Italy!!!

We have arrived in Sanremo... first Sorelle! And we live in probably the coolest apartment. I always thought being a missionary you kind of just accept that you are going to have to live in a cardboard box, or maybe next to a garbage can, but no... not at all. We have a three bedroom apartment to two people. Our apartment is bigger than any of the other apartments that have actual families they have to fit. It is crazy actually, but i am so grateful. We can basically see all of Sanremo and the ocean... Any who, i love Sorella Egbert. She is probably the most concecrated person i have ever met. And she is teaching me how to be that. We do this 12 week program. It is how long my i have my trainer, unless we get another transfer together, but basically it is just her teaching me everything.. so when i train... which is a scary thought, ill know how to train that poor Sorella! It is all rather cool actually. But she seriously just caries this spirit with her all day. We have actually come to find that we are basically the same exact person, just in two different bodies... which if you think about who i am and than add another one... Let you soak that one in. She really is amazing though. We can have really really cool spiritual experiences together and just feel the spirit so strongly...but than we can also have SO much fun, and just laugh. I actually don't think i have laughed so hard before... like today we had to take five huge bags of garbage down five flights of stairs because the Anziani so graciously left them for us when they moved, and than down the street because that is where the dumpster is... on the way down, one of my bags broke and we basically just fell on the stairs..i dont know if it was because we just gave up or it was to dang funny that an Italian man just sat there and gave us a dirty look.. We just have fun every day, but than we also get to preach the gospel every day. I love it. I have the best of both worlds, and we have a really good balance. Creepy stories of the day could include that two men followed us into our stairwell to our apartment.. we offerred them an Il libro di mormon, and they left. Some guy kept trying to say hi and wouldnt give up so he switched to english, and finally we just told him we don't speak english... and than a probably about 90 year old man that is about two feet shorter than me looked up at us as we were walking by and started blowing kisses.. You just got to love it. But we are safe and happy. (: If anything we can throw our book of Mormons at their heads, and run. It all works out. We have a family that we are teaching right now, and we are just really working on strengthening our branch.. which is seven pages long! It is so big, but majority is less active. So we are working with a lot of them. Church was good. I couldn't understand everything, but its coming. One of our investigators is crazy, and she just wont accept the truth but she comes to church all the time. Something really cool that happened this Sunday though is that she has a tumor or something like that, so she asked for a priesthood blessing. She is a full blown catholic, but believes in our priesthood?.. Yeah, i don't know, any who but after the blessing she just started crying. And she finally admitted that she felt the spirit!!!! Than last night we went to teach a part member family. Mom is less active, dad is not a member, and they have two kids. They have a lot of work to do, but after we left Sorella Egbert just grabs my arm and tells me shes had a dream before about them in that exact house, with the exact same little boy playing, and they same mom and dad. Everything.. Heavenly Father sent us here for a reason. Sanremo needed the Sorelle. Our branch president even said it... a big change is coming here. We are going to make a miracle happen.. We are going to complete families, and bring what these amazing people need. We share with people everywhere from park benches, to trains, to them coming to find us. It is truly amazing. We have pday today because we have to take a train to Milano tomorrow for new missionary training. But it will usually be on Wednesdays... actually always on Wednesdays. We are having a Halloween party on Thursday with our members!! I am so stoked. They are the loudest, most energetic, and loving people i have ever met. It is so strange though because i feel like i have know these people before... like i have known them forever.. And who knows. It is very well possible that i did in the preearth life. I just love this place. And even for the people who do not accept, i respect them for being willing to listen to two young girls walking around in almost what they would consider pilgrim clothing carrying around this little blue book. We definitely turn heads... but it is all part of the fun. Because the moment they look at you, you get to turn around and say Crede in Gesu? and that just starts all the fun. I am happy, and safe, and we are working with angles right beside us daily. Something to do this week is do everything you can to attend church.. there is so much power that comes from going each week to the Lords house. You miss church, and your whole week will be affected... everything will be.. Quick side note... the Italians wanted to know how we do Halloween... so we got to choose what we are doing.. It is going to be hysterical to say the least. They are sooo interested on how we do things... It is weird.. who wants to be like us?

My address is Via Marsaglia 71 Sanremo Italy btw.. idk the zip right now though...google it? Non lo so..

Well love you all!! Thanks for everything!

LOVE SORELLLAA WOOOODS! (:(:(:

1st week in Italy! YAY!

