Ciao Ciao tutti!
This week has served as another testimony that the mission is hard work here in Sicily, but the Lord does not cease to be incredibly involved in every aspect of the work! We talk to EVERYONE! Sunday night prostlyting in Ortiga is always a highlight for me. We are focusing on FAMILIES--We were able to get the phone numbers of 2 families, it was AWESOME!! To talk about how the family is seriously central to God's plan, and quickly relate it to The Restoration is optimal....But of course, every encounter is absolutely different from the next.
It is pretty funny to see how many people will refuse to talk to us becasue they think we are Jehovahs Witnesses, but as soon as we clarify we are NOT, they will gladly listen (even if it means only for 5 seconds...that is better than nothing!!!). I love talking to families, even if all we can say is that "Avete una BELLA famiglia!" (You have a beautiful family!) It is the most important thing in the world, and it makes me so happy just to see a Mom and Dad out strolling with their baby--I want that! What a beautiful opportunity God has given us to have families!
The other night in Ortiga we had an encounter with some kids from Spain. One of them was Italian, and the rest were Spaniards. I broke down in tears after our short encontro with them. I CANNOT speak Spanish anymore. I understood them, I knew what they were saying to me, but with all of my concentration, I couldn't seem to form sentences in Spanish, because my brain was thinking Italian! Ugh. Frustrating, haha. After a few minutes, I was able to laugh it off. I know the Lord has no need for me to know Spanish right now, these people don't speak Spanish. When I come home, we'll see what the Lord has in store for me. As for right now, I have time to NOT think about it.
Last night on the way to English course, we passed by our normal crew of Indie teen-agers outside this little cafe on the way to the church. As we were in a rush to get there on time, we heard someone yelling at us and chasing after us. We were pleasantly surprised to see Fabiana! This was the 17 year old we taught a few times, but we thought we had lost her after the lesson gone terribly wrong with our Sorella Reali that came with us. The catastrophe where when we were teaching the PRinciple of "The Gospel Blesses Families" --somehow it got carried away into Gay Marriage etc and she got super offended--Then she came to church and the lesson was a little intense on the 3 Degrees of glory --It was intense, and she had stopped answering our calls and was standing us up to all our appointments with her. Then she saw us when she was chilling at the Cafe we passed by, and chased us down! We got an appointment with her for Saturday, we are pretty stoked.
Massimo Italia who we found through English Course had been really sick for the last two weeks, but we were shocked to see him at English Course last night! He was actually telling the truth! haha We get used to people saying they are sick over the intercom when we show us for appointments WEEK after week! haha but he told us he has been reading the book of Mormon we gave him and is really enjoying it. He even offered to say the prayer in Engl course, and basically challenged everyone there to pray to God to know if our church was the true church! haha it was sweet. We are doing an appointment with him with a member and his wife this friday. He was baptized 2 years ago, and she was baptized 7 years ago, it will be a good opportunity for him to hear members' testimonies if The Book of Mormon first hand.
I feel like I am just coming to understand The Book of Mormon to it's fullest. It is so awesome and we are seriously so fortunate to have it. It really does provide for us the way to return to God.
We did splits in Catania last week with the sisters. It was good. Its funny how by the end of 24 hours you miss your city. Catania is huge, it takes a lot of energy to get around that place. There are tons of people everywhere, cars, bikes, foreigners, markets, busyness. I like Siracusa. yea, I didnt get transferred obviously. So this means that I will not only be here through the end of this transfer with Sorella Morgan, but probably until the Mission changes (July 1st) aka--two more transfers. Because I will have to train the new sister on the city, and then we are guessing that President wont be making too many changes that last Transfer he is here...A weird thought, I will likely spend 6 months of my mission here in Siracusa. I love this place though. I love the people. I love them, even when they say "Tutte le strade vanno a Roma!"--meaning, all streets lead to Rome...Meaning--It doesnt matter which path we take, we are all going back to God some way or another... Haha All we do is invite, they can choose.
