May 30, 2012 - Stayin' in Pordenone!

I am SO pleased to announce that I will be staying in Pordenone for at least one more transfer! I was really worried there for a bit, but Sorella Walton and I will be staying together! So excited. I still have so much to learn from this amazing Sorella and I feel blessed that I get one more transfer with her. Red head power! Just sayin'... But I can't believe how fast this last transfer flew by! It's crazy. I think it's because this is the busiest I've been yet on my mission. And I love it. On Saturday we were riding our bikes to the church for Vicky's baptism and I just kept thinking "I am so happy!" I think this is the happiest I've been on my mission. We are working so hard, praying for humility and trying our best to be instruments in the Lord's hands, and he is blessing us with so much greatness! Plus, I think President's promise of 20 lessons a week = happier missionaries is true. We've been blessed with at least 20 lessons every week this transfer, and I am feeling the joy!!!

Vicky's baptism was such a joyful event! She has been waiting and SO excited for so long! We went to her house on Saturday afternoon for all the final preparations and to practice how the baptism will go, and she just kept saying "It's Saturday! I'm getting baptized today!" The whole family was feeling the joy too. Clarence, the husband, was really excited because the Bishop told him he should do the baptism. He hadn't thought that he could because he thought, even though we tried to explain several times, that you had to have the Melchisedec priesthood to baptize (sometimes the language barrier is difficult with him...haha). So he was overjoyed when the Bishop called him, went to the church to practice with him, wrote down the words to the prayer so he could practice, and he was just so happy! And then Joel, the 18 month old baby boy, was so happy too. Sorella Walton put her name tag on him and he just smiled so big and looked so proud and happy! And then he would come over and grab our hands and squat down like he was being baptized. He had been watching his mom and dad practice. It was the cutest! They are such a happy beautiful family!!! When Vicky came out of the font, we were waiting for her in the bathroom and we asked her how she felt. She was overjoyed and said "I feel so good!!!" Seeing her happiness brought so much joy to my heart. She has overcome a lot in her life, being from the Congo, and she was so ready to leave it all behind and start fresh. The Gospel is so amazing!!!

This week has been really great. We've really been blessed with so many miracles. Sorella Walton and I really want and need to find more investigators, and we've been doing SO much finding work. And we haven't really been able to get some real solid progressors yet, but I think we have some really great potentials that we were led to and were blessed by finding them. For example, Francesco. We wanted to do some finding in the park one afternoon, so we headed to Parco San Valentino. There we saw Francesco sitting on a bench studying. We approached and mentioned how we teach people about our church and about the Gospel of Christ. He picked up his stuff of the bench and said "Please! Sit down!" So we did. He told us he is practicing Catholic but open to hearing about other ideas. We started talking about the Book of Mormon and he was so excited. He just kept saying "I had no idea! This is a whole new world!" He said he's going to be gone and studying and all kinds of stuff until June 10, so we're just praying that when June 10 roles around he will be ready and willing to meet. But we have a really good feeling about him. 

So I'm happy. Real happy here in Pordenone. I love the members. They were pleased to hear that we would all be staying another transfer. Sorella Gioia Durazzani called us yesterday sounding all nervous asking when transfers were. I told her we had just heard that we would all be staying and she yelled with joy. I mean yelled. I love her. She's one of my other italian nonne. 

About the earthquakes... yeah, I didn't really know what was going on. I haven't felt any of them here. We've heard about them from members. And the Udine Anziani called us yesterday because they had felt one and wanted to make sure we were all okay. But yeah, I haven't felt any. We're all safe and good. We went to the stake president's house yesterday to visit and he said all the members are fine in our stake and in the Verona stake, but that he heard there could be problems down in Modena. So pray for the people of Italy! It's a bit scary. About the one I felt in Cuneo, I didn't realize what it was. I was sleeping, but it woke me up. It wasn't until the next day when a member told us what had happened and what time and I realized that was probably what woke me up. Ha. Super exciting. I know.

As for my bike, we took it to the shop and he's alive again! He's (almost) as good as new. Barney is a good one. He's an oldie but a goodie. He gets me from A to B. Basta.

