Last email from the USA, next stop Rome

Hello so this is my last week in the MTC. I leave Monday for Italy and Ive never been more excited in my life. Today is p-day and I have basically packed everything since my visitors center training schedule will not give me time. Let me tell you guys about visitor center training and as a Sister in there what we do.

We will be using a lot of technology. On this website called Mormon.org people can order a free bible or Book of Mormon. And the visitor center sisters are the ones who call to confirm the persons address and answers any questions they have. Through this we also ask them what interested them and can build a relationship through the phone. Also on this website people all over the world has the right to chat with a member  of the church Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Usually those are the Sister missionaries in visitors centers. So we answer their questions about the church or about Christ or anything really. If they want to talk more or let us read the Book of Mormon or bible with them, then we get to schedule another appointment with them either text, email, phone call, Skype, or Facebook messenger. If they want to meet with someone in person then we call and pick their local missionaries and then both of us works together to teach this person. Also we have to memorize all the history of the church in somewhat detail and then memorize the history of your certain visitor center so as for me I will have to learn all about the visitor center in Rome, but they will teach me when I get there. I have to know ALL the paintings, statues, and architecture and history behind that since I will have to teach. What’s cool about being a VC missionary is that we are like all the other missionaries with the same purpose, Bringing people closer to Christ. And we do this by teaching them in the visitors center and using our other resources like pictures, the videos, the statues. We actually don’t prepare lessons like most missionaries because we never know who is going to walk into the visitors center. So we have to study just everything and trust in Heavenly Father that through the Holy Spirit He will help us approach anyone with good questions to know what they are in need of and then we teach them what we feel would help the person. It is pretty cool. 

There are a total of 20 visitor centers in the world. Most of the, are in the United States, there’s one in London, France, São Paulo Brazil, Mexico, and now Rome. These are the only ones I know of out of the country and there could be more.

The teachers are excited because we are the only ones in the class to ever go to the Rome visitors center and they say it’s like we are helping to open it and we will be in history. 

So on Tuesday was our last day of Italian class because Wednesday,Thursday, and Saturday is all visitor center training and we go to class basically all day than regular missionaries. The class is all girls since only girls can be in visitor centers. But very few girls because not a lot get called to visitor centers. On Saturday at 1:00 until 9:00 pm we will be in Salt Lake City at temple square in the visitor center for our final training, so I’m excited to go there. 

So this has been most of my week. To end I would like to share a scripture with you guys from the Book of Mormon. So in the Book of Mormon we have these two groups of people the Lamanities and the Nephities. The nephities were usually very righteous people who believed in all the prophecies concerning the coming and death of Jesus Christ and they would follow God”s commandments. And the Lamanities were very wicked, they did not believe in God, they didn’t keep His commandments and they were a blood thirsty people and very jealous of the nephities. They hated the nephities and always sought to take over their land and people through battles. So in the Book of Mosiah chapter 9 this is what is happening. The Nephities heard that the Lamanities were going to attack and they weren’t as strong as them but I love what they did in verses 17-18 which reads

“17 Yea, in the strength of the Lord did we go forth to battle against the Lamanites; for I and my people did cry mightily to the Lord that he would deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, for we were awakened to a remembrance of the deliverance of our fathers.

18 And God did hear our cries and did answer our prayers; and we did go forth in his might; yea, we did go forth against the Lamanites, and in one day and a night we did slay three thousand and forty-three; we did slay them even until we had driven them out of our land.”

I absolutely love this because they had so much FAITH in God that they prayed to Him in mighty prayer, truly asking for help. Because of their faith in coming to God through this time God answered their prayers and the nephities were able to defend themselves and defeat the Lamanities. 

This tells us through all of our trails and hard times we can and should have faith in Christ. We should come unto him in mighty prayer knowing that He can help us. I know that if you do God will answer your prayers and will help you in anything you need.

I hope you guys have a great week! 

Sorella Hyatt