** EMAIL 11/20/13**

Fingers are freezing off as I type

 

 

Well. It sure is cold. I knew this day would come, and it's not even the worst yet. I know I always said I wan't to live in 4 seasons. But dang gina forget that! Well if I had a heater and a car I prob wouldn't complain as much.

Comunque! I had sooo many emails this week! Thank you all so much. Felt like the cool kid on the block.

I seriously love you all and miss you. This has been my trunkiest transfer, only in regards to the fact that I miss music, movies, friends, family, food! But I need to shut up, I am serving a mission in Italy! What the freak haha. But it is because some of my friends are going home, thinking about that is so weird! I can't imagine going home. I am so sad, one of my really good friends got into a bike vs. bus accident and is going home tomorrow! He almost served for a solid year, and he doesn't get to come back to this mission! Can't serve foreign again for medical stuff. So sad! And then my other buddy has finished the mission, ahhhh such a strange feeling! Sorella Astel and I always talk about how weird it would be to not be planning lessons for people.

So with our people: One of our investigators prayed for the first time in a lesson! It was so sad, he is a cute little old man and asked that he wouldn't feel alone anymore! And then...he accepted a baptism date! YES.

Then with another, she is the sweetest. When I left Bergamo, Ylenia said I was leaving her so I could go find another girl like her and help her. This is that girl for sure. She has changed so much in such a short amount of time! Now she knows she for sure wants to get baptized! Only prob is her parents think it is too fast! gahh. so Sorella Astel, Condie, me and our investigator are all fasting right now to soften the hearts of her parents.

Oh I forgot, SORELLA WALCH IS IN MY ZONE. We are about to pick them up from the train station and do pday together!!!! yeahhhh. Got to see her yesterday it was soo amazing to be with her, condie and astel. I love them soo much. couldn't stop smiling.

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!

your fav sorella.

** EMAIL 11/13/13 **

Just hustled a Sri Lankan for some cheaper scarves

I figured maybe random subject titles would entice the reader.

haha then sometimes I think I should be more serious for ya'll, but then I think ehhh...better not.

So. life's good. weeks are fast. Never remember which week is which when I come to write you. We are at an internet point right by the Mole. I love walking around downtown Torino. Probably my favorite sight in the world. Sorella Astel saw a ghetto little house and was like 'I bet that was built before America was America' haha.

In regards to our investigators, there are some great people progressing. Some people that are so elect and ready, they just can't see it themselves! I have kind of noticed that with people this transfer, whether it be missionaries or investigators, they can't see how great they are like I can! So I can only imagine Heavenly Father's frustration with us, because I sure do get frustrated with people haha. I really feel like I am learning to see people the way HF sees them. And how much I love people after not knowing them for very long. It's crazy. So long story short, the problem in Torino isn't the same as Bergamo, people are more likely to come to church here but they are too scared to get baptized, even though we bear testimony like crazy and do everything we have been taught and feel impressed to do and say.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. People's agency man. pshhh.

So what have we done this week? Well miracle week for our district, as a whole 10 new simps and a new bap date. As a companionship we had 3 new simps and the bap date! Really cool, first new simps of the transfer.

We went to Milano last Thursday for that conference, got to see a lot of my friends, which I always look forward to. Everyone was like 'Hey I heard you got robbed!' haha. I'm like holy hannah how do you all know?! It was a good conference. learned alot, you kinda feel like a cruddy missionary after tho haha the list of imperfections that you need to fix. Ehh vediamo.

In other new, my baby girl is coming to this zone! I AM SO STOKED. That means Walchie, Condles and Astel will all be in my zone. I have been so blessed to have had such great companions who I consider my best friends. Have I mentioned how funny Astel is?

Sono fortunata. So ya. bout it I suppose. I want some Christmas cards or something, even tho I have no room to talk because I am the worst at snail mail. Must give shout outs to my amazazazing friends back home that have consistently written me loverly letters for all this time. It doesn't feel like I have been out very long until I hear from the Italian kids about new movies and music and whatnot haha.

Buona Settimana!

Siete il mio mondo e Vi Voglio Bene!

