Audguri E Buon Natale! Dec. 23, 2009

Sorry about last week everything was closed when we got kicked out of the cafe. Last week we got Paula to commit to a date for baptism and it lasted one day. She called us the next day and was very depressed and stressed that she would mess up after getting baptised. Every day she usually succumbs to one cigarette. It is better that she wait until she knows she is "ready" to be baptized rather than do anything when she has not completely quit smoking. It is amazing to see the gospel change her. She used to smoke 4 packs a day, she is so much more calm even since the day I met her. She comes to church and loves the spirit that the Book of Mormon brings. She has three children with two different dads, so we only are able to see her 11 year old son Lorenzo on the weekends, except for this week he is at her house for Christmas all week so we have been over there every day and are able to teach him. He is the most incredible 11 year old I have ever me. HE tells us mid-lesson that he feels the Spirit, and he loves reading the Book of Mormon. We are hoping his father will give him permission to be baptised. He is going to be a strong member of the Church. They both are strengthening their relationship with each other through their coming unto Christ. The gospel really does bless families. Paula had studied with Jehovah Witnesses before she met us, and so she still has a lot of friends that try to get her to not get baptized, but she tells us all the time she knows the church is true. It is such a testimony to me every time we meet with her, that the gospel is the only church on the earth that has all the truth. Since I have been on my mission, I have gained such a strong testimony of the restoration, it is what makes us different from anyone else. We are teaching this lady who has been catholic for the last 70 years, and whenever we go and say a prayer with her, she must recite her prayers also. She has a hard time grasping that we can just say whatever we feel in our hearts to our Heavenly Father, He loves us and it is a simple and direct communication. We have a lot of teaching right now. We see the Lord putting people in our path every day. President really wants us to focus on working with the members. Our branch is small, but we have some really strong people. Everyone here is a first generation member, so they are small in numbers but strong. Sorella Morgan and I have been doing visits with members and sharing with them "The Living Christ" and challenged them to share it with a friend. We teach almost all our lessons with a member with us, and that is the key. Italians trust Italians. There are a million Jehovah Witnesses here and they love to just get in your face . Some people we meet ask "Why are you here?" We are all believing in the same God. I have thought a lot about that, why am I here? Well I am here to invite other people to come to Christ, to have a reason to live day to day. To show people that we have a book, that tells us how to have happy marriages, how to raise our children, how to feel happy when hard times come, to be able to cope with death, to be able to know where I came from and where I am going. This is definitely the hardest thing I have ever done, but so worth it, for the moments where I am able to tell someone I KNOW that they can pray, and that God will hear their prayer. Men here are really aggressive. Actually its quite obnoxious sometimes. WE get honked at at least 30 times a day, and basically we just stay away from men here. We have been followed a few times, so its pretty creepy. We also have a little old man that lives by us known for many years by the Sister missionaries in Siracusa as the "Spanker man". I literally had to run away from him when we passed by him the other day! ha ha he is so creepy he just stares at our back sides,... if you will, and we hold our Book of Mormons over our bums and take a run for it! HA HA its pretty funny. There are catholic Saint celebrations once a week here it is so crazy to be here where catholocism isn't just a "part" of the culture, it IS the culture. But there are a lot of the younger generations whose families are catholic and they don't really do anything that makes them catholic. The gospel is true, It is individual. Even if we were the only people on the earth, I know Jesus Christ would still have come and lived a perfect life, and died and would perform the atonement for me because He loves each of us THAT much. I have felt his love so much over these last three months, and I continue to see it change other people. God has prepared a perfect plan for us, and we are so blessed to have this knowledge. I hope everyone is well, I can't wait to talk soon on Christmas! Love Sorella Miller