02.19.14 {week 30}

"Time never stands still; It must steadily march on, and with the marching come the changes."

-Pres. Monson

Well, transfers happen tomorrow!  And guess what?  I'M TRAINING.  Yeah.  Trust me, no one is as shocked as I was.  This is how it happened:  President came to our ward on Sunday.  We have a baptism a week from today (Yay H.!) and President needed to come and interview him.  So he came and our WML was freaking out (it was kind of really funny).  So he meets with the anziani in our ward first, and then he interviews H. and it goes wonderfully!  Then he asks Sorella Gross to step in the office with him.  We found out some really sad news on Valentine's Day - that Sorella Gross' grandma passed away.  So I assumed he just kind of wanted to talk to her about that and make sure she was okay.  Honestly, transfers were the LAST things on my mind.  Both Sorella Gross and I were positive that we were sticking together for at least one more transfer.  So she's in there for a while and when she comes out she shoots me this really quick frowny face.  I was so confused.  And then he called me into the office.  We started talking about "Life of Pi" and Catholics and all sorts of stuff and then the subject changed to a recent convert that we have.  He really wants her to get to the temple, so we were talking about it and then he said, "The reason I'm telling you all of this is because Sorella Gross will be leaving you this week."  I gasped.  I'm pretty sure I said, "Oh no!"  Involuntarily.  And he kind of laughed and said, "And you'll be getting a new sister.  Sorella Gunnerson, you will be training."  Deer in the headlights.  I was shocked.  I'm still shocked.  I just barely finished being trained!  I thought for sure I wouldn't train for a few more transfers because there are a ton of sisters older than me in mission age.  I've never even been senior comp!  And yet, here I am.  Training.  I, of course, didn't say any of this to President.  I just nodded, attempted a smile, and said okay.  When the anziani found out afterward, they just started laughing - which did not help my confidence!  Haha.  Anyway.  So that's what's going on here.  Tomorrow morning, Sorella Gross and I will take a very early train to Milano (Cimiano!  My home!) where I'll drop her off and head to the training meeting.  Then I'll get my little greenie!  Oh my goodness, I am so nervous.  But I do have a huge testimony of the fact that Heavenly Father doesn't ask us to do things that we cannot do.  Heavenly Father has asked me to do this, so apparently that means that I can.  If you all could just send some extra prayers my way this week (or for the next 12 weeks....) that would be great.  :)  I can do hard things.

In other news, H. will be baptized a week from today!  He is so ready to be baptized and we are so excited for him!  After the interview, President said that he had been taught well, that he has a strong testimony, and that everything was set for the baptism.  The only bummer is that Sorella Gross won't be here for it.  My little greenie is lucky!  She's just walkin' right in to a baptism!  Because the baptism is next Wednesday, we might have to switch our P-day.  So I might end up having P-day on Tuesday or Thursday.  So write your emails early!  ;)  We'll see what happens.

Anyway, I'm quickly running out of time but I love you all a ton and I hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day!  Ours involved a creeper on the bus (that's not anything new in Torino...) and taking roses and a spiritual thought to some of the widows in the ward.  It was lovely!  (Minus the creeper, of course.)  

I can't believe I'll hit my seven month mark this weekend.  Time really is flying!  Thanks, as always, for the love and support!  AMORE!

Sorella Gunnerson

02.12.14 {week 29}

Hey hey hey!  (Fat Albert voice.  Obviously.)

How's it going over there in the states, y'all?  (I have a really hard time saying "you" to multiple people now because of Italian - there's the "tu" form and the "voi" form.  How do you know if I'm talking to just one of you or a bunch of you?  You don't!  So "y'all" has started happening.  I'm trying to stop...)  It's a sunny day here in Torino - but still pretty cold.  Luckily I'm used to the bipolar weather, thanks to Salt Lake.

But wait!  Good news!  A. was baptized on Saturday!  Ah, it was such a beautiful baptism.  There were a couple of scary moments beforehand (like when I talked to the mom on the phone an hour and a half beforehand and she said they didn't have enough seats in the car to get their whole family there, or like when the family finally got there and we brought the dad his white pants and he was like, "where's the top part?" and we were like, "we told you to bring an extra white shirt!") but it all ended up working out and it was just lovely.  I'll send pictures in another email.  She was confirmed on Sunday and so she is officially a member of the church!  We're so happy for her and her whole family!  They're so awesome.

