November 28, 2012 - Da quaggiu...

That means from down here... ha. We're on a bit of a low this week. I don't know what happened, but these last two weeks have been crazy! All of our people have disappeared. We have taught maybe a total of 14 lessons in the last two weeks. Which is SO weird. Usually here in Milano we are running around like crazy people because we are so busy! But not anymore. Nope. I keep telling Sorella Lyman "Sorry. Usually our lives are more exciting." I feel bad that she hasn't had a whole lot of teaching experiences. All of our appointments we set up with potential new investigators fall through. I'm not kidding. ALL of the appointments these last two weeks with potentials have fallen through. The only people we are teaching are our new converts, less actives, and members (which don't even count as a real lesson anyway...) It's rough! Abby is still progressing towards baptism but has just been crazy busy with work. But she's still planning on the 15th (if we can teach her everything in time) and she asked if she could give our number to 5 of her friends who are also open and willing to learn. (THAT'S FINE!) Patrick we're still not sure about, but he took a HUGE step of faith and came to church on Sunday. Even though it meant turning down a day of work (he doesn't have a job). HE CAME! We felt impressed to promise him in his lesson on Saturday that if he would make that sacrifice to come to church with faith in the Lord, he would be blessed. So he did. We were walking to church and he turned the corner ahead of us and I said "NO! Sorella! That's Patrick!" He came to all three hours. I was really happy.

But with all these appointments falling through, it means we are doing a LOT of finding. A lot of ringing doorbells. A lot of doors slammed in the face. I think on Monday we knocked on about 200 doors. From that we have 2 numbers. So our finding efforts aren't really seeing a lot of success. Which is really frustrating. Last night we had a bad experience and I almost cried after we left this woman's home. She let us in thinking we were catholic misisonaries. She is an older woman of about 88 years old. Her badante was there too and they invited us in to talk. We sat down and started talking and she told us a bit about her family how she is catholic how she taught the catechismo and everything... we started talking about prophets and we got this know card with a picture of the first vision that says "OGGI DIO HA CHIAMATO UN PROFETA." And she laughed at it because this supposed prophet was on the ground. she kept saying not even in a chair. We were trying to bear testimony and I showed her the Book of Mormon and she went off on Mormons and how they aren't Christian and how they don't read the Bible and how you can only have one wife and where did their church come from Christ lived in Israel etc. etc. etc.... I pulled out a Restoration pamphlet to give her. On the front it has a picture of Christ and says "La Restaurazione del Vangelo di Gesù Cristo." And she went off about how the mormons should teach what was in this pamphlet it talks about Christ and I just said... "well the Mormon church produced this pamphlet..." Then she went through and saw the picture of Peter James and John ordaining Joseph Smith to the priesthood and said "Why do they need three? The pope only needs one." And on and on about that. Then I just thought we had to get out because she wasn't listening to us so I stood up and said something about how we needed to go teach the mormons about Christ and I said "I'm a mormon, signora." Then basically she told us we were going to inferno (hell). So I just said okay enough we're leaving and we basically walked out with a "Call us if you want to learn more" to the badante because she actually did seem kind of interested. But that was a real downer experience to top off a really bad week of not having much opportunity to invite people to come  unto Christ. 

But, luckily, we have the scriptures. I have found alot of comfort in the scriptures, come solito. But it seems I've come across things that just help "heal the wounded soul" (as Jacob says). First on Monday when I was SO tired and didn't want to knock on any more doors, I just kept running Helaman 10 through my head. "Benedetto sei tu (Sorella Forbes), per le cose che hai fatto, poichè ho visto come hai INSTANCABILMENTE proclamato a questo popolo le parole che ti ho dato..." (that's verse 4) I just kept saying to myself and Sorella Lyman "INSTANCABILMENTE!!!" It helps. And then during studies yesterday I read in Alma 6-8 where Alma is preaching the word and is refused by the people of Ammoniha. It talks there about how Satan had hold of the hearts of the people in that city, so they didn't want to listen to the words of Alma. But nonetheless, Alma "s'impegnò molto nello spirito, lottando col Signore in possente preghiera affinchè volesse riversare il suo Spirito sul popolo che era nella città, affinché gli accordasse anche di poterli battezzare al pentimento." So I'm working on more powerful prayers. And then after Alma was rejected and left, he was commanded to go back and he did so "rapidamente." That's all in chapter 8... anyways... the scriptures are great. Our great capi gave us the challenge to read Alma 32 and put the word "work" where it says "word". I learned alot from that about working with diligence, patience, and looking forward to the fruit with faith. So that's what we're doing! We've got to see some results from all this finding sometime soon! Until then I guess I'll try to be patient.