Im going on an adventure!!!!!..Actually im in one big adventure... After calling you mom at 3 in the morning, which i dont apologize for, we finally made it to Milano. President picked us up, and than kept us up for the rest of the day... which was awful in the sense that i thought i was going to pass out while shaking his hand for the first time, but awesome because i just love Italy, and Italian people, and the food.. i just love everything. The rest of our group wich was six of them including my companion that we left in Salt Lake made it by eightish or so that night.. So as of now my city is Sanremo, but we are not in Sanremo. We are in Savona. Our apartment has Anziani in it because we are pink washing! First Sorelle in Sanremo will be Sorella Egbert and i! So AWESOME! But its cool because we get to travel every day, and meet people from all over. We are right on the ocean though. Google it. It is amazing. I cant figure out how to do commas and other things on this keyboard, and its driving me crazy. Our pdays are on Wednesdays, which is the best day to have a pday. I LOVE our branch in Sanremo. There are some of the strongest members i have ever met in my life there. They know how important missionary work is, and they do it! One of my favorites is Sorella Pol. She was baptized over five years ago, and has gone through the temple now, and everything. Her husband is a nonmember and so we are hoping we can possibly change that. He his such an amazing person.. He just needs to be even more amazing, and accept the wonderful, true, and just plain awesome gospel. He wants us over for dinner though, so hopefully thats our in.. i feel like im some person that just does whatever to get into someones home.. but i guess thats exactly what we do.. Sorella Pol though, ah I just love her. She talks a million miles an hour, but so does everyone here... its a problem sometimes, especially when they want to talk to me specifically. I just smile, and pretend to know what is going on... which usually i do.. depending on who is talking. My top favorite things so far are the food, food, food. Please still love me when i come home fat. One of our members Rosa fed us lunch yesterday.. but get this. Their lunch is like our Thanksgiving.. but it happens every day!! It is probably the best thing that has ever happened to me. We walk all day every day though so hopefully that will equal the intake of getting gelato 3 times a day. Heavenly Father new Sanremo needed sorelle though. The members are so excited, and we have so many less active single woman who just need someone. I cannot wait to officialy move there... which is hopefully by the end of this week. To continue on with the list of my favorite things so far is the people. They are some of the coolest people. I love their culture, their way of life, and just them. Especially the members. Some of the most genuine people EVAAARR! Im just really stoked on life. And i want everyone to listen to me (which they dont) They see the black square that im holding and than look at my tag... and almost flee) but for those who do stop and listen, i respect. I learn every day. I LOVE my trainer, Sorella Egbert. She teaches me new things every day.. and i thing i added excitement to her life.. We were planning a Halloween party yesterday, and she told me i would be good at it because i seem like a partier.. what does that even mean? (That question mark is at the top of the keyboard... strano) Any who, i just love this gospel. It is so true, and i realize that more and more every day. I realize how much i need Jesus Christ. I realize how much these people here need him. Just lots of realizations here.. and all for the best. We have a baptisim in Sanremo this Saturday, and one here in Savona. The work is working. I am just so happy. I wasnt happy yesterday for like an hour because all we were hearing was, no no no!! Sto bene... and than you just things. Cosa male con Lei? Accept the truth! But Viviamo é impariamo... the keyboard actually spells Italian.. otherwise all other words are squiggled under with red that they are wrong.. its driving me patzo. Well i dont really have much else. We get a lot of kisses blown at us, and a lot of comments that probably arent really appropriate, but i figure i dont understand most of them.. so we are doing just great. Our area book was a complete disaster, and being the OCD person that i can be, we spent three hours on the train and here in Savona fixing it... figures though. It came from Anziani... ... that was rude. Scherzo, scherzo. We have some great Anziani in Sanremo now though. We have 2 simpatizzanti that we need to see this week, and lots and lots of non actives. But we are doing it, and i am so excited! Just some advice for the week... Spread the gospel! Read your scriptures, and sincerly pray to Heavenly Father. He is always waiting and listening. We just have to take the time to speak to him. He will speak back.. i promise, and learn how to make some good Italian food, because i never want the food we have at home again. I love the gospel, and Italian people... maybe more than all you at home now..

