Rome Week 24

This week has been a very an amazing week! We met a lot of different people in the visitor center this week from some different places. 

We met a Hungarian couple who walked in to the visitor center. It was pretty cool because they knew just a little bit of English and the rest was just in Hungarian. So we taught them using English and Google translate. We taught them the Restoration of the Gospel. They loved the temple and how beautiful it is. We ended up giving them a Book of Mormon in Hungarian and then they asked us if we could give their information to the Hungarian missionaries because they wanted to learn more. It was really amazing, I was able to contact the missionaries in Hungary and got them in contact with this couple. It was super cool! 

We also met up with an inactive member of the church that we had been trying to meet up with since the first day I arrived in Italy and finally we did. We went to Toffia, another city in our area, where the lady works. She met with us and she was very happy to meet with us. So that was awesomel! 

Then, I am teaching two Brazilians now. One was given to me by the other sisters because this man is from Brazil and only speaks Portuguese so we have a lesson appointment with him on Thursday in the Visitor center. 

Then the other Brazilian is a woman I found on online teaching. This person is from Goias, Brazil (the state where my mom is from and where I have spent a lot of time) and she had requested a Book of Mormon. So, I called her to see how she wanted it delivered; it was interesting how she found out about the Book of Mormon. She said she was just watching YouTube with her little little kids and then she saw the Book of Mormon on it and she really wanted to know more. I asked her if she would like to learn more from the missionaries in person or online and she said online. So now I'm her missionary!  We have an online appointment tomorrow evening. So I have to practice my Portuguese better  and that is very exciting. 

This week my companion and I have been studying about Pride and that the antidote to pride is Humility. To be humble takes our whole entire lives. But we can strive day by day to be a little more humble. When we become humble we learn to come closer to our Savior. We learn how to become like our Savior. 

Pride is a sin, it keeps us away from the Savior. If we look at the Book of Mormon and look how many times the Nephities got caught up in their pride and they had hardened their hearts to the words of the Lord, and then they are hit with destruction. We need to try to be humble like Enos, a prophet in the Book of Mormon, was when he recognized he had sinned and then he got on his knees for multiple hours and prayed for forgiveness. 

I know as we read the Book of Mormon everyday we can learn to be humble and become like our Savior Jesus Christ. It teaches us about Jesus Christ and how we should keep the commandments. I know it will bring us closer to God.

Sorella Hyatt🇮🇹

Rome week 23

This week has been a good week. Let me just start off with my new companion. She is a very good missionary who likes to be obedient to the mission rules. Obedience is the key to everything in this life. I think, because both of us have tried to be obedient, we have seen so many miracles this week. 

1) There was a day where both my compaion and I felt like we should go to this small city named Toffia which is kind of far but for some reason we felt the need to go. We walked around this ancient city, it was very beautiful but old. It was soooo hot and we were very, very thirsty. Deep inside I had prayed for some water or something. While walking and once we made a turn for another street to knock on doors. We saw a lady taking down her laundry and she looked at us and said she recognized us from when we did our studies in the park when she was there. She asked us if we would like some water and invited us in. I was so grateful that we had waited and then she asked us about what we believed. So we taught the Plan of Salvation and she was very interested and had so many questions that we could answer all in that time. So she asked us to come back and teach her some more because she liked talking to us, and now we have a new person to teach 

2)  After that my companion and I didn't feel like going to Montegrottone, a city we had planned to go, we didnt have a good feeling. So we kept driving and didn't know where we should go. But I had a thought come into my head to go to one of my first cities ever, Passo Corese, so I told my companion and she said, “well if you feel like it let's go”.  So we went and the first person we saw was a family we used to teach a while ago and lost contact with.  I talked with them and they made an appointment with us on Monday night! After that my companion  and I were trying to find someone and while we were walking I was telling a story to my companion  about the first person I ever got in contact with to teach the gospel and in mid sentence we ran into Him and his wife!!!  He was so happy to see me and he was so surprised and said "wow you learned Italian now!" Since I taught him when I was fresh in Italy. Then we got an appointment with him and his wife again on Saturday!!! It was soooooo cool. 

