Leaving Forli...Heading to Reggio Emilia!

Well my wonderful family -

I am leaving my wonderful city of Forli, and my heart is half broken and half really excited.

I am heading out tomorrow morning to go to Reggio Emilia to serve with Sister Russel. She just finished her second transfer, and although I will be the senior comp, now is her time to shine...that is my specialty! I am really excited to serve with her.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Francesca & Mom, Martha @Farewell

This week has been one of lots of emotions. Mom, I have actually been missing you a lot this week too -starting on Sunday. Sister Bennett had some sort of a audio playing of a mother and a daughter writing to each other. It begins when the daughter is born, saying she was so excited to live this new life in her new body and that she was so excited to learn. The mother says "Dear daughter. You're finally here! I have been waiting for you. I promise to always love you, always take care of you, and always remind you of who you really are...a daughter of God." The tape goes on as she grows up and into her teen years, mother daughter lunches, dates, talks, and then into college and off to marriage. It was practically a word for word of my mommy daughter relationship. I will need to find it and show it to you. I got a little emotional listening to it though. I loved all of our talks, moments, lunches together. Even though I am grown doesn't mean I don't need my mommy.  I love you. I was told to tell you from one of my reactivated members to thank you, and you raised me well. Ben fatto :)

Elder Heaton in Mozambique

Gary Heaton & Dad, Cliff

Dad...you and Gary just make me laugh. You are two peas in a pod - obedient in life and in hunting.  (They were bow hunting in the Uintahs and had the perfect elk in their sites, but it was a few yards on the Wyoming border, and their permit was for UT.)
I think the obedience thing Gary taught to his son; (Francesca's non-boyfriend, serving a mission in Africa) Kaden is amazingly obedient. It impresses me to this day, and I have known him for almost 5 years. Crazy. They're such an amazing family.

Rex (cousin), I cannot wait to get home and go out with you guys. Rex, all I hear is how amazing you are. I totally believe it, :) but I can't wait to see this amazing grown up man for myself! It'll be so fun all going out together when I get home. Less than a year freaks me out though...


Lu, you are incredible and I am so impressed by you and all the great

Lucia, sister

things you are doing!  I especially loved your story about calling the missionary referral line to give them the name of the girl you met at the airport coming home from EFY.  You were so inspired to know that now was the time she needed the gospel and was ready for the missionaries.  Way too go you awesome missionary!

Can I tell you how excited I am now that August is over? I had a little party dancing around to my Motab! Hahaha - yup it is over and NEVER EVER AGAIN will I be a young sister missionary in August in Italy. I am thrilled! We survived! Don't ask me how, but we did.

Well...where do I begin for this week. How about Saturday - a lovely miracle. Sister Tarroni, a wonderful member in our branch, gave us a referral. Her friend named Anna has lots of health problems, lives alone and needed help. Sister Tarroni saw it as a perfect service activity and missionary opportunity.  So she made the arrangements, we put it together in ward council, and we went.

Can I just tell you how wonderful it was to wear jeans?! AH!
Our members didn't recognize us at first. It was a blast though.


 
       We went up and moved a huge pile of chopped wood for her into a covered area. It took about 2 1/2 hours, but we sang, laughed, shared stories and had so much fun.

Max (the handicapped member with a crush) kept following me around saying how beautiful I was, trying to stroke my cheek, and saying my eyes were so stunning, and I smelled like strawberries. Haha let's just say my companions never left my sides. I understand now, that was why we were called as a trio!

The "Trio" - Sister Brown, Sister Montagnoli, & Sister Bennett

Anyway, after we finished we told Sister Tarroni we would like to have our thought with her. She agreed and we all went in together, with our wonderful young woman, Gloria. Sister Tarroni is our YW president and she set it up perfectly for us to come in and teach. It was like she was scripted, said all the right things, at all the right times and was overall perfect. We went in and shared Alma 37: 36-27 about prayer. We bore testimony, which brought in the spirit so strongly. Sister Tarroni shared hers as well, then Anna came in with a personal story.

Francesca & Sister Tarroni

She said just a few nights ago she was feeling sad and lonely. Her husband of 37 years passed away, her parents were gone, and she didn't have any children. She has lots of health problems and was feeling the need for help, so she prayed. When she did, she instantly felt her loved ones near. She felt loved and important. She felt her Heavenly Father's love for her. It was beautiful. She began to cry. As she did, Sister Tarroni wrapped her arms around her. I told her she would never be alone; she had a new family, us. We wouldn't leave her alone, but would always come. Then right on cue, Sister Tarroni comes in saying "I have a present for you." She pulls out a Book of Mormon and bore beautiful testimony of it. She then followed by saying she wanted to read it with her. We explained what it was and our yw Gloria shared her favorite scirpture. 1 nephi 3:7. Anna loved it. The whole situation was surreal. It was the perfect set up for members and missionaries working together to bring our sister home. I was blown away. We closed, got a second appointment, and had a wonderful meal. She is a new investigator :)

The power of our members is so mind blowing to me. I love being a part of this hastening of the work of the Lord - being a missionary. I love watching converts teach. They are truly amazing. I don't have adequate words to describe my love for these people.


Well, I am out of time - but I just have to say one last thing. The relationships you make on missions are life-lasting. Evidence of the Valentinis, Confortes, Gallone's....for my parents, who both served missions in Italy.  For me, it's the Rossis, Jefferies, Raveaus, Sorella Tarroni, Veronica, Sister Benvenuti, and of course my amazing companions.

It is pulling at my heart to leave here. I love it so much. I can't wait to meet my new family in Reggio. Sister Bennett and Brown are staying here, and Sister Jameson (an amazing sister i love and adore from the MTC) is coming in. I am leaving my city in safe hands :) Haha sister Raveau is joking that they are going to put a statue of me in the church - the first sister missionary in Forli! I can't help but laugh.

I love you all. Thank you for the quotes mom - so applicable. I hope I can live up to them. Thank you for the support :)

Love Sister Montagnoli

You can write her at:  alicia.montagnoli@myldsmail.net

Mission blog site:  http://sorellamontagnoli.blogspot.com