Random news:  We had some really good Indian food last Wednesday.  We ended P-day in centro, only to find out that there was a bus strike going on (they happen ALL the time here - and at the most inconvenient times).  So we waited for an hour and a half at a bus stop.  In the freezing rain.  With lots of cigarette smoke around us.  So that night we treated ourselves to some takeout Indian food.  CURRY, I'VE MISSED YOU.  It was so good.  Also, last P-day I bought another Italian book!  This time?  Pride and Prejudice!  I'll send a picture of my slowly-growing Italian library.  I might end up with a suitcase full of books.  I'm trying really hard not to, but I make no promises.

Anyway, not a lot else happened this week.  Remember that lady that Sorella Gross accidentally kissed?  We had the most amazing lesson with her on Monday.  We taught the Restoration and the Spirit was SO strong.  Just another testament to me of how true this gospel is.  Guys, it's just so true.  It was probably the best Restoration lesson of my mission so far.  So we've got high hopes (sing it, Frankie).  Sorry this email is short.  Love and miss you all lots!  And Happy Valentine's Day!  AMORE.  :)

Sorella Gunnerson

A's Baptism!!!

 i know i'm a nerd.  it's okay.

zone trainin'

02.05.14 {week 28}

Hey Family!

So this is the third email I've started now.  This computer is driving me nuts.  It keeps deleting my emails while I'm writing them.  Frustration.  Anyway, in other news, it's super cold and rainy here!  Probably similar to how it is in the US.  I hear the temperatures over there have been crazy lately.  Italians love talking about anything and everything that is wrong with the world, so the weather in the US has been coming up a lot.  ;)  In fact, there's a member in our ward whom we've been trying to go see lately.  We keep scheduling appointments with her but then she calls us the morning of and says that it's raining so we can't come over.  Haha, we're still trying to figure that one out...

Bad news first:  A. did not get baptized last week.  Good news second:  A. will be getting baptized this week!  (Hopefully.  Just....you never know with these things.  Keep your fingers crossed.)  We're super excited for her and her family.  They're adorable and I love them so much.  We're working with H. to get him ready for his baptism in a few weeks.  Cross your fingers for that one, too.

We had a blitz this week, so our two sister training leaders from Genova came to hang out with us for 24 hours.  It was super fun and pretty productive.   I finished the Book of Mormon again this week.  :)  So good.  And then I came across a General Conference talk by  Elder Holland - "Safety for the Soul."  I've seen it before so I vaguely remembered it.  But it is so powerful.  And it's even more powerful to watch it.  So that's your homework for this week!  Find the talk and watch it.  It's incredible.  It made me cry.

Funny story:  So in Italy you kiss people on the cheeks instead of hugging, right?  So the other day, Sorella Gross and I were talking to this lady at a bus stop.  She was super interested and just kept asking all these really great questions about the prophet and how the church is organized and all of this stuff.  So the three of us get on the bus, but we don't have a ton of time to talk before she has to get off at her stop.  (Don't worry, we got her number.)  So she's getting off and she hurries to kiss us.  But while going from one of Sorella Gross' cheeks to the other, Sorella Gross got pushed from behind and.....yeah.  It was so awful.  So she hurries and kisses my cheeks and hops off the bus.  There's a moment of silence and then I said, "Did you and that lady just kiss?"  We started laughing so hard.  I'm still laughing about it.

That night we had an FHE planned with an inactive family in our ward.  She has three sons (two of which are members) - but none of them have been to church in a long time.  So we show up at her house and this really confused-looking girl answers the door.  We clear up the miscommunication (she's the girlfriend of the 23-year-old son) and realize that the mom was called in to work and no one else in the family knew we were coming over.  But the son and the girlfriend were the only ones home and they INSISTED that we stay and have dinner with them.  So they invite us into their house and they're like, "Okay, we just have to run to the pharmacy and the grocery store and then we'll be back."  So they left us in their house while they ran to the store...yeah that was strange.  (But we found the room full of foosball trophies! (Picture attached to another email.)  But then they came back and L. made us some really yummy pasta and we all ate together and talked and it was wonderful.  Seriously one of my most favorite nights of my mission.  And then we shared a message before we left and L's eyes lit up when I mentioned temples and that we are sealed with our families for eternity.  They gave us a ride home and as we were getting out of the car I gave her a Book of Mormon.  She'll be a member someday.  I just know it.  (Also, I accidentally left my umbrella in their car which has made for a very wet couple of days BUT a reason to see them again!)

