that her dad is baptizing me, its a miracle! thanks."

Needless to say I questioned the fact if she wrote that right haha and freaked out. So I had to know, checked my email upstairs real quick to see if it was real, balled like a baby when I read the email. Sorella Nelson cried too haha. 

I told the travelling sisters and President/Sorella Wolfgramm. They were so stoked. President made me announce it in zone conference. ps our zone conference is two different zones worth of missionaries. They all cheered and clapped for me, it was so legit.

An anziano in Bergamo told me today he used my story for their new convert to make her have hope about her family. I feel so blessed to have this story to share with people.

Sorella Wolfgramm said this is a testimony that Heavenly Father loves me and cares about me. The travelling sorelle both told me how I deserve and am worthy for these blessings, that was really touching for me, I dont feel like life should be this good. haha.

Our new convert is so strong. She was at the lesson with us yesterday for her sister and was bearing testimony about how she didnt feel ready to get baptized but I kept telling her she would be. Ahh it was awesome.

We also set a baptism date with my favorite african lady in bergamo. We met her my first week in the field. She said someone couldnt make up the book of mormon but still struggles with having to get baptized again.

I have noticed my faith increase, I feel like Ive had a very small amount, saying things are too good to be true and actually believing it. I think we are going to hit our goals and really help this people this transfer. 

My trainee is legit. Sorella Walch from Northern Cali. She is fetchin tall haha 5"11. We have similar personalities too. 

It is soooooo hot! and I guess ppl dont believe in ac in italy! our apartment is a hot box. I shower every night as soon as we can cause we cant handle our mcgrody we feel. 

The 5th week of this transfer we are doing a blitz with the girls in vicenza, i love those sisters so i am stoked, but here is the best part...since we are going there guess where we get to go for pday with them? VENEZIA! VENICE FOR ALL YOU ENGLISH FOLK! AHHHHH DREAM COME TRUEEE!

Yup so cant complain. Of course its not easy, but I really cant complain. life is wonderful and I feel so at home here in Italy. this mission was made for me with all these awesome people. 

Sadly the wolfgramms are peacin out this transfer. A lot of us cried in our last zone conference a few days ago. But its cool cause pres dibb was comps in italy with wolfgramm twice! cray cray.

VI VOGLIO BENE!

SO HAPPY FOR ALL OF THE MIRACLES I AM HEARING ABOUT BACK HOME, YOU ARE ALL SUCH A BLESSING IN MY LIFE. THANKS FOR YOU EXAMPLE. KEEP CALM AND EAT GELATO.

Slla Gillette.

Pictures from 6/12/13

Romeo & Juliette wall

** Email from 6/12/13 !

So I have a tally going, I have now cried 3 times in the field thanks to today. Totally cried reading my moms email, she gets baptized in a few days. words cannot describe how i feel or how humbled i am that Heavenly Father answers prayers and life is just so beautiful.

 

So today is the last day of the transfer, I am going on my 3rd already! Santa Horchata I am not a greenie anymore. In fact...I AM TRAINING. Super cray. I pick up my greenie daughter Tomorrow. I dont know the Language well enough but I def am going to have to step up my game. I am staying in Bergamo to train her. Its funny that I have had a new comp every single transfer haha it will prob continue this way for a bit with all the new sorelle coming in.

 

I am nervous but excited. i am super stoked to see all my besties from my Group. Most of us are training I believe. I just love them so much. I am so excited for the rest of my mission. I was really thinking I was either training here or going, its funny that all my comps leave me here after one transfer haha. but i love Bergamo, its home. The members are Amazing and I didnt want to leave Ylenia either. Theres too much work to do, and I am stoked to kick it into gear even more this transfer, gotta train my girl right! Gjika and Nelson are staying too so thats good.

 

Theres so many great things that have happened this week. Example 2 of when I cried was last week during a lesson with a meno attiva, idk if I already wrote about that. We both were crying, she came to Church this sunday and brought a friend. So rad. Verona for pday last week was gorgeous. I cant believe I am in some of these places, I am in italy people!

 

Our new convert is doing so wonderfully. she fasted for her sister to stop smoking, twice, without us even knowing! how strong! And watching less actives come back is Amazing. Seeing the power of the spirit and atonement work through them, watching them have that desire to come back is priceless. seriously so grateful that we are instruments for Him.

 

Wish me luck this week guys, and please keep the letters coming, I might not have time to respond everytime but I absolutely loveee them!

Side note, toats lost weight haha. Its just hard to tell with the layers of skirts and crap haha. Oh pants how I miss you so.

Vi voglio bene, a dopo.

Slla Gillette

Pics from 6/5/13

EMAIL FROM 6/5/13

Life is just so good you guys. I barely have any internet time today, we are splitting pday in half, so tomorrow us 4 girls are partying it up in VERONA after our conference. We go there almost every week for conference and havent been able to check it out at all, my comp served there so we have a tour guide. STOKED!

I had 24 emails to read, i was not able to read them all but most! Dang I seriously feel so loved and blessed. I think about all of you all the time and pray for you all. My prayers are super long haha.

Tonight we are having a girls night with our investigators and new convert! and the other sorelle, we are making cookies and watching lion king! I have some disney music in Italian so I have trying to learn the songs in Italian. 

I have some pictures from our trip to Città Alta last Pday with a member in our ward Sorella Capelli. Theres one of me, my comp Hanson and slla Capelli, one with Nelson and then one of Gjika. We find out Monday all the transfer changes, so only a few days to figure out if I am training and/or leaving Bergamo! So bitter sweet. I love the members here and I have such a love for the investigators. But part of me feels ready to leave. Hanson and I are pretty sure one of us will leave so vediamo! 

Maybe I will serve with one of my besties from the MTC and we can open somewhere together haha. Its fun trying to guess what will happen every transfer, but theres no way of ever knowing what the lord has in store. 

My testimony has grown so much and I know it is only the beginning. My favorite word is beautiful, I try to tell everyone of the members and investigators how much I love them, cause I dont want anyone to ever second guess that.

YOU ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE AND I LOVE YOU TO PIECES. VERIMENTE SINCEREMENTE! TUTTI VOI SIETE BELLISIMI E VI VOGLIO TANTISIMO BENE! SONO MOLTO GRATA PER OGNI BENEDIZIONE DIO HA DATTO.

A dopo,

Slla Gillette, come il razoio