Ogni giorno è un’avventura

Caro la mia famiglia,
So, as the subject for my email states – every day is an adventure. I always come home at the end and think – wow, did we really do all that today? Did that really happen? So, today I’m going to tell you a story from every day this week!
Thursday: We ate lunch with a member.  IT WAS DELICIOUS. There is no way to replicate the food in Italy in America – because the ingredients here are so much better and fresh.
Friday: I did a scambio with the traveling sister leaders.  Sorella Gomez (she’s from Mexico City) came with me to my area. They are just in the other ward in Verona so it wasn’t too big of a deal with travel or anything. It was so much fun! So many miracles.  We found a less active member from Albania super randomly and she bought us gelato.  And she spoke English so that was a plus. It was a beautiful lesson.  My companion also found a miracle on a bus. A man came up to her and started asking her about the gospel.  He then came to a baptism that we invited him to on Sunday, and we taught him a lesson with a member right there and then.  We are still teaching him.  He kept saying – I am like Joseph Smith, looking for this truth too. We are excited about him.
Saturday: Okay, we went looking for more less active members. Didn’t really find them, but we ran into some people from this religion…it was pretty hilarious.  I respect all religions, I do. They were just saying some pretty funny stuff. But they were showing us some books and magazines and we prayed with them and tried to teach them a lesson.
Sunday: There was a baptism! The ward discovered I could play the piano, and so they had me play.  We went tracting afterwards and I had to go the bathroom SO BAD.  And it was Sunday, and you have to buy something to use a bathroom in Europe. We decided to stop by a less active member house who did not want the missionaries to visit her.  But we yelled up to her from down below- can we please just use the bathroom? And then, after much relief, we were able to talk with her and develop a little bit of a relationship with her.  So, sometimes having to go to the bathroom so bad is really just a blessing in disguise 🙂
Anyways, every day something funny happens and I’m trying to remember it all.  It’s such an adventure, and I have met some of the craziest, sweetest, most hilarious types of people.  I love it.
The sweetest part of this last week has been preparing our investigator for baptism.  Our investigator that we found on a bench my first week in Verona.  As we have been meeting with him, his heart is changing.  Hearing is testimony is absolutely touching. His faith in the Atonement is inspiring –  I have learned so much from his faith.  He is so exctied to be baptized on Friday.  We are so excited for him, and we’re trying to get the whole baptismal service put together. I can’t wait to send a picture to you next week! We are so so so so so happy.  Seriously, baptism. Ah! And this is just the first step, but he is so ready to take it. He even came to church for all three hours plus a baptism afterwards.  5 hours of church – he’s a champ.
Also, people remember my name here.  It’s quite a plus.  Oh, Sorella Strong? Then they flex their arms and say, “Sorella FORTE!” I love it. It makes me happy 🙂
I could tell you story after story after story, but there is not time 🙂
I’ll close with my testimony of this – Mosiah 24. Read it. Sometimes, we have so many burdens and the world seems so evil. People say this to us all the time.  Why would God love us when there is such cruelty? When we have faith in the Lord, though, these burdens are lighter.  He doesn’t always take them away, but faith in Him brings the hope (Ether 12:4), and we can have the confidence to do anything.  Because with Him, all things are possible. When we realize that He has suffered it all, and so much more, that He can empathize with us in the deepest ways possible, there is hope, and our burdens are lifted.
I love you all so much! It is hot, life is good, and the gospel is true. Gesù è il nostro Salvatore e Redentore. Questo è perche sono qui in Italia.
Vi voglio bene,
Sorella Strong
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Sorella Strong and Sorella Acerson

 

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