WE bought a Christmas tree! It's cute. and little. And I get really happy and jolly every time I look at it. ha! I like it. And we listen to Christmas music (even more so than usual). All we have is two MoTab Christmas cds (Thanks Sorella Willey!) and then the one of the Christmas concert which is actually also MoTab, but with Nathan Gunn and Jane Seymour. It's great. We're jolly here in Milano. They are starting to hang up a lot of lights around the city, but we haven't seen any of them turned on yet... supposedly they put a GIANT tree at the Duomo. AWESOME! I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!

Let me tell you about something dumb that I did.... Sunday night I was an hour ahead for three hours. It just didn't register in my mind the hour. Just the minutes. So we came home, made a progress record, made some calls, and then we started planning at 9 (or what I thought was 9.) WE finish, i get ready for bed, make Sorella Lyman and I some tisana, brush my teeth, say my prayers and get into bed by 10:30. (or what I thought was 10:30.) All this time Sorella Lyman was studying in the family room and I was thinking (why isn't she getting ready for bed?) at about 10:25 she starts coming in and getting ready. I ask her if she's ready to turn off the light and she's a bit confused but says uh, yeah. So i did. I'm just laying in bed. At 10:43 the capo distretto calls. I'm thinking "Anziano! You're late! It's past curfew! Why are you calling?!" So I let it hang up. Then  I look at the phone... 21:43. "Wait... that should say 22:43..." WHAT?! Then I figured it out. My poor companion, I ask her "Sorella! Why didn't you say anything?!" "well I was confused but i don't know!" Goodness... so I repented real quick of that one and tried to make what time I had left in the day useful... mamma mia. My brain was somewhere else.

But anyway, I'm good. Love you family! Thanks for the letters love and support!

Buona settimana!

Sorella Forbes

November 22, 2012 - BUON GIORNO DI RINGRAZIAMENTO! HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY!

Hi! Remember how last Thanksgiving I was in the MTC?!?!?!

 

I've been a missionary for a year. I kind of had a panic moment last week. GAH! Crazy. Time flies.

 

First of all, let's talk about how today is Thanksgiving. What did we do you ask? We went to Fratelli La Bufala. And ate a LOT of food. A lot. I ate like this yummy mozzarella cooked in cous cous for an apetizer and then a full pizza with Parmigiana di Melanzane. MMM. And then, I ate the BEST cheesecake of my life. Remember how cheesecake is my favorite? Well, Fratelli la Bufala style, is made from latte di bufala. Most freshest delightfullest thing I do believe I ever had eaten. I won't lie and say I don't miss the home made turkey potato yam stuffing feast of years past (I don't count last year because that was th eMTC version...) but I'm pretty grateful for the excuse to eat A LOT of good italian food. I am not complaining. AFter this we are going to go buy a christmas tree. And then I hope to write the family some letters. P day flies by SO fast here in Milano! I really have no idea how I already only have 2 hours left! I don't know what happens. Grandma and Grandpa, I've been working on a letter for you for two weeks now. Hopefully I can finish it and get it to you subito!

 

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY NAT!  I missed it yesterday. Sorry. But I hope it was a good one! Buon compleanno!