Scherzo. Io buffo... but really.  (:

Love Sorella Cristal Woodsssss! ... and they cant say my name, so they just call me the word for Woods which is boski..? Penso di si..any who, and go Ahhh..... and than attempt at saying Woods again. Ah! I just love them. (:(:(:

Oh, so what's this? Six more days in the US. OKAY. :D

I LOVE WEDNESDAYS!!!! And this Wednesday is the last Pday in the good ol' United States. I'm absolutely terrified of real Italians, but hey, it's Italy! I can't wait! And i'm even wearing pants today.. and that just makes it a real dang good day... plus i Diet Coke.. We got the real stuff smuggled in. Communque, i not only love Wednesdays for that reason, but it's drop off day. I love drop off day. There is the strongest spirit up at main campus when you see car after car dropping off new missionary after new missionary. I don't know why, but new missionaries bring the greatest spirit. They make me SO HAPPY! I want to cry with the families, but mostly just grab the other missionaries hand, (which would be real hawkward if it was an elder.. THREE FOOT DISTANCE... i'm getting weird already) and share with them the excitement that i have for this work. I LOVE IT MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THE WORLD, and i'm not even doing the real life stuff yet. It's amazing. General conference was absolutely amazing. I have never watched it with the mind set that i have now. The spirit was amazing, and seriously... a talk would end and i looked forward to the next talk like it was a present.. super strano, ma magnifico. Presidente Thomas Monson e la profeta di Dio, e' io poso dire la tere che!!! Io sono FELICA!! If you did not watch all four sessions, go back and do it. That's a command... i could do it in Italia, ma than you people wouldn't understand... It's very important and vital info...mation fo you people.. So i'm getting this think called missionary humor... let me tell you all, it's totally real. I think some of the stupidest things are funny... but they wouldn't be funny to you normal people. I have loved my MTC experience though. This will be my last email from the states, and i so excited! It's going to be amazing. I will be in Italy teaching the gospel!! So this morning we got started late, and things just got all screwed up... so us four were getting all irritated... and i just thought and said "Heavenly Father needs us to be late for some reason... whether it's if we meet someone, or not get hit by a bus.. he needs us to be late." So we go to the temple, and get out late so we decide to go have lunch at main campus. We're sitting there eating minding our own bussiness, and this elder missionary couple sits down and starts to chat with us like ALL the elder missionary couples do (We LOVE it btw... and sad random fact. No BTW in Italia... They don't have W in their alphabet!) Any who, we start talking and long story short... guess what? Heavenly Father let us meet the person we needed to meet! This couple knows a girl who lives in Milan who is looking for the GOSPEL!! She doesn't speak Italian, but she wants to learn... so heyyy.... We know Italian,..why don't we just teach her Italian and THE GOSPEL!!! So basically what i'm saying through all these....... and !!!!! and GOSPEL!.... is that we have a referral already... a referral who wants the happiness that we have. AMAZING! Never think Heavenly Father hasn't planned out things.. He's literally planned everything!!! EVERYTHING! We look at things in such a bad way when they don't go as planned, but i promise. I PROMISE. (Missionary promise.. can't lie :))) That he has an ultimate plan, even for the little things. So next time your held up, or things are not working... He knows what he is doing. All you do is put your best foot forward, and wait for what he needs you to do. He used us today in such a great way. We may just get to bring another one of our sisters home!! And if not us, another missionary. We will not loose her name. She will learn of this restored gospel, and feel and know the truthfulness of it. I know she will. I'm so confident because we have the WHOLE TRUTH! The gospel is spreading. I meet missionaries who are going all over the world daily. Converts who are missionaries! It's the most amazing thing. I am so dang EXCITED. After conference i was just bouncing of the walls. My 'comps' looked at me, and were like what the heck? I can't put it into words, but i had so much happiness and just bubbles because i am understanding my purpose. I know what my purpose is.. i've memorized it in two languages, but the difference is UNDERSTANDING! It's a beautiful thing. Invitare le perssone avenare a Cristo. Auitondole accettare il vangelo mediante la fede in Gesu' Cristo e la sue espiazione. Il pettimento, il bapttessimo, il conferimento, del dono delo spirto santo perserverando sino alle fine! I know why i'm here! And i just don't know, but i LOVE why i'm here! Well i think that about sums up what i have for today. I'm so happy. The gospel is true,... and hey folks.. I'm heading to Italy! (:(:(: Do all you can to push the work forward here. We are a strong army (not to toot my own horn or anything).. some of the strongest, ma we can't be everywhere at once.. take every opportunity you have to share this bea..U..TI FULL gospel. I love you all.. until next time when i'll be talking to you all from almost across the world!

CIAO!

L'amore Sorella Woods!!

At the Relief Society Broadcast

 Sorella Woods & her companion look like they could be sisters!

Studying her Italian dictionary between conference sessions:)

This is Sorella Woods today writing us this email

Maintaining their distance from the Elders

 More relief society broadcast

Cristal hugging the relief society president! Awesome!

