Rome Week 12

So, this week was transfer week! It was very hectic. But before transfers my trainer and I had the best last couple of days together. 

Our very last day together we went to a small city in our area and we were planning on stopping by to see people that we haven't been in contact with for a while because they are either busy or don't answer. But we prayed a lot and we studied the scriptures and we had joy in our souls. We were determined to finish our work together out strong. 

It so happened that when we went person #1 house she was sitting outside. She was so happy to see us. She let us in and she started crying with happiness. She said she was in desperation and she had prayed and that the Lord sent us to comfort her. We taught her about repentance and what true repentance really is. We showed an example in the Book of Mormon in one book called Enos. It is very short but very good. It is about a man who was a son of a prophet who felt Godly sorrow for his sins and decided to pray to God all day and night asking for forgiveness for his sins, and for the sins of his people. He was really sorry and soon enough the Lord did answer because of his faith in the Lord and he was forgiven of his sins. This story is beautiful because through the atonement of Jesus Christ we are able to repent of our sins and become clean again. 

Then after person #1 we walked to another person's house that we wanted to visit and we rang her doorbell but she didn't seem to be there. It just so happened we had an Easter concert happening on Friday and Saturday so we wrote a note on the back of the flyer and invited her to come. Right when we finished she came home and was super happy to see us! She gave us a huge hug and made us come in and gave us water... it was so hot outside. She said that the bus was running late so she came back to grab something, but she was so happy we gave her the invite to the concert. Then we were about to leave and she ran after me asking me what my shoe size was and I told her and she gave me a brand new pair of leather shoes made from Italy. She said she had bought them but didn't know why and never used them but she thought I would like them. And I love them!!! It was so cool. 

Then last but not least, we were walking back to our car and we see person #3 walking with her husband on the street and it was perfect timing. So we stopped them and they were super happy to see us as well. She said that just seeing our smile makes her happy. She has been reading the Book of Mormon and she says each time she reads it she feels peace. 

Our last day together was full of miracles and we are so grateful for this gospel and our father in heaven who is so mindful of everyone. 

Then transfers came and I got a new companion whose name is Sorella Peters. She's from California and she's been out 14 months on the mission. Her Italian is very good and she is so happy to be serving with me at the temple visitor center. 

Also, yesterday in the visitor center we had so many miracles and met wonderful people. A lot of the Italians came because of the Christ statute. The day after Easter and they came because our church is centered only on Christ and a lot of them told us they feel peace. They were very happy to be in a place where they can feel the Savior's love for them. 

I'm so blessed to have the opportunity to be a missionary for the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be able to preach the true gospel of Christ to the world. Our purpose as missionaries is to invite people to come unto Christ. And that's the most satisfying happiness I receive when I can just talk about Jesus Christ and how much He really does love us and the truthfulness of the Plan of Salvation that our Father in heaven has for us. 

This week has been a lot.

We have practicing for an Easter concert that is happening and be held in the visitor center. We are inviting so many people to come and watch. All the visitor center sisters are singing things about Christ. It will be good. 

Also, this week we have met a lot of different people from so many other countries visiting the temple. 

The temple is such a blessing for so many people. 

Yesterday was a miracle!  For the first time a family invited us over for Pranzo (lunch) right after church. It was so yummy. They made us soup tortellini, I loved it. Feeding the missionaries is very important.

We then shared a spiritual message with them and we decided to share it on humility and how to be humble and why it is an important thing to be humble. 

We shared the story in the Book of Mormon in the book of Ether chapter 3 when the Brother of Jared prays to the Lord to help them with light on the boats. The prayer that the Brother of Jared says is so humble. He's a mighty prophet of God and he was asking for forgiveness at the same time. I encourage you all to read the story of the Brother of Jared and encourage everyone to try and be humble like Christ. 

Today for P-day we visited the Castello Sant'Angelo. It was so cool. We went with our district since it's our last time together as a district since we had transfer calls today which means we could go to a different area in our mission with a new companion. 

I'm staying in my same area but I'm getting a brand new companion named Sorella Peters. I have never met her so I'm kind of nervous about it. 

Today was also actually a very warm day which is good because the weather here has been very bipolar as in... in the mornings it will be cold and then it gets warm or rains out of no where. One day is cold and the next warm, it's so weird. 

I hope everyone has a great week!

Rome Week 10 - Late Entry

This is actually a week late but...
So, this last week was not very interesting since I was sick the whole week. 
Last Tuesday was my zone conference and it was super long but super cool. 

We learned how to strengthen one another and support one another as missionaries. 

We learned better communication skills and how to become more Christ-like.

I also had to explain one of the rules I liked and why but all in Italian, and I'm proud to say it was successful. 

After zone conference, I got really sick. I was super dizzy, horrible cough, couldn't breath and body aching. 

I thought it was just a head cold so I didn't do anything about it. But as the days went one I got even sicker so I stayed in my apartment most of the week. I couldn't do missionary work. It was horrible being cooped up inside. 

But I did read my scriptures and practiced my Italian. I also got to watch General Conference. 

For those of you who do not know what that is it's one of the best things ever. We believe in a living prophet called by Heavenly Father and we also have 12 apostles today. And twice a year the prophet and the apostles talk to all of us and it is broadcast throughout the world. 

They usually talk about how to become more like Christ and about Christ's teachings. 

This year it was very very good. I totally recommend everyone to watch it. It is online on the website "thechurchofjesuschrist.org" 

 

We invited a person we are teaching to come watch it with us and he was so happy. He said he could feel Heavenly Father's love for him and he knew that President Russel M Nelson is a prophet. He loved everything and really wants to be baptized. 

Then today for p-day we went to Porta Di Roma, which is a huge mall just across from the temple. We printed off pictures for our dedicas and we just shopped. We also found a lady on the street trying to find out how to get to the temple. And we told her to follow us since we were going there anyway. She then realized we were the missionaries and was so grateful she had been trying to get there for at least 2 hours and she said she was very blessed to find us at the moment she was about to give up. 

I know that this gospel is true and that the way the Lord has chosen to guide his people is through scriptures and living prophets. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He never changes. 

I know Joseph Smith was a prophet and that he translated the Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ for us. I know President Nelson is a prophet.