August 2nd email

Benvenuta a Bergamo!

Ciao tutti!
Wow! So many things have happened in the past week and a half! I left the MTC on the morning of Tuesday, July 25th, and arrived in Milan on Wednesday, July 26th around noon. The travelling was long and tiring, and my bags were left in Dallas until the next day, but everything is settled and going great now. Also I got to listen to classical music on the plane and I found gems like Rhapsody in Blue, American in Paris, and the Firebird Suite Finale to listen to. It was awesome.
Sooo I love it here in Italy so much. When we got to Milan, we were picked up by President Allen, Sorella Allen, and some other missionaries, and taken over to the Duomo. On the way there and back, we took a metro (underground train) and were given a copy of the Book of Mormon. One of the APs told us that we wouldn't be able to eat dinner if we didn't give someone our copy, and I wanted an Italian dinner, so I was determined. I went up to people on the train and told them it was my first day in Italy and asked them if I could practice my Italian with them. They always said yes 😎 So I talked about the gospel to them, because at that point, that was all I knew how to talk about, and all I needed to talk about haha. Sadly, everyone refused (like literally refused and ran off the train 😅) the book and I was still carrying it by the end of the day. But I still got to eat-- salad, pizza, lasagna, and gelato-- for dinner at President Allen's house in Opera with Sorella Allen and everyone else who arrived in Italy that day. Also I have never fallen asleep faster than I fell asleep that night.
The next day we were assigned our trainers and areas. I have been assigned to labor in Bergamo, and my trainer is Sorella Hoffman!! Bergamo is northeast of Milan and is up higher in the mountains. I love it!! The views are gorgeous and the people are so nice. Once we were assigned, we took a train up to Bergamo, put my bags in the apartment, went to a meeting, and then went to English class. Since hardly any people in Bergamo speak English, we teach a free English class twice a week at the church building. It's a really great way to become friends with more people and to share the gospel with them (and for me to know what's going on because English).
Slla. Hoffman and I are over Bergamo 1 & 3 (a ward and a branch) and we live with the other Sorelle who are over Bergamo 2. On Sunday we went to the sacrament meetings for both 1 & 3, and I was asked to bear my testimony in both meetings. I wasn't super nervous because that's one of the only things I can do well in Italian hahaha. After each of the meetings, all the old ladies came up and kissed me and told me that I spoke so well. It was really sweet 😊 Everyone kept telling me that I would be speaking better Italian than them in no time! Haha! (Doubtful 🤣)
We have met a lot of people on public transit, because we have had to run so many errands for my permesso and transportation pass and stuff. The people here are so easy to love. Some Jehovah's Witnesses have buzzed our apartment to talk to us and we even have an appointment to talk with them this Friday. They might try to convert us haha. I think their work is probably slow if they're trying to convert the Mormon missionaries.
We met a young girl named Virginia at a bus stop once who told us about her canaries at home, and then the next day we saw her on the bus and she showed us a picture of her dead bird. On Monday we talked to a nun who was very sweet and asked us lots of questions about our missions; she admired us for our work. There'a an old, white-haired man named Giorgio who wears a half-buttoned up, white dress shirt, shorts, and sandals, that we see almost every day on the bus, and every time he sees us he yells, "Che una sopressa!" and gets super excited to see us. These are just a few of the bravi people I've met here. The Italian people are very encouraging as I'm learning the language, and Sorella Hoffman helps me a lot. She is super awesome. ☺
Today for P-Day we went up to La Città Alta in Bergamo. It is so beautiful! I had my first real gelato and pizza, and we saw some duomi. We also got to look down at Bergamo from some cool viewpoints since that part of the city is up high hence the name). I'll attach some pictures! I'll also attach a video of my view out of my apartment [from her mom: I'm working on attaching it], a pic of a bug in my apartment, the chapel in our church building, and also a pic of their idea of American pizza (with hot dogs and fries on it), etc.
"Ciò che è da Dio è luce; e colui che riceve la luce e continua in Dio riceve più luce; e quella luce diventa sempre più brillante fino al giorno perfetto." D&A 50:24
"That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." D&C 50:24
Vi voglio bene! I love to hear from all of you, and I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Sorella Johnson ❤
Via Antonio Gramsci 13/2
20090 Opera MI
Italia

