Scambio with an Italian..

So we had a scambio yesterday and i got to go with Sorella Palumbo.. Shes from Sicily!! I seriously have to have an Italian comp here because i loved her. It was soo much fun running around Italy with a propio Italian.... The day started off really good until i realize shes half way accross the street and i am supposed to be following her... There was actually a couple of intersting things that happened like when we missed the last bus of the night and we were in the middle of Pavia nowhere and not close to home what so ever.... so what do we do. We start running in the direction we THINK home is.. and we keep running. Eventually we come upon some signs that tell us kind of which way we should be going, and what do you know.. Its like a 40 minute walk and we were already past time to be inside. All of a sudden Sorella Palumbo.. thank goodness shes Italian and knows what shes doing.. sees a private coach or tour bus thing and runs for it. Im laughing hysterically because im running after this tiny Italian sorella..so we chase down this bus and start knocking on the window. The lady finally opens the door and says... NO no no.. Not this bus. We ask her what direction to go and she asks us who we are. We explain and youll never guess whats next. She tells us to get on and shell take us most of the way home without us paying her.. And let me tell you. That doesnt happen here. Usually we have to pay to use a public bathroom..I felt like we were in the movie Dumb and Dumber when they pick up those hitch hikers off the side of the rode and i hear Jim Carreys voice in my head.. WELL PICK UM UP..  In the end they drop us off and this bus full of the greatest set of Italians youll meet drives off with everyone waving at us.. 5 minute walk later, and we are safely home. Seriously sooo much fun. Adventures are the best... especially in good old Italy. It was so cool that Heavenly Father prepared a way even when we missed the first way to get home. He will always provide a way. So something cool that Sorella Palumbo put into perspective is that we are literally doing what Christ would be doing. When we are setting a bap date or teaching these people, it is literally just doing it for Him... and i know that already, but just the way she put it kind of blew my mind. My actions are his. We have the literal authority to teach these people. We have been set apart by one Gods servants. Everything i do every day i wouldnt be able to do if i were not set apart.. It is all in Christs name. These are His actions. He would be the one setting these bap dates if He was here. That is amazing. This time is too short, but i am amazed at His love and guidance that He has to offer to each and every one of us if we listen. I know this gospel is true with my whole heart. I feel it. I feel His love and i know it. I know Him.. I could never deny the truthfullness of the gospel. I really understand things now. With knowledge really does come a more powerful testimony. All of it just makes soo much more sense now, and i will forever be grateful. I love you all so very much!!!!!!!! and i hope this week is really just great. 

Love Sorella Woods

Crazy crazy life...

.. But than i always just come to the conclusion that everything we do and
everything that happens here is just all normal.. It wouldnt be in normal
life, but here, yes.. Very normal..
Top Weird thing count down:
6. Getting asked if i am a Russian Gypsy by a Romanian Gypsy because of my
beautiful clothes that i could burn at this point..
5. Getting stuck in Seriate (very sketchy city...) late at night because
the busses just dont happen to come that often and the tram stops after 9..
winners
4. The word of this week is awkward.. just awkward..
3. Our golden simp goes a little crazy this past Sunday...We have a lesson
with her last night and it felt like going on a first date where you dont
know whats going to happen... First date with a Nigerian Woman..
2. We are at the train station when this woman lays in the middle of the
tracks when the train is coming and than just gets up and walks towards
us.. My comp and i ask her how shes doing and she says 'just fine.
Thanks'.... 5 minutes later, the police have her face down on the ground.
1. and my favorite experience would have to the drive home from Bishops
house this past Sunday... which is in tim buck two in the mountains nowhere
and takes forever to get home.. Picture a tiny Italian car and inside
driving is Bishops son. Passanger seat is our simp from Nigeria.
Back seat which is super small has this cute old Brazilian woman, me in the
middle, and Sorella Carter on the other side of me. Mikhail is just trying
to get this packed full clown car of woman down the mountain side, Rita
starts beat boxing to who knows what, cute little Brazilian member is just
talking in circles about nonsense, im sitting there laughing, and Sorella
Carter is just smashed in the corner. We turned heads as we drove by...
maybe all of these are just things you had to be there for, but it has made
for an entertaining time. Work has been slow.. We are teaching a lot of
lessons on the tram and busses, but noone really has real interest to learn
more... Its been a little more difficult... but we will conquer the
unthinkable...hopefully. We have 2 baptisms that are coming up at the end
of this month, so hopefully all goes as planned. I love seeing the little
answers to my prayers that Heavenly Father sends... because He will never
not answer. I had the realization at the beginning of this week. And when i
realized that i started to see the answers that He has sent and that He
does send every day. It is crazy that we can literally communicate with the
creator of all. It blows my mind a little bit. I continue to ask what we
need to do.. where we need to go and who we need to talk to. I feel bad a
lot because of the fact that He has to deal with me as His instrument, and
than i have to remember that He does not sit there with judgy eyes looking
over his glasses at us, but rather He looks with love and reassurance...
and that in and of itself explains who He is. Have a great week!
Love Sorella Woods

