There's a scripture in one of my favorite chapters of the Book of Mormon, Ether 12, that talks a lot about faith. Verse 6 says "...for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." Holy moly mamma mia I have seen so many trials of faith this last week! Not only for myself, but for our investigators. This week has been so hard and a definite low up to this point.
Cristina was not baptized on Saturday. Absolutely broke my heart. She was so ready last Wednesday and then that night something happened and everything exploded. I can't even begin to tell you the whole experience, but Sorella Willey was right when she warned me last Sunday to get ready for a crazy week. The week before a baptism is always difficult and crazy, as I am now learning. Cristina wants to get baptized so bad, but with the situation she's so confused. Pride has taken hold of someone close to her, and as we know, "Pride bringeth a snare upon souls." It opens up a flood gate for Satan, and he has all power right now. It's so hard to watch. It's crazy to see how the light and the hope and the glow that you can so clearly see in someone, thanks to the Atonement of Christ and the willingness to obey, vanishes and when you look in the eyes, all you see is black. When someone is about to take the step through the door to the road to salvation, which is baptism, Satan throws all he has in their direction. And in a lesson with Cristina the spirit moved us to make promises and warnings if she weren't baptized on Saturday, and everything that was said and promised is happening. She is facing a HUGE trial of her faith right now, and because of her environment and certain people around her, she will have a very hard time overcoming it. I'm worried for her, but I pray for her constantly. And we're seeing her later today. All we can do at this point is pray! The choice is hers, and I know she'll make the right one, if she can remove herself from her current situation. Magari. (maybe)
Sunday in church was my first time that it was stressful. Sorella Willey warned me how that can be too, and I was stressed. Woof. We had four investigators in Sacrament meeting (including Marco and Anna!) but by the end, all four had left early. I think they were scared off... ahhh!! Stress. I'm praying with faith that everything that happened was what should have happened and every one was acting on promptings of the spirit. Marco and Anna haven't responded to our calls since Sunday. Yikes. Comunque, It's been a rough week.
And it snowed again yesterday! On Friday the gelaterias were all PACKED with people! Including with us! ha! I love gelato...
And to top it all off, I'm sick!!! I got the wheezy lung disease on Sunday. And because of it we haven't been able to do a whole lot of work. It's so frustrating! Because we need to find more people to teach but i'm been down quite a bit these last couple of days. Pray for me! I'm feeling a lot better today, still have the cough but not feeling so wasted and exhausted as before.
Now from all of this, I hope you don't think I'm completely down and out, because I am NOT! I have been blessed with the gift of faith, and I know that if I just hang on to that for dear life, I'll be okay. As one of my favorite BofM prophets said, "My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh." It's true! Every time I'm down I pray for comfort and I receive it, despite how difficult the trials of our faith may be sometime. We always have help if we keep the faith and ask. My testimony of that is greater now than it ever has been. I see it every moment of every day. I'm still happy, despite the occassional moments of tristezza. :) (sadness)
Sounds like everyone at home is doing well. Don't worry about me! I'm just puttin' my shoulder to the wheel, like Great-grandpa Ed told me to do. I included some pictures of Sorella Willey on her bike riding through Old Cuneo. Pretty right?! I love Cuneo.
Sorella Forbes
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