A Muggle In Milan: Chapter 13: Don't Mind Me Chillin Above Italy

Hey peeps! Hope you're all having the happiest of summer days! I’m kinda freaking out cuz tomorrow is my three month mission mark😁
seriously idk why mission time is so weird. It feels like it's been an eternity since I first got here but other times I'm like "wait am I
even a missionary yet?" Lol idk man. But it was a fab week, and WE GOT A NEW INVESTIGATOR so you could say I'm pretty much the happiest
camper in all of Italy, and possibly the whole world!

Thursday, we had zone training in Torino! It was super good and I learned a ton from our awesome zone leaders! We also got to hear the
dying testimonies of two anziani in our zone. We then got to hear from President and Sorella Dibb, since at the end of this transfer, we'll
get our new mission president. I'm really sad to see them go! They are so amazing- I've learned a lot from the Dibbs, and they have such a
love for the missionaries and people of Italy!

After zone training, we stopped by Tamara's house to give her back her umbrella (she's the one from our flood miracle last week). She was so
excited to see us, and invited us in to visit. I love that woman! When it was time to leave, she told us to keep her umbrella for a bit, and
to come visit her again very very soon! We are still trying to figure out a way to introduce our message with her. We've had a lot of solid
religious conversations, and I really think she might be ready. I want this for her so bad! Then, we got to go over to the anziani apartment
with the landlord to get some stuff fixed. Not very exciting, but it had to be done lol.

Friday and Saturday, we had scambio with the STLs in Milano. I went with Sorella Fuller, and Sorella Smith went with Sorella Jones. I
learned so much from Sorella Fuller! Our appointment Friday night fell through, so we went out to do finding for a few hours. Fuller is
outstanding when it comes to finding. She's so great at going up and talking to EVERYONE! I learned so much from her! Then the APs called
us and challenged us to find a new investigator... And we totes did! It was like 15 minutes before we had to be home, and we found this
little old lady feeding ducks. Literally, she had at least 5 loaves of bread she was feeding to these birds lol. She was precious though, and
we had a good lesson with her! Then that night, Fuller and Jones read in the New Testament about when Christ washed His disciples' feet.
They then insisted on giving us pedicures, saying that we, too, are disciples of Christ doing His work. Aww they're just precious!

Saturday, Fuller an I had an appointment with a less active who is a literal cat lady. She has ten cats, and all her dishes and everything
had cats on them. Lol, she gave us Orso, which essentially has the taste of coffee, but it has a barley base rather than a coffee bean
base, and no caffeine. Essentially Mormon coffee. And it was nasty😂 I went to put sugar and milk in it but then one of her cats that was
chilling on the table at the time knocked the milk over. Ugh. Then in the middle of the lesson, the lady asks me to fix her printer... And
let's keep in mind that a) I really don't know much about printers b) I still don't know a ton of Italian c) I certainly don't know printer
words in Italian lol. So she's giving me instructions and getting mad that I don't understand lol and I look at Fuller and she doesn't
understand either😂 And like wow, when I thought about what mission life would be like, I certainly didn't picture myself trying to fix a
printer whilst being yelled at in Italian all while cats are climbing over me, but va bene lol.

Sunday was super stellar. We had stake conference in Alessandria which meant I GOT TO SEE MY PERKINS! Lol we had to leave our house by like
6am to catch the train. It was cool cuz the stake conference was held in like a theater #comfyseats so yay! Sad day though cuz our ward's
bishop is gonna be in the stake presidency now. But we got to hear from them and from President Dibb and from Elder Kearon (who spoke at
the most recent session of general conference.) It was so awesome! Afterward, it was fun to talk to the members, and to the two zones'
worth of missionaries who were there. Then, we had lunch with Sorella Bastian and Sorella Perkins which was a rather fun time because I
adore them both so dang much! Then Smith and I caught our train. On our way back home, we called one of our referrals we'd received, and ended
up meeting him at a bar lol... Then we walked over to a park and began teaching him. So....

We got ourselves a new investigator!!

And he is seriously GOLDEN!

His name is Machi. He's actually from Tanzania, so he speaks Swahilian, English, and Italian. He's lived in Italy for a few years,
because he married an Italian. They have a two year old daughter. Machi has been meeting with lawyers, because he wants to get a
separation from his wife, and take his daughter back to Tanzania. His wife drinks and uses marijuana, and he doesn't want that life for his
daughter. He wants religion in his life, mainly because he wants the best for his daughter. He's investigated pretty much every church
there is, but hasn't felt like any of them were true. Hmmm...

We talked with him about God's love for us, and the importance of families. We taught about Christ's ministry, and the apostasy
following His death. Basic 1st lesson stuff, pretty much. And then we talked about the Restoration of the gospel through Joseph Smith. This
was my first time teaching the story of the restoration to someone who'd never heard it before. And it was a seriously beautiful experience.

We told Machi of how back in 18 a young boy named Joseph smith wondered, like him, which church was true. How this boy had, like
Machi, looked into many other religions, but none seemed right. Then reading James 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that
giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him”. And then, acting on what he read, went into a secluded place and
asked God which church was true. And Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared before Joseph Smith, telling him that none of the churches on
the earth at that time were true.

And thus began the restoration of the true church on the earth.

It was absolutely amazing to share this glorious, true story with someone who had never heard it before! The spirit was soooo there and
Machi really seemed to feel it! He just was eating up everything we told him. The Lord has definitely prepared him to receive this truth.
It was so neat for him to see the similarities between him and Joseph Smith (both searching for God's true church, both investigating
various religions, etc). And wow, this guy is the most humble guy ever! Many people upon hearing the story of Joseph smith scoff at how
improbable it sounds. Not Machi. He was essentially like "wow that’s awesome. And it makes sense. God is all-powerful, and he loves us. So
it makes sense that He would do that." And we're like "yes yes it does." And we start telling him about the Book of Mormon and he's like
"Yes that makes sense that Christ would visit ALL of God's children after His resurrection, not just the Jews." And we're like "yes yes it
does." And before we can say another word, Machi says "I need you to bring me this book to our next meeting" and we're like "why yes, yes we can”.

1st Lesson ✔️
Book of Mormon invite ✔️
Return appointment ✔️

He's seriously so solid. Talking to him was absolutely great. We have an appointment with him this weekend, and we're gonna try and set a
baptism date with him! It's so exciting! The rest of this week has been spent with meetings and contacting referrals, and it's just so
great to be a part of this great work!

Today for pday, we went to the Torino Mole, which was quite the adventure. I essentially got to chill above Italy for the small price
of 7€😁 We went with the Torino Sorelle so it was even more of a party cuz they're my favs. It was fascinating chillin in the completely
glass elevator as we headed to the top, and even cooler stepping out and seeing such a beautiful view of this place I love so much!

I'm awkward and don't really know how to end this random, jumbled email lol. But I'm grateful to have spent another blessed week in
beautiful Italia. Much love to all you dearest humans of mine❤️

xoxo
Sorella Smedley