** EMAIL FROM 7/24/13 **

First of all, the BAPTISM was amazingly awesome. Anz Axson dunked em both, Colemere confirmed Osato with the Holy Ghost and a member from the ward did it for Favour. We had a little party for them after, we were worried members wouldnt come but the turnout was way better than it seemed like it was going to be. menomale. us 4 girls knelt down in the kitchen for members to show up. miracles! we are going over to their house today to talk about temple marriage! yayyy.

secondo, TRANSFER NEWS. I am staying! so is Gjika! crazy, she will be here for 7 months and I will be here for 6. I am excited, I instantly had new ideas of how to help the ward. We still have some investigators we are working with that have baptism dates for this next transfer, and some that need to reset the dates, but its going to happen! I will finish training Sorella Walch, sucks for her haha. scerzo. But she is my first comp who I will have for more than 1 transfer haha.

Also, Bergamo is now a zone! and theres a copia of sorelle opening up in another ward here, so in total for this transfer thats 14 missionaries in my city! Brescia is also breaking away from the Verona zone to be in the Bergamo zone, along with Lecco who were in the Milano zone. so glad we dont have to travel as much, I am so broke! 20 bucks every trip to Verona. But its sad to not be with everyone like before.

My mission is going by fast, theres only a year left starting like next week!

Today we went to Brescia and checked out the castle with the Brescia Anziani, we didnt know where it was so they had to show us. Theres a Wild Wild West burger joint in the mall, ordering an american burger in italian is super funny. they had little indian stuff and wagons everywhere haha. like a crappier version of texas roadhouse lol. like always, i forget tons of stuff to say.

The work is good, gotta work harder, really want to work with less actives more this transfer. read ezekiel 34:6 and luke 15:4-7. dope. Also, bugs still like me, got a bite the size of a baseball thats hard as a rock. no biggie. all about that sweet blood.

MISS YOU. LOVE YOU. Loveee hearing about the miracles back home.
In the words of most Africans we meet,

We thank Jesus.

Ciaozies! Gilletti.

*** EMAIL FROM 7/17/13 ***

That is a quote from the mish pres on the phone once. haha loved it. So everytime I write I feel like I forget so much to talk about. Just some main points. WE HAVE 2 BAPTISMS THIS SATURDAYYYY!!!! STOKEEEDDDDD. Our Nigerian couple, love them. they are so funny and elect beyond belief. I feel like I am serving my mission in Africa right now. Most of the people we are teaching are african, same with alot of the other missionaries in Bergamo right now. Operation:Africa is in effect. So excited to send pics next week.

Bummer, didnt get to go to Venezia after all, life long dream crushed! ha no biggies, i will serve close to venice at some point hopefully. 

So I think I will get transfered next week, time to start making some guesses! I will let yall know next week, i find out monday or tuesday. Not much else to say, good lessons, gettin them bap dates! Anxious for Saturday and next week to see my fate, pretty sure everyone is getting switched up.

LOVE HEARING THE MIRACOLI BACK HOME! 

VI VOGLIO BENE! 

CIAOZIES. 

Slla Gillette

*** Email from 7/10/13 ***

 

So here is the generale email for this week peeps.

 

I have a hard time even remembering what has happened, I suck at writing in my journal, theres never enough time. Me and the girls have way too much fun together at the house. Quick low down i guess..We got two more baptism dates this week, super cool. both first lessons too. One is from Bolivia the other Ghana. I want to start an African branch in Bergamo. Totes my goal. Going along with that, our two other baptism dates, the cute couple with the adorable baby, are soooo elect its ridiculous. I dont feel like I have anything to do with it and its true. Everyone talks about all these things we should do as missionaries, which is totes right, we should be doing all these things, but ultimately I feel like if we stubble upon the elect it has nothing to do with us cause they are ready. Their baptism is in 10 days! Soo excited! They have the best questions and are so sweet and funny. Im trying to get them to teach me some Benin, their tribal language.

