Caro Famiglia ed Ammicci:
Well this was another tough, but great week. Today is another Festa believe it or not! haha and it is La Befana. GOOGLE IT. That is my way of saying I dont have time to explain it, but google will surely thoroughly inform you of it! haha
Well let me start with a testimony of The Restoration. It is truly the most crucial thing about our religion. The fact that Joseph was called as a prophet makes us so different from anyone else. We are teaching a lady named Cettina Fermosa. She is about 50 years old and is an artist. Her house is crazy, you walk in and there are all these naked women paintings of like "Eve" haha and it's a bit "troppo" as we say over here in Sicily. Meaning a bit too much haha to say the least. Anyways, she has a really hard time understanding how we have all this crazy talk of living with God before this life, and how we will return to live with God after this life. Really it come down to the fact that, there really ISNT a lot of written scripture in the bible, that talks about this, and there arent other churches that have this knowledge, because they dont have modern day revelation. Through Jospeh Smith, we have this fullness of what we need to do to return to God. It allllll somes back down to having a testimony of Joseph Smith and the Restoration!
Remember Nando? Miracle Man Nando? We ran into him like 3 times in like two weeks until he gave us his information and was asking us him to teach him? Then it was festa festa festa for the last month, and no one could meet with us, and he gave us christmas presents haha these sweet books, then this morning he called us and wants to have us teach him!!!!! I am so excited, but at the same time praying that the Lord will qualify me to be able to know what to say. HE is like super intimidating...I dont know why. He is like 60, and has been studying with different churches his whole life, but there is something he feels that just " ha senso" -makes sense- with this restoration stuff... I know he is ready to hear this, because it is what he has been missiong his whole life!
We had 8 people that were supposed to be in church last week and had one investigator. haha, that happens here. But..va bene! We had Giussi Polvirente in church with us, and she is progressing. Just imagine a lady about 70 yrs old who has been Catholic her entire life. Every time we pray, she mush do padre nostro after we do it haha she just sometimes is so catholic it seems like there is no hope, but at the same time, i got her to pray last time we taught her. And she prayed, in her own words, and it was beautiful. The gospel is starting to make sense for her. She remembers everything we teach her, and is starting to read the BOM. She has a mustache that is disgusting, and has some issues with hygene (as many Italians here do!...) but I love her!!!! SHe is so sweet, and she is searching the things fro herself as she learns taht we can pray, and our Heavenly Father hears us and answers our every question.
I truly have a testimony of Modern DAy revelation. not only through a Prophet today, but also personal revelation. We talk to many Jehovahs Witnesses who recite many prayers, and say they believe they have felt their prayers be answered, but yet they wont accept that we could possibly have a prophet who is led by God, and recieves revelation. It is just perfect how the gospel all fits together. At the end of every day, i just look back at all the people we talked to that day, and say, The Gospel is so true. IT makes too much sense to be not true!
I feel like the language is really starting to click for me. I am more able to teach without getting super frustrated. BUT I also know that life is not about getting comfortable. I know that it is all about constant change. Always we can improve our lives in some way or another, we are all just at different points. Some of the most teachable people we teach are peopel who beg for money on the streets, or peopel who are homeless. They dont have all the material things, but everyone else on the street with money are missing teh same things they are, the happiness that comes from the gospel.
New YEars day we were with a new member Tony, of about 2 years. We had a huge meal, full on octopus and some intense Tiramisu action. Italians do love to eat.
Yesterday we went on splits, and a sister from Catania came here with me for the day. We had two really cool experiences. Our appointment with our Paola who is trying to quit smoking, fell thru, and I felt like we should go to Ortiga to prostylyte--spelling ... Anyways, we werent having much luck, and finally when we were both really frustrated, I felt like we should go into this little store. It was dimly lit, adn there was this really cute little lady who had about 45 years, and we started talking to her. For the next 45 minutes we taught her, and hse listened!! She asked questions, this never really happens haha it was so incredible, no one else came into the store the whole time we taught her, and the spirit was so strong, the strongest I have felt it since on my mission. I felt prompted to show her the picture of my family, and she started asking about temple and families etc. Roberta. I love this lady, and I m so excited to teach her, she was going to milan today fro a week with her husband but said we can come teach her when she comes back in a week.
I know there ARE people looking for answers, and the Lord is leading me to them. ITs incredible.
Then on the way home, sorella hirsh made me go talk to this group of like 30 people haha it was the scariest thing I have ever done in my life. They all just looked at me as I started speaking to them, haha smiling, because that is what i do whenever I speak to people, and they got quiet, looked at me fo a second, made me feel like an idiot with some of the faces I got, and then everyone turned their backs to me haha but we got two peopel to talk to us out of that group, and one lady was really interested. i am learnign how to just open my mouth. At first it was really hard, and still is,. but when i just remind myself, "look, this is why im here" I get over it, and the lord fills me with love for the people, and puts word in my mouth.
I love you all.
-Vi Voglio Bene, Ciao Ciao,
-Sorella Miller
No comments:
Post a Comment