I ARRIVED IN ITALY!! 7-26-17

Ciao! 🇮🇹 I wanted to let you all know that I got a call from the Milan Mission Home that Sorella Abby Johnson arrived safely in Italy this morning. The Elder I talked to said that after she was picked up from the airport, she was taken to the town square to talk with the people and she did REALLY well. She'll be moved to her first area tomorrow. Her P-days are Wednesdays, so she won't be in contact until next week. The mission blog has been updated and there are pictures of #SorellaJohnson👩🏼 on it! I've included some of them with this post... Like pictures of her just getting off the plane, talking with people on the subway, talking with people in the town square, a couple of group shots, and one of Abby and her companion, Sorella Hoffman, and their Mission President and his wife. I also included a picture of the location on a map of the city she's been assigned to: Bergamo. Look it up; it's GORGEOUS! She's so lucky! http://missionemilano.blogspot.com/?m=1 #MissionaryMom👱🏻‍♀️ #ItalyMilanMission -- Elizabeth (Abby's mom)

Milan bound on July 25th

Sorella Abby Johnson just called. She's boarding her flight to Milan (by way of Dallas TX and London England) now. I'm SO EXCITED for her and yet I'm crying because I miss her like CRAZY! #MissionaryMom👱🏻‍♀️ #ItalyMilanMission🇮🇹 #SorellaJohnson👩 #MilanOrBust -- Elizabeth (Abby's mom)

July 21st email

Last email from the MTC 🇮🇹
from Sorella Abby Johnson
Ciao!
I'm pretty sure I always say that haha. ☺ I leave on Tuesday morning for Italy! It's so crazy how fast this time has gone by. Part of me feels like I didn't even have a life before I came here (some call this the mission veil), and another part of me feels like I have only been here a couple weeks. But I have grown a ton. On Tuesday morning I check out of the MTC at 5am, then we fly from SLC to Dallas to London to Milan, and we arrive in Milan at 12pm on Wednesday! I'm so excited!! 🍕
I am pretty sure my P-Day in the mission field is Wednesday, and since I will be arriving on a Wednesday, I may not be able to email until next Wednesday! But all is well! I will make sure to take pictures. 😊
I have been super blessed here at the MTC. There are so many opportunities to learn. Because we have two devotionals a week, I can always go into a devotional seeking an answer to a question and receive the answer. Also personal study time is my favorite time of every day. When I'm in Italy, I'll have a solid hour every morning to personal study.
A scripture that I felt I should share from a recent personal study is Mosiah 16:9, "He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death."
On Tuesday we helped host tours. Because of the new MTC buildings, there will be tours for the public going on for the next 6 weeks. Luckily we get to leave before the MTC hits its max-capacity AND the tours are happening... Every meal has been a fight to the death (not really but there are a lot of people and it's every man for himself in the cafeteria). Anyway, the tours were really cool to help host because I got to greet people as they walked into the door of the new building. ☺ Some people talked to me about my mission and about the building. Others avoided eye contact with me hahaha.
On Thursday (yesterday), we had in-field orientation, where they teach us from 8am-5pm about things we haven't learned in the classroom, such as finding new investigators and working with members. It was long but very helpful. We did a lot of role plays in English because it was with all of the missionaries leaving for the field this coming week, not just the Italians. The biggest thing I took away from the orientation was that it is very uncomfortable for me to talk about the church/Gospel to others in English now 😂 I thought it would be easier but it was actually so much more stressful for me. Maybe there were too many things for me to choose to say... At 6pm, Slla. Cook and I had our last lesson with our investigator named Gabriella, and it was such a breath of fresh air to give it in Italian. This reminded me that I am definitely called to where I'm supposed to be going, and it made me excited again. 😍
Something I have realized is so true while being here is that even if you have the smallest amount of desire to learn more about the scriptures, learn more about Christ, become more like Christ, act on it. Exercise your desire. "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed" (D&C 123:17).
I'm attaching some pictures that I took this week! Learned some very useful phrases for when I get to Italy (regarding gelato), some more pics of the MTC (Italian flag blowing in the breeze and the new building), and a pic of me and Slla. Cook before the tours started.
Vi voglio bene! Ci vediamo,
Sorella Johnson

