I took that fancy line from our beloved mission hymn. I love it. What a week!
First of all, I'm healed! I started feeling a lot better Friday, was still exhausted Saturday but we went out and worked and by Sunday I was pretty much healed. Then Monday I got to see Sorella Wolfgramm, who just has a healing touch so now we're back cento percento and ready to work! What a great week.
First of all, Abs came to church on Sunday! I was so excited! He got scared off by a member though after sacrament meeting who basically told him because he was Muslim we couldn't change his religion just like he couldn't change ours. GAH! We were so mad. I absoulutely love the members here, but these last couple of weeks in church we've really had to keep a close eye on our investigators because a lot have been scared off. Grrr. We talked to the Branch president about it though, and I think all will be resolved this week. But anyway, Abs is so great. He's doing really good, except he has a hard time reading the Book of Mormon when he goes home, but he eats it up when we read it together in lessons. We watched the Joseph Smith birthday on Saturday with him and a member and he loved it. He was asking all kinds of questions about baptism and prophets and it was great.
I don't know if I've ever told you about Rosy, but I just love her. She is one of our progressing investigators and the mother of David, who was baptized in December. She's the one that always cooks for us. Sunday she invited us to lunch after church and stuffed our faces with pasta, meatballs, stuffed peppers, bread, cheese, fruit, and I tried my first pan d'oro! It was marvelous. But she also is doing so good with things pertaining to the gospel. It's hard to meet with her in the week because she works 3 jobs, so we usually only get to see her once or twice a week. When we call her and ask her if she's been reading she'll say "no i've read a little tiny bit, pocchissimo..." but then when we meet she's read like 10 chapters. She's already halfway through 2 Nephi. Ha! I love her. She said as soon as she receives her answer that this is the true church she'll be baptized. We're hoping to set up a date with her tonight. She's feeding us more pan d'oro. With homemade cream this time. haha! i'm excited.
Our training at Alessandria on Monday was AMAZING! We had to take a 6:45 train, plus our brains and souls were stuffed with so much spiritual goodness that by the end of the day we were all just exhausted. Our leaders are so inspired! I absolutely love and admire Sorella and Presidente Wolfgramm. They are truly inspired and amazing people. They shared some of the wisdom they learned from their conference in Germany with Elder Cristofferson, and WOW! The Milano mission is ready to double our baptisms! We all signed our banner to have 20 lessons every week and at the end of the conference we all linked arms and sang the mission hymn. The spirit was so strong! I love my zone! the Assistenti! Presidente and Sorella Wolfgramm! Everything about the Milano mission! I left feeling so spiritually uplifted and full to the brim. Actually, overflowing at the brim! haha. It was amazing.
SCAMBIO! Wow! Genova is AMAZING! I love that city. I wouldn't mind going back there to serve in the future... if the Lord so desires that I go there. Of course. But Sorella Baker is an amazing Sorella! All of the Sorelle in this mission are amazing! P.s. we have 8 sorelle in the Torino zone this transfer! Awesome!!! Anyway, the Genova Sorelle have whitewashed this transfer, meaning they are both new to the area. They are basically starting new with investigators and everything, so we got to help them figure out the area book, and go and find! Sorella Baker and I talked to a lot of people out and about while Sorella Willey and McFadden took the appointments. People in Genova are so open to talking about religion! It was amazing. All but one person we talked to was really interested in talking and really open about what they believed. I was amazed. It's a little bit different in Cuneo, I've learned. But we walked alot, talked alot, hopped on buses and talked some more, I got to see a pretty good amount of Genova for only being there a few hours. But yeah, scambio was so great.
Last, I just want to share a little tid bit of spiritual goodness that I've learned from personal studies. Have you read Lehi's vision from 1 Nephi 8? It's really great. And there is SO much to learn from it. I want to talk about the tree in this vision. From chapter 11 of 1 Nephi, we learn that the tree means the Love of God. But first of all, how did Nephi learn that? He ASKED. With FAITH. He DESIRED to know. He ACTED. And an angel came to him and HELPED him understand. Notice that the angel in chapter 11 doesn't just come out and tell Nephi what everything means, but shows him and Nephi has to figure it out on his own. So, what does the angel show Nephi that helps him understand that the tree is the Love of God? He shows him Christ. Christ when he came to the earth as a baby and his mother Mary. Well, how did Nephi get "the Love of God" from that? Let's go to John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him perisheth not, but shall have eternal life." Christ IS the love of God! The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the fruit of the tree of the Love of God! The fruit that Lehi describes as "desirable to make one happy," and the fruit that is "most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted." Fruit that fills "the soul with exceedingly great joy." How blessed are we?! God loves us so much, he provided this way for us to be happy, to experience this joy, to have eternal life! Do you know what that means?! It means we can live with God and Jesus Christ and our families from our time here on this earth FOREVER in happiness and peace! It's all possible, but only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The Atonement is Happiness! I have no doubt in my mind of the truthfulness of this. All we have to do is partake of the fruit. We have to act. We have to obey God. But aren't all of the difficulties we might think come with obedience worth the reward? This fruit? Of joy and happiness and peace and love and ETERNITY?! I don't think once we realize our true potential, what we can achieve, how we have God on our side...I don't think it should be hard. Read Mosiah 2... "All that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has PROMISED you that if we would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he NEVER doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth BLESS you and PROSPER you...he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth IMMEDIATELY bless you; and therefore he hath paid you." Wow. I know that this is true. Happiness is possible, no matter what we are experiencing in life. The Atonement is not only for our sins, but also for our sorrows. Christ experienced EVERYTHING that any one ever has experienced, and He is the only one that can truly take away our sadness. I know that if we have faith in him, we can turn everything over to him and ALWAYS be happy. I know it! It's a promise from God! A gift from Him!
I love studies. They're my favorite part of the day. Sorella Willey and I had a really exciting study session this morning. We're learning a lot about covenants and exactly why we need to make them. THE SCRIPTURES ARE A TREASURE TROVE OF GOODNESS! Maybe I'll share some of that stuff with you some day.
Comunque (However), I'm about out of time, but I love you all! The Lord loves you all! You are all children of God! The church is true! Read your scriptures! Pray! Go to church! Obey the commandments! God will IMMEDIATELY bless you. I promise. :)
Sorella Forbes
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