Wednesday, June 29, 2011 7:52 AM
Hello everyone!
Things are pretty, well actually, VERY crazy right now. We are right smack in the middle of transfers, and EVERYONE in my apartment is being transferred except myself. Sorella Snodgrass is opening a new companionship in Torrino and COMPLETELY starting from scratch...not even an area book to work with. Sorella Laratro is going to Trieste (a city near Venice) and Sorella Willey is going to Verona. As for myself...I might as well be being sent to somewhere else. They are shutting down the second companionship here in Modena of Sorelle and so MY companionship gets ALL of their investigators. I have to teach my companion all about the city!! There WILL be another set of sorelle that live with us but they will be opening a companionship in Reggio-Emilia which is about 30 minutes away by train...what a stinky commute right? But the ward out there INSISTED they have sorelle, so President is going to try it. I am excited to meet everyone tomorrow..well really Sorella Chambers and my companion Sorella Johnson. Sorella Jones and I will be living together again, so I am SUPER excited about that. It's pretty much like Christmas in July because the sisters are leaving behind everything they don't want or need...and it's pretty good stuff! Sorella Snodgrass gave me mints, pens, envelopes, and FOOD! What a great past few days!!
I am actually really grateful that I am not being transferred this time. Our investigators are doing so, so, well! I am glad that the ward liked Anna's story. Mom, she truly is an AMAZING example of faith! We taught her the Word of Wisdom today, and she completely accepted it. She admitted that she drank beer and wine, but she knows that if God has commanded her to stop, then she will stop immediately. And right before her baptism too!! I just can't believe it :) We haven't had to do much finding work the past couple days...at least I haven't because I have been biking all over the town. I didn't realize how BIG Modena really is! I got to meet some of the investigators of the other sorelle, and a few of them live over 10 miles outside of town...It's a long bike ride, but it is still beautiful.
Time is seeming to go by faster, but the nights right now are pretty hard. We don't get much sleep because it is SO DANG HOT and there is NO air conditioning. Speaking of which, I don't really understand why you and Dad are looking at a pool...it's not even hot there in Utah. It's UTAH for crying out loud!? And I was also curious if there is an Egbert Reunion this year or next...or is everyone just going to wait until Daniel and I get home?
Transfers have pretty much consumed the week, even though we do see miracles everyday. The Lord gives you the power when you need to use it and you can't be afraid to tell people the truth. Sorella Snodgrass and I were teaching one of our investigators named Andy, who has been slowly progressing. We were teaching him the Plan of Salvation, and at the end I just felt like I needed to give him the baptismal invite. You have to explain the proper form of prayer and the proper authority for baptism over, and over, and over again here. The investigators do not seem to get it. So, I just dove for it and invited him to be baptized so strongly that I didn't even know what I was doing!? I stared at him straight in the face and he was laughing at first...but then realized I wasn't joking. Then he looked at me and said, <Do you mean to tell me that my baptism is not valid in the eyes of God?> And me <That is EXACTLY what I am telling you> DAH?! What am I doing?! But I held strong and he stopped, and just said, Alright...I will really think about it. MIRACLE?!? Usually he just sloughs us off and is like <alright, alright, I get it, I get it> and schedules another appointment. But this time, it really sank in. God works in really mysterious ways. Sorella Snodgrass was telling me that there was an Elder in Japan who was just transferred to an area and met an investigator who had been meeting with the missionaries for 5 years...and was proud that he was not yet baptized. So this Elder, hearing the man brag...looked at him STRAIGHT in the face and in the Japanese command form a king would use when talking to a slave he said basically <YOU BE BAPTIZED, PIG!!> The man's face got SUPER red and he and the Elder just stared at each other for 10 minutes...Then the man jumped up and said <FINE! I WILL BE BAPTIZED!!> Elder: <GREAT!> Man: <WHERE?> Elder: <THE CHURCH!> Man: <WHEN AND WHAT TIME?> Elder: <THIS SATURDAY AT 7:00> Man: <FINE! I'LL BE THERE!> Elder: <GREAT!> ...And sure enough, the man was baptized and NEVER left the church! Funny enough, this man was an instrument in converting a young punk that the missionaries had been teaching. This kid would NEVER come to church, greasy, stinky, just a ball of yuck. So the elders asked him for a ride to church one day, and the kid says sure...and while he was already there, he should just come to church. The recent convert man saw this kid, and knew him some how. He walks right up to the punk kid, grabs him by his shirt collar and shoves him against the wall and starts slapping him, telling him that he stunk, he needed to clean up his life, he needed to take a shower, he needed to be better for he was a disgrace. WHAT?!!?!!? The elders are like FREAKING OUT about this time...and then the man leaves! The kid is left standing there like a dog with his tail between his legs. The elders don't hear anything from him that whole week...but on Sunday the kid is clean shaven, hair cut, beard gone and was baptized soon after. Not that I would command someone as if they were a pig, or even slap them silly against the wall...But I do know that sometimes the Lord has us do things that seem out of our character...and yet, they are EXACTLY what the investigator needs to hear.
I can't really think of anything else to say...I am just staying busy with teaching our investigators and helping them progress. Understanding really does come through prayer, and the Lord really is there to answer them. I feel bad sometimes because I will say my prayers before bed, and then crawl into bed and just keep talking to Him...I feel bad because I usually fall asleep before I finish the conversation. I know that's a habit of mine...even with people...but I think, well I HOPE, the Lord understands!
I am developing and sending some pictures home today. They turned out pretty cool and I am excited to show you a piece of Italy. How is Correne doing with her little baby? Has Autumn had her baby yet? And please tell Jess congratulations for me! And Amber should be due here in about 2 months!! Please ask them how they all are doing and let me know! OH! Since I am staying here another transfer, I might as well give you my apartment address...It's simply:
G.B. Amici 28
Modena, Italia
41100
The gospel is true and the Lord really is preparing this land to EXPLODE! I love and miss you all...please fill me in on what is new! Email time is like the highlight of EVERY missionaries week!
Con amore sempre,
Sorella Bowman :)
I almost forgot...HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK GRANDPA EGBERT!!
No comments:
Post a Comment