Bergamo 1

First off, its like living in Park City. We are in the mountains and its basically like home here beside the fact that everyone around me is speaking Italian or some other language besides english. So we are teaching this woman from Nigeria and she has got some sass.. Really, and i LOVE her. She has a bap date for the end of this month, and she is soo excited. More than half the lesson she preaches to us. It is probably my most favorite thing because we teach for about 10 minutes and than she just finishes up for the rest of the lesson. She used to be a preacher... she is definelty cut out for it, let me tell you. It is really so cool to see how excited she is! She asked us last night what time her baptism would be so she could invite ALL her friends. We taught her the Word of Wisdom Sunday, and that next day she wanted to start handing out the pamphlets to her friends! She taught her one friend all of it actually but told us that he wasnt ready for the wisdom yet.. but she said we ALL need more wisdom. She is the first person i have gotten to teach in English, and i love it. Such a weird experience and actually a more difficult because i have a thousand thoughts going through my head rather than just the densified Italian thoughts that i can make up.. This week my perspective has been changing a little bit. I still have a year left, but at the same time 6 months just went by in the blink of an eye... i kind of had to start doing a self inventory. Two things that i want to see by the end

1. Charity

2. Conversion

I think those are probably two of the most important things that we all need. If i accomplish anything here, i want it to be that i showed my love for these people. I want them to have felt the love of Christ because thats why im here. Im just the instrument He has to work through. I want to see charity in others... and hopefully that comes by the examples of others and more specifically Christ. He is our example for EVERYTHING! Just our perfectly perfect brother... and i see that my love for Him is growing as i understand Him and His life more.

We have to be converted. Im reading the fourth missionary again which is at home in the family room ...at least thats where i left it..and you all should read it. I want to see that i did my best to help these people here be converted... whether they have been a member 30 years or 2 days.. I want to help them be what we all need to be. For them to be that though, i need to be that.. I need to understand what it means to be converted. We are always changing. That is why we are here is to change and become better in this life.. We have to give ourselves to The Lord. He cant just take us because thats against our agency and the plan of happiness.. but we need to willingly hand ourselves over to Him, His gospel, and the things we are taught. I just cant believe where the time is going. Before i know it, it will be over and i never want to look back on this short short time thinking i didnt do what Heavenly Father sent me here to do. I want to know i accomplished His will... because its not about my will but His. I love all of you! Have a great week!

Love Sorella Woods

Study room

Day dedicated to women

Hitchhiker

Space Transferred..

For those of you who don't understand that word it basically means you get a call from President one night and he tells you that you are leaving your city in the next couple of days for a new city and new companion... Now the only reason this happens is if one of the sorelle gets sick or goes home for some reason... 

And who got space transferred... This lucky Sorella right here... I think saying goodbye to my members was harder than saying bye to you guys.. I have such a love for these people that goes so much deeper than i thought it did. My new city that i am working in now is Bergamo, which kind of reminds me of Park City. We are in the mountains and it is sooo quiet. It is so different than Sanremo, but Heavenly Father has some kind of plan for me. Cool thing is i left Monday for Bergamo, and i am actually in Sanremo today. We traveled across the country twice this week already... me when i transferred..and i actually went on a train by myself and me being me, i sat next to a drunk guy who was probably the most obnoxious person i have met...but we are all Gods children, aren't we, but sharing the gospel with him was probably not the best idea in that moment..and than being by myself was probably the strangest feeling ever.. Story as to why i am back in my beachy home today is I got my permesso and had to come back because i have a class tomorrow for it in Imperia which is super close to Sanremo... well thats just too bad that i had to come see all of these people that i just love sooo much!!!... and it just so happens to be FHE in the church tonight... I walked in and every room there were different members. Every time i walked in the room they all said, 'Non ci credo, non ci credo!!' which is exactly what it sounds like.. They asked what in the world was going on and if i got to stay.. I just feel so much love from them. Sunday was probably the most loved i have ever felt in my life when people just came up to me to say bye, and told me the difference that i had made that i didn't realize that i had made...They bore their testimonies about me for heavens sakes. I dont cry, and i sure cried for them...I feel like we never notice what we do good and only what we do bad... that needs to change, because Heavenly Father doesn't see us how we see ourselves. He sees us for how these members say they see me.  Its sad that i can only be here for tonight, but Heavenly Father is just letting me love my family here a little more before i move on to my next one in Bergamo. This is definitely a special place and it will forever have changed my life and my heart.. I cant wait to come back here next year and see the progress that my branch will have made by then. Love my home Sanremo... but its on to the next adventure..its like im a greeny alllll over again.

Love Sorella Woods :D

....

