In which Sara stops cracking her knuckles! (wow!)

Thanks Babbo!
Okay, let me just type up the world right now! This week has been crazy awesome! Ups and downs, as Always, but mostly ups!

Okay, first of all, my back's doing much better, just so y'all know :) I'm pretty much back to normal. I got a blessing from my ZLs at our Zone Training (Anz. Collins and Christensen - some of my favorite ZLs ever! They're so fun, like little/big brothers). The blessing in itself was very simple. I would be healed, my back pains would go away... a very simple, nice blessing. But, he said something that got me almost crying! He said something along the lines of, "Your Heavenly Father is pleased with you coming to receive this blessing today..." REWIND, remember at the beginning of my mission how I about died, because I realized I left on my mission without getting a Fathers Blessing? That's basically been floating around my brain (also, just in the back of my brain) for my Whole entire mission. I'd look for excuses to get blessings (before leaving the MTC, 6 transfer mark [aka, half of the mission mark], etc.), but then I'd never ask for the blessing, cause in my mind they were just that... excuses. I honestly REALLY REALLY wanted a blessing, super bad, but I had no "valid" reason to get one. I was healthy. I was happy. There are always ups and downs, but I definitely had no reason to complain, or ask for extra help. After all, the Lord wants us to do everything that's in our power, before we ask him for help, right? Well, I guess in my case I can't think like that, cause that means dead (or, with back pains like a 97 year old). I still haven't figured out what I'm supposed to learn from that phrase from the blessing - am I being stubborn, or prideful, not asking for a blessing? Because, it's not that I think I can do it without his help, ANZI, I WANTED the blessing, terribly bad, actually! But, I just didn't think that it was my place to ask for it... Well, I'll continue to ponder and figure out what I need to learn from this blessing.

Also, I love Sorella Baird! Last p-day we had a super awesome bonding experience. We laid on the floor of our kitchen (cause it's tile, and cold, and we don't have air conditioning), and just talked. For 2-ish hours. I loved it :) It was almost like talking to one of my sisters again (almost... :) Haha)

Well, there's basically a lot to talk about this week, and I don't have a lot of time to do it! We had a KILLER Friday night activity, that was not really "planned" to be super big. Our investigators Fabio (the Amazing Fabio!) and Barbara (the Amazing Barbara!) were basically running it! Making food from Sicilia (eggplant Parmesan, and other delish food), and Barbara made some delish Chinese food! Well, a lot of people were invited.. and A LOT showed up, too! Members also brought food, people brought friends, and family members, a good bit of non-members were there! It was a crazy successful night! :) I'll send pictures! :)

Also, basically, Fabio's the greatest, most progress-ful progressing investigator, EVER! a) He's quitting smoking. b) When we taught him about tithing, he made a comment along the lines of, "Well, why wouldn't I pay tithing? I'll just use the money that I used to buy cigarettes with!" Mamma mia. Then, we decided to say a prayer, all together, in our respective houses, at a certain time, and pray to help him quit smoking (us [the sister missionaries], Fabio [simpatizzante], and Enrique [member]). Well, we saw him that night for English class, and he said after that prayer, he KNEW we hadn't forgotten about the prayer, and that we were all praying with him, and he said after the prayer he didn't have the desire to smoke anymore! The desire just left him! Miracle? I'd say so! Mamma mia. He's the greatest, I'm so excited for his baptism! 31 agosto! Also, Sorella Baird and I are going to quit a bad habit along with him! So, he's quitting smoking, Sorella Baird is going to quit biting her fingernails, and I'm going to quit cracking my knuckles! It's so hard. I didn't realize how much I did it! I do it subconsciously ALL THE TIME! But, now I catch myself after 1-2 cracks, and I stop. And pretty soon, I'll be completely stopped! :) Yeah! Now just one more (main) bad habit to quit... cracking my neck. Both bad. Both I need to quit. Haha.

Well, that's basically about all. I gotta finish up, but I'll send pictures right now!

Oh, and thanks so much for the package! I looooved it! :) I just got it today, as we were walking out to do our grocery shopping! Thanks, y'all are the greatest! :)

Vi voglio tanto bene!
Sorella Willis