Sounds like all is well at home. Miss you and love you family! Have fun getting ready for all your travels and big changes that are coming up! I love you all so much! Tanti bacioni!!! 

Sorella Forbes

Mestre Chapel...it is an old villa that has been restored

Vicky's baptism...Brother and Sister Jacobs on the left, they are

 the couple serving on the Air Force Base

Vicky's son...he will be a missionary one day!

Sorella Walton put her missionary tag on him.

May 24, 2012 - And then 3 became 4....

So we had quite the surprise on Thursday. We had had quite the day with a scambio with the Verona Sorelle, Sorelle Laratro and Nilson, and had been able to teach 12 lessons in one day and we found lots of great potentials and new investigators. Sorella Lloyd and I were with Sorella Nilson. It was so fun! I learned a lot from her. It's so fun to see every body else's teaching and finding styles. But then President called us Thursday night. We told him about our successful scambio and he sounded so pleased! Then he said "You know what sorelle? You're doing so great there in your threesome, I'm going to make you a foursome!" Silence... "What?! Who's coming?!" And he told us that Sorella Modugno would be returning to the mission on Monday and she would be coming to Pordenone to open up a companionship with Sorella Lloyd. She is from Rome and had had some health problems so had to go home four about 8 weeks to get everything better. So now we are in four here in Pordenone. Isn't it great! For me it is a big manifestation of the amazingness of the times here in Pordenone. The Lord has big plans for this city! We knew it from the beginning. Four Sorelle in this little place! Also there's a little bit of pressure... the Lord has high expectations of us here and we are trying to meet them. So now I am with Sorella Walton. I just love her. She reminds me a lot of Tam sometimes. We're both red heads. Power companionship. Just sayin'...

But I was so lucky to have the chance to work in a trio for those 4.5 weeks. I learned so much.

So we will have another baptism this Saturday! Crazy! Vicky from the Congo will be baptized. She is so ready for baptism! She just glows in church and she LOVES the story of the Restoration and Joseph Smith. Did I tell you about the time we watched the Restoration film with them? Afterwards we bore our testimonies of the Restoration and then Clarence, her member husband, went in the kitchen, brought out some snacks and water, and started the movie over! So we watched it again with them for a bit and then we left it with them to watch whenever they want. So hilarious. I love Vicky. She is the sweetest tender hearted woman. Their son Joel is adorable! He is so cute in church. He just sits there and looks around. He's the most well behaved child I've ever seen. Haha. I'm so excited about this baptism. Vicky has met with the missionaries before but never wanted to be baptized, but now she really has received the confirmation of the truth and this is her time, and she is so ready! Saturday will be a special day.

We had our conference yesterday at Mestre. It was interviews with President. It's so fun to just sit down and have a one on one with President. He is so incredibly awesome! He told me a bit about what's going on in Cuneo too. He said all of our baptism dates fell through! Which is so sad! They were all pretty solid investigators before we left. Don't know what happened there... but he said Cristina is meeting with the missionaries and wants to move out of Salvatore's house! Yayy! Such happy news. Anyway, that was good to hear. I think about her every now and then. Our conference was so amazing! The spirit was so strong and I learned so many incredible things. Our President is truly inspired. He talked about how in the preexistence he is confident we were all together with the desire to come to the Italy Milan Mission and were all preparing together. And I really feel like that is true! And it reminded me of a joke Sorella Walton said a while back. We were talking about the same thing, wondering if we knew each other in the preexistence, and she said something about "yeah we did! We were just doing our role plays!" Ha. I laughed. P.s. I've probably never mentioned role plays, but we do them often. They are so helpful. And she's probably right. We were all doing role plays in the vita preterrena. :) But also Sorella Wolfgramm talked to us about the Atonement. I learned so much. She used a talk that Elder Bednar gave at a conference they went to a while back and talked about how we can't do any of this alone and how we HAVE to rely on the Lord. We can "plug in to the power of the Atonement," like she said, to be adequate for the job that needs to be done. She is so right. That is a lesson I am learning over and over again as a missionary. I just love her. She, sorella Walton and I had a good laugh before the meeting when she came to greet us in the hallway and had a word slip. That happens sometimes with her. And I absolutely adore her. She is amazing. 