I dont understand why they make us title our emails...makes no sense. So i want to tell you about Francesco. One of the coolest guys i have met on the street!!. We were walking home last night and this guy was trying to pass us three of a road block... that little voice that i hear so frequently in the back of my head just basically said, dont be stupid and talk to him.. So we did! ... and Heavenly Father blesses us with miracles when we open our mouths when we are told to do so! I really cant explain everything, but Heavenly Father prepares these people for the gospel. Here we are talking to this toolish looking hipster guy, and he turns out to be sooo cool. In all reality the whole time we were talking to him, i couldnt help but think of Connor. He just had a light to him. A passion and love for this life.. they even look alike...and i couldnt help but smile like an idiot the whole time.. My heart was just soo full! . Last night while we were talking to Francesco, he said he doesnt necessairly believe that there is a God, but he knows there is something. He has felt something, and he knows that there is a help there. He gave us his number and said he would LOVE to hear more.. These are the small moments that happen so frequently where i just think i LOVE my mission. These are the times that i will probably remember the most and that bring the most happiness. I am finally realizing that we are simply here to share what we have.. Just a simple but special message that changes lives 360 degrees. I have just been a sponge this week and all i want is to learn more. To know more about Christ and his life... about church history.. I am learning more about me and how much i need to grow..its just great!... and i get to do all this... in Italy. That includes Sorella VanAlfen getting kissed on the head by a man painted all in white while he comes for me next and Sorella Seare is just staring at him. Standing in the rain with an umbrella that doesnt do its job and with leaking boots.. All this and whatever else happens really is making up the best part of my life. 

I love all your faces!

Love Sorella Woods!

Fastest transfer of my life..

and the verdict is, i am still in Sanremo. I love it here and i LOVE
LOVE LOVE the people, but i have no idea what Heavenly Father wants me to
do here. And that makes it hard to be here for another six weeks. I cant
believe that i have been here for almost five months...its like a time warp
because it feels like it has only been a day, and than it feels like 2
years. Sorella Gillette is leaving to be sister training leader in Milan
with my trainer Egbert! Now that is crazy. I thought i was leaving for sure
because i had been here the longest, and we were in three. We asked him to
stay in three and he said that was impossible....

but wouldnt you know it... Sorella Van Alfen is staying here WITH me, and
we have ANOTHER... one more time, ANOTHER sorella coming! We are in three
again!! That is crazy.. It think pres knows that i am probably the crazy
apostate one and i need babysitters...scherzo..but seriously. Two
threesomes in a row?? That just doesnt happen!
anywho.. Im happy. I just need to find out what Heavenly Father wants me to
do next because appearantly he is the planner in all of this. I love
everyone and thank you for just being you.

Have a great week!

This is Sorella Woods signing out from a not so sunny Sanremo...Because it
will never stop raining... i hate the rain. I used to love it, when i didnt
wear a skirt and shoes that just get soaking wet.

PANTSSSS!!!

after five very short months in only skirts, i get to wear pants.. many of you dont understand the happiness that comes from pants. Dont get me wrong, i love skirts, but its like when Areil turned into a human after being a mermaid. I HAVE TWO LEGS AGAIN! Oh blessed day. So i would like to make a list of events this past week:

1. It has been raining so bad (and italians are afraid of the rain) that the city has been on an alert.

2. The day before 'alert day' we were teaching some of my favorite people in their shop.. and what do you know.. My zebra umbrella was stolen.. i wouldnt of cared if it was a normal umbrella, but you just cant go to the nearest shop and buy another zebra umbrella. 

3. One of my companions (wont say whooo.. but starts with 'G' haaaha) was plugging in the DVD player to listen to music.. and POP, big blue spark... our power was gone... 

4. Taking a shower with pots of hot water in the dark... and no hot water means no heater... and yes, it may be Sanremo, but it is the middle of winter... and then what do you know.. the fridge doesnt work and the food starts rotting.

5. Getting kicked off a train because one of us forgot to stamp our ticket...

and the moral of this list of things that probably just sounds like i am being a complainer is that i am the happiest i have ever been in my whole entire 20 short years of life... I love being a missionary. All things happen for a reason.. The earth needs water so Heavenly Father is blessing us with water! After my umbrella was stolen, a little indian man asked me to buy one of his on our way home running through the rain. I apologized and said i had no money, but next time i would... He than handed me an umbrella and said no charge. My heart nearly melted. Getting my awesome zebra umbrella stolen allowed Heavenly Father to show me the good of a random stranger on the street.. Having no power for a time allowed me the opprotunity to think of those without the luxry of running hot water, or a working heater... it allowed me to see some of the little blessings that i take for granted... A lot of people in this world dont have food, and even though our food was going bad, we still had food to eat! And lastly, being kicked off a train.. It allowed the man who kicked one of us off and we had to be together so that meant all of us had to get off to soften his heart, and let us all back on. Basically this week i have seen Heavenly Father in every little thing when i look back at it and i realized that i have really reached that point of the fact i could do this forever.. I am a 100% here and i can never imagine going home. I am so blessed that this is my life. That Heavenly Father has given me this amazing opprotunity. When we think things are just bad, take a step back and look at what you are really being blessed with. Everything our Father in Heaven gives us is a blessing..even the tiniest little things!

Love you allll... 

Love Sorella Woods