Sorella Forbes, Italy Milan Mission: 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