Sorella Woods goes to Italia this coming week! Check the blog for her updated address. Her email address will stay the same her whole mission so keep on writing her! We love her and are so proud of her and what she is doing. She is an example to all of us. :):):)

Week 4 in the mtc

Email for everyone....

Oh hey there people who love me! Today marks the four week mark, and i cannot believe it. It is so crazy. I love this work though.. and i LOVE this gospel. It brings such happiness to my life. I am so stoked to go to Italy. I will literally be there in two week from yesterday.. PATZZO!!! The Italian is actually coming along really good. It's hard, but the gift of tongues is sooo real. This gospel is so real. We got to watch the Joseph Smith movie this past Sunday. I love that man. I love that story. It is different watching it here. I almost watch it with new eyes .... in a way. That sounds weird, but soo soo true! He literally gave up EVERYTHING to bring forth the gospel. How can it not be real? There is so much evidence.. how could anyone deny it? I was able to be a 'host' today for new missionaries. Every time i see them, i want to just hug them, and love them. They have answered the call to serve our Lord! We are his army! I am so excited for this work. It is in the most real sense the most amazing truth. I am forever grateful to Joseph Smith. I am grateful for his strength, and faith in our Heavenly Father. Our teacher gave us an amazing analogy relating to Italy. His name is Fratello Jeter who served in Milano too... btw he gave us our mission song... AMAZING!!! It made me so happy. But what he related it to was hiking timp to see the sunrise. The hike up is awful. It's dark, cold, and full of obsticals. You get to the top and sit there and wait... and wait... but than out of no where you see specks and flickers of light... and than the world is just lit up..even before you can even see the sun. Italy is in the dark.. they have been for YEARS!! They are still in apostasy technically speaking. No one knows what is the truth anymore, so they just stopped caring... but than the temple of our Lord was announced.. and all of a sudden after being in the dark for so long, there are flickers of light, and fire. Excitement. The temple is literally the sun... and it is lighting all of Italy. We are the most lucky dang duckies in the whole world because we are literally entering into the field right has that light is hitting. We are on the wave, and it has finally come... Italy will have the truth! They know the missionaries there. They know who we are and what we have.. and they are excited. Who wouldn't be?? This gospel is EXCITING! They know what the little black tag is on my left shoulder, and they respect us. The gospel will go to every kindred, nation, tongue, and people.. and i get to be apart of that! I am sooo soo HAPPY! I love my Heavenly Father. I am eternally grateful for Gesu' Cristo and his atonement! And good thing we have eternity.. This gospel is so true. So amazing!! It is exciting! One of the most important things i have learned is listening to the Spirit. He will literally be your guide24/7 if you will just listen. LISTEN! ASCOLTALARE!!! I don't know if saying it in Italian makes it more important, but either way... Do it. I never realized how much he spoke to me before i got here. It is absolutely amazing. A challenge for the wonderful whole of you!! Every night.. EVERY NIGHT, and morning, get on your knees, and for 15 minutes talk with our father. Have a literal conversation with him. I do, and it will have forever had an amazing effect in my life. Tell him everything. He is literally waiting to hear it all. Have your own personal devotional with him. I didn't think 'prayer knees' was a literal thing.. but they are. Mine are all dry and worn from literally being on my knees so much.. but on our knees is where we will receive the most strength, and power. I promise. Io prometto!!! It is probably the most comfortable position to be in now.. weird. Comunque, io amo il vangleo di Gesu' Cristo. Il vangelo e vero e' molto importante. Ascoltalare il spirito santo. Lue e' ascoltalando!

Padre' Celeste e nostre Padre! Dio la ama! Io prometto lui e' ascoltalando. Io sono grato, SONO GRATO per mia salvatore Gesu' Cristo. Io sono grato per mia famiglia. Grazie. Grazie multo grande. I love you all so much. I'm almost out of time.

The work is moving forward. The work is working.

All for now from this happy Happy HAPPY girl.

Love Sorella Woods

Btw... i called my teacher a scaulo(shark) again, and than he called someone in his BYU Italian class that.. I'm rubbing off on him! Haa,, he loves us.... and i may have sprayed him with silly string.. It was all of our ideas... But i actually went through with it. I've never seen anyone jump so high...and give such a scary look.. i was somewhat scared when he turned around. And than i got the "Sorella Woods, lei e Sorella missionaria!".. and than tried to be serious, and couldn't be. It was probably the funniest thing i've seen while i've been here.. Apparently all my actions are not sister missionary like.. Can't take the Cristal out of the sister missionary i guess. I'll always be me. (: Love you all!