One of the coolest most powerful things we get to experience is every transfer at our meetings with President, is hearing the testimonies of the missionaries that are going home. "Their last dying testimony" as someone called it. We were privileged to hear the testimonies of Anziani Armenise, Bartholomew, and Jensen. (Anz. Bartholomew was my zone leader and lives in Akagi farms... ps...). They are such amazing missionaries and you could just feel the power and conviction behind the words they were saying. You know that they have been forever changed by their missions, as I have. It was the same way at zone conference last transfer with hearing the testimony of Sorella Willey and the other two Sorelle going home. I love that.

Yes, it is true, transfers are next week. I have NO idea where that time flew by. This has been a crazy quick transfer. Probably because we've been so busy! I can't believe I'll be on #4! Crazy. And these transfers will be crazy because there are no Sorelle going home, but supposedly a good number coming in, so coppie will have to be opened. I could stay in Pordenone, I could be leaving. I am kind of hoping that I get at least one more in Pordenone with Sorella Walton. I love this place and I love my companion! There is still so much I need to learn from her! But, of course, I know that whatever President decides is the will of the Lord. 

Miracle story of the week: (or 2) Tuesday nightly planning, we wanted to find someone on the train to Mestre and teach her and have her be a new investigator, so I described a young girl with dark curly hair in a black t shirt. We boarded the train with her. She was on her way to school in Venice where she studies art, so I talked to her a bit about it and then we talked about the Book of Mormon and we have an appointment with her on Friday because she wants one and wants to learn more! Excitement!!!

Miracle #2: We were at the Mestre train station waiting for our train to come back. Sorella Walton and i were standing with our box of orders of Book of Mormons and the other Sorelle's bag of mail and stuff while they went to get water for us all. there was a lady going down the stairs and having a hard time with her luggage. There are creepy guys that try to come carry your bags for you but then after demand money. She was trying to avoid one but he kept hounding her. Sorella Walton quickly said to watch the stuff and went to help. So she went and helped the woman carry her bags down the stairs. The woman was from Maryland and her friend was from upstate New York. Slla Walton helped them carry their bags up the other stairs to exit the station. Right before she said bye they said "We prayed on the train that someone would help us with our bags! Thank you so much!" I am so grateful to have a companion that acts on the promptings of the spirit! She was the answer to those ladies' prayers. How amazing!

Buona settimana tutti! Until next week! 

Sorella Forbes

Scambio with Sorella Nilson and Lloyd. 

 The Mestre zone! 20 Lessons! Hoorah! :) 

The Mestre chapel. So gorgeous! It's in an old italian villa.

May 13, 2012 - Mother's Day Skype

     What a beautiful sight!!  She looked amazingly happy and beautiful as ever!  We couldn't help but get choked up a little when she appeared on screen!  What an amazingly beautiful, spiritual and confusing thing to have a missionary! We all felt very grateful for the chance to Skype and just grateful that she is so happy serving the Lord.

May 16, 2012 - 6 MONTH MARK "Se fedeli noi saremo il premio si avra!" If faithful what an award you will have!

So, today marks 6 months since the day I entered in the MTC. Weird, isn't it? I can't believe it. Time has flown WAY too quickly and I am not too pleased! I have seen so many miracles and have learned and grown so much these last six months. In a way I feel like a complete different person, but in such a good amazing way. I'm still the same, but different. Make sense? haha. I am so blessed to be a missionary in the Italy Milan mission! The Lord has been far too generous to me with all the miracles we are blessed to be a part of here.

It was so great skyping with you family! You all look so good. I can't believe I got to see everyone! ha! I got to meet Hazel! So adorable. We have a beautiful family, if I do say so myself. So many good and happy changes happening. I'm so happy!

