In which Sara wants to be in a Santa race!

Hey!

I have 0 time to email today!

Okay, things to say. I bought India, Abby and Tanner gifts last week, and honestly I wish I had bought them for myself. Coolest little things (for children) EVER! Get excited :) Haha.

Oh, and so this past Sunday, do you know what we did with our ward? We went and sang at an old folks home! It was SO FUN! I loved it. We sang Christmas songs, then after the Christmas songs we sang old Italian songs from the 40s and 60s, to help them remember their good ol' days a bit... and I ADORED all of those little old Italian songs! I can't wait to go home and listen to them all day long! :)

Oh, also, going to church last Sunday morning, do you know what I saw? Basically, at Centro here in Verona there are always races going on (running/bike races), and Sunday morning there was a Christmas race going on. Not just your average christmas race, but ALL OF THE RACES WERE WEARING SANTA CLAUS OUTFITS! Do you know how badly I wish I could have joined in on that race? It was the bombest!

Oh, and dearest family, just so you know, the Christmas package was gotten :) Grazie mille! It was the happiest :)

Oh, also I saw a flaming car the other day! Well, long story made short, a car drove passed us, and as it passed we realized one of the back tires was enflamed! Agh! So, it's driving off, while other cars are honking at it, then it drove off, and we didn't see it. Well, as we proceeded forward, we see the car again! It had pulled over, but this time the whole back of the car was engulfed in flames! Poor guy, that would seriously ruin my day if my car lit on fire :(

Also, dearest Miami friends, does Anziano Fiorentino come home this week? I've heard he does. If he does, can you all please give him a little punch from me - I had NO IDEA he was finishing his misison! He didn't tell me. So, someone punch him for me, thanks :)

Also, the other day we did our Scambio with Sorella Seare and her new daughter, Sorella Reni (aka, my granddaughter). We have a picture. I'll send it next week. But, basically I love them both oodles. Obvs, y'all know I love Sorella Seare, but Sorella Reni is SUPER adorable too! I honestly just love her. And, her dad's straight up, 100% Italian, but they live in Provo, and that's where she's from. Super legit :) Ha.

Oh, also let me just tell you. Remember how I've been super excited to come home? Well, I totally am! I'm so stoked to come home, and see y'all. But, I just went to our Christmas Zone conference, and I almost started crying while we were singing the songs... THAT'S MY LAST CHRISTMAS ZONE CONFERENCE EVER! In my whole life! It made me want to stay in the mission for forever. But, I'll get over it... haha.

Oh, and dear Mike Mulligan, I saw a man at the train station that looked just like you! I almost wanted to go up and stop him, then I realized it wasn't you! Haha.

So, here's two scriptures that I wrote down to tell you about this week, that I don't have time to tell you about :)

Acts 17:29 - so cool!
Alma 29:14-16 - makes me laugh :)

Well, remind me to tell you about the amazing Daniele (the guys whose door we knocked on)! I may have already done that. I probably did. But, he made me SO happy yesterday! I'll tell you later :)

I gotta run!

Vi voglio tanto tanto bene!

SEE YOU next week!

I think I'll call around 6pm our time, I think that works out for us. And, my mission president said Google Hangout is fine.

A presto!
Sorella Willis

Merry Christmas from your missionary!

Hello tutti! :)

Okay, little things to tell you!

We went to the Arena last week, and looked at a bunch of Nativites from around the World. It was so cute, I loooved it! Also, they were playing Andrea Bocelli Christmas songs the WHOLE time. I was so so happy.Then, today we went to the same Arena and just looked around the arena! It was super cute, I love Italy :)

Also, we put up our Christmas tree in our apartment! I love it, I'll be sure to send y'all a picture :)

Also, do you know how BLESSED I am? God sure does love me. Basically, every Sunday when we're in Relief Society, we're right beside the Priesthood, and we're just separated by those little accordion wall things. And, we get to hear, every Sunday, the men sing their opening hymns. Do you know how much I LOVE that? I LOVE men choirs, and just hearing men sing, without women! It's one of the most beautiful things in the world! And, our men here just sing with such vigor and umph! I looooove it :) Haha, sorry, that's kinda pointless, but it's something that made me happy this week! :)

Well, we were doing strada one morning (walking along the street, talking to people), and we talked to a wonderful, African woman with so so much faith! She had a stroke about 3 months back, and is re-learning how to speak (both Italian and English). She's an amazing woman, we've taught her once, and she's curious about Thomas S. Monson, and we invited her to watch the Christmas devotional online. We're excited to return and see what she thought!

Well, it's all Christmasy here in Italia, here in Verona, and I loooove it! :)

Also, did you know that I'm freaking out lately? Haha, just kidding, I'm not a freak-out-er. But, it's just weird, thinking about the end of my mission. It's like, I don't feel like I'm finished, and I'm not spiritually where I should be... but it's okay, because I'M STILL NOT FINISHED! I still have this transfer, and next transfer. So, obviously I feel like that, cause I still have stuff to do! I just need to not worry about it, and keep focused :)

Also, we made cookies the other day, and after 4 hours they were kinda hard. Then after 24 hours they were SUPER hard! There's gotta be something in the Italian air, and or baking supplies... cause, all of their breads are soft for the first hour, then they ALL get hard! Haha.