Anyway, that's how my week was.  :)  Love you all lots and can't wait to hear from you again next week!  AMORE.

Sorella Gunnerson

My district.  My sister and me!  (Sorella Condie - trained by Sorella Palumbo.)

 Superga!

We took a tram up to Superga today.  It was so foggy and beautiful!  Here's a view of the city from the tram.

The foosball trophies!

01.29.14 {week 27}

My dear family!

Email time is always so stressful!  I have so much to say and so little time!  This week flew by (again - seriously where is the time going?).  :)

Where to start?  First things first:  A's baptism.  Super frustrating.  Okay, so our Ward Mission Leader is awesome, but....for some reason he refuses to let her be baptized this Saturday.  We seriously can't figure it out.   So I'm just gonna have to leave you all in suspense.  Luckily, the zone leaders are the Anziani in our ward and they're totally on our side with this, so we have correlation tomorrow and we're just gonna see how it plays out.  Wish us luck!  She needs to be baptized.  Not just for her, but for her family.

We had one of the best lessons ever this last week.  We have an investigator named H. - he's from Peru (just like basically everyone else in Italy) and he's awesome.  He's the one we set a bap date with a couple of weeks back and he is progressing SO much.  We could tell he was super confused about prophets.  He wanted to know more about Joseph Smith, in general, and about prophets.  So we had this super awesome lesson.  The spirit was so strong.  I explained, in my limited Italian, about Priesthood keys and prophets and all of a sudden you could just see the light bulb turn on in his brain.  It was awesome.  He just kept saying, "I understand now.  I get it now."  Hopefully we won't have problems with his baptism like we're having problems with A.

We had a really great zone training thing yesterday.  We learned a lot about how to be better finders and better teachers.  We also had interviews with President.  I was super nervous, but it went really well.  Everyone had to bring their area books and he told my companion and me that he can tell by our area book that we're really working hard and trying to build up the kingdom here in Torino.  He actually said that if President Monson were to look at our area book, he would say the same thing.  We definitely took that as a compliment.

It's been so cold here lately!  In fact, it started snowing today!  It's so beautiful!  We're thinking about getting the Christmas tree out again.  ;)  I'll send pictures in separate emails.  Thanks for the love and the emails!  AMORE.

Sorella Gunnerson

Beautiful Torino last week and my six month mark!  

Sorella Gross made me stay out of the kitchen 

and then surprised me with six month pancakes!  She's the best.

Today in Torino!  I love my cloudy days. 

love locks on the bridge!

Just doin' some casa!  ;)

01.22.14 {week 26}

Ciao ciao.

Well another week has come and gone!  This was probably one of the fastest weeks of my whole mission.  I have no idea why.  I guess I'm just finally getting into the whole swing of things as a missionary.  Yes, it has taken a whole third of my mission (Didja hear that?  I'm hitting my six month mark this week!  Crazy), but I think I'm finally getting there.

The work is progressing!  We've been teaching this little 9-year-old girl who has less active parents.  We thought she had a bap date for February 22nd.  So one morning I had this idea to make her a paper chain with a scripture on each chain, counting down to her baptism (Yes, Bethany, our Christmas chains totally inspired me).  So we worked on it all morning and that night we headed to her house to teach her and we were just talking and I told her how excited we were for her baptism.  Then I asked her if she remembered when her baptism would be.  And her whole family was like, "Yeah!  February 1st!"  So my companion and I looked at each other and we were like, "Yep!  February 1st is right!"  I hurried and ripped off half of the chain under the table and we were good to go!  So we'll have a baptism in about a week and a half.  Her name is A. and she's super cute.  We're excited.

