Sorella Forbes, Italy Milan Mission: August 16, 2012 Miracoli nei parco - Miracles in the park

It was Saturday morning. We had it wide open for finding time. So we decided to try a new park. We headed there and started with our teach to find about the Plan of Salvation. We were getting straight up shut down left and right. About an hour and a half we were feeling really discouraged. I had never seen so much rejection in so little time. We were debating whether or not to change parks or change our T2F, and so we decided to pray about it. We sat down on a bench and said a prayer. We both felt that we needed to stick with the advice of our leaders and stick to what we had planned. An hour later, we left the park with four lessons and 7 new investigators. Miracle! That was a really cool morning.

This week has been really good. Our scambio in Varese was amazing. Sorella McNamara is so great. We had fun talking about all of our art history friends. Claire, Ciera, Brittany, Heidi, Emily.... etc etc. PS shout out to Heidi... Congrats on the marriage! Got your announcement. And it is so cute! One of my favs I've seen. Anyway... don't know if you read this, but thanks! Anyway, Sorella McNamara and I taught a lesson on prophets to one of their investigators. We didn't have anything planned because we went straight from the station basically, but it was so awesome. I felt like we were both really intune with the spirit and it was a really good lesson! I loved teaching with her! And then we did a whole lot of finding and met some really amazing people and got them some new investigators and some really great potentials. Varese is beautiful! Their view is so gorgeous. I'll attach a picture... Sorella Walton opened Varese, so SORELLA WALTON: I thought about you a lot while I was there. Miss you! Got your letter too. Love you! Comunque (However), Varese scambio was a success.

The other night we were doing casa and I rang the citofono and the person responded in english. That had never happened to me before... I panicked. I didn't know what to say in english! So I looked at Sorella Bishop and she was just "we're sister missionaries. we want to share a message about the family..." So I repeated after her. But it was crazy! All english thoughts escaped my mind. Funny.

Crazy thing happened the other night... so we were sound asleep. When we sleep we leave all the windows and doors open because it keeps a cool breeze going through. We put rocks in front of the doors to keep them from slamming. The other night at about 12,30, a HUGE breeze came rushing through our apartment, our bedroom door SLAMMED, and the glass shattered... ha! Scared me half to death. But it was weird because something woke me up seconds before and I saw it happening in my mind. Then it happened. And I'm really grateful otherwise I probably would have had a heart attack.

Yesterday we had interviews, and oh my goodness... I LOVE THE WOLFGRAMMS! My interview with President was really great, but what he and Sorella Wolfgramm talked about yesterday changed my life. They talked a lot about how their mission statement is to get the mission to go through the missionary. So they talked about what that means exactly. Then President talked about sanctification and how we are all our own book of life. Everything we do in this life leaves a mark on us that when we meet Heavenly Father, these marks will be like letters of a book he will be able to read very clearly. I wish I could explain everything he said, but basically he talked about repentance being the purification that erases the bad marks, but they still leave an impression. But then that it is sanctification that gets rid of those impressions and we become completely clean and perfect. It is the things that become a part of us that will leave impressions. I am learning SO much about the Atonement on my mission. Especially from the Wolfgramms. In my interview President asked me how I thought that mission statement was going for me, how I thought my mission was becoming a part of me and going through me. I am forever changed by my mission already and I am hoping these next nine months I can let it go through me enough that it will always be a part of me and that it will have changed me for eternity. Even more than it already has. And then Sorella Wolfgramm talked about having a Christ Centered core... and I can't even describe that in this short email. I was blown away. I repeat: I LOVE THE WOLFGRAMMS!!! I honestly believe I have the best mission president and the best mission president's wife in the world. No contest.

PS today is my 9 month mark. Can you believe that?! I can't... Barf. I don't want to think about what that means...

Next week are transfers. I will be getting a new companion. I'm excited to see who she is!

Arrivederci for this week! Vi voglio un sacco di bene, tutti. (I want a lot of good, all)Thank you continually for all of your love and support. I really do feel your prayers lifting me up.

Sorella Forbes