 

Second, my new companion!!! Her name is Sorella Lyman. She is from Raleigh, North Carolina and is GREAT! She already basically speaks italian. She studied for 2 years at BYU too. She speaks really well. We're really excited about this time we have to serve together here in Milano. I was really surprised I am training again. I did not expect that. But I guess the Lord knows what he's doing. I'll tell you what President told me about it in interviews later in this email...We have had a CRAZY first week. A lot of things out of the ordinary that happened. It's been good times. On Sunday, our first night doing casa together, we had a miracle. THe night before we chose two streets to try. We went there and it was dark and I won't lie, a little scary. But we had to be there! We rang the first building, no one answered. So we moved to the second and an old lady leaned over the balcony and yelled at us, "don't you have anything better to do?!" So I yelled right back "WE ARE MISSIONARIES AND WE TEACH PEOPLE ABOUT GOD AND JESUS CHRIST!" I think that's pretty important.... BUt she kept yelling, we kept ringing, got someone who told us to come back another time, then moved on. I didn't feel good on that street so we got to our second. We almost went left but something told me turn around and go to the one with the big light in front of it. So we did. Sorella Lyman was ringing the citofonos. WE got in the first door. We're ringing at the second and someone leans out the window asks who we are we tell him and we hear a woman inside "tell them to come up!" So we went up. AT the door we started our teach to find about having peace in this life. They invited us in. 4 young adults. We sat down and they said "so who are you again?" WE told them we were missionaries and carried a message of peace and one of them said "well tell it to us." So we did. We had a prayer. Taught them the restoration, invited them to read and pray, set up a return appointment for sunday, said a prayer and left. It was a miracle! That never happens doing casa! That was maybe the second time on my mission I think. Greenie power! As Sorella Gomez said when we told that story to them... I love my collega!

 

Martin is a rock star. He may or may not have a surprise coming your way, family. I'm really excited about it. I won't tell you what it is, but you'll be happy. Mom will probably cry. Just sayin.

 

Patrick hit a road block this last week. We're trying to work through it.

 

Abby came to church! And all the philipinos love her! She's already best friends with all of them. She's going to get baptized on the 15th!

 

Have you seen the Conference Ensign yet? (ps mom can you send me that?!) Open to the talk by Elder Nelson about missionaries. And then look at the picture of the missionaries. And then look at where those missionaries are. Yeah, those are just my fellow Milano missionaries representin. We made the conference issue! Well, I didn't, but my friends did. :) We're a great group. If I do say so myself.

 

INterviews were yesterday! REmember how I LOVE trainings and conferences and interviews becasue my mind is BLOWN every time by the Wolfgramms? Well, it's true. They are amazing. (can I just add a side note... last week I learned that last year the Italy Milan mission had 319 baptisms. That is triple what it had three years ago. Just sayin...) I had a good chat with President during my interview. I told him I was really surprised to be training again. And he said "Me too." He said he didn't want to have people train back to back like that and that initially he had moved me, but then he went back and started thinking with his heart and inspiration instead of his head and had to put me back. I guess I'm where the Lord wants me! I was really grateful for him and for the things he told me. He is the greatest mission president in the world. I'm convinced! But President and our Sorella just came back from a Conference in Madrid. President said that the Presiding authority there told them that at their training before conference the first presidency and quorum of the twelve said "The Lord is hastening this work." And then President quoted a scripture from DandC about how the hastening will happen in its time and then followed that up with "It is hastening today." HE told us we will have a 30 percent increase in missionaries in this mission next year. We will probably have up to 50 sorelle! (we have 30 right now). I had chills. Yesterday they talked a lot about preparing ourselves for this hastening and correcting what we need to to be able to help in this hastening. It was such a good conference!!! I am so excited for how the work is going in Italy right now and there are so many miracles! And there will only be more!!!

 

I wish I could tell you more, but there's too much to tell! ha!

 

I love you lots family!!!! happy thanksgiving! I am so grateful for you. I am so grateful for this gospel. For this mission. For my Savior. For the Book of Mormon. For my Father in Heaven. For the miracles I see everyday. For the amazing people I've met this last year. For the amazing experiences that are to come. For all the good times but also the difficult. I'm grateful I have the opportunity to grow and to change and to learn and become more like my Savior. I know that He is real and that He lives. And I'm so grateful for the chance to share this testimony every day!!!

 

VI VOGLIO BENE!!!!!

 

Sorella Forbes

 

(imagine me doing my turkey noise...)

November 14, 2012 -Trasferimenti sono sempre pazzeschi...Transfers are always crazy...

Monday. We're waiting to hear what our fate is for transfers.

Every time the phone rings we're on edge. "WHO IS IT?!"

I call the assistants at lunch to ask them what time their baptism is on Saturday and other ward business.

They ask me "Have you talked to President yet?"

