I LOVE YOU ITALIA 💚🤍❤️

Well, I dont know how we got here. I feel like three weeks ago I was sitting in the mtc without a clue as to what I was doing. I still don't really know what im doing. 

This is my last email as Sorella Coon. That's really sad to say. It truly breaks my heart at the thought of leaving this people. I'm excited for what the future holds, but leaving behind some of my dearest friends will be hard. 

My mission has flown by. I'm beyond grateful for these 18 months that I've had to serve the people of Italy. My life is changed. My testimony has been strengthened. My love for God's children has grown immensely. The Atonement has become more and more real and empowering in my life every single day. 

I want to share with you all some of the biggest blessings and things that I've learned serving as a missionary for the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints in Italy. And if you want to hear more about my experiences you can come to my homecoming talk!

Here we go:

♡ The italian language IS the most beautiful language in the world

♡every italian stereotype is true. They eat pasta every day and there are red vespas everywhere and everyone is named Mario and Luigi

♡ I'm so grateful for carpet 

♡ Gelato is addicting

♡ You will never leave an italians home without eating something or them giving you something

♡ the spirit speaks to italians through dreams

♡ God hears and answer my prayers in his perfect timing

♡ our relationship with God is the most important thing in the world

♡ the scriptures are DELICIOUS

♡ americans need to be more touchy (i love italian old ladies kisses)

♡ this is the LORDS church. It is the same everywhere you go. Different faces, same spirit

♡ we come to know God through covenants

♡ this is a gospel of CHANGE. There's no growth in the comfort zone. 

♡ driving laws are just suggestions

♡ the sacrament is WHY we come to church. It is THE the most important part of our week. Each and every one of us need it.

♡ FAITH FAITH FAITH. It all starts with FAITH

♡ italians take a break from life from 1-3 every single day

♡ the humility to pray

♡ the importance of being worthy of the constant companionship of the spirit

♡ no one can start a party before 19 (7pm). And if you do, no one will show up until 19. 

♡ breakfast is coffee and a croissant, and if you eat anything else YOURE PSYCHO

♡ DO NOT BREAK THE SPAGHETTI

♡ i absolutely love train rides

♡ God made balconies

♡ Jesus christ is JOY. His atonement is real and empowering. And we cannot have a superficial knowledge of it.

♡ increase love for my parents and the things they taught me

♡ The blessings of hard work

♡ there's something to love about everybody.

♡ my companions have changed my life. 

♡ air conditioning and wet hair can kill you

♡ buses are never on time

♡ the lord helps us learn to be humble. We are all prideful people. 

♡ through and because of our Savior Jesus Christ, we can return to our Heavenly Father and live with our families for time and all eternity

I love you all! See you soon! 

Heres the information for my homecoming talk!!  

Sunday Jan 19 

@9am 

1483 N Driftwood 

Gilbert, Az

Con tanto amore 

Sorella Coon ♡♡ 

BABBO, BINGO, & BOOK OF MORMON

Hi everyone! Merry Christmas. I hope you all enjoyed your time with family and eating some GOOD food. ️

We went to a members home today and played italian bingo for about 4 hours. Honestly, wasnt' too bad. And I even won a couple of times. 

These last couple of weeks have been absolutely CRAZY. 

We had the opportunity to go to Napoli for a combined christmas conference with the missionaries around us. I got to stay the night in my first area in the mission. It was SO FUN to see some of my old friends from Caserta. I could actually speak to them where as before I couldn't understand a word they said. And I got to see the royal palace of Caserta. SO BEAUTIFUL. 

It was kind of a surreal moment to be there. As I'm at the very end of my mission being able to go back to where I started. It made me realize how much I've grown, how grateful I am for my mission, and that I actually learned another language. CRAZY STUFF YOU GUYS. #ilovecaserta #ilovemymission 

Our conference was beautiful. It was centered on Jesus Christ. We passed through his life and the power and beauty of everything he did. We gathered around to share from the book of mormon and talked about what we learn about Jesus christ form the book. We talked about how his arm is always out stretched, waiting for us to come back.   