Sorella Gillette

** EMAIL FROM 11/6/13 **

Getting robbed at knifepoint​...oh the mission haha

Everyone! I got quite a few letters and I loved and appreciated it. but I am fine people! I swear to you I wasn't scared, you would actually be proud, I feel like I handed it like a champ.
So for those of you that want the story. Sorella Astel and I were walking home after an appointment, bout a 15 min walk to our house at 8 at night. not too late. We were on a main road, there were people on the road, not a ton but still. It was a holiday in Italy so less people were out. We were about a block from our apartment and a man about my height and stature (little italian homie) came out of nowhere from the cars...in italy all the cars are just parked on the side of the road. I was closest to that side but he walked a bit past me and stood more in front of Astel because she was a stride ahead of me. First I just noticed that he had a bandana covering his face and said "Dami la borsa!" Which means give me the bag, so I was like Wth? then I look down and see a fatty butcher knife, it was closer to astel. So she jumps back and says Ok a bunch of time and throws it to him. My only thought was "dang I hope he doesnt ask me for mine." haha then he turns to me so Im like ok ok. then he just walks past us, I turn around and notice he is walking at a normal pace so Im like "Bro Go!" So we run home, Astel was really scared, tried to stop a couple people for help which was funny bc no one cares haha so I call the zone leaders as we are running and I kinda made a joke, "so if all your stuff was taken at knife point, what would you do?" lol anyways get it all squared away with president, he makes astel feel better. next morning we file a report with our bishop at the police office (kind of a waste of time).
So we dont have our italian triples, wallets, any cards, my mini dictionary that i use on the daily, my mini book of mormon in english, lots of other random papers and stuff...but saddest of all..MY CAMERA WITH ALL OF MY MISSION PHOTOS AND 2 FLASH DRIVES. When I realized that I started kicking air angrily hahaha. But whatevs whatja gonna do?

So thats to answer the big questions. We are just having a difficult time without all those things, it has made it a bit harder to do missionary work when we didnt have money for a couple days or bus tickets or our triples haha. Especially when your investigator in church asks about D&C bc that happens to be ALL THE SCRIPS that day. Sorry bro, your missionary cant help you haha.

Also that next day we realized our fridge and freezer were turned off for a full day. lost alot of food haha. IT WAS A GOOD WEEK!

But we really have seen a lot of miracles and we had 5 people in church! People are progressing, we are feeling the spirit in lessons. Really hoping that the miracles we want are scene. I really hope Astel and I stay the same for next transfer. I want to be here for Thanskgiving and Christmas so bad.

I really appreciate everyone sending me some emails! LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH. CANT WAIT TO KICK IT!

Today we went with my old compie/bestie Condie and her comp Hoffman to a town really close to France. It was so pretty! saw the alps covered in snow. I dont have a camera but i have pics on other ppls cameras, but theres no way for me to upload them bc the doohikey is gone too haha.

LOVE YOU ALL. Always praying for the safety and health of my dearies back home!

Sorella Gillette

** EMAIL FROM 10/30/13 **

Ciao to everyone and their parents...​literally :)


Well, funny story from emails this week, some of my friends in the mission told me today that their parents wrote them about things they didnt tell them...quindi my letters sure are getting around to all the parents back there haha. 

So this week is another blur, we made Anziano Day a crown for his birthday. Sunday we went to some strange medical conference to try to do some missionary work with some members, it was so long but we got free food. i feel like im back at home eating like a chubster that sure can pound food. for example, lunch today. i wasnt super hungry but Astel was. We get pasta, halfway thru she is like 'man i am full.' So not only do I eat mine, a big thing a bread, I then take her bowl too. Benefits of being the fat companion :) hehe. 

So this whole contact everyone on the street competition kinda sucks haha people are so mean lol and we havent gotten any potentials out of it, only a referal for the anziani. but i do feel like i am doing missionary work, unfortunately probably the most uneffective missionary work besides knocking doors. or should i say ringing citofoni. 

Well two of our investigators are progressing toward their bap dates still. We had a greattttt lesson with our little peruvian man. The spirit was really strong and the member in the lesson was perfect for him. I really hope I get to see these people get baptized. Unfortunately the kids havent come to church, so they cant get baptized on the date we planned. I am def learning a lot about parenthood out on the mish. Its prob the most christlike experience and you have to put yourself to the side and think about whats good for them. cough cough baptism cough. 

speaking of cough, my cold is slowing but surely going away. yay cold weather! but i know the weather will only get worse. 

I am super grateful for everyone who has been keeping in contact with me, everyone is happy Im hitting the halfway point, and I feel like it has flown by, but then thinking about how people are getting married when i didnt know they had a boyfriend, or theres new songs and whatnot that are now considered old, dang ive been out for quite a bit of time haha. 

OH. funny crazy stories of the day. Well the Gallarato fam are still probs my fav people of Torino. So funny and I feel like they are family, We just go around and make fun of each other. Seriously gotta be related. Sorella Astel and I had an interesting lesson with a less active about some CRAZY conspiracy theories hahaha. I had to stop her in one of them and correct some false doctrine, most of the others I just let her go. Made my personal study a lot more interesting haha. Just remind me when I see you to give more deets haha.

Well, I seriously love the gelato out of you. 

These photos are from the egyptian museo today, Astel hadnt been. Thats me next to mummified cats hahaha. 

VVB!!

Sorella Gillette