Welcome back to the latest edition of "Smeds in Summer". It's still hot. It's still humid. And I'm still somehow the happiest human☀️
Last Pday was a rough one, saying goodbye to Sorella Arndt. Got ourselves some lamprodotto (cow stomach) sandwich. Did some shopping. Saw some pals. It was a good time. Still weird saying goodbye to her, though. We've spent our whole missions together, and spent the last 3 months literally connected at the hip. Now she's chillin at the beach without me. Lame stuff, but I'm over it.
Thursday morning, I got my new comp Sorella Wilson. She's pretty great! She's the kind of person who is super hard working whilst also being trunky for tacos 🌮 It's a fun time. We realized the other day that our companionship is basically like that scene in The Princess Bride where the old couple is like
"Have fun storming the castle!"
"Think it'll work?"
"It'll take a miracle."
Basically, I'm the "Have fun storming the castle!" one. She's the "It'll take a miracle." one. Not the clearest description, I know, but it's the best I can come up with haha.
Anyways, this week has been fun and crazy. Dealing with transfer stuff plus consiglio made for a week full of non-traditional things. Whelp, here we go.
We had CONSIGLIO up in Milano, which was a blast as always. Got to chill with Sorella Anderson, Sorella Fife, and Sorella Perkins from the MTC. Also I GOT TO SEE MAH BABY!!! Hahaha my amazing greenie Sorella Richards is a new STL in Verona, and you could say I'm a pretty proud trainer/mama. She's become even more amazing, and nothing beat sitting with her for the whole meeting🎉 Pres had some awesome ideas and plans for the mission, so it was just great, then we got a nice four hour train ride home through the sunflowers. Not too bad.
Also, I just love our members lol. They make me so so so happy. I'm couldn't be more stoked to have at least another six weeks with these gems. We got to visit a few of them this week, including our beloved Sorella Larrain and her fam. Oh, they are the best. Also, crazy Cinzia brought us a bin of carrots? Also, my precious eight-year-old bffs wanted to do a photo shoot after church on Sunday, and you already know I was all about that😎💁🏼Even in spite of the awful heat, Firenze is still kind of the best place to be.
We also got to meet with boh Carolinas this week. The whole "same-name" deal is really throwing me for a loop lol. Come on Italy/South America, get some creativity. Whatevs.
Lol, we spent today showing Sorella Wilson around Firenze (the leather market, Duomo, etc)⚜️ Lol, the leather market is the best pick-me-up😂 I mean, the leather smell is already fab, buuuut also because all the people selling stuff will do anything to get your attention. Including irrational compliments. I love it. Today's highlights included:
"Congratulations on your blue eyes. You can have things for free!"
"Miss America! Hiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"
And then this gem:
"Hello! Are you Shakira?"
Go team. I'll pretend it wasn't just because they wanted my money.
Also, we saw a field-trip group of nuns today. Sometimes I feel like I'm one of them⛪️
Super cool thing this week. Well, it started super sad... but then it was super cool. So we were teaching English class and all of a sudden this South American couple showed up. I stepped outside to see what the deal was.
Them: Hey can we see your president?
Me Internally: Uhhhh wait, Trump? The prophet? Should I just pretend it's me?
Me externally: Um, like our church leaders? What is it exactly that you need?
Whelp, they were very much not in need of any of those people. Turns out they were actually super inactive members that showed up in Italy like 7 years ago. Their daughter and granddaughter just got to Italy a bit ago. That morning, however, the daughter passed away.
Didn't see that one coming, did ya?
So I sat in the hallway for a solid 15 minutes hearing about their daughter and hugging the lady while she cried. We got her on the phone with bishop and squared some stuff away. They want us to come over and start doing lessons with them and the granddaughter after the funeral is taken care of.
Idk, it was just super neat to me that after something as difficult as losing a child, the impulse reaction, despite not having entered a church in 7 years, was to come back. When we get blindsided by challenges or heartaches, where do we go for strength? I'm not a hymn person, but I'm gonna make the cheesy/cliche move and reference a hymn, because it just fits the situation oh so well.
Where can I turn for peace?
Where is my solace
When other sources cease to make me whole?
When with a wounded heart, anger, or malice,
I draw myself apart,
Searching my soul?
Where, when my aching grows,
Where, when I languish,
Where, in my need to know, where can I run?
Where is the quiet hand to calm my anguish?
Who, who can understand?
He, only One.
Sorry for being that person lol🤷🏼♀️😂 but it's true, isn't it? When problems happen, we naturally want to go to those we love most, or to those who understand and have experienced our pain. We are just the luckiest ducks out there to have Jesus Christ, who fits the bill on all accounts.
And idk, that just makes my heart really happy,
xo
Sorella Shakira💃🏼
1-Sorella Larrain 2-Carrots from Cinzia?? 3-5 Photo shoot with my BFF’s 6-Today I love it! 7-8 My baby, Sorella Richards
9-MTC group-Fife, Anderson & Perkins 10-11 Zone Conference 12-13 Train ride through the sunflowers 14-15 My District :) 16- Nuns on parade
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