Me: pause... uh, should I have talked to President? (we only get calls from President for transfers if it is a big deal, ie training or opening or closing)

Them: AAAhhh ha she hasn't talked to President yet!

ME: Anziano, you have to tell me what's happening now...

Them: No no, President will call. But I'll tell you this, we're still doing the dance activity!

So there I was. Super anxious all day. Knowing that something was changing, just not sure what.

A few hours later we see the assistants to give them the key to the church. Again, all they say is to Sorella Mancuso, "You're going to one of my old cities!" (Anz. Herrington)

So again we knew something was happening, but not what.

Finally, an hour later, we get a call from President.

Me: Pronto?

President: Pronto, Sorella Forbes?

M: Si sono io. Salve Presidente, come va?

P: Va benissimo, grazie! Listen, sorella, I'm calling about transfers.

M: Oh?

P: Yeah. I'm having to split up a lot of coppia that I didn't want to split up. Like you and Sorella Mancuso.

M: Oh?

P: Yeah. So what I'm going to do, I'm going to have you stay here in Milano Navigli. You have really done some great work and I'm very pleased. You're just so happy all the time and so enthusiastic and everybody just loves you!

M: Wow, thanks a lot President. That means a lot.

P: So what I'm going to have you do is kind of re-tread yourself...and...... train again!

M: OH WOW! Okay!

So I'm training in Milano 3 again! Sorella Mancuso is going to Collegno to finish training Sorella Willis, because her trainer is going to open Firenze! I feel really good about this transfer though. It feels right. So I'm happy. Plus so many good things are happening in Milano Navigli right now and I'm so happy!!! I don't know who my new companion is. I'll meet all the new ones today when they come to the duomo, but I won't know who mine is until tomorrow. So I'll let you know next week!

As you can see, we had a baptism! MARTIN GOT BAPTIZED!!! Last Thursday. And it was so beautiful. I felt the spirit so strong. There was a really good turn out by the members also which made it so much better. AFter he was baptized he just stood there with his eyes closed for a second, then he turned with the biggest smile on his face. Then he leaned over the edge of the font and gave his son a kiss. It was the cutest! He bore his testimony after and I wanted to cry. And his family came! His two kids and their mom. They are such a beautiful family! Karla, the 15 year old daughter, came with her dad to his lesson the night before the baptism and asked a lot of questions. She was really curious to know who we were and what we do. Then at the baptism some of the youth really fellowshipped her and got her number. They invited her to an FHE on Monday, and Martin gave her his Book of Mormon. She said she wants to come to church!!!! And the mom of the kids Karen, is so beautiful. I was able to talk to her at the baptism and she kind of poured her heart out to me. I really want to teach her. They want to get married but have to resolve some things first. It's complicated. But I want to teach them! I think there is a great possibility of them becoming an eternal family in the next year or so. Vediamo.

These last couple of days I have been SO HAPPY! I have felt like Ammon in Alma 26: "my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy... I cannot say the smallest part which I feel." Last night after Martin's lesson, he wanted to stay for another we had with Fernando, a Sri Lankan man who is having difficulty understanding why he needs to get baptized again. I think Sorella Mancuso and I went in there with too much "He has to understand!" And I will admit, I don't think I was loving enough. But Martin interrupts while we're talking about the authority and bears the most amazing sincere testimony. The spirit filled the room. He just poured his heart out to Fernando and told him how he just needed to pray to know. About how he was baptized just last week and how he has recommitted himself to follow Jesus Christ. How he doesn't know everything but that he knows this is the truth because he prayed. I welled up with tears. I was SO overwhelmingly happy. I can't even describe it. Last night when I was praying, I had tears of joy and gratitude instead of the tears of heartache that seem to be a bit more common throughout this experience. I AM SO HAPPY!!!!!

And as I am writing this... We had planned to go to lunch with Martin today because he's sad Slla Mancuso is leaving. And we hear him yelling at us from outside and we look... he's here with his whole family!!! So beautiful! I'm so excited! I feel really good about them all... Happiness!!!

So things are good. I have a lot of pictures to send. But they might have to wait. We climbed the Duomo last week. That was fun. Great beautiful clear day.

Sorella Forbes

 

 Martin's new buddy Jose who baptized him.

