SURPRISE!!!

CIAO EVERYONE!!!

Guess what??? I have a big surprise for you all!

I'VE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO MILANO! And NO! I am NOT kidding! President
called us on Sunday night and told us he wasn't done with transfers
and that he was transferring me to Milano 2nd Ward. Yeah! I know!!! I
can't believe it either! Sorella Jones is still in Savona and is now
with Sor Baker (who came from Genova), and Sor Maciel (who was in Mil
2) is now with Sor McFadden in Genova. Which means that I am here in
Mil 2 with Sorella Silva! She is NOT an American, but from Peru! Well,
Peru via Rome, because she's lived in Rome for the past ten years.
She's also about that much older than me (10 yrs). And no, she does
not speak English. SO. I feel like my Italian speaking skills are
going to definitely get a workout this transfer because I won't be
speaking hardly any English most of the time. YIKIES!!!!

But really, I'm serious about being in Milano. It's a BIG city. So
big. There are three wards here! We got the call on Sunday night and
then Tuesday morning we were off to the train station. It's been
crazy! Here I was, resolved to stay in Savona and getting all excited
about the upcoming transfer and then boom, nope, sorry, you're off to
Milano. Crazy, right?? I still don't know what to think. And since I
got transferred not with everyone else (we call it a space transfer),
I'm pretty sure no one really knows about it. I mean, some people in
the mission know, but Sor Walton and Bunker have no idea! I've been
thinking a lot about Sor W, too, because she served in Milano 1 and
lived in the same apartment we're in now. There's even a poster thing
up on the wall that says "flooding the earth" (with the BoM) and I can
tell that it's her handwriting. So weird.

I didn't really get a chance to tell the branch in Savona about me
getting transferred, and I'm sure they'll probably freak out on Sunday
when the see Sor Jones with Sor Baker and not with me. Especially
since last Sunday in church the RS president announced in RS that my
birthday is coming up! So much for it being a secret! They were all
excited about it - they were even planning a birthday party for me and
our ward mission leader, who's birthday is also the 15th. So much for
that plan! But at least that means I've got a fresh start in this ward
and I'll be able to pass my birthday in anonymity just how I like it!

I could hardly sleep on Sunday night after President called because it
was so unexpected. In fact, I kept waking up in the night just to
think "you're going to Milano" and then I'd fall back asleep. And then
a horrible, terrible thought came to me "You're going to be in Milano
in the SUMMER. It's going to be SOOOO HOT!!!!!" Here in Milano it's
already 5-10 degrees hotter than it is in Savona. I was SO looking
forward to being by the sea in the summer in Savona so that there'd
always be a breeze and a large mass of water to balance out the
temperature. No such luck. However, I think that will be the only bad
thing about serving in Milano. I'M SO EXCITED!!!

Milano is not a biking city, which means there is going to be a lot of
walking going on! Already last night I was tired and kinda hurty from
walking, even though I didn't get here until about 1pm. However, I
think that can also be due to the fact that I had to lug all of my
bags all over the train stations in Savona, Genova and finally Milano,
and boy were they HEAVY. Sheesh.

Anyway, that's the exciting news I have for you this week! I'm excited
to be in Milano and excited to get to work in a new city with a new
companion. Be waiting to hear about all the miracles we're going to
see in this city!

Love love and more love,
Sorella Soh