We're pretty sure we met two of the three Nephites the other night.  Disguised as our bishop and one of his counselors.  We had just finished with a lesson and we were in the lobby, looking at a map, trying to figure out how to get to our next lesson.  When, all of a sudden, the bishop and his counselor just happen to walk into this apartment lobby.  We talk for a bit and realize that we're looking at a totally wrong part of the map, so they give us the right directions and then they just leave the building!  It was so weird.  They didn't even see anyone in the building!  It was awesome.

We have a lot of old ladies in this ward who invite us over and let us talk to them about the gospel and then stuff us full of chocolate and tell us to call them "grandma."  They're seriously so sweet.

Today we went to the Egyptian Museum!  It's the second biggest in the world, only second to Cairo.  And now I've been to both!  Anyway, sorry this email is kinda short.  Just livin' the dream here in Italy!  AMORE!

Sorella Gunnerson

gettin fancy and eating green jello out of goblets!

and my favorite wall in our apartment!!

oh hey, italy!

01.15.14 {week 25}

Buongiorno from Torino!

Apparently Torino is called The City of the Devil.  So that's a fun fact.  Someone should probably confirm that for me.  It might not be true.  Sometimes Torino is a little scary, but it's all good!  Luckily the Lord is on my side.  ;)

So I guess we should start where we left off!  Last Wednesday was HARD.  I had to say goodbye to so many people I love.  After doing emails, we did some shopping (I looked UNsuccessfully for a sleeping bag coat, but I DID buy the first Harry Potter book in Italian.  So it was an overall sucess.  THANKS SHELLEY!  :)) and then we went to the Church (okay for some reason this computer won't let me type "Church" without it being capitalized.  It's really annoying.  I'm really sorry about that) for my last Serata Familiare.  We usually have a spiritual thought and then a game and treats, but this time the spiritual thought took, like, an hour and a half.  So when the time came to actually say goodbye to people, there was no time!  It was awful!  So I was basically just hugging people while running out the door.  It was probably for the best because it was really hard to say goodbye.  Giulia and I just cried.  It was bad.  I miss her tons.  TONS, I tell you.  And I had to say goodbye to N. and M!  So sad.  And then, after all of that, we missed the metro, so had to wait for a half an hour.  Ah, the life of a missionary.  I stayed up way too late that night packing and writing letters and then finally headed to bed.  I woke up the next morning and we got ready to head to Centrale for the transfer circle.  Basically, all the missionaries just go there and wait for their new comps.  Transfer circle's the best cuz I get to see so many people I love!  Like Sorella Carter!  Ah, she's so great.  And Sorella Harward!  She goes home in two transfers, but we are lifelong friends, so it's no big deal.  Also, she and Sorella Carlock are companions this transfer!  I basically freaked out when I found that out because I love them so much.  We accidentally called them the other night, looking for our Sister Training Leaders.  It was the best accident ever!  Oh, I love them.

Anyway, then I finally met Sorella Gross!  SHE IS AWESOME.  Let me tell you a little bit about her.  She grew up on an Indian Reservation in New Mexico, but she's this little redhead with a British father.  It's awesome.  She trains horses and sings and is so cool.  I just love her so much already.  And she's an awesome missionary.  I'll send pictures.  So we had to take a two-hour train ride to Torino (and by "had to" I mean "IT WAS THE BEST THING EVER" - did you know I've always wanted to ride on a real train?  I finally got to!).  She was in a threesome last transfer and she told me the other sisters had left it kind of messy.  I wasn't too concerned.  Mamma mia, the mess!  So we basically tried to get settled and then headed to correlazione and consiglio.  The ward is awesome here.  Another big one with lots of people interested in doing missionary work.  I love it!  This last week I was able to meet a lot of investigators and less-active members, we set a bap date with one of the investigators (February 22nd - cross your fingers!), and I'm basically just trying to get my bearings here.  We apparently have bikes somewhere at an old apartment, but we don't use them, especially because it is FREEZING here.  So we usually just bus it.  But I bought a sleeping bag coat today!  I'm super excited about it!  Also, whenever people here find out I've only been here for four months, they're shocked!  So I guess that's a good sign that my Italian is improving.  :)  But I've still got a LONG way to go.

