07.30.14 {week 53}

Family,

One of the fastest weeks OF ALL TIME.  Weather update:  It has been the strangest summers ever.  I was so scared for this summer because all I heard from all of the missionaries all winter/spring was how awfully hot the summer was going to be.  There have been days, but usually it's just cloudy and rainy.  I am so thankful.  I'm convinced this strange summer is just for me - Heavenly Father knew I would have died otherwise.  I am not a fan of heat.

We've had a great week!  We had a scambio with the Torino sorelle on Thursday.  Sorella Lawrence came here with Hoffman and I went to....Torino!  My previous home!  It was kind of strange how...unstrange it was.  I kind of just felt like I had been on a four week long scambio and that I was just heading back home.  I was able to see some of my favorite people there - F., E., and even M.H.!  It was so great!  (Also word on the street is M.H. will be getting a calling soon.  I about jumped out of my seat when she told me that.  I had no idea how important callings were for new converts until I became a missionary.  They're so important!)  Anyway, it was a wonderful day.  The perfect way to celebrate my year mark!  When we got back, Sorella Hoffman and I did some "daily contacting" at La Romana (one of the yummiest gelaterias in town - where our new convert, E., works) to celebrate the special day.  I have a picture but no means to send it this week.  Next week for sure.  I bought myself a mini gelato cake.  Yeah.  It was as awesome as it sounds.

As far as investigators go:  We've been teaching this amazing family.  There's a mom, a dad (whom the Anziani have actually been teaching lately because when we teach them together we literally get nowhere because they just fight and then when we ask them to pray they pray for Heavenly Father to forgive the other person for all the things they do wrong...yeah), and the two best little girls EVER - G. and S.  These two girls need a LOT of love.  We go just about every day to teach this family and they've become very special to me.  It's easy to see them every day because they live a stones throw away from us.  G. is 11 and S. is 9.  G. loves the Book of Mormon and has been reading it by herself.  She's on page 140-something.  Incredible, right??  They had a bap date for the ninth of August but they've been having a hard time coming to church (but we're going to change that!) and the mom really needs to stop smoking.  But they want to be baptized so badly.  It's going to happen soon.  This family needs the gospel and the blessings they will receive from being baptized.  There are others we've been teaching, but I'll have to talk more about them in future emails.  Time flies when you're...writing emails.

President changed the way transfers are done.  Instead of getting calls on Monday or Tuesday, everyone will now be getting transfer calls on Saturday.  That way everyone can let their members and investigators know and not be so stressed leading up to transfer day.  So we'll find out about transfers in three days.  This transfer has literally flown by.  We're 99% positive that Sorella Hoffman is leaving (she's been here for five transfers, with four different companions and is literally on the verge of going crazy) and I'm staying.  But who knows??  Anything could happen (cue Ellie Goulding).  Also, we'll have mission consiglio again this Friday.  I'm stoked.  Point is:  This week is going to fly by.  Much like (I assume) next transfer and the rest of my mission.  Life is weird.  But so great!  Alright, well we've got to run but I love you all.  AMORE.

Sorella Gunnerson