 

 

 Filling up the font...

 

 

So happy!  Walking home at night from the baptism!

 

 

 Some of my area from the top of the Duomo...I didn't realize how HUGE Milano is!

 

 

 Made it to the top!

 

 

 Sorella Forbes and Sorella Mancuso

and the rest...

just speak for themselves!

 

 

 

 

 

November 7, 2012 Il tempo vola...

Yes. Time flies. I can't believe we are already in week five. I feel like I haven't done anything this transfer! And yet we've been so busy! Crazy. Transfers are next week. I have no idea what will happen, but I know that it will be right. It's probable that I will be transferred, however.

Milano is strange, sometimes. Something that's weird here is that I feel our investigator pool is changing constantly. We set dates with people and then we don't see them for weeks if we see them at all ever again. Every week we are planning for different people, and then those plans don't even get carried through all the way because the next week we are seeing all new people. I'm trying to figure out how to balance that... it's a bit frustrating. We have really amazing people with a lot of potential to accept the gospel! But they're schedules are crazy. I feel like Italy has declined so much even since I've arrived here. There are SO many people without work. The ones who do have work work 14-16 hour days monday-sunday with maybe a day free every 2 weeks. Or they work 3 hour days but those three hours are not set so they could be at any time of the day and they don't have any sort of regularity in their schedule. And there are other scenarios too. It's so sad. We are really seeing a decline in all aspects of life here: Spiritual, physical, familial, psycological... It breaks my heart a little bit. But despite these difficulties we still come upon people who are ready and willing to listen to the gospel every now and then.

Patrick (or in albanian, Petrit) is one of our awesome progressors right now. He doesn't have fixed work but a business will call when they need him, so when they call him he has to go or they won't call him ever again. They call him every Sunday so he can't ever come to church. But he accepted the word of wisdom this week and has already noted the blessings that come from reading the Book of Mormon and praying. He says he feels lighter, more peace, more knowledge... just all the blessings we promise people when we introduce the book of mormon but they don't want to take the time to start reading it and say things like "well, peace is relative. happiness is relative..." NO! These things come from this book and so much more!!! I've kind of been a bit frustrated this last week with encountering many people that just don't care. About anything. It's really sad. I still love them, they just make me sad.

Anyway! Patrick is doing great. Martin will get baptized tomorrow! We re-fixed everything and we're all set up. They announced it in Sacrament meeting and made him stand up so everyone knew who he was. I was real happy. And today is his birthday. So tonight we are going to make him brownies and watch the Testaments and the member that will baptize him will come and practice with him. We're excited. It will be a good day tomorrow.

Yesterday we did scambio in Varese. My third blitz with Sorella Bush and we once again were not companions... I was with Sorella Beutler and we did a lot of finding. We had some pretty good success. But Sorella Beutler is so great and so sincere! She was Sorella Mancuso's companion in the MTC. It was a really fun day. And Varese is GORGEOUS. Someday when we come back to Italy, family, we are going to Lago Maggiore. Close to Varese. Beautiful.

Anyway, it's been a good week. Kind of slow, work wise, but we're happy and having fun and working hard. I'm anxious to know what will happen next week with four new sorelle coming in and none going home. More Sorelle! Sorella power! So they will probably open 2 Sorella cities? Who knows what's going to happen. I'm still hoping for Firenze. :)

Oh yeah... I HAVE A NEW NEPHEW!!!!! He's so cute!!!! Little Bridger. I can't wait to meet him. Send me pictures!!!! I want lots!!! Auguri Famiglia Mason!!!!

Love you family. Miss you, hope you are well.

Sorella Forbes

pictures: The view off our balcony on Monday. Gorgeous!

And then scambio in Varese with Sorelle Bush and Beutler (their apartment is brand new and gorgeous. I was jealous. haha.)

