I'm leaving on a jet plane

Ciao Famiglia!
   Come State??  I have so many things to tell you.  LIke always.  And there just isnt tons of time...  First things first!  Giorgia was baptized this week!!!  It was such a great day!  Oh man.  I have been waiting with her for these 6 months for her dad to finally give her permission.  It was awesome.  It was such a feeling of pure joy to watch her be baptized.  I am so grateful that i had the opportunity to stay here in catania for it.  I am so proud of her.  Besides her mom, she really has no support.  Her grandma, especially, is really catholic and was not very happy.  But Giorgia knew what she was doing and why she was doing it and she got baptized!  The weird thing was that her dad wasnt worthy to baptize her so someone else in the ward performed the baptism (that wasnt the weird part).  The weird part was that he was in the circle when she got confirmed!!  i guess its up to the bishop to say yes or no and the bishop was in the circle and didnt say anything.  From what we last knew, he was smoking and stuff and hasnt been to church for a long time!  It was just a little stress moment.  Till we realized that really we cant do anything.  Anyway, then the next day he and giorgia's little brother were in church!  I havent told you anything about her brother but he is 9 and really doesnt like to do anything that relates to the church.  Wont listen to lessons, pray, or go to church.  But the last couple times we have asked him to help us teach giorgia and he said yes!  And he will even read scriptures.  Im hoping that soon the sisters can work with him and he can be baptized too.  It was so amazing to see the whole family in church together.  I hope that Giorgia and her example can help her dad get back to church!  Such a nice guy just a little lost.
      Lidia.  SO GREAT.  She had her interview and will be baptized on saturday.  6 pm my time.  So sunday was fast and testimony week here.  She asked us if she could go up.  We said yes but were a little nervous what she would say. she got up and bore a perfect testimony.  The ward was so impressed!  Which is great because its giving them a really good reason to accept her.  You all know how they kind of struggle of that.  But everyone knows who she is know because she got up.  And the ward is really helping will her baptism.  So we are so relieved.  It was a really scary thing talking to them about her getting baptized.  We were just really scared they were going to say no.  But everything is going great and she is really excited.  its going to all come together before i go!
      We also had zone conference this past week.  Im really lucky because i will get to rome right before the zone conference there.  So i get 2 this transfer:)  By the way, our mission goal for baptisms every month is 20 and we got 19 last month!  We are so close!  And president said that for october it looks like we might make the goal.  Which is awesome because its growing! I love hearing about the baptisms happening here!  I love these people and i want to find them all in the temple!  Anyway, i really loved something that my president talked about.  he talked about 1 Ne. 7:17-18.  How when Nephi prayed to be unbound, but asked for strength to free himself.  He didnt say, "Heavenly Father, i dont want this trial in my life.  Make it go away."  Instead, he simply asked for strength.  I thought about how many times i have simply said, I dont want this.  Please take this trial from me.  Which is fine to ask for but more important is to make sure we are asking for strength to do the Lords will.  I loved it!  I cant explain it like President Kelly can but maybe after the second zone conference I can say it all a little better.  maybe thats why i will have 2 this transfer.  So i can learn more.  Man, so many things that im learning and so many that i have to learn still.  Thank goodness our heavenly father is so patient with us!
      The "miracle monday" is recorded on the USB that sorella askew has so im not going to write about it.  But i know that the lords hand is in this work.  i have seen way too many miracle to deny that.  it was such an amazing day!  Especially our last appointment.
      Well thats all for today.  My last time writing from Catania.  Its going to be great coming back here with my family!  I love this city!  wish me luck on my flight to rome by my self.  And that my bags arent over weight... haha.  Im nervous for that.  Talk to you next week!  I love you all.  thanks for everything you do for me!
Love,
Sorella Chelsea

Conference!

