September 15, 2010

Subject: They like nuns too...

Ciao Ciao,
 
Hello everyone. This week has been a good one.
 
Rita will not be getting baptised on the 24th with Isaac, we came to see that there were a lot of problems that she needed to sort out, and so we postponed her Baptism for a few weeks. As for Issac though, he will still be getting Baptised on the 24th, which we are really excited for. We talked to him about the law of Tithing this week and he was totally all for it. The word of Wisdom wasn't a problem either, in fact, he told us that after he heard the Sunday School lesson we gave a few weeks ago on the word of Wisdom, that he stopped drinking coffee that very day! Haha, he is incredible.
 
Well, one of the highlights of the week has to be this right here.
 
We had a few crazy experiences this week which I will try to capture in words, but you will not even come close to understanding because you weren't there...But I will do my best. So remember Salvo, the man who we found in the art gallery who was a philosopher? Yea, so a few days later, we went back to give him a Book of Mormon. We dedicated the book to him in the front and wrote our testimony in it with a promise that if he read it with an open heart he would find peace and happiness...Something along those lines. Then this last Sunday (about 4 days after our 2nd visit when we gave him a BOM) someone came into Primary (because we had to teach Primary last week) to tell us that there was a man in the foyer who was looking for us. So I step out, and to my utter SHOCK, there was Salvo the Philosopher standing there in the front room of the church. We were shocked!!!!!!! We were sooooo soooo excited, thinking that he maybe was following some prompting he had while he read the Book of Mormon. He sat in the front row in Sacrament Meeting, and stayed for all three hours of church. WHEN he told us he had arrived in 4th Nephi in the Book of Mormon, and was feeling good. We talked to the Bishop, who told us that he asked him for a Gospel Principles book that he could start reading after he finished the Book of Mormon. WE went back yesterday, to follow up with how his experience at church went. We got there, sat down in his gallery, and began to listen to him talk. Ok, to make a long story short, he started crying, we started crying as he told us he finished the book of Mormon, The entire gospel principles book, AND the most current edition of the conference Liahona...We invited him to be baptized, he accepted,,, then, a few minutes later he started getting all nervous....We both started getting sick feelings to our stomach. Then, he started reciting poetry...in the midst of this I looked over to my companion and said, "ohhhhhhh no, please don't tell me this is happening, Sorella, I think he is about to say he is in love with me." Ok, yea, that is what I just said. I honestly was praying, please let me not be understanding his Italian right now, because i am pretty sure he is saying these things about ME. Then, about 1 minute later he proceeds with "OK, I am going to be completely honest and not hide ANYTHING right now. He then said (and I quote him directly)  "Dopo la tua seconda venuta, IO sono inamorato di te".....ahem. Translating to "After the second visit, i fell in love with you." I am not playing right now, this happened. I have never felt such a whirlwind of emotion in such an intensity, in such a short period of time. For the first part we were ecstatic that the Atheist showed up at church on Sunday with no invitation, read the entire book of Mormon in less than a week, Gospel Principles, and literally was like please direct me to the font! Then, after we were both sitting there bawling with him because we invited him to be baptised and he accepted (he was crying because he thought I reciprocated his LOVE for him) and then being so utterly disgusted as this 60 year old man was honestly and sincerely confessing his love for me, the naive sister missionary! I must say that I was at first just thinking to my self Wow, The Book of Mormon is so LEGIT!!!!!! It even converted the Atheist Philosopher!!!! Then-----lets just say that he associated Gods love, with the love of a woman. He was extremely competent and knowledgeable about the Eternal Marriage chapter in Gospel Principles, and realized only could he reach exaltation with his "other half" of whom I supposedly was.
I cant even begin to truly elaborate on this sick hilarious experience, but I will let you savor on that...Ohhh the experiences I am having..
Moving right along. Remember Angelo, our friend we met a few weeks ago in Comiso, in the magical piazza? He is making so much progress! He knows that it is all true, and has quit studying with the Evangelist Preacher because he recognizes the spirit he feels when he is with us. He loves coming to church, and is so excited to hear a living prophet speak in a few weeks. He constantly talks about how his soul feels "lighter" in these days, and how he doesn't get mad anymore, because he is calmer than he has ever been in his whole life! It is incredible!! His wife loves the Gospel Principles book haha we cant get her to read the Book of Mormon, but she loves Gospel Principles haha. I don't know what it is with that Book that has everyone hooked on it but its kind of a funny joke me and Sorella Foote have going.
 
Remember Tina Ragusa? She called us last week telling us she was back at home from her work she was doing for July and August. We have again started teaching her, and she seems to be progressing just like she was when we left off.
 
President Kelly gave us a challenge at Zone Conference a few weeks ago to read the entire Book of Mormon by November 30th, highlighting the passages that have to do with our purpose as missionaries (page 1 in PMG) Its been a cool thing to do. I love that Book. I never appreciated it near enough. Even for someone like Angelo who just reads it for a few minutes with us when we go teach him, he feels different when he reads it. Its amazing. READ IT! I love you all. I know the gospel is true.
 
ARRIVA DER CHEE.
vi voglio un sacco di bene ;)
MONICA
...Sorella Miller




PS we started English course last night. had a good turn out, about 30 people. Should be a good finding tool!