July 14th email

Ciao!
(Vi voglio bene means I love you all) This week has been challenging in a few different ways but I have learned a lot. That's the great thing about a mission. I've realized that you don't "find yourself" by going and laying on a beach for six months (first hypothetical thing I thought of haha), but instead by serving others and learning from difficult things. 👍
At the beginning of this week (Saturday & Sunday) I was having a rough time with my attitude about going to the field. It's only 1.5 weeks away! I hear all the time how tough it's going to be, and I, being a realist, was thinking too much about the difficulties I would face once I get there. It was starting to drag me down. But then on Sunday night we had a devotional by an older man who had served in the Italy North Mission (you can tell he's old because it's not called that anymore haha). I went into the devotional with the question, "How can I be the best missionary I need to be, and how can I love the field?" The devotional answered all my questions. It was amazing. If anyone wants to see my notes, let me know. I will include, though, a couple quotes that were especially poignant for me:
"Everything you want in life is just outside of your comfort zone!"
"'That which we persist in doing becomes easier...' -Ralph Waldo Emerson"
On Monday Slla. Cook and I had a bunch of lessons. We taught our teacher as herself, our investigator, and another TRC (member) through Skype. The TRC was interesting because she didn't answer our Skype call the first time so I left an awkward voice message in Italian while Sorella Cook was like uuuuh whattt. I was like, "Ciao! Siamo missionarie per la chiesa... vogliamo a parlare con Lei... call us back per favore..." hahaha it was so awkward. And then she called back like 10 seconds later and we had the lesson with her. 😂
On Tuesday night we had another devotional that helped me a lot, too. During that devotional the speakers talked about the Real vs. Ideal ideas of things. They talked about how sometimes being a realist isn't what's best for us. I realized this: It is my choice what I get out of my mission. My attitude will determine how it goes for me. Sometimes I get too realistic and tell myself the mission field will be extremely hard, but I forget that I can also have amazing experiences. It's my choice to be either excited for the good or scared for the difficult.
We also sang "Where Can I Turn for Peace?" in the MTC choir, and it was beautiful.
On Wednesday we got to host! So instead of being the missionary that got out of the car and said goodbye to her family, I got to help another sister who is new to the MTC. They told us beforehand that they wanted us to try and host at least 3 people because there were like 700 new missionaries coming in. Welllll... I only got around to hosting one. It was crazy. The girl I hosted, Sister Stephany Dorneles Dos Santos (yes that is her whole last name), got out of a taxi after flying here from Brazil and only spoke Portuguese. No English. It was quite an interesting day. I used English, Italian, Spanish, and sign language?? to communicate with her what we needed to do. I learned some Portugese haha. Because she was international, she had to get a bunch of check-ups and even an x-ray, and all of the nurses and receptionists wanted me to communicate to her what was going on. 😅
At one point I was trying to think about something to talk about with her as we were walking between errands, so we were just silent, but then she turned to me and said (in English), "I like you!" And she smiled. It was so sweet 😢 She is going to be serving in Boston, MA speaking Portuguese. I think that was a blessing for me because even though there was a language barrier, we still became friends, which I think is a very applicable lesson for when I'm out in the field.
I've been sick since Tuesday so that's been tough but I'm glad it's happening now instead of next week! Also if any of you want to send me letters, now would be the time to do it 😉
Sorry I didn't take many pictures this week but I love the new MTC buildings, so I'm attaching a couple of pictures from my building 😀
P.S. In my email last week I put the word "right" where it should have been "write," so please count this as my official correction, and I apologize to anyone I might have made cringe because of that 😂 [NOTE from Abby's mom: I changed it, because it stuck out to me 😉]
Ciao everyone! 🍕
Sorella Johnson