Like I told you on Sunday, we had an amazing miracle. I don't know if I've mentioned Vincenza before, but she is a 19 year old girl dating a member boy in the italian ward. She's been coming to church for a while I guess, but we were never able to meet with her because of her crazy work schedule. At Massimiliano's baptism she asked us if she could have a Book of Mormon. On Sunday before Relief Society I asked her if she had been able to read at all, and she had read to Jacob 5 in two weeks. Then she leans over in Relief Society and basically told us she wants to get baptized. Sorella Lloyd was like "well, there is one thing... we have to teach you a few things first...but we can work that out!" We met with her after and she told us she loved coming to church, she had a good feeling there, that every time she reads the Book of Mormon she wants to read more, and she had only read two books before in her life so that was a miracle. She said yes to the baptismal invite before we could get all the words out. And then she offered the most beautiful prayer. Monday we met with her again and set a date for June 2nd. She told us a beautiful story about how she had a difficult situation at work, prayed for help for the first time to "Heavenly Father" instead of "God" and how he helped her in the situation, how he answered her prayer. WHAT?! This doesn't happen. Then Vicky, the wife of Clarence who is a member, just kept saying in church on Sunday how excited she is for her baptism next week. She was absolutely glowing! We Sorelle are continually amazed by these beautiful miracles. We keep joking about how we aren't doing anything and all these people are just coming to us wanting to get baptized! The Lord is guiding us to His elect. Or guiding them to us. haha. I knew there was something special and in the works in Pordenone when we got here...

Here's an amazing thing... all of the baptisms we have had or will have this transfer are member referrals. Which is amazing because we've gotten a lot of "Sorelle, I have someone we're working on. We're inviting them over to dinner this week and we'll see how it goes. We've talked to them a few times about the church and they have had questions, but it takes time. Slowly slowly..." What?! You know someone who has questions about the church? You haven't invited them to anything? Invite them to come to church! An activity! Introduce them to the missionaries! Anything! I was thinking a lot about this this morning. Mario's wife is a member, Vicky's husband is a member, Massimiliano was dating a member, Vincenza is dating a member.... they all came or are coming into the church through members! It's how the work is supposed to be done! Of course, we missionaries will go out and do casa, talk to people on the street, on the bus, etc. when we have free time and aren't in lessons, but the most and strongest new converts come from member referrals. Part of the reason is because they have a stronger support system that way. It's a proven fact! Did you know?! Prophets and apostles have said many times before that missionary work is to be done through the members. It's something I wish I would have realized more before the mission. There were so many people I could have invited to things! Now, I'm only saying this because right now I am in the midst of a plethora of member referral miracles, but I invite everyone reading this to think about it! Who do you know that could benefit from the message of the Restoration of the Gospel of Christ? Who needs to experience the joy of having a personal relationship with God and Jesus Christ? We as members of this church have these blessings and this knowledge of these things. I was thinking of Mosiah 4:19-21 this morning too..."Are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have? And even at this time ye have been calling on his name and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy. And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another." Have you felt this joy? I have. We have to share it! I can't wait to be a better member missionary when I get home. But God is preparing his elect to receive the Gospel. Already he's done something huge for the people around you to have placed YOU in their lives. You have this joy and this knowledge! Share it! Often times I think members can do so much more than we missionaries can. We just teach. But it's you who can bring people to learn. D&C 29:7 "And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts." That's a calling all of us have been given, not just the full time missionaries. The worst someone could say is no. And if they do, they aren't elect! That's something I've really learned on the mission. I know that it is true. The Lord is preparing people, but they can't hear the message from someone who doesn't know about it. It's got to come from someone who does! And no need to fear in sharing it, because the elect will have open hearts and accept it. Plus we have the promise that's in D&C 84:88. Beautiful scripture! We have help! 

