arrivederci.

sister jackson and sister wightman at the going away party the ward threw for paige. please notice the faint pencil drawing of paige. via sister jackson blog.

ciao cari miei!

well can you believe it? my how time does fly. i have been thinking about what to write (for about 30 seconds ... my life is a lot of madness right now in this very moment) and all that comes to mind is
the gratitude list.
i am just overflowing with it, more so this week then maybe ever before.
so here it is, why i am full of gratitude for today, last week, the last 18 months, and for all eternity ...

today
i am grateful.
because ...
--we just ran into 3 girls from byu that are headed home after a semester abroad in paris. they eyed us from across the piazza in front of the pantheon and i called them over "hey! you guys are mormons! come over here!" (you think i am kidding). so they did. and we giggled together and they told us about how one of them hates country music but is going to tennesee for her mission starting next week. so we gave them a pile of pass along cards and challenged them to give them all out before they go home (they also may have thought i was kidding).
--we get to see baldo in a few hours and bear our testimonies to him. and we will get to teach him truths, and we will feel the spirit together, and in a few days i will miss that there experience that i have got to enjoy for months now.
--we wandered around rome today and i decided that i need to see more cities in the fall. it is better that way.

last week
i was grateful.
because ...
--rita finally accepted a baptismal date. for january 4th. she invited me via skype. haha!
--rita finally came to chruch yesterday. in a dress and with an american flag purse. and she cried as the babies did their primary program. and she must have remembered that she too is a child of god and that her family can be together forever.
--roma 5 threw me a surprise going away party after church, complete with diana marchetti and the perego fam (minus ugo who is off in sardegna helping clean up the aftermath) and polenta, and a poster with a chinese version of me drawn on it, and a calendar of rome 5, and all of the members and so much love. just ... whoa. so so nice.
--we got a good giggle from the emergency phone call from the mission office telling us to get home asap because a huge storm was about to hit. we ran home and were CONVINCED that it was going to get all filipino up in here. didn't rain a drop. haha! but we read the article that sorella jackson's mom sent her about the 10 sorelle in the storm and prepared for the worst. hey, we will get obedience blessings.
--we were invited to a special missionary meeting with anziano ridd (2nd counselor in general ym prez) and presidente osguthrope (general sunday school prez). it was the greatest meeting ever. no exaggerating. they responded to every single doubt, fear, worry, question and thought that i have had for a while. it was really cool. they talked about doing everything with real intent. talked about desires, decisions, and determination. talked about teaching skills, agency, and so many other goodies. and we were just in heaven afterwards. they wanted to get a volunteer for a role play. i never do this kind of stuff but i titled this week "go big or go home or both" so i volunteered, not knowing beforehand that he would also ask the world's most timid girl to assist me (aka my companion). she knocked it outta the park though. what a baller.
--i saw sorella kimball. i heart her so.
--the anziani called an emergency meeting so we scurried off to their city to meet with them. they had some big revelation about how to work better with the members and how to really get the best out of the work of salvation. and we are SO pumped. and i got about 57819 ideas about how to be a better missionary/person when i return. i love seeing that kind of excitement!
--sorella jackson. just everything about her. i am really grateful for her, this week and always. she shared some really great scriptures during study this week. like this and this.
--amède. he is great. we invited him to be baptized, but he didn't accept. instead he promised to come to church every week and pray about the date. fine by us!
--the malara family. their baby, elena, is the cutest thing that ever happened. she gave me the greatest goodbye. oh man. i love that girl.

the last 18 months
i have been grateful.
because ...
--heavenly father has used me as a tool in his hands while i tried my best to serve him.
--i have come to know my savior as i have testified of his birth, life, ministry, authority, death, atonement, and vital role as our advocate.
--i have a greater appriciation for and understanding of the holy ghost. i know how he communicates with me and i know how to be worthy of his constant companionship.
--there is no doubt that joseph smith was all he was prophecied to become, that he was a prophet, that he restored the chruch in its fullness, and led boldly and righteously.
--the book of mormon has become a guide. i know that "no wicked man could write this book and no good man would, unless it were true and he was commanded of god to do so."
--thomas s. monson holds all of the keys of the priesthood, just like adam, and moses, and noah. and we need him. if you don't agree, come see rome.
--i have been through the highest highs, the lowest lows and all of the in between, and today i can say with all of my heart that know that i am a child of god. i know that i can return to him as long as i follow the savior. i believe in change, for i have witnessed it. i know god is near us, for i have felt it.
--you. because i have had more support than i could ever ask for. i hope you know i have tried to be worthy for all of the thoughts, worries, prayers, emails, letters, packages, and love by working, loving, smiling, and serving with my heart and with my strength.

all eternity
i will always be grateful.
because ...
--i was born in this dispensation.
--i served in the best mission in the world.
--i have made and strive to keep promises with my hevenly father.
--i am part of a forever family, the greatest one.
--i know where i come from, why i am here, and where i am going.
--i know that my redeemer lives and loves me.

and i love you.
see you soon.
sorella wightman

but sister that is very very fah!

ciao for the final time, from my beloved taranto!i have been transferred to ...
ragusa!
in sicily.

to be with ...
sorella mistura!
an italian!

woo wee what a week. let's get right to the madness that has been my final moments in my birth city and love of my life, taranto!