For P-Day today we were planning on going to the Leonardo Di Vinci museum but as we were walking on the streets we found a very cool history museum about all of the famous buildings and their history in Italy. It's a fascinating show  inside the old Augustus Cinema, where you are literally surrounded by the tale of the history of Rome. It was fun! 

I hope everyone has a great and blessed week. 

Sorella Hyatt🇮🇹

Week 21 and 22 - Rome

So, this week (week 21) has been full of many things. A lot of the things I can not really remember.

Everyday we have been teaching a person that is getting baptized this Wednesday. She is so dedicated into learning the gospel and we are so impressed with how she actually studies the scriptures and prays for knowledge and she is very faithful. She is so content and happy to be able to be baptized into the true and only church of Jesus Christ by proper authority direct from Jesus Christ. This makes me so happy too. I can see her growing so much and realizing true happiness in her life is coming through learning about the true gospel of Jesus Christ. 

We also got transfer calls this week. I am staying in my "birth city" (first city of my mission) in Sabina, Italy.  I have been here for 6 months and it is about to be a 7th.

I found out that I will now be a senior companion to a girl who was called to the visitor center but went outbound (into the country) first to learn the language; I'm her 2nd compaion. I will have to help her in the visitor center. But that's good. 

Yesterday I taught a lady online together with one of our senior couples wife since my companion went to Napoli to get her permesso. Also, I taught someone who lives in Texas and wanted to know the role of Christ. We briefly talked about the Plan of Salvation and talked to her about the Atonement of Jesus Christ which was so powerful. She was so relieved when she realized that she could get a remission of her sins. It was incredible. 

Also this week I was able to teach one of my friends back at home and that was so cool. She was very happy to talk to me. And I'm very excited that she wants to take another lesson. 

This week was full of teaching and it was very good to be able to teach people who were open and ready to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

This week (week 22) was transfers. My companion has finished her 18 month mission and went home.

I got a new companion, Sorella Weaver. 

However, before transfers, my companion and I had a BAPTISM. We found this lady in the visitor center and we taught her for 6 weeks in the visitor center for the lessons.  She felt the church was true and she had such a beautiful baptism! It was great! 

This week has been filled full of miracles and has strengthened my testimony about the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Sorella Hyatt🇮🇹

Rome Week 19 and 20

This week has been a very good week. We first got our brand new Mission President. President and Sorella Smith. So on Monday we had the chance to meet them and get to know them. I had the chance to sing with Sorella Barnes, Anziani Lewis/Lambert the EFY medley for our new mission president. I was very very nervous because it was in front of a lot of missionaries and of course president. 

This past Sunday I gave my first talk in church and in Italian too. As a missionary we don't get a lot of time to plan that kind of thing because we have so much we do during the day. My topic was about responses to our prayers.  I had studied about it in personal study and I was very prepared but not really to translate all that in my head in Italian. So I did work on some of it but Saturday night we had a cute summer concert that was called Eternal Families. I was singing in that as well and we had to practice a lot before the actual concert. We had the concert but the concert didn't end until 10:20 pm that night and missionaries are supposed to be home at 9:00 and sleep by 10:30. Also, my companion and I had to help some other sisters who don't have a car to get home and we didn't get home until 11:00 that night.  I tried to finish up my talk in Italian but I was so tired so I prayed and went to bed. The next morning it was so hard to wake up at 6:30 but we did. I prayed a lot about my talk and as soon as you know it I was in church and I had to give my talk and I didn't have to use anything I wrote down. The language came naturally and I was able to give the talk I wanted to with the words I wanted to use.  My branch president was so proud of me and of how I improved in the language since the very first time he met me and that made me happy. 

Last but not least, my companion and I have a BAPTISMMMMM. It will be my first baptism. We found her through the visitor center and we have been teaching her up till now. Her baptism will be next week at 6:30. She comes to church every Sunday, she has such a beautiful testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ and of the Book of Mormon and that Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God. She told us that she feels peace when she comes to church and she feels peace when she reads the Book of Mormon and that everything makes more sense now. It has made me so happy.  My companion is very excited about it because the day after her baptism my companion will be going home and so it's just really cool. 