Okay, that was my member missionary shpiel. I'm done with that. Let's talk about more miracles:

We met a man on the bus the other day. Eric from Ghana. He was reading the Bible, so Sorella Walton asked him why he carries the Bible around all the time. He said it's because he wants to know the word of God better. We went to his house last night and taught his family: Grace, his wife, Clement who is 18, and Regina who is 16. Bismond was not there but he is 14. They all pulled out their Bibles and we read passages from Amos and James together as we taught the Restoration. They were very excited to get a Book of Mormon! And we are going back tomorrow to take them more in english and a few in Twee. They were so excited when we told them we had some in twee! When we invited them to pray together as a family every night, Regina said "we already do!" They are so beautiful! We're a bit worried because they are SUPER involved in their church and the change could be difficult, so we're really going to be working with the members on this one. Such a great faithful family with a strong desire to follow God. I'm so excited to teach them again. 

Hi. I'm in Italy. Sometimes I forget and then realize it again and it's beautiful everytime. Benedetta sono io!

Next week we have interviews in Mestre on Wednesday, so our P day will be Thursday. Don't be alarmed when the email comes a day late. 

I think that's all. I'm about out of time. Love you all! Hope all is well! Buona settimana! Invite someone to church! Give them a Book of Mormon! 

Also, anyone can email me! Not just family! Just sayin'...

Sorella Forbes

 The New Pordenone Chapel

Massimiliano's baptism

Piero and his family at his baptism. 

 District meeting on Monday. Granted, this is the 

Zone leaders' district as well that came this week.

Inviting our neighbors to the concert 

(you can see the church in the background) 

May 9, 2012 - "Vergognatevi per la vita che fate!"

First of all, I should probably explain the subject of this email: "vergognatevi per la vita che fate!" or in other words "shame yourselves for the life that you lead!" Yes. This is something that was shouted at us just before a door was slammed in our faces while doing casa. This poor old woman must have had a bad experience in the past, because the minute she opened the door, saw our name tags, I only got a "Salve signora!" out and she started rambling off in some dialect, then probably seeing the looks on our faces realizing we didn't understand her, shouted this gem of italian our way. I wanted to cry for like a second, but when we three sorelle looked at each other and saw the stunned jaw dropped "did that just happen" look, we laughed. Hard. Probably shouldn't have, but I'm glad we did. That was worse than the time I got asked if I was in a coma... haha. But other than this little experience with what we call "angry casa," the week has been beautiful.

There's been a lot of rain. And by a lot I mean a lot. And we've been caught in it frequently. Consequently there have been quite a few cancellations and bidone, but we still made it to 20 lessons! Hoorah! We had a baptism on Saturday! Mario, our 70 year old miracle referral was baptized, as was little Piero, who's dad is inactive so we taught him the missionary lessons. It was such a beautiful baptism! Mario was so incredibly happy and glowing. It's amazing that after all these years of being married to his wonderful wife from Tahiti who has been a member for years, he chose now to be baptized. He bore his testimony in sacrament meeting on Sunday and it was so beautiful. He was so humble and grateful and happy. And his wife bore testimony too. After I was talking to her and she said that was the first time she had done that in sacrament meeting because her husband was never there and she never really wanted to before, but she wanted to and felt she needed to on Sunday. So beautiful! 

Then there is a family that comes to our ward. The dad is American and a really strong member, his wife is italian with family here so they are visiting for a few months and she's not a member, and they have a nine year old son who is a member. The dad bore his testimony in english in the meeting and his wife translated, and the spirit was so strong. She told us she would like to meet with the missionaries, but it might have to wait until she gets back to the US because they are really busy with family stuff here and they're only here for a month or so. Anyway, it was so beautiful.

Sunday after church we had a break the fast with both the Italian and the American ward. It was so fun, but so confusing! I was switching back from english to Italian and I couldn't keep track of who was what language. I talked to a lot of the Americans in Italian, and vice versa, and got a lot of funny looks. Ha! But it was really fun. There are amazing people here in Pordenone!!! Amazing strong wards. Pordenone is going to become a stake!!!

This Saturday we are having an open house and concert in the new chapel, and the bishop asked us to be tour guides. I'm so excited! Such a great opportunity to get new investigators! And to get people in the church and feeling the spirit!!! Excitement. 