-valentine has been sad lately, which is real odd. because he is a happy happy guy. but i don't blame him. he has been trying to get to london for so long and we just found out that it will take him more time to get there. long story. but it is still in the works but it will take more time than expected. so ... we called thrusday "make valentine the happiest guy in taranto again, so happy in fact that he wants to sing like he did at his baptism" day. we began by making him a big lunch (which was silly because, like he has told us countless times, all he eats is apples and milk). then we did his fave thing ... we watched "christian films" as he so tenderly calls any movie that we watch that is made by the church. we watched how rare a possession have you seen it? see it! plus it is about ITALY! and even better ... SICILY! he was a fan. he left being happy, so we felt accomplished.

-at the relief society anniversary party we met an american family that is here doing some of their family history work. whoa! i loved them. they are so hard core when it comes to genealogy work. like imagine if mine and courtney's bike gang from last summer began doing family history. that is the kind of hard core that i am talking about. anyway i met them and translated it until i realized that the mom (an american and a convert) spoke italian, because she taught herself when she realized after doing so much fhw (family history work) that she had some italian blood in her, so it was only natural that she teach herself italian! wha! cray. also their teenage daughter fell in love with every single italian man that she saw (which was ironically a lot ... even though we were at a relief society activity).

-we got THE CALL on saturday. i am SO excited/nervous/happy/sad/every other feeling under the sun. more on that in a flash. anyway sorella smedley is staying in taranto to "die"; meaning she will spend her last transfer and finish her mission in taranto. sorella buckley (from provo, i "met" her on fb before the mish and we were in the mtc together and i love her a lot a lot a lot and am jealous of her a lot a lot a lot) is taking my spot. then the madness began.

smed an i in all of our facial mask, distress, after planning spa time.

-we had ward conference and it was a gem. italians really get down to business at these things. and i also bore my testimony in front of all the pugliese big shots (aka the stake presidency) and was all kinds of emotional that day.

-anziano visitin, my mission "dad" (district leader) is also getting transferred. we have both been here for a long time, he came a transfer before me and i have been here for 5 transfers. so we went altogether to visit some of our mutual loves in the ward. we set a record of seeing 4 ITALIAN families in one evening. MAN i will miss these people!! and the anziani because they are real real great and also ragusa doesn't have elders in their ward. sister power!

-saying goodbye to my english course was like parting with my first born child. torture. i let one tear sneak from my eye and then i found myself in the middle of an italian circle of love. haha! they love me. and i love them. and miss them already.

my english class in all of their english glory.

-we also went with one of my favorite people of all time to visit her mom at the cemetery  i still can't get enough of these classy italian cemeteries  they are beauties. we wrote a letter to her mom, this is the tradition, and spent some time talking about how much we love our moms. that's right lisa ... i love you girl. we cried and cried and hugged and realized more and more how much we love our mammas.

-that same day as the mom party at the cemetery was actually festa dei padri (fathers day). question: why is our fathers day not in march like in italy? they celebrate it today because it is saint joseph's day. quick side note  did you know that the italian calendar assigns a saint to every day. there is some reason behind why the saint goes to the specific day, but i don't know what that reason is. okay so san giuseppe (aka the mortal father of jesus christ)'s day is march 19 >>> the italian fathers day. they celebrate by eating a delicious treat called zeppole. so obvs, being the festive queen that i am and always will be, we went for some zeppole after the cemetery.

buona festa dei padri dad!! i love you so much ... and i also love these zeppole!!

-and today i am packed up, physically ready to leave taranto and begin my sicilian adventure with my italian companion. but OH how i will miss my taranto. leaving here is like leaving home again, but worse. packing up, leaving familiarity, and saying goodbye to family. same thing. except this time i may never seen some of these people ever again. ugh. it is brutal. BUT it is SUCH a blessing to be heartbroken! because that means that we have made relationships and memories that will impact us forever. it means that i have done what i came to do and was blessed more than i could have ever dreamed with the memories, lessons, and friendships that i have made for my 8 months in taranto. it will always have a place in my heart. but it better make room because i hear i am in for quite the treat down south ... way way way down south, like valentine informed me this morning: "but sista ... sicily is fah! fah! fah! almost africa!", bring it on.

all of my love for the last time in taranto,
sorella wightman