This week I went out on a limb. I wore a WHITE skirt. ohhhhhhhh. In March!!!! So, basically I have turned extremely Italian and I wear all black, every day, and I blend in pretty well. Despite the fact that somehow, everyone recognizes us as Americans from miles away anyways...haha But anyways I wore a white skirt because I was sick of feeling so gothic every day. I went to church, got some glances, but it was all fine in the end. Then we went to visit our 100 year old friend that afternoon. She straight told me, as she was lying there in bed "I hate your skirt. It's ugly. You should have worn something darker. Black probably. You should never wear that again."
Uhhhh. HAha! I was already self-conscious having worn a skirt other than a long black one, and then this lady just straight CALLS ME OUT ON IT!!! Haha, never again. Not until at least JUNE. Italians and their black. they are obsessed! Not going to lie, I actually went home and changed my skirt after that. I felt too much out of the normal.
This Sunday we had an interesting Sunday School. A man came who comes occasionaly. We taught him twice in his suit tayloring shop, and it ended up just him wanting to bash with us (The same guy that made me feel like an idiot when he asked me all those questions about the PRiesthood that I wasn't quite able to answer with 100 % certainty...) So he randomly came to church last week and came to Gospel Principles. WE were talking about a Modern day Prophet, and he got all riled up and told everyone that HE was the prophet. It was interesting to say the least. The Elders had a small chat with him after church.
You may find this interesting. Here are a few of the questions I have been asked lately. A day in the life...
1- IF God is God, he would have had the power to take away the suffering that Jesus experienced. Why did he not take away the pain?
2- Jesus Christ was born in such humble conditions. Why then does the Pope live in such a place--a castle basically, with gold, and gems etc etc.
3- Who created God? Where did he come from?
4- Why do we confess to a Priest?
5- Do you pray to the Madonna? (The Virgin Mary)
6- Where are the Gold Plates now?
These are a few I wrote down, that I thought were interesting. I am grateful for the weeks that we have no investigators, no one in church, and TRY to talk to everyone, but then at the end of the day we do our numbers and see that somehow we only taught 2 lessons! Its hard!! HOWEVER, when you have these weeks of "famine" --It is then when you have an ex-investigator CHASE you down on the street, that you are able to really appreciate that ONE person, and see that the Lord really is aware of our prayers.
I KNOW there is a God. The other night as we were walking in Ortiga and I looked out at the sea and the full moon reflecting down on it, I had an overwhelming confirmation that God is real. We are not here by chance. The world was created for us, and God wants us to be happy and find joy. There is more to life than the things we so often get caught up in. There is just SO much more.
I was super touched by a talk I read this week by Sister Elaine S. Dalton. She told the story of her running a Marathon, and runnning up "Heartbreak Hill" I often feel that way here on the mission--I have family, faithful friends rooting for me, but at times I feel alone. Sometimes I feel like I'm on this tiny little island of Sicily, full of Catholics who never want to change, dont want to listen, and most definitely dont want to let me teach them. I THOUGHT I was prepared for the race before I came, but really, I had no idea.
"Fear not I am with thee, oh be not dismayed. For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid. I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand. Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand."
God lives. He hears our prayers. Every single one of them, even if we aren't kneeling, he hears them. He knows us, and he knows when we follow him with diligence, easiness, and willingness. When we simply obey because we trust him, he blesses us. We are so blessed to have a Savior that lived a life dedicated to fulfilling the will of his Father. We all can learn to live our lives in this way. Not thinking that we know what's best for us, but trusting that the hardest things bring us closer to God. I tell myself that every single day. My goal of this transfer is to smile and laugh :) Because it gets rough, but I am grateful for this time to dedicate just to the Lord. It is a unique priveledge, and I want to live it up! Love you all,
-Sorella Miller
ps. we found second hand bikes today for 40 Euro! WOOOOOOOOO Life is bella.
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