Anyway, I think that's about it.  I've got some pictures to send.  But I love you all tons and thanks for everything!  Being a missionary is the BEST.  :)  AMORE.

Sorella Gunnerson

My last night in Cimiano.  :(

Two of my favorite Anziani!

with sorella gross!  on the train!  eating gelato!  doing fun things!

Transfer Circle!  Sorella Harward and Sorella Carter!

01.08.14 {week 24}

Famiglia!

Mamma mia, I tell you what.  I felt so loved last Friday!  I received so many letters and packages!  It was finally Christmas and it was awesome!  Thank you thank you thank you.  You guys are literally the best.  And my Reeses Puffs are already gone, so thanks, Mom and Dad!  They were SO GOOD.  I already blew up Amy's balloons (and I already deflated them again because I'm moving!) and I already listened to Aunt Jan's CD (and ate the chocolate!). Unfortunately, I have not yet had any of Bep's hot chocolate because we ran out of cinnamon (Don't judge.  I really like my cinnamon...).  But we bought some and I plan on having some tonight - my last night in Cimiano!

So you're probably just dying to find out where I will be serving starting tomorrow.  I will be heading to the beautiful (and big) city of Torino!  All I know is that my new companion's name is Sorella Gross.  So, from one big city to the next!  I wasn't really expecting that.  But since when do the things I expect to happen actually happen?  ;)  To be honest, I'm sad to leave Cimiano.  That's no surprise.  I started out here in Milano wishing I could be in basically any other city.  I didn't want to be here.  And now, there's literally nowhere else I would rather be.  Funny how that works, huh?  So here I am, leaving my new family and going off to find another!  We'll have a little shindig at the church tonight - a little "ciao" for the four of the six of us who have been serving in the ward who will be leaving.  The only two staying behind are the new ones who've only been here for a transfer, but I know they'll do great!  And Sorella Russell will be training!  I'm so excited for her and her little verdino - they are going to do a great job here and take care of these people that I love so much.  I'm sure I'll have some stories to tell next week about my first week in Torino.  :)

We actually had a new missionary staying with us for the past 24 hours - Sorella Boscia.  She's 35 and from Sicily (she actually knows Sorella Palumbo!) and she got in from the Spain MTC yesterday afternoon.  So President and Sorella Dibb escorted her to our house yesterday afternoon, informed us that she spoke zero English and then went on their way.  She is AWESOME.  I have so much respect for her.  And it was actually really fun to be forced to speak Italian 24/7.  It proved to us that we can actually do it.  It wasn't easy.  And our brains were fried by the end of the day, but it was fun!  So she came with us to a couple of lessons yesterday afternoon (one of which was my last lesson with N. and her little sister, M.  :(  That was sad), taught us how to make a mean Tiramisu this morning, and then we dropped her off with the office elders and she'll hang out with the other new missionaries this afternoon and then get her trainer tomorrow.  It was lots of fun.

We had our last night of caroling as a district on Monday night.  It was super sad.  After Christmas, we've done it a couple more times but just with regular hymns and it worked!  People still listened and (sometimes) talked to us!  But, alas, our district is now being split up.  We all got really close this transfer, especially because it was the Christmas transfer, so it'll be sad to see everyone go, but I know it's for the best!

We had a miracle happen this week - one of our new investigators came to church.  Her name is C. (or M. - take your pick) and she's from the Philippines.  She was actually a referral from her cousin who lives...I can't remember where.  Somewhere in America.  And she's pretty awesome.  The miracle is that, not only did she come to church, but she stayed an hour and a half after to see a baptism of a little boy in our ward!  So she just hung out with us from 9 until 1:30 on Sunday.  It was awesome.  I have a good feeling about her.  Oh, this is random, but I realized this week that both Wendy (if she moves into Grandma's house) and Keith will be in Giulia's mission!  So starting in May, y'all have to keep an eye out for the missionaries.  And if one of them is Sister Sammartano, just love her to death.  (That'll be easy!)  And feed her lots!

Well, until next week!  In Torino!  :)  AMORE.

Sorella Gunnerson