October 31, 2012 - la settimana del battesimo... the week of baptism

First of all, have I mentioned how baptism week is always crazy? Well it is. Crazy. Martin was supposed to get baptized this Saturday, the 3rd, but we have to postpone it until at least sometime next week. We're not exactly sure when, but we'll figure that all out. Remember how last week I talked about how we just love people so much as missionaries and just desire so much for their salvation? Well, along with this love comes the heartbreaks as well. Last night I felt like Nephi in 2 Nephi 33. This mission is hard. But the phrase from Elder Holland keeps running through my head: You wonder why the mission isn't easy? Because salvation was NEVER easy. Someone suffered a lot more than we suffer. So when we ask ourselves why this is so hard and why can't it pass from us, we have to remember that someone greater than us asked that same question a long time ago. A little heartbreak involved this week. A few tears shed. But all is well and we will go on! 

This hard time comes after a whole week cold wet weather and of being sick. I didn't do a whole lot of missionary work this last week. I slept a lot. It's the worst being sick on the mission. Because you are faced with decisions like "okay, All our appointments just fell through... do we go out in the freezing rain and do casa for three hours? Hoping we can get inside where it is dry? Or do we go home and I sleep?..." Most of the time this last week I chose the latter. And it's the worst. But I felt like that was better than getting worse out in the cold rain. I'm feeling better today. Still a stuffy nose and tired, but the gross cough and sore throat is gone. It was miserable though. I was so drained after we went out in the morning for just 2 hours. But I feel really rested and ready to get back to work! We have a lot of work to do here right now!

Our other difficulty, or at least mine, is that I am feeling completely overwhelmed by our potential list. Being in Milano, you usually have a lot more potentials because you are constantly surrounded by people. Our potential list is a mile long and there are so many we want to meet with and could be ready, but we can't get a hold of or find a time to meet with them. (Here in Italy right now, those who have work work 12-14 hour days usually with the weirdest schedules. Hence, it's very difficult to see them. Others just go work when someone calls them so they don't have set schedule at all and appointments fall through. Frustrating). Hence with this stress that comes from all these potentials, I think it's why I have had a hard time contacting people this last week. I think it's the subconcious stress from our hundreds of potentials we already have and want to see! But that's bad. I'm trying to be better. 

Despite being sick, we still had a pretty good week. We set a few more dates for November. We've got some really awesome people, it's just a matter of getting them on solid schedules to teach them all they need to know to be ready for their dates and make sure they are making and keeping solid commitments. But we're doing good!

Miracle story for this week: A few days ago, we went out to contact someone we didn't know on the ward list. First of all it was a miracle we found her address. And she was home just about to leave when we rang her bell. We found out she has been inactive for 30 years, and no one from the church has contacted her in quite some time. She told us she is not interested in the church anymore and is now Evangelist and content. We told her maybe we'd pass by another day but she didn't want to set up an appointment. Yesterday we were waiting for the tbus to go home for lunch, and a tram passes and I see her in the window about to get off. She saw us and made this face like "oh great" and I giggled. No way is it possible that just by chance a few days after us meeting her we see her again! This is Milano. That doesn't happen very often. And then we find out she was taking the two busses that we were taking. Ha! So we got to talk a little bit more and talked a little bit about the restoration just to remind her. She's still not very interested, but we left her a pamphlet on the restoration and told her we would be stopping by another day. She said fine. It was funny. 

Remember how I have the most bomb mission president ever? Well, the assistants found out that I am a choreographer, they talked to President about it, and he approved a dance activity for the youth and YSA in our ward. I'm going to teach them some hip hop! I'm really excited! So I've got a member gathering some music for me and we'll probably put it on in the next couple of weeks before transfers. Excitement! Although it's been almost a year since I've really danced... so that's a bit scary. I don't know anything! Vediamo.

Anyway, it was a pretty good week despite feeling abbastanza giù (pretty down). I'm still doing great and loving Milano! Transfers are in two weeks. I feel like I'll be transferred. But then again I'm always wrong about transfers, so we'll see! 

Mom! We showed up to our Irish investigator's house for the first time in months and I had my long black coat and big scarf and she said I looked Irish! I was happy. :)

Love you family! Buona settimana! HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Today for Halloween we are going to the what we call "creepy bone church" (the entire inside is covered in bones. Real, human, bones. Creepy! And then we are going to check out this Burger joint, and then maybe going to go play around in a backstage vintage shop with costumes and stuff. Fun! I love being in Milano with other sorelle for p day!

Sorella Forbes

 Sorella Forbes new leather 'Italian boots"!

Lovin' the Italian Halloween cookies with Nutella!