Well, today is crazy, we've been running around, I've been buying y'all gifts for when I come home :) Honestly, my favorites are those for the nipotini! Haha :)

Well, today there's not too much to say, I'll go ahead and send y'all the pictures!

Oh, and my mission pres. didn't ever respond about Google Hangout, so I wrote him back and just told him that I'm gonna use it until he tell me otherwise. Haha.

Well, I gotta run!
Vi voglio bene! Pictures to come! :)

Sorella Willis

One time I bought a giant deck of cards. Who's excited for next Thanksgiving? This missionary :)

Christmas tree! Me, Sorella Reichert, Lyman, and Acerson :)

Me at the Arena, here in Verona! :)

At the Arena, again! :)

In which Sorella Willis becomes Anziano Willis :)

Dear family, and everyone else,
hahaha.... that's so funny to address an email like that... I have no idea who will read this!

Well, I have oodles of little things to tell y'all this week!

Okay, 1: I'm a nonna! Babbo, do you remember that vocab word from a few weeks back? It means grandma! Haha. My daughter (who I trained) - Sorella Seare - is now training! Weird. I'm way old in the mission! Ha,

Also, I want a giant black dog when I get home! I saw the most beautiful dog the other day, it was seriously the biggest dog I've ever seen. It looked more like it was part bear than part worlf. I fell in love with it. I'll find one likeunto it when I come home :)

Also, we were doing comp. study the other day, and I was telling Sorella Lyman that I had just read 3 Nefi 12 (specifically verse 13), and just talking about it, I told her how we all have to "maintain our saltiness". She fell in love with that phrase, and wrote it on her wall. Haha. I thought it was kinda cute after I thought about it. Comp. study is fun, you say things you never would hear if you just studied, and thought alone! :)

Also, fun fact, I've been called "Anziano Willis" at least 4 times this past transfer. It makes me laugh so much! The last time it happened, the elder who said it said, "It's just cause you're just like one of the Anziani, just like one of the guys..." Yeah :) Remember how I love being "one of the guys"? Growing up with 5 brothers does that to a girl! :) Haha.

Also, tender mercy? I heard one of my favorite songs EVER the other day! "The Lords Prayer" by Andrea Boccelli and MoTab. Basically, I've been wanting to listen to that song my whole mission, and I totally could if I wanted to, cause it's MoTab, and great, but I just never had the means of listening to it. Well, we went to our Mackay's house the other day, and on their MoTab playlist this song came on... and it made my heart so full! Tender mercy? Yes :)

Also, do you know how annoying I am these days? I dunno what it is, but I just come home at the end of the day, and I'm just a chatter box! I talk Sorella Lyman's ear off every night! I almost annoy myself, but I just feel like I need to talk, and get everything out of my head! Weird. I've never been a talker. Haha.

Oh! And, where's my Benjamin LeGrand Willis? Question for you! Did you ever serve with an Elder Payne in your Tacoma Washington mission? Basically, I'm serving with an Anziano Payne whose brother served in the Tacoma Washignton mission 10-11 years ago... please tell me you know who he is, that would be so cool! :) Haha.

Also, OHMYWORD, can I tell you how happy I was made the other day? Remember the wonderful man, Antony, who got baptized in Siena over the summer? Remember how he had to move to Napoli? Well, I never knew if he ever found the church in Napoli, so for all I knew he was just down there, maybe inactive... who knows! Well, after talking to an Anziano the other day, he said that Antony is back in Siena, goes to church all the time, and is amazing, and how he wants to get the priesthood! True story, when the anziano told me that my hear literally filled with joy! Missionary work: fills the soul with joy! I've experienced that first hand, mamma mia!

Also, we were doing casa one night, rather unsuccessfully, and as we were going from door to door I was wondering why we were doing it... there had to have been something better to do with our time. Well, it was getting near time to finish, but Sorella Lyman suggested we do one more house. We went, rang a few, and there was one that opened the door for us... they didn't even invite us up, we just heard a little grumble, and they opened the door. Well, we went up, hoping to find the right floor, where we found a cute elderly couple waiting for us at their door! They invited us in, and we were able to teach them a short lesson, and get to know them a little bit better. They're very curious, and are excited about reading the BOM, and coming to church! They say they don't want to change religions, but they are curious to figure out a little bit about our church. Agh! We love them so much, and are so excited to teach them, and we're sure as they read the BOM their hearts will be softened :) They gave us chocolate cake. Adorbs :)

Also, I Sorella Lyman mentioned the song, "Baby It's Cold Outside" the other day, and it basically destroyed me. Remember how that's one of my very favorite Christmas songs?! I love it! Not to mention it has lots of significances, and memories connected to it! Well, first of all, it's basically what I sing to myself everyday when I'm riding my bike, cause hello, it's super cold riding a bike in the winter. Also, "Elf". Need I say more? Also, "Mission: Baby It's Cold outside" when a bunch of us OP kids silly stringed Elder Wolfley and Williams. Basically, that song's great :)

Well, I kinda gotta run, but I love y'all oodles!

Super excited to talk to y'all in a few weeks!

Vi voglio tanto tanto bene!
Sorella Willis