Oh yeah, hi, we went to Venice today. Venezia. It was a beautiful perfect sunshiney day. We took the train this morning, strolled to St. Mark's, crossed the Ponte Rialto and kind of did some shopping, ate some kebab, then went to a beautfiul church. And now, mom, dad, grandma and grandpa Forbes, and Kaitie, I have to tell you something that is going to make you all very jealous. Especially you, Kaitlan Ann. So we were in La Basilica Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, I'm looking at this beautiful Titian painting, I turn around and see this tall man with glasses enter the church. I feel like I've seen him before. Um, wait.... yes. It was RICK STEVES! Ha ha. He walked in with a guide, they went and sat down in a pugh, he pulled out one of his books, and he was going through with the guide marking it. HA! Then I go in a side chapel to admire the beautiful Bellini, and there's a cameraman in there. I ask him what he's filming for. "It's for a travel show," he says, "in the United States. On PBS." I ask him which was it. "Rick Steves" he says. Yes. I witnessed the filming of a Rick Steves. And Rick Steves. Jealous much? Thought you'd be. I just kept thinking of all the times Kaitie and I would impersonate Ricky when we were in France. And I laughed. Hard. Anyway. Funny.

The work is going good still here in Pordenone! We're struggling getting new investigators right now. All our investigators we're teaching right now have baptism dates. Which is good, but they'll run out and we'll lose them as investigators, so we need to find more! But we're working hard, I'm loving the work! I wish I could share every little miracle that we see.

Love you all and I hope all is well. FAMILY! I'll talk to you sunday!!! Ah! Weird...Sorella Forbes

About the photos: The first is just one of the beautiful houses that I get to go visit. It belongs to a member in the bishopric. they had us over for lunch yesterday. I love Italy! 
Then Venice and Venice. :)

 

Your cute missionary daughter - I found her in Italy!

A friend sent this great email to us...it was a wonderful surprise!


Mike and Melanie...

It is me, Missy Olsen Mc Grath.  I am in Germany for a few years with my husband on a military assignment- went to Italy with a girlfriend for a few days- we do that here you know.,...you go to St George for the weekend...we go to Venice!  anyway, I went into the new beautiful church building- and there was your cute missionary daughter!  I looked at her and thought..I know you!

she looks sooo good!

see the attached photos of how cute she is!

I hope you are well- please tell your family hello- we love it  here..but, it is a long way from our loved ones!

happy spring

missy 

May 2,2012 Um...what?!

So this week has been really funny. In a weird, shocking, "how did that just happen?" kind of way. One thing is for sure... the Lord knew there needed to be three Sorelle in Pordenone. We have been JAM PACKED with work this last week! It's so crazy.

 

So for our transfer vision, we decided we wanted to set the goal to fill the new beautiful chapel we are blessed with. We set the transfer goal of 4 baptisms. And the Lord is banking on our promise to do all we can to achieve that. We have been SO busy and we don't even know how we have so many people to work with! Seriously! They come out of no where. Our last two weekly planning sessions have taken us at least 4 hours. We had 26 people on our list of those we wanted to visit or see this week. Sunday night we counted up our weekly numbers and when we had finished it was silent and we all just kind of sat there, then we all just kind of started giggling in disbelief. We really don't know how it happened, but we had 1 baptism and confirmation, 10 investigators in sacrament meeting, 3 baptismal dates (for this transfer...) and 5 progressing investigators. We couldn't even talk to all the investigators in church even though we're in 3! Luckily we have great members. We taught 24 lessons last week. On Monday we started doing splits because we had more appointments than we could handle. Luckily we have an amazing ward mission leader who told us in correlation on Friday that we just need to let him know our schedule and he will arrange for members to come do splits with us. It's so great! And last night we were totaling numbers and after we had finished again there was silence and Sorella Walton said "so we've taught 9 lessons in two days....yeah that's fine." haha. Not to mention every night coming home we are EXHAUSTED. But everything about this week is so humbling. It's humbling because we are working, but it's like everything is falling into place and we know that it isn't just us who want to fill this new beautiful chapel. I really believe the Lord has something big in store for Pordenone, and I am blessed to be a part of it. I know that there is no way all of this would be happening with out his help. And oh, yeah, the bishop of the italian ward challenged everyone, in the month of June, to bring someone new to church. So if there are 4 in a family, they have to bring 4 new people to church. We are going to have our hands real full here for the next little while.

