Una altra settimana nella vita di una missionaria ( letter dated 1/29/14)

Ciao la mia famiglia e i miei amici,

My inbox is filled with all of this exciting news!  Auguri to my friends and family 🙂 Hence, I’m having a hard time concentrating while writing this email.  I apologize in advance. Thank goodness for P-Days, that’s all I have to say!

We had a good week last week! We found 4 new investigators and set 4 baptismal dates! This is with a family from Romania, and they are very Orthodox, but are willing to get baptized when they know the Book of Mormon is true.  We teach people from all over the world, it’s pretty cool 🙂 There is such a power to the Book of Mormon.  We read a chapter together and applied the principles directly to them. When we literally apply the principles of the Book of Mormon in our lives, and not just read it as a cool story, we truly receive our answer.  That is when we know it is true, when we see how living the principles changes our lives.

Last night, we went to consiglio (branch council) with one of our branches.  As we were getting ready to  leave, I asked the branch president if there was anything we could do for him, and he told us – “yes, find us more investigators.”  It kind of stung a little bit.  We were sitting in this consiglio, talking for literally 2 hours about how to strengthen and grow this branch, bouncing ideas back and forth about what to do, etc.  We are really doing our best, and at the end of the day, all we can do is pray so earnestly to receive the revelation about how to find the people that are ready.  We are filled with appointments and work with one of our branches, but we don’t have any investigators with the 2nd branch.  I responded and sad: ” We’re trying, Presidente 🙂 But, you all need to find investigators too.” They all nodded their heads in agreement, and we hope as we continually strengthen and serve this branch they can reach out to each other and those in need as well.

We are still working closely with our new converts, and watching their progress in the gospel is so rewarding. I learn so much from their love every day!

I also am really wishing I new spanish, since everyone we are teaching seems to be from south america! They speak to us in Spanish and we respond in Italian. It’s quite funny.  My companion understands the spanish a lot better than me, so we make a good team.

I’ve been reflecting a lot and making a lot of goals for myself, as I am approaching my half-way mark.  It just kind of snuck up on me 🙂  I feel like nothing has changed, and yet everything has changed, out here and back home. I’m at this point where Italy is my home, and the thought of leaving it makes me feel homesick.  My heart is here. For right now, as it should be. I love my mission, I love the people I get to meet every day, I love Italy (yet today we’re going to splurge and eat burger king for lunch.  I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited for fast food), and I love serving il mio Signore.   I love my companion, seriously, anyone who serves with her is the luckiest, and she teaches me so much every day.

We are continually preparing two of our Italian women for baptism, and trying so hard to overcome the obstacles in the way.  Pray for them!

p.s. sorry for the one foto. it’s us eating delicious bruschetta last pday. today we’re going to some really famous towers in tuscany. TUSCANY. yeah, I’m here. And I’m in awe of the beauty of Heavenly Father’s creations every day.

Vi voglio bene,

Sorella Strong