I wanted to share this beautiful quote from Elder Uchtdorf. If you have time you should go read the whole thing! 

He Will Place You on His Shoulders and Carry You Home

"To me, the parable of the lost sheep is one of the most hopeful passages in all of scripture. Our Savior, the Good Shepherd, knows and loves us. He knows and loves you. He knows when you are lost, and He knows where you are. He knows your grief. Your silent pleadings. Your fears. Your tears. It matters not how you became lost—whether because of your own poor choices or because of circumstances beyond your control. What matters is that you are His child. And He loves you. He loves His children. Because He loves you, He will find you. He will place you upon His shoulders, rejoicing. And when He brings you home, He will say to one and all, “Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.”

I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I am blessed to wear his name on my chest every single day. And to speak and to preach of him every single day. He has changed my life. I have found true joy in my Savior Jesus Christ. I'm still learning everyday. But through daily repentance, I come closer and closer to knowing my Savior and the perfect plan my Heavenly father has for me and for all of his children. I know this Gospel is true with my whole heart. 

I love you all. Merry Christmas. Do something to come closer to Jesus christ today, okay? 

♡Sorella Coon

The flip of a coin... 🪙

Hi friends! Happy christmas season. I absolutely LOVE christmas in italy and i cannot wait for another one here. Its so magical and special. Its beautiful as a missionary to focus on the true message of the christmas season and talk to EVERYONE about Jesus. gosh. I love that guy. 

Today, i want to talk about the prayer. Ive been obsessed with studying about prayer recently and how it works and how we can be constantly conversing with the spirit. I think ive talked about this for like the last week with everyone i talk to but i don't care im gonna share it with you guys. I love the stories in the scriptures about prayer. We read that they prayed all the day long. But this doesn't have to mean that we are on our knees in our room begging God. Its that sincere prayer we have in our heart as we driving to work that our day will go well. Its the prayer we have before we take a test at school. Its the prayer when we thank God for the tender mercy of a mothers hug when she knew you needed one... And here we go into missionary mode. As a missionary ive seen how important this constant prayer is. Its not just my prayer to start the day off and im up and at em. Its the prayer i have when im walking alone on the street and i ask the spirit to guide me to these people. And its not just waiting for the spirit to talk to me. Its a conversation with the spirit. And its so beautiful when we just take a second and listen. Just listen to his still, small, subtle promptings. And sometimes we seem CRAZY. But its always good. Its always a good thought even if it's something weeve never done before. 

Ill stop there but i love the spirit. And i love prayer. And please just pray guys. Please just create that relationship between you and your heavenly father. No matter your circumstances, no matter your hardships, life becomes full of joy and you just cant stop smiling for some reason. K i really have to stop now or ill talk for days. 

GOD IS SO GOOD!! These last couple of weeks have honestly just been a little bit discouraging with the work. We leave the house each day with faith to find and the spirit to guide us to these poeple that the lord has prepared for us. But at the end of the day, after talking to every man, woman, child, dog, cat, and insect. Nothing. No fruits from our labors. But I always alway always thank god for those rough times because He always reminds me in the end that there has to be opposition in all things. So here i am to tell you from this opposition there are the miracles of God!! 

I want to tell you about Sabina. I am so grateful for Sabina. There we were in the Hood of the city. A little scary. Just having no success. So my companion turns to me and says "lets flip a coin." There was no coin to be found, BUT there was a book of mormon hand out cart. So after we prayed, we flipped it, and the side that said walk down the street faced up. So, we started to walk. And my good old friend the spirit whispered to me. "TALK TO THIS WOMAN." so, i talked. And the spirit. Told me what to say. And by the end of this conversation, she had tears in her eyes and a book of mormon in her hands. And she left me with a baccio. (Cute little italian cheek kisses) 

MY JOY WAS FULL. GOD IS A GOD OF MIRACLES. I LOVE THIS GOSPEL. 

