It is Christmas time in Italy!!!

Annndddd, we are so excited because we have three baptisim dates all on the same day this month. MIRRRACLESS every day! We are so blessed. Sanremo is supposed to be warm year round, but it has actually been freezing. I keep telling Sorella Egbert that we are going to wake up and there is going to be snow on the ground!... even though it hasnt snowed here in years upon years. Hey, but i can hope, and hope i do every day. So the Cangiaolsi family made us Thanksgiving last week.. They even brought an American flag to hang up. They are seriously some of the two greatest people i have ever met. We had pasta... very italian, and lasagna.. more italian, and lots of bread... so just Italian. The food wasnt thanksgiving food, but it was probably the best Thanksgiving evaarr. We listend to a CD Ciro bought in Zions called Indians Dream with my all time favorite jam, Under the Eagles Wing... because that is what all Americans listen to on Thanksgiving.. I cannot explain how great it was. And miracle was that two of our girls that we teach in English class came!! And now one is a new investigator, and the other we are helping her with family history, so hopefully this next week she will also be a new investigator. Tonight we are decorating CHRISTMAS sugar cookies that Sorella Egbert and i are hopefully going to have time to make today. They love when we bring our american food. It is so funny how they are all so fascinated by how we do things. So we were walking up the street the other day, and i saw a really cool leaf on the ground.. and i just like leaves(Sorella Egbert calls me a gatherer)... i do not know why, but these are Italian leaves, so i grab it real quick to show Sorella Egbert, i turn around and she is gone. My first thought was... Sorella Egbert.... BASTA. I literally thought she had booked it or something. So i turn the other way, and she is just standing there watching me like i am crazy. So this got me thinking what would i do if she just dissapeared and i was in Italy all by myself. That is a horrifying thought.... There is not really much more that happens that i can really explain in email. Writing emails is kind of hard because there is just so much that happens every day that there is no way to explain everything, or even how i feel. Heavenly Father is in everything here though. It is amazing how much closer we get to Him by being emersed(emmersed..idk, i dont write in english anymore) in this gospel. That is probably one of the coolest things about being a missionary. You feel so much closer to Him, and that allows us to reach out to other people and bring that love because we just feel it sooo much more every day. We have to rely on Him here to do this work. Back when i was at home i could get by every day without needing Him in everything, but now i cant walk out the door without His direction. Something really cool that i read in the Liahona from Anziano Uchtdorf was, it is not our job to convert someone. That is the Holy Ghosts job. Our job is to share what we know, and not be afraid. That is not just for missionaries, but EVERYONE!! YEah! So great!!! Share what you know, and bring people the hope we have every day. You will be soo happy. (: So just one more amazing story that we saw Sunday with Ciro and Francesca.. First we had a coming home party for a girl named Jessica!! She served in Rome! That was great.. and really sad. I am never giving up the tag. It is mine foooorrevvveeerrrr. But anywho, Ciro and Francesca drove us all the way to Imperia to see a woman in the hospital. She has gone through some really hard things, and now her mind just cant really handle things now. but we were able to share a message with her and bring her the hope and light back in her life of this gospel. We drove the hour or so back to the church.. So the thing is about our church, it is not a church building, it is actually just over a grocery store, but i lovve it. We have a lot of homeless people that like to hang around the door of the church though.. They are everywhere all the time. There was one on Sunday that rang up on the phone, and Ciro answered. The guy wanted food, so Ciro went and grabbed his wallet and headed down. He asked the guy what he wanted and went into the store to buy him food. I dont think i have ever seen someone do that. And our whole branch here would do the same thing. I am surrounded by some of the most greatest members i think i have ever met. They live this gospel. It is not something that they have to work on every day or convince themselves to live. They just live it, and it is so simple to them. Live the gospel, and you have happiness. Everything really is so simple.. we have our guide and the way. That is why people can accept this. It is so simple, but so true! We are planning on just singing at the doors of people. They may slam the door on hi, we are missionaries... but who would shut the door on Christmas songs??... that is our next tactic in line. Well my brain is out of words. HAve a happy happy CHRISTMAS MONTH at home! I will be here in Italy enjoying the snowless warmth!!! (which actually is a really great blessing when you are outside ALL the time) Just remeber, the shadows in our lives cannot stay when we have the light of the gospel! I loveee everyone. BYE!

Love Sorella WoodsLove Sorella Woods