 The husband is always like, "Its too hard, you cant do it." Then he finally taught me Sunday after church and when his wife came out of the bathroom I said it to her and he just busted up giggling. Yesterday the wife was like, so we cant have coffee or tea like this? and she showed us the coffee so Im thinking ahhh crap. But then she was like "ya I stopped drinking it when you told me to." ahhhh. We totally reexplained some things about it, but man it was cool. The husband was like "so after I am baptized I will become a missionary and get all the Africans to come to church." haha and she was later saying "I talked to my Dad in Nigeria and he always said he loves the white man church, so I told him I was going too, he asked which church and I told him the Church of Jesus Christ and he said he goes to the same church in Nigeria." 

SO COOL! 

And I am so glad I will be here for it, errybody thinks me and Gjika are leaving Bergamo, since we have been here for a while. Since we have our new mish pres, who really knows he might reshuffle everyone. I am sad to leave, I love the members soo much. Bergamo is home. I want to take the ward with me everywhere I go. Sunday after church we all had a break the fast picnic at the park. it was sooo much fun! Gjika and I played with all the little kids and we ended up having a water fight with all of them, they are so cute. played uno with one of the little girls, then a bunch of us and the older kids played soccer. pretty hard with a pencil skirt. haha

Then it started pouring rain and all the italians ran for cover under a tree haha. 

Also had my first issue with Anti Mormon stuff, had to drop an investigator. Surprises me how much people hate the church. stupid adversary bro. 

Today we are going to San Pelligrino, the place that makes the famous water. its supposed to be pretty and i guess its in our area..who knew. Friday we get to meet Pres Dibb and have interviews, next pday is VENEZIA. and then we are blitzing vicenza. chicka yeah. 

Moral of the story, life is good. waking up in the morning is still super hard, idk if ill ever be a morning person. Always gotta try to be better everyday to be that sacred missionary.

Vi Voglio Bene come sempre.

a dopo.

Gilletti (my nickname since first transfer)

ps for photos this week: the gross things you find in supermarkets and the rain i just told yall about Sunday. 

CIAOZIES.

** Email from 7/3/13 **

Today is the day you've been waiting your whole life for-

So here I am tearing up at the computer again after reading my parents email. If the only reason for going on a mission was for my parents to enjoy the blessings of the gospel then that is fine by me. I feel such a reassuring spirit everytime I read my moms email that we REALLY have a loving Heavenly Father that will bless us beyond belief. 

Ive been kind of feeling like I am not as successful or the amazing missionary I want to be yet. I thought I would come out here and just dunk the world and have amazingly spiritual lessons all the time and talk to every single person. But its not always that way. But after I was feeling a little disappointed in myself and was called to repentance of how I need to step up my game, we had 2 really good lessons and had several mini miracles. Thats when I feel happy is when i am teaching lessons and making contacts.

So last week I kind of had this bug bite epidemic haha. Ever heard of chiggers? well i have some gnarly photos to send you of what happened to my legs haha. freaked out every anziano it was hilarious. i still have some problems and im going to be covered in scars for a while. 

but hey thats the mission life right haha.

i also have some pictures of us girls goofin around at night and then of me and my comp with ylenia and jasmine. sure do love them. already invited ylenia to come to thanksgiving next year haha. 

i love bergamo sooo much. 2 of our baptism dates are really progressing, this little family from Nigeria. They are super fun. Hard to understand sometimes tho haha. Even though we are all speaking english, sometimes I think it would be easier if we were speaking Italian. 

We started teaching our new converts mom again, I just love the whole family. Its amazing to see her daughter bear testimony to her and explain things to her. She has grown soo much already, and I mentioned that in the lesson. Her understanding and testimony have grown and you can just see how much more happy she is. I know we are going to be friends for forever. 

And I am very excited for the day, whether it be during the mish or after, when I find out my other investigators get baptized. I really do love them and it kills me that they wont progress or fully accept the restoration or how extremely important this is.

EVERYONE should read the talk by Holland, missionary work and the atonement. one of the best talks ever. how can i complain and say missionary work isnt easy..salvation isnt easy. it was never ever easy for him. when we are rejected, we get a small glipse of how he felt. the greatest life this world has ever known.

thats just me peraphrasing but it sure is powerful. thank you all for being so supportive. Please dont lose track of what is really important in life, HF will bless you in time in the best ways possible.

Vi Voglio tanto bene.

con amore,

slla gillette