A lot of people say that we barely baptize in Europe but I think it is just slower. The temple has brought many blessings to the Italian people and it has made missionary work easier with very cool experiences. 

I know that the reading the Book of Mormon brings joy and peace in Christ. And that God is the same as yesterday, today and tomorrow and he is unchanging and that we do have a living prophet today just like we did in the Old testament because that is how God reveals His will to His people is through prophets.

Sorella Hyatt🇮🇹

WEEK 19

This week has also gone by fast. With a lot of things but I can't really remember so much. 

We have been practicing a lot for the Visitor Center concert. We are all singing and I have a small solo with Sorella Becker. The concert is about how families can be together forever not only in this life but for eternity  This is made possible through our temples.  We are able to be sealed to our families and it is not till death do we part but the temple ordinances allow us to be together forever.

 We have also been working very hard on inviting people to come to the concert and it's been very good. So many Italians really love music and families so a lot of them are very interested. 

 The visitor center this week has been pretty full. We had 3 tour buses full. So many people came for the temple and that was super cool. I was able to talk to lots of people from all over. 

 I also learned something new from the New Testament. I'm sure most of you know the Parable of The Good Samaritan. Well it has more meaning than what it seems. So the Levite was coming from Jericho which is was one of the lowest cities in that time and when he came up he was left for dead. The good Samaritan was coming from Jerusalem(or another city which I can't remember) but it was a higher city and he had compassion on the man and not only patched up his wounds but made sure he would be okay the following days. So the Levite man represents Adam from the Old Testament and when he had fallen from the Garden of Eden he was separated from the presence of God which means he was at a low place. The good Samaritan represents the Savior who came all the way from the high place (heaven) to come down to redeem Adam from his sins in order for him to return to live with Heavenly Father. Since we are the children of Adam and Eve this pertains to us as well ! I really loved this symbolism that is portrayed and it is in the stain glass inside the visitor center. I love the New testament so much and I love learning more and more about our Savuor Jesus Christ. 

I invite everyone to think about the atonement of Jesus christ and what he has done for us.

I hope all of you have a great week.

Sorella Hyatt🇮🇹

6 Months in the Mission - Rome Week 18

This week went by so fast that I can't remember a lot of the things that happened. I was mainly with Sorella Mannucci and she is Italian. She is like my other companion because my companion and her companion are sister training leaders and were in meetings together in order to prepare for zone conference. I did a lot of finding with Sorella Mannucci. I only spoke Italian with her throughout the whole week which really increased my progress in the Italian language.

I also hit my 6 month mark on the mission about 5 days ago. My companion woke up and made me chocolate chip pancakes to celebrate for my 6 months. I had not realized it was my 6 months. It was kind of weird because everyone treated it like it was my birthday 

  We have a concert this next Saturday at the visitor center by the temple and we have been inviting everyone to come. A lot of people are planning on it. 

Zone conference was pretty good. It was faster than usual because it was my mission president's last zone conference with us and when our new mission president comes in we will have another zone conference. We learned how to work with members and why members are important for missionary work. We learned how to use technology in missionary work and how it can be very effective and a blessing. 

After zone conference the Anziani (Elders- male missionaries) in my district, those who are in the island of Malta and us went to part of my area and did a gesso. 

A gesso is where we put this huge painting of the temple on the floor of the city and all of us with our companions break off into the city and invite people to the temple. So we all invited people to our concert and it was really fun to do that. 

The next day we were on exchanges so again I was with Sorella Mannucci and we went to a part of my area called Toffia! When I had my first transfer the Elders had gone there and they were really creeped out and scared because there were faces on the walls and a sign with a creepy puppet show and that they saw a whole bunch of signs pointing to the tunnel of happiness and when they followed it they saw a cave with an old doll on a chair with flowers and candles and they ran away and told us never to go. 