Hello Family!
     How are you all doing??  Thanks for your emails.  Its always such a treat to open my emails and read how you all are doing!  Sounds like you watched conference and all is well.  I LOVED conference.  We were laughing on sunday morning about how excited we were to get to spend the whole day watching conference.  I have always loved conference but its just different being a missionary.  I loved talking to people about the special weekend we were going to be having because there is a prophet on the earth today and he was going to speak to us.  (I said this to one lady and she is now an investigator!  She said that she really wanted to hear what this prophet had to say to us in these days.  Pretty sweet!).  Anyway, i loved it all.  I want to hear what they talked about in the last session because we cant hear it here.  Lots of good things i learned though.  It was interesting to listen to it and be thinking about our investigators that needed to hear that specific talk.  I really loved the talk from elder hales because he talked about waiting on the Lord.  So many people we are teaching, and i guess everyone in the world, has so many trials but i loved how he explained why we have them!  I wont reccount all the talks because you all heard them but it was just great!
    Next, we have a baptism this week!  Giorgia is getting baptized and im SO excited i cant stand it.  Everything is all done.  The primary and her mom took care of everything.  I practiced "Keep the commandments" to play for her but then they decided it would be great if someone else in the primary (cutest little boy ever) played for her.  So i practiced for nothing.  But it was fun.  I have found a love for playing the piano but now i never have time to practice.  ATTENTION SIBLINGS:  you cant say i didnt tell you this.  Keep practicing your instruments.  It is so important.  I wish so badly i could just play the piano.  And the members would be so grateful too...  YOu will appreciate it so much in the future.  I was the dumb teenager that quit and i regret that a lot.  Anyway, she is really excited for her baptism and is as ready as an 11-year-old can be.  I love her so much!  I will be sure and send you pictures.  she also wants to try pancakes so next week we are going to make them with her as a little celebration.  Its going to be great!  Think about us on saturday at 5 my time!
     Lidia.  Ya know how we were worried about her still smoking? We had been really blunt with her the time before and asked her if she was still smoking because her breath smelled like smoke.  Well, the next time we went she didnt smell like smoke!!!  We asked her how it was going and she said that she hadnt been smoking and that we couldnt tell her she smelled like smoke because she really hadnt! We taught her tithing the other day and all was well.  Also, she went to church sunday morning and had an interview with our bishop.  We told him that we just kinda wanted his imput on whether she is ready or not.  We have tried calling him a bunch to see how it went and we havent gotten a response yet.  But for now we are saying "no news is good news."  Hopefully that is right and she can be baptized the following week!
    We have found a new "finding" technique that i love.  We just ask people if we can sing a hymn for them really quick at the door.  Usually we sing I am a Child of God.  We have been surprised at how many people say yes.  I have NEVER gotten anyones number from doing house and we have gotten like 10 already!  Its awesome.  Tons of people still say no but at least there are some that are saying yes!  We even got let into a ladies house (super catholic!) and taught her a little lesson!  Then she loved it so much she took us down to have a little lesson with her niece and her niece's family.  She is pretty catholic too but at least we got a return appointment with her.  Its been fun!  Its so funny to watch people's faces when you ask if we can sing for them really quick.
     Last thing before i have to go.  Well, remember how i drank alcohol the other week?  This week it was coffee... haha.  So we were singing to people and this guy invited us in.  we couldnt go in because there wasnt a woman home but he said he would bring us almond milk at the door (which is soooo good. i have had it but my companions hadnt.  its a big sicily thing).  Sister lecates got it first and drank the whole thing really fast because she liked it.  THen sister askew.  she only drank about half.  I had one sip of mine and immediately knew this wasnt normal almond milk.  Then the guy says, "Ya i mix it with coffee because i like it better that way..."  Haha i think sorella askew was crying because she was laughing so hard.  Anyway, then it was really awkward so we left...  Good times.
      Well that is all for me this week, i think.  We have zone conference tomorrow and interviews with president!  Im really excited for that.  Hopefully we will be able to make a more sure plan of when im going to Ladispoli.  Because at this point i really have no idea.  I think its just kinda when i want to go.  Ill let you know how it goes next week.  Thanks for your prayers and support.  Its felt and needed.  I love you all!  Have a great week!  Know im always praying for you!  I have been out 8 months.  That is nuts!  Time is flying.  and i hear it just gets faster and faster...  Ill see you all before you know it!  Vi Voglio Bene!
Love,
Sorella Chelsea