 

Let me tell you about a miracle referral we received last Thursday from the office: Mario. 70 years old. His wife is a member of many many years. They were in La Spezia for like the last year. He met with the missionaries. Passed his baptismal interview. Moved back home to Pordenone on Saturday. Came to church on Sunday. He's getting baptized on Saturday. AH! I mean it when I say the Lord has his hand in Pordenone. It's all over the place. Oh and little Piero will be baptized on Saturday too. So cute! His dad is a less active, so he won't be considered a new convert, but still it will be beautiful. Last time we went to visit him he was out in the yard and when he saw us come up he just yelled "Ho letto!!!" or I read! haha. He loves reading the Book of Mormon and is so proud to tell us when he reads the whole chapter that we assigned him. Love it.

 

Our baptism!!! So BEAUTIFUL! It really was so amazing and there was such an amazing spirit. We had 6 investigators come, and all of them absolutely loved it and felt such an amazing spirit. I was with Vicky most of the time. She is one of our baptismal dates and she's from the Congo. Her husband is a member of several years. She never wanted to get baptized until just a few weeks ago she said she received her answer that it was the right thing. At the baptism she just said to me "this is so beautiful. I feel so good." Miracles! Massimiliano was the one who got baptized. He is going to be a leader in the church in Italy! He's so solid and awesome! Our ward mission leader, Fratello Cavallaro baptized him (it was his daughter that had dated him and brought him into the church, but their family is still really close with him) and he was so happy. It was really a miracle for him too I think. He's been out of work and really feeling down I think. We were doing a little spiritual thought on Friday with him at correlation and his wife walked in. We had been talking about the priesthood and had just asked the question how the priesthood had blessed his life. Right then his wife walked in and he just said "ask her," haha. But she said some beautiful things and I think it was exactly what he needed. I am so blessed to be a part of all of these little miracles!!!

 

We work a lot with a senior couple here, the Jacobs. They are in the Military Relations mission and work with the American ward and people on the base. They are awesome. We go to their house every Monday for an FHE with the young singles and families in that ward. And they give us real American Skippy crunchy peanut butter from the base. Happiness. But they are such great people and I am blessed to work with them. PS the base is an air force base... JIM! You should probably get stationed here sometime...just saying...

 

I LOVE Pordenone. Seriously. LOVE it. The ward here is absolutely amazing, the city is beautiful, I have two amazing companions, we have a great pool of investigators who are pretty solid, and i just love everyone we're working with! Yesterday was the Italian equivalent of Labor Day, and the italian ward had a party in the church. They were playing soccer and volleyball outside, chess inside, a foosball table was set up by the baptismal font, card tables everywhere, and food. Oh my goodness food. There are a lot of GANS here (the equivalent of YSA) and they are all so fun and so solid! I loved spending some time with them. On Sunday we taught relief Society and Priesthood combined meeting about missionary work, and i think it got the ward really excited because they were all telling us they have some people they think they want to invite to take the missionary lessons and they gave Book of Mormons away and all that jazz. I think they got really excited too when we told them about our vision for the transfer. We're going to fill this chapel all together!!!

 

We might take a trip to Venezia next Wednesday if the weather is nice, so if the email comes later don't be alarmed. And about calling, we're still working it out. We think we might be able to skype from the Jacobs house. But I'll get the low down so we know for next week. WEIRD! It is so strange that I'm calling home next week... and that I will hit 6 months in two weeks!!! AHH! I don't want to talk about it.

 

Anyway, I love this work and am so blessed to be a part of it. Have i said that enough? I AM SO BLESSED! I love being a missionary. I could do this in Italy for the rest of my life. At least for another year. ;)

 

Love you famiglia e amici! I hope all is well! Vi voglio bene.

 

Sorella Forbes

 American Peanut Butter!

 A beautiful baptism...

The new Church

Old Town