Knowing me I wanted to go and it is part of my area and there are people there that need the true Gospel of Jesus Christ so I took everyone there since I am the designated driver and it was daytime. We were inviting people to the concert and Sorella Mannucci and I went inside the city and it looked like old Italy which was so cool. But we went deeper and deeper and it was kind of like a dead town. Soon enough we saw the faces on the wall which I did take pictures of, and we saw the puppet sign - hahaha - I wasn't that scared I just thought it was interesting. It was such a beautiful city and a lot of people seemed interested in the concert.

 

Here in Rome it has also been so hot, I already have an ugly shoe tan line and my companion got a sunburn on her neck - hahaha. But at least we have breeze. 

This week I have been reading a lot of the Book of Mormon and in the Words of Mormon he explains that King Benjamin taught his 3 sons about the importance of the golden plates (ie. The Book of Mormon) and how it teaches to follow the Savior and to keep the commandments and it's a blessing that we have them. I really admired that because it truly only talks about Christ and His gospel and through the Book of Mormon we can get closer to God. 

I'm so grateful to have the Book of Mormon in my life and that all these prophets sacrificed so much in order to preserve and write these records.

Sorella Hyatt

Rome Week 17 - transfers

This last Thursday I had transfers. I had to drive back and forth a lot in Rome to help other missionaries get to the train station with their bags so they were able to go to their new area.


And that is where, the train station, I received my new companion. Her name is Sorella Sullivan and it is her last transfer so she will be going home soon. But she is soooo amazing. She is very obedient and she loves to work! I like that because we are going to get a lot of missionary work done together.


I have been online teaching and so far I have spoken to mainly Brazilians online and referring them to the missionaries in Brazil. Almost everyday I call some Brazilian missionaries and tell them about the person I'm referring to them. I didn't imagine that I would be using my Portugues so much while living in Italy.


I also talk to a lot of people from the United States who request either a Bible or Book of Mormon and if they want to be taught online then I'm the person they talk to and teach them but if they want their local missionaries then I have to call the missionaries in their area and transfer this person to them. So, it's pretty cool.


This week my new companion and I also got a referral from the Elders because two women want to see the visitor center and they want us to teach them and show them around so we are excited to talk to them.


I have been getting better and better in the language. The language is coming easier with my head. I'm studying the language all the time.


Sorella Hyatt🇮🇹

Rome Week 16

So, this week was very fast.


One day we went to Corese Terra another little town in our area that is close but big. Therefore, we decided to do some finding down there. The people were so nice and it was a very warm day with light wind which felt perfect. We had prayed before hand that we would just have nice people who wouldn't yell at us for being Missionaries and if they did reject the gospel of Christ then it would be in a nice way. And honestly our prayers were answered. A lot of people said they weren't interested but gave us a handshake or a smile and we went on our way. There was one house that we rang and an elderly woman peeked out from the top window and we told her we were missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ and we wanted to show her a video about Christ. She had shut the window and we were about to turn around but then she came downstairs and gave us a huge hug. She couldn't watch the video but she let us give her a picture about Christ and invite her to the Visitor Center for the Rome Italy Temple. Then she was so excited that she took us on a walk to her best friend's house so she could meet us too and talk about Christ. This lady was so excited and told us that whenever we came back we are welcome in her home. It was very cool!!

Then this week we started teaching online at the visitor center. So we started by making some calls to people who requested free Bibles or Book of Mormons. So far no one answered when I called. I had one call me back but I was not available at the time. And as a visitor center missionary I help people receive their Book of Mormon or Bible requests. I help them read it if they want and I answer questions regarding the church and our beliefs. It's pretty fun!!

This week was full of tour buses of people who came for the temple and to see the visitor center. At one point I taught 3 huge groups, at different times of course, about the stain glass mural. It is my favorite thing to talk about. I love getting their insights on their favorite parables and why they love them. Then I point it out for them and I also explain certain small symbolism that is in there. I love telling them what my favorite parables are as well.


There was one day that I had talked about it a total of 10 times and I wasn't even tired of it. A lot of people ask me how I know all these things and I told them that it is all in the New Testament and I study it along with the Book of Mormon. I love the visitor center so much.


