Sorella Forbes, Italy Milan Mission: July 11, 2012 Transfer time! Sopresa!

It was Monday night. The other Sorelle get a phone call. It's President. They talk for a while. Then tell me he wants to talk to me. I'm so nervous because I know this is the transfer call... "Is this Sorella Forbes?" "Hi President! Yes it's me." "Well Sorella, I just wanted to let you know I am transferring you to Milano 3." Shock.... I was SURE I'd be staying in Pordenone. He tells me we are closing this coppia and all of our investigators will go to Sorella Modugno. First reaction/thoughts: Heartbreak. I'm leaving Francesco, Ramat, Madelin, our two new golden girls Milva and Gabriella, and a few more amazing people behind. I was so sad on Monday night, and there were lots of tears shed, I had a chat with my Heavenly Father about this madness and was kind of just flabbergasted. It was really hard because this is the second coppia I've closed. But at least you can't say it's because the work was not going well! We worked our tails off these last two transfers and have so many wonderful people! But yesterday we were leaving our appointment with Ramat, and I received a confirmation that this is right. Francesco is set to be baptized in August. I called him yesterday and told him we were leaving. He was sad but he will keep meeting with Sorella Modugno and her new companion. We're going to get him started on Duty to God! so awesome. he already read all of For the Strength of the Youth. And annotated it. Did I tell you that? I told him he'll be an amazing missionary one day. I am confident that Sorella Modugno and Sorella Hanks will be such a big help to Ramat, and he will get baptized one day too. As for all the others, I just know that they will be taken care of and I know that I have been called to Milano for a reason. So now I'm happy and content. Not looking forward to all the packing... Sorella Lloyd is also going to Milano 1, so we have three Sorelle packing up at our apartment today. Madness!!! Meno male there is a train that goes directly to Milano.

So Milano!!! I have been in two of the smallest cities in the mission, and now I'm going to one of the biggest cities in the world! I'm so excited. Sorella Walton started out in Milano so she's giving me the scoop. I love big cities! I was thinking today, Milano will either be really good preparation for when I live in NYC, or it will scare me off of big cities forever... ha! But I'm so excited. I will be paired up with Sorella Bishop! She is teeny tiny but such a power house. I can't wait to work with her. It's funny because she will be the 3rd companion I've "killed" (mission lingo...). Sorella Willey went home, Sorella Walton is going home on Friday, and Sorella Bishop will go home after this next transfer. I feel really good about it. I'll get to spend more time with President and his wife! They come to that ward sometimes. That's exciting.

So this week was really great. Saturday we were invited to a baby shower for a lady in the American ward. Mandy, who was planning it, is a new convert as of February we worked with last transfer before we split up all the new converts for the two coppie. She wanted us to come share a spiritual thought. She's so great. So we went to the baby shower and shared a spiritual thought. Ha! That was fun. Remember the story about the random referral we got on the street for the woman that was studying with Jehovah's Witnesses? Well, we hadn't been able to set up an appointment with her, and on Thursday we had the feeling we needed to just go out and pass by her house. So we went. She was there with her sister, who is in the same boat as her. We taught them the Restoration, they asked us a lot of great questions, and were in agreeance with everything. They are so excited to read the Book of Mormon and to come to church to see how it is. They had both been studying with Jehovah's Witnesses because they didn't believe the catholic church anymore and wanted to know the Bible better, but said they still don't agree with a lot of the doctrine of the Jehovah's Witnesses. So they are really looking! They are totally prepared and elect and I'm so excited. Patience is the sister of a member here from Ghana. We've been teaching her and she wants to get baptized too! But she lives in Mestre so that's a really good referral for the Anziani there... ha. But she is so sweet. She had some sort of pain show up on Saturday so we've been visiting her in the hospital these last couple of days. She's a sweetheart.

Monday night we had a lot of finding time, and we felt we needed to go to the Torre area. We were looking at bus stops and one popped out, Damiano Chiesa, so we chose that. We did casa for a while without any real success, but then we passed this huge house with a huge yard and almost passed by it, but we felt we needed to try. So this lady walks out to the gate. We talked for about 20 minutes about the Book of Mormon and how it helps us understand the gospel in the Bible and all that jazz. She is really interested so we left her a Book of Mormon and the other sorelle will call her for a return appointment. But sometimes when you're talking to people you can just really tell when they are elect. The words come so much easier and all of the phrases from Preach my Gospel that you've studied so much come to your mind so much quicker. You know what to say, and everything feels like it means more, and you can feel the spirit bearing witness to them through you. I felt that with Elen, and I think she has a lot of great potential.

It's still really hot. All the africans are telling us it's hotter here than in Africa... ha! No wonder I feel like I'm melting. But I'm also headed to Milano, the hottest place in the mission. Sorella Walton told me the sidewalks melt in the summer. That's exciting. And I hear the mosquitos are pretty terrible... but that's okay! I can handle it! I hope! ha! Pray for me!

Last night the members here threw us a kind of farewell party. It was kind of awkward. We didn't really know what to expect, because our ward mission leader just told us to be at the church at 7:30. So we went. Probably about half of the ward was there with food and pens and paper ready to exchange information to keep in touch, they made Sorella Lloyd sing for them, we took a group picture... it was lovely. They're really sad to be losing 3 Sorelle. Going from 4 to 2. Especially since Sorella Lloyd has been here for 5 transfers. But it was good to get to see them all before we leave. The members here are just so great.

So I wanted to send some pictures of Francesco and Ramat and some others, but this computer won't read my camera. Hence I will try to send some in another email before we leave.

But wish me luck as I set out for Milano! We'll be taking the fast train straight to Milano at 6 in the morning (it's still a four hour train ride...) and meet up with all the other missionaries at Milano Centrale Station. I'll send you a picture of transfer circle. it's quite a spectacle.

Vi voglio bene! Buona settimana! (I love you! Have a great week!)

Sorella Forbes