**EMAIL FROM 9/25/13 **

baptism by...FIRE!

Eduardo finally got the ghost! He is so sweet. Speaks only spanish, so I usually just nod and say si, with some hola and hasta luego thrown in there. Trying to learn spanish and italian is complicated.

So Sunday was miraculous. First Eduardo finalmente came, hence the above sentence. Then! well back track, we had a primary activity on saturday which was SOOO CUTE. I want kids! yes, i said it. I, sorella Gillette, actually admit to wanting kids...I blame the mission and babies speaking italian. Anywho. Some less active families came, it was beautiful. THEN. Sunday one of my fav families came to church! Apparently they havent come in atleast 6 months, as far as sorella Condies knowledge. we taught them saturday morning like always and they were saying how their kids need to have the holy ghost, the kids want to get baptized! so we will be starting the lessons with them! yay! I am so proud of that mom for bringing all 4 of her kids to church on her own. The ward was so welcoming to her! Im just so proud.

On thursday we had a girls night with the young women, about 10 girls came, it was so fun! I love them! 

Lets see, other great things...Also sunday a little old lady in the ward came up and gave me some earrings! The week before I complimented her on hers and so she went out and bought the same pair for me and my comp. HOW CUTE. 

This saturday our little 8 year old that we have been teaching is getting baptized! Theres a lot of kids from less active families that we are working with. Its great to see how these little cuties have a desire and are being the example for their parents! 

Tonight we are going over to another one of my fav less active families, they barely speak italian. again my awesome spanish skills are needed. the kids are sooooooo adorable. the two girls were teaching me a hand clap game last time. i have some photos of em. 

and shout of to my loverly companion. She is great. I really am blessed to have this adventure. 

I have realized I am super immature for 22 haha I am rarely serious and am always making jokes. and I always have to crunch leaves on the sidewalk like a little kid. but then i think hey, Im called on the mission to be myself right? haha. I always make the joke of "exhibit A of why I am not getting married." lol. 

all in all it has been a good week. very eventful with activities! We have so many people to try and see, we cant fit them all in. way different than bergamo. different kind of stress. 

I LOVE ITALY. I LOVE THE PEOPLE. I LOVE THE MISSION AND THE MISSIONARIES. ANDDDD I LOVE THE BOOK OF MORMON. I literally get excited to read it, I am in like alma 35 now, as soon as I finish it again I am going to start it in italian, then that will be 3 times read on the mission. and I am almost to john in the new testament. 

PEOPLE THE SCRIPTURES ARE SO VITAL! If we all read our scriptures every morning, the world would be a much better place. I want to kick my old self in the kneecap for not reading before and understanding the importance! golly gee. 

DONT BE AS DUMB AS ME! 

well, i love you all. the church is true and the book is blue! 

VVB!

Slla G.

**Email from 9/18/13 **

Quick little letter yeah yeah

 

I love Torino! 

Had a sweet FHE on Sat with the Gallarato family, Fratello G made us some bomb food, we played spoons after haha he lost everytime and then chucked his cards lol so funny. Slowly getting to know the people and where I am going, such a big city with so many different forms of transportation! 

Had a really good lesson also on sat with a less active family, got to use my parents as an example yet again. It was good. Sorella Condie said in a prayer the other week that she was grateful that I am bold...haha idk if thats good or bad lol. We had an investigator ALMOST except a baptism date, she knows the book of mormon is true and wants to get baptized, just needs time and to talk to her husband.

Another investigator also says the book of mormon is real and Joseph Smith is a prophet. dang people if you know all this stuff what is holding you back?! Thats what we are here to figure out. Lots of people we are working with, including a lot of less actives who i love. Had a great lesson the other day with another family, first time Sorella Condie met the mom, we taught her and her 11 year old daughter. The mom cried. it was really awesome. They have only been here for a few months from Peru. 

I need to learn spanish SO BAD. 

Our investigator/member who hasnt received the holy ghost yet (he was baptized a month ago) still hasnt come to church, and he doesnt speak italian either. i talked with him on the phone and spat out a couple spanish words and hopefully that means we have an appointment with him tonight haha. 

I noticed I havent said much about the people lately, just kind of general unimportant crap haha. found out that one of my new converts in Bergamo passed the sacrament for the first time and that 2 of my beloved investigators went to church for the first time for all 3 hours! ahhhhhhh. jump for joy people. May not seem like a big deal. BUT. IT. IS. 

Side note, Sorella Condie is awesome. I am a big fan. I have really had some great companions. Her parents live in Connecticut, maybe we have already started to Boston trip plan haha. 

Miss you all! Africa by Toto came on the radio yesterday in an instanbul kepab joint, I WAS SO HAPPY. tender mercy my friends. tender mercy.

VI VOGLIO BENE! ALLA PROSSIMA! 

OHHH PS. today went to the largest egyptian museum in the world! It was soooooo cool! so worth it. google it. torino is kinda famous for it.

CIAO!

** Email from 9/11/13 **

Greetings from Torino!