Also, a funny story. So, apparently I don't look very American. I saw this lady sitting by herself in the visitor center so I decided to talk to her. I asked her where she was from and she said "United States" and I said "okay, where in the states?" And then she said "you probably don't know it" and I just looked at her waiting for a response and she finally said "Utah" and I said "I know where that is!" She looked very surprised and then said "do you know where I can find American missionaries, I saw two tall blonde ones somewhere" and I just couldn't believe what I was hearing and I was trying to think of a response then she snapped and said "there's only 2 American missionaries in here, how hard can that be?" And I said "well it's hard since there are so many American missionaries in here the way you described." And then she said "how many" and I responded with a smile "I have no idea but I am American" and I think she about had a heart attack her mouth open wide and she said "what I thought you were Italian or Hispanic" and I tried to hold in my laugh and then I went to find the most American looking missionaries. Haha, it was funny to me!

Sorella Hyatt

Rome Week 15

Rome Week 15

So, my week was basically my companion and I going to a new part of our area and doing finding. It was actually very fun. 

Let me tell you guys about my p-day.  Apparently, yesterday, Monday, I was supposed to get my fingerprint appointment for my "permesso" so I can stay in Italy. Well, we forgot.... my companion was freaking out about it and stressing. But I was completely calm. I knew that Heavenly Father sent me here for a reason and that He would help me. So we prayed and I told my companion that I have faith, and if Heavenly Father could save my hair from being caught on fire then he could help me with this. 

Then this morning we got up early and made it to the embassy and usually it takes a normal person about 3 hours. But it took me only 45 minutes and we were out. 

After that we went and saw the St Sebastian Catacombs which was super cool.  We couldn't take photos inside of the catacombs but of the church we could take photos.

We basically did everything that we wanted and needed to do. We grabbed lunch and then went grocery shopping for food. 

I know through faith in Christ we can literally do anything and he will help us. We just have to trust in Him. 

Sorella Hyatt

(note: Mom posted my photos on her Facebook account)

Rome Weeks 13 and 14

WEEK 13

This week was a very fast week. We mainly stayed in the visitor center this week. Our schedule has been weird, still adjusting to transfers. But it was a very relaxing week. We talked to so many people about Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Christ is literally my favorite topic especially during Easter.

Oh funny story 

So, this week, since my companion and I have a car, we had to help the Rome 3 sorelle (sisters) get to their apartment. They live about 30 minutes away from the temple and usually have a car but someone crashed into them. Taking a bus takes more than an hour so we helped. So we never go out there so it was the first time. So getting there was very nice because we had the other girls to guide us. But then after we dropped them off, it was difficult. Google maps wasn't working well. And I was the one driving and my comp trying to get us back home. We accidentally take a wrong turn and went through the same round about 3 times, and it was dark and the roads are not like in the United states; there are barely any signs anywhere. So we soon get on the highway and realize we are on the road to Napoli, Italy which is like 2 hours away from Rome and we couldn't find a way to turn. We were also running out of gas and we had to get home by about 9:00 at night, well too late for that because it's like 10:00 pm.  Then we finally found a gas station to get gas. The gas station was super sketchy and scary. And finally we went off and found a turn around. All the way back to the FIRST round about that we had gone over and over again. And we did it 2 more times until we finally found the small outing to the road back to Rome where our apartment is. It was so weird. 

MIRACLES: My companion was sick one of the days this week so we were stuck in the apartment. And I've been lazy to cook anything to eat for breakfast or lunch. So I decided to make an early dinner and make some Brazilian rice for my companion and I. Well, the stove isn't as secure as it is in the U.S. like you can actually see the gas and fire under the pot. So I went to check the rice and I leaned over and then I felt this huge sensation of heat on my neck and when I jerked back my hair was caught on fire. Just the right side on some of my long bangs. I ran out of the kitchen and in to the bathroom and at this point the fire was out but there was ashes everywhere. And I knelt down in deep prayer and asked my father in heaven to please save my hair and help it so I wouldn't have to cut all of it off. And I know it sounds dumb but for me it was a big deal and I was about to cry for my hair. And I prayed and told Father in heaven. My companion wakes up to the smell of burnt hair and sees me just trimming off the tips that was black  and she told me we should cut all my hair. But I had faith in the Lord so I was my hair with a regeneration conditioner and then I put a hair mask on it. After an hour I blow dried my hair straight and... 