There are miracles out here everyday. The lord is hastening his work. And i LOVE the fact that i get to be apart of it. 

Ok well. Im sorry this was long, but i  havent written in a transfer soooo i guess this will have to make up for it. I love you and go say a prayer after you've read this for me. 

~ Sorella coon ♡

What a piece of trash

BENTORNATI TUBI!!! 

Here are some bullet point updates on the adventures of Sorella Coon 

☆ Last Pday we went to Polignano al mare. It's where they do redbull cliff jumping and it's BEAUTIFUL. I'll drop some pictures below. 

☆ We met the sweetest couple at the bus stop the other day and they invited us over for tea and biscuits. The cute old lady sang to us and then we sang I need the every hour with her. The grandpa took his bracelet right off his wrist and gave it to me and told me to keep it. Tender. We are now their adopted grandchildren. It was beautiful and in the end, they invited themselves to church. I didn't even have to lift a finger! 

☆ Yesterday Sorella Sanders and I were going CRAZY outside. We were handing out book of mormons left and right. We met two people in specific that were miracles. 

Valentino. We were knocking on a door and he came out to ask who we were looking for just as we were about to leave. We started talking and he told us he's seen the missionaries here for years and always wondered what we were about. He had a lot of questions about Jesus and God. We became good friends with valentino and game him a book of mormon to help him with his questions. He's reading it!! 

Angela. Just as we were about to get off the bus, the spirit said "don't get up." We stayed seated and the cutest little grandma got on the bus and started to talk to us. She told us she had met the elders years ago,

recieved a copy of the book of mormon but lost it. We happily handed her a brand new copy, got her number and are going to meet to read together! 

☆We did a service project at the church this week. People have decided the street in front of our church is the perfect place to; dump their kitchen sink, let their dogs out to do their business, and do other mischievous things at night in their cars . I smelled smells i never wanted to smell and saw things just not so pleasant. We filled six trash bags and completed about 1/10 of the job. But it made us so happy to see our church just a little cleaner. We'll finish her up next week. 

CHRISTMAS SEASON IS COMING LADIES AND GENTLEMAN. something I'm doing leading up to Christmas is finding the JOY in JESUS. I'm doing this by studying more about my savior. If we are able to make Jesus christ apart of everything in our lives we will always find Joy in our circumstances. I invite all of you to do the same leading up to christmas. Find JOY in JESUS!!

GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN

Zoooweeeemaammmaa! What a week! I seriously dont even know where to start! 

Monday we had transfer calls! After a 12 hour bus ride  I'm now in Taranto in the heel of Italy. Im in a trio and whoever decided trios were okay did not think about the fact that when you put three crazy girls together theyre going to have way too much fun. Its a constant party at casa nostra. 

It was sad to say goodbye to the people of Pescara. I served there for 6 months and they became family to me. I will be returning to my cute little fishing town someday. Don't you even fret.

AN APOSTLE OF THE LORD CAME TO VISIT US!! What an unforgettable experience. The whole mission had the opportunity to meet at the Rome temple with Elder Stevenson of the quorum of the 12 apostles. At the end of his instruction to us, he bore a powerful testimony. I didnt take any notes for the last 5 min of what he said because i was just captivated by the spirit. It was interesting to watch him go off script from everything he prepared then stop, listen, and act upon the impressions he received from the holy spirit. Truly a day never to be forgotten. 

A NIGHT OUT WITH THE GRANDPARENTS

My dear friend Giuseppe called me saturday night and wanted to say goodbye to me before i left. I have taught him english as well as the gospel on and off for the last six months. He's like a grandpa to me. He picked me and my companion up with his sweet sweet wife Maria and It ended up being the most magical night ever. They truly are the purest people and made me feel a little piece of home, like i was walking around town getting dinner with my grandparents. They just wouldnt stop spoiling us all night. Those people have a special place in my heart. 

I think somethings wrong because im just SO HAPPY. I absolutely LOVE being a missionary and find so much joy talking to strangers all day long.