 

One of the cool things about the apartment is that Sorella Bunker and Sorella Soh have signed the wall, my mamma and granny! So the apartment is superr ghetto fab. Way diff than Bergamo, but menomale we are actually moving apartments! The last two days has been straight cleaning and building furniture at the new place. dont like not doing missionary work for that long.

So my first Sunday was great, the ward is so big and they are SO welcoming! Really warm and sweet people. Feels weird to be the newbie. Had to bear my testimony. It is def better than my first sunday in Italia. Except I notice how much my language sucks haha. Taught too many English speaking Africans the past few months. scherzo. worth it.

My comp, Sorella Condie is super chill. She is only a transfer below me and her language is so good! She had an italian trainer and they were together  for 3 transfers. Condie is from Colorado and went to school at the U.

So I have noticed Torino is a lot more Italian. Its huge, tons of markets, the view is more of the italian city you picture, and theres more italians in general. I never realized how small Bergamo was! But dang gina I miss Bergamo so much! I always bring it up haha I have to make an effort to stop. I kind of refer to it as back home.

Tons of less actives and potentials to work with, I am so excited. We are teaching this one guy from Palestine, I was trying to learn some Arabic yesterday. Forget that haha. Another investigator should be getting the holy ghost sunday. long story haha. but he only speaks spanish. that was a difficult encounter haha. now i have to learn spanish! All the south americans here are from Peru, funny how the all migrate to specific cities.

Today we went the the top of La Mole, the huge famous tower in Torino, it originally was supposed to be a jewish temple, now its a national museum of cinema! right up my ally. So I got to see the view of all of torino and the swiss alps...no biggie.

Well, this is a long letter, it is cool hearing about where all my friends have been transfered to, how we are all needed in specific places at specific times! Cant wait to get to know the people here better and love them! Torino is beautifullll! And, it is almost fall. we all know what that means. ORANGE TREES.

Vi Voglio Bene!

Slla Gillette

VIEWS OF TORINO, ITALY! HER NEXT ADVENTURE!

SHE WILL GET THE SNOW SHE HAS BEEN WANTING



THEY HAD THE 2006 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES THERE!

{{{{{{{{ EMAIL FROM 9/4/13 }}}}}}}

BEST/WORST week of the mission!

Im in a glass case of emotions! name that movie.

BOUNGIORNO. Thanks all for the bday wishes. Got mad love for my peeps. So many things happened this week, hopefully I can sum it all up for ya.

First about my birthday, probs the best bday anyone could have on the mission. Ate at one of my fav members house, she made an Ecuadorian version of tacos. Gave me an Ecuador tshirt, made a cake! I love them. Ylenia and Favour called in the morning to tell me happy bday and later on in the day we taught them a lesson. Sorella Walch got people to sing happy birthday to me in English at English class. The girls made me a cute poster.

The girls and a member had been working on surprising me for my bday for a long time I guess. Lets just say it involved hearing my parents voices on a recording, eating gelato blindfolded and seeing the best view of Bergamo from Città Alta. BEST MISSION BDAY! I only get one in Italy and it was amazing. 

Had a blitz with the traveling sorelle, Sorella Beus asked Ylenia in a lesson how she found the church. I ended up crying as I heard her version of the story and her testimony. So beautiful. She was saying how she liked us so much, if it were different people she doesnt know if she would be as accepting. Talked about how we explained things to her and were encouraging and how she knew the BOM was true. We then visited our investigators new baby and her in the hospital! SO CUTEEEE. So happy for them. I cried after we left the hospital. Ive had a feeling I would be leaving Bergamo and these were the last times I would see these people that I love so much. Sunday all the members were finally back from vacay! 

Funny story, it was testimony meeting, Anz Axson went up so I was going to after him, I stood up to go and then Fratello Capelli closed the meeting so I had to sit back down really fast haha the whole ward started laughing. Great way to get remembered.

taught our other investigator sunday night, in her prayer she prayed I wouldnt go, then said unless its what you (god) want. I cried when we left her house. 

SO MANY TEARS THIS WEEK. 

So found out Monday where I am headed. Didnt think I would till Tuesday. Sorella Gjika is going to Pordenone, and Sorella CLAWSON, good buddy from my MTC district is coming to replace me! OH. Im going to TORINO! My mission grandma and mom were both born there. mission born that is haha. I will be with one of Sorella Nelsons dream companions. I leave tomorrow morning.

Its been so stressful trying to see everyone! Said bye to some of my favorite members, theyve been feeding us some good food. taking lots of great pictures this week, so sorry theres like 100. 

nervous, excited, sad, heartbroken. Ive cried so many times haha. this is worse than leaving home no offense guys. I know I will see you all again. Thats not as guaranteed here. 

So after this we are going to go play soccer with some members. i know what you are thinking. im like the best soccer player so they better watch out. then we have more people to say bye to! 

THIS IS SO LONG HAHA. SORRY.

LOVE YOU ALLLLLLL. TALK TO YOU FROM TORINO NEXT TIME.

SLLA GILLETTE