Sorella Rachel Riley: 18 months in northern Italy: Week 5

Ciao fam and friends!

I leave for Italy on Tuesday! So excited! Emails, letters, and packages made the MTC so much better and sometimes even enjoyable.

Okay the new buildings are AMAZING. The classrooms are spacious, there are beautiful murals, comfy chairs, and quotes everywhere. I have enjoyed some QUALITY study and thinking time. My favorite part is the atmosphere. They were dedicated a few days ago and being inside almost feels like I'm inside a temple. It is so peaceful inside. I never thought I'd say it but I'll actually be kind of sad when I'm finally out of here.

Thought that I wrote down the other day: I'm so grateful to be a Riley. Being always called Sister Riley and introducing myself as Sister Riley, etc. has made me realize that I have such amazing role models in both siblings and parents, and not a lot of fear. I am 0% scared to be thrown into a foreign country where I barely speak the language or understand the culture, probably because I have done that before! (Thanks parents). Okay maybe I'm a little too confident, I'm sure my next email will be a bit more humble.

My current favorite chapter in the Book of Mormon is 2 Nephi 9. I challenge everyone reading this email to read it, whether you have already read it 500 times or even if you don't own a Book of Mormon** (it's online, in the Gospel Library app, and I'm sure the missionaries would be glad to give you a hard copy). This chapter explains some of the work I'm doing as a missionary and what I am teaching. It explains the wonderful Plan of Salvation and the Atonement of Christ.

Fast Sunday was actually really good, I now understand why and how fasting brings us closer to the Spirit.

I love y'all, thanks for all the support and encouragement!

Sorella Rachel Riley

Celebrating Anziano Stout's bday with cookie bars imported from Ohio. My district is great.

I found a twin so we got a pic.

Some of the new grounds, the pool-thing is lit up at night and so pretty. My comp, Sorella Knight.

The view from our new classroom window. They switch up the flags everyday, and we love when the Italian one is up. Such a nice view of the Provo temple, mountains, cool grass patterns, and random missionaries trying to study.

Teresa Mae Weigeshoff came in on Wed. I love seeing friends from home! So here is an attempt to take a decent pic (we were in primary together when we lived in Stuttgart, Germany, and now she is headed to the Frankfurt Germany Mission!). I love her spunky attitude.