My hair became soft and good as new. I didn't even have to cut the length. You could never tell  it was burnt. 

I know even the small, or dumb little things, if you pray for them and they are important to you then God will answer you prayers. You just need to have faith. I know He answers all prayers. 

I know he does because he has always answered my prayers. And he answered Joseph Smith's prayer. If it wasn't for Joseph's prayer we wouldn't have the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ or the priesthood. 

Have a great week 

Sorella Hyatt

WEEK 14

This week was zone conference week. What that means is that the missionaries that serve close to my area get together in a meeting with our mission president and his wife and we do a conference training on how to become more like Christ and how to bring people closer to Christ. It helps us reflect the service we are doing as missionaries and how we can be better servants of the Lord. Well, there are two zones of missionaries in Rome so while the one zone was having their conference my zone of sorelle (sisters) stayed in the visitor center almost everyday because we needed people to be in there to help the visitors. 

It was very nice, a lot of people came in and wanted to know more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

Then at zone conference we discussed the topic of obedience. As a missionary we have guidelines and rules that we must follow in order to be a worthy, good, servant of the Lord. As missionaries we try to live as Christ lived in order to teach about Christ we need to live like him. We discussed about how we should be obedient to the commandments of God. And as missionaries our guidelines is either to keep us safe from harm and danger or to help us be like Christ. Being obedient is a very good Christ-like attribute that we must try to achieve. 

Then after zone conference we went out finding in our area in a small town up a huge mountain called Scandriglia. It had a beautiful castle. It took us an hour and 30 mins to get there, we had never been there and our maps wasn't working. 

Once we got there, there was a one way road in the city and we were trying to find a place to park so we could go ring some doors.  The town looks like Lord of the Rings hobbit houses and everything is cute and old looking and clean. As we go up this one street we realize that it's a dead end and had to back out so Sorella Peter's had to back me out. It took us almost 20 minutes total to back me out so we were safe on the narrow road. But then when we found a place where I could back up and go forward to a different road. I didn't notice there was a fence on the side of the car when I was backing up and my companion had gotten to that side so I couldn't see her anymore and I couldn't hear her when she said stop. So she was slammed between the edge of the gate and the car and all I heard was "drive forward fast" so I did. My companion is okay but she got a huge bruise on her pelvis. I felt so bad, I prayed for her. But she was able to still walk and she feels fine. That same day we found a place to park and a girl our age let us in to talk about the message of Jesus Christ. Her dad and brother was there and they're from Romania but speak Italian; they heard the whole lesson and the wanted a Book of Mormon. They wanted us to come back. It was such a great experience. 

Then this Sunday we had stake conference. This was my first stake conference in Italy. This is where a bunch of congregations of our church around the Rome area get together and do a conference. It was such a good one. The Italians had a choir and it was so beautiful. 

After that we went home and ate lunch. We did our scripture studies and language studies. After that we did our shift at the Visitor center. I had a wonderful experience. There were 4 women from Utah on a study abroad trip for art. They came in to the visitor center and they wanted to know everything. I took them around and basically bore my testimony about each part. There was one girl in particular about my age and I had a huge feeling that she was feeling alone and she looked very sad. I took them into the theater room and showed them an 11 minute video called the Storms of Life, these videos are only showed in visitor centers. It's about the story of Christ on the boat with the 12 apostles and how He sleeps through the storm. And it shows a real person's "storm" in life and how they overcame them through the atonement of Jesus Christ in their lives. 

I bore my testimony afterwards. 

Life is very hard, nothing is easy and at times we all have storms but we can get through them with Christ. He is the only one who knows what we are going through because He went through the same thing . 

This young girl then gave me a huge hug and told me she needed this as a reminder that Jesus loves her. I then recommended for her to read Ether 12:27 and the Book of Moroni all in the Book of Mormon. She left beaming of happiness. 

I love being a missionary and bringing joy to all when I talk about Christ and how He is happiness in our lives.

Sorella Hyatt