Rome Week 25

This week went by super fast but was very good!

There was a Brazilian man who lives here in Italy that we taught in the visitor center. He had actually been to church once and said that he knew it was true and wanted to be baptized but since he mainly speaks Portuguese the other sisters asked me if I could teach him. My companion and I taught him the Restoration and also showed him the little 20 minute video of the Restoration in Portuguese.

He then said that he believes that if God has always called prophets then why would he stop now? He believes that Joseph Smith was a prophet who restored the Church of Jesus Christ back on the earth. It was a very cool experience. We also had a Brazilian couple who are members of the church come in to talk to him. They were very loving to him.

One of the days that we were in the visitor center we talked with a couple from France who spoke some English and they are members members of the church. It was very cool to be able to talk to them and answer their questions regarding the visitor center. Their favorite part was about the statue of the 12 Apostles and we bore our testimonies on these remarkable men who died gruesome deaths. The important thing is to remember what they died for and that was for believing in the Savior of Jesus Christ. They could not deny what they knew and saw to be true so they died those tortuous ways. It is so powerful. 

My online teaching went very well this week. I met another Brazilian online who requested for a Book of Mormon so I called him and he had very good questions which were all in regards to the Plan of Salvation. So, in Portuguese, I started teaching him where we as human beings came from. He then got into the Godhead and how we believe they are 3 separate Beings that work for the same purpose. He asked me to clarify... I then mentioned to him that in the Garden of Gethsemane when Christ prays to the Father, He says, "Father, if thou wilt take this cup from me. But not my will but thy will let it be done."   I then proceeded to ask him if Christ and Heavenly Father were the same person why would Christ ASK himself to take this Cup from him?  Whereas, if he were to be God then He would not need to ASK anyone and He would have probably done it. We can clearly see that Christ is asking someone else higher, more powerful and was in charge of this Plan. The investigator was very intent in listening to more. I then asked him a simple question.... If Christ and God were the same person why would He lie to us and refer to Himself as 3 different people when he could of just have said, "I am God" without causing any confusion. I then bore my testimony saying that I know God is not a God of lies or confusion. He wants all of us to understand His beautiful plan and how we can come back to return to Him. 

Out of nowhere the Brazilian man I was teaching online said he had never even thought of the things I had pointed out in the Bible. He was very happy and said that it does make sense and he wasn't confused anymore. After our call I called the local missionaries (in Brasil) to take to him a Book of Mormon for our next online lesson with him and those missionaries did just that - immediately. They even invited him to church and they walked to go pick him up and go with him to church. Yesterday, I called this investigator back to check in on him and he absolutely loved the church and the people. He said everyone gave him huge hugs and he felt loved. He said he loved the feeling there and loved how we try to be like Christ. We now have another appointment with him next week! 

So far there are 3 Brazilians that I am teaching; I had a lady online that I have been teaching and now the mane online and the one in the visitor center. So it's just so awesome!

Probably the first time I have been studying a lot of things in Portuguese in order to teach in that language. 

Funny moment: 

I was in the visitor center helping a Brazilian lady get some information about Italy and the temple. Then an Italian lady in my Branch came up to me and gave me a big hug and she stood with my companion, the Brazilian lady, and I in a circle. Then the Brazilian lady asked me to ask the Italian about when the temple opens. So I did ask in Italian and then I had to translate back into Portuguese. They were going to so fast making me tell one to the other in Portuguese and Italian. And my companion was also there asking me things in English. This took about 20 minutes and I was trying to speak all 3 languages at the same time. I became so overwhelmed that I spoke with my companion in Portuguese and I spoke English with the Italian and I don't even know what I spoke with the Brazilian. My head hurt very very bad. All my force was weakening and I just had to stop. I didn't know what language I was even thinking. The Italian lady laughed at me so hard and said, "poor girl, doesn't even know what language she is speaking". I couldn't even answer because she was right. I understood all 3 languages but at the end I couldn't even tell you what language they were speaking I just understood it. My companion gave me water and made me sit down because I had a small mental breakdown for a little bit ha ha ha; then I laughed and at least remembered English. 

Also... a giant group of Brazilians came in to the visitor center and at the moment I'm the only one who speaks Portuguese and it was so cool to give them a spiritual experience in Portuguese about the visitor center. They were very sweet and its just so cool that I am teaching MY other people in ITALY. kind of strange that I teach more Brazilians in Italy than Italians, but I do not mind. 

The gift of tongues is real. Heavenly Father loves each and everyone one of us and that's why we are here on this earth and why He sent Christ to reedem us from our sins so we can return to live with God. 

Sorella Hyatt🇮🇹

                                                                  The Group of Brazilians I met

                                                         

                                                           Grapes, the country side and a cat!

                       

                                                        My companion Sorella Weaver and I   

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