Ciao tutti!
I hope everything is going so well for all. I reflected on my past letters that I have sent home, and they are not NEARLY as expressive as they usually are..So, I am going to try and fill you all in on everything that has happened...
In all honesty, this week has really been a miracle week. I was sitting on the bus yesterday, I just said to myself..."I have never been the happiest in my life, as I am now." And to be quite truthful, I shocked myself! But, I was reflecting, again, and it's true. The Lord has blessed me so much, and I have no motive to be sad. The weather is changing, and the air is starting to clear...which is ironic because more people are smoking now...But it's time to bundle up and I think I'm so happy because it reminds me of home.
On Friday, my companion and I did some weekly planning. The day previous, we had a special training to get the mission jump started on the new MTC program. That day was kinda sorta a fiasco because we went to the wrong train station...well, we were right but the tickets were SO expensive! So we had to catch a bus to ANOTHER station, buy the tickets, and then the train was late, and so we were about an hour late to the meeting. Man oh man a shevits. But, President wasn't upset so that's okay. But, anyways, back to Friday...We had our weekly planning session and we really were thinking about what was taught on Thursday. I spoke with Sorella Wolfgramm about some concerns I had personally, but at the same time, I was able to feel how happy I was about this city. I really feel like I am starting to grasp the idea of missionary work. It's not about numbers. Numbers are there to stress those who need to be stressed, and push those who need to be pushed. For me, I used to stress getting 20 inviti a day...but I couldn't tell you ANY of their names. Now, my companion and I have changed goals. We have set a goal to get at LEAST 3..wow, I can't think of the word...3 meaningful invites. Where we invite the person to learn about the gospel, because we WANT them to learn. We made the gospel become personal and meaning to them...not just to get their name and have another statistic. And as we changed our goal to LOVING people and really searching...my mission has changed completely. I am not stressed if a person won't talk, or if there is no push to talk to someone on the bus because it's not about the numbers. It is about God's children coming back to him and realizing what they have missed in their life. Let's take Tatiana for example. She is a less active woman, given to us as a referral. She has been here in Italy for quite a while, but hasn't been to church in almost 20 years. We visited with her once, and she doesn't remember a dang thing. So, just yesterday, we went to her home and gently taught The Restoration. Before we began she was telling us that she has been really pondering and trying to remember all that she has missed with the church. She is opening up more and more to us. And I really think it's just the way I have changed my teaching. At our first lesson, she kept saying how HARD it was to live the gospel...and you know what? It IS hard...it may not seem hard to you or to me...because we were born into the church. BUT if you think about it, we have HIGH standards and for someone just coming in...they are COMPLETELY changing their life, all based on faith. But, because of that agreement, and not chastisement, I really believe that is why she let us come back. And as of yesterday, she was so firm in saying that she WILL be in church on Sunday (she went looking for the church on her own after we gave her the address) and she wants her son to come to the Halloween Ward Party. But, the most amazing thing about it all...She prayed to her Father in Heaven yesterday, for the first time in years. As a missionary, you panic a little sometimes because you don't think you are feeling the Spirit..when in reality, we are doing all we can to have it with us, and so we become accustomed to it. But as she was praying, it hit me so hard that Heavenly Father just loves her so much and was so, so, relieved that she was speaking to Him again. She had to follow the guide in the little booklet, but she still tried...and I KNOW Heavenly Father listened. I know He did.
Saturday, my companion and I had a handful of miracles. We went to a piazza to wait for one of our lessons and ran into wonderful people. An elderly woman let us carry her groceries to her home. Even though she let us in, she saw our nametags and was so grateful for our service. Another woman stopped us and asked us where we were from...because we were saying good morning to everyone, being as young as we were, how did we know so many people? She ended up just talking with us for about 20 minutes, with an invitation to English class. We saw her again just yesterday, and had a little chat with a smile and a wave. Piano, piano eh? But the weather was absolutely BEAUTIFUL and we accidentally took the wrong bus, but saw Genova from the top of the Mountains, over looking the sea. It was the most BEAUTIFUL thing I had ever seen. But, come to find out, the right bus to take, we met Ingrid. If we hadn't mistaken the bus, and boarded the bus where we needed to...we wouldn't have found her. And you know, I spoke to her because I felt guilty for not speaking to a younger girl earlier. As the girl got off the bus, I turned and saw Ingrid...and a name written on her bracelet. "Okay Heavenly Father, I won't let this one slip this time" and we started talking for quite a while...and got her number and a lesson for tomorrow. We are SO excited!
Kerly and Signora Ferrari came to church on Sunday. The weather wasn't as cold, so Signora was willing to come to church! SHE LOVED IT! At our lesson yesterday, she just went on and on...remembering things that she doesn't normally remember. Even though she can't get baptized now, I KNOW she'll accept it on the other side..we just have to do all we can and go from there. Kerly is just a rock star. She gave up drinking coffee even BEFORE we taught the word of wisdom...all because her friend Sorella Herrera explained what we do. Sorella Herrera (Beibi) is a recent convert with her family and has just been a foundation for Kerly. It's been hard for Kerly, but she knows that she wants to do the right thing...and so far, we haven't steered her wrong yet. She came to church and really loved it. She is still a little hesitant about baptism, probably because she doesn't know what to expect...but she is still pressing forward. The power of prayer is SO REAL in her life and is becoming even MORE REAL in mine...Heavenly Father answers us in the simplest, but most profound ways. Mostly in ways we don't expect! For example, we had an appointment with the Herrera family and we really wanted to teach them something great...and we just felt to teach Lehi's Dream. Come to find out, it was something they had never really heard of! So, as we read 1 Nephi 8, Sorella Nilson had made little pictures to go along with the symbols, and we played memory. The family LOVED it. Amazing what concepts are so simple, and yet the world doesn't know.
So we have concepts in the church that are the basic foundations...and then you have the beloved members who are just a little over the top. Okay..in this case a LOT over the top. :) Claudia is doing amazingly. She cannot WAIT for her baptism, which is next week. (I cannot TELL YOU how fast time is flying now...it's incredible...) But, a young man (a very attractive young man...who happens to be a international model) has taken interest in her. And she is BEAUTIFUL...naturally beautiful. But he has taken interest in her because Sorella Bertorello's client, is his mother. His mother saw Claudia and wanted her to meet her son right away. So, they have become instant friends. And then we have dear Sorella Bertorello who is lookingo out for dear Claudia, and says that she is NOT allowed to kiss him...and that she MUSt keep the law of Chastity or else God will take everything away from her. (dangit...strike 1) Then Claudia was studying the Word of Wisdom and the word "umbellico" comes up, and Claudia asks what it was. Sorella Bertorello explains it in such a way that Claudia gets the impression that we have to have an organ removed from our stomachs before we join the church (what?!...strike 2) And then to top it all of...you can't join the church if you have tattoos...you have to have them lazer removed before you can progress (strike 3..this Sister is crazy) So we show up and Sorella Bertorello does her thing (don't worry, it is just kind of accepted in the ward that she's a little nutso...but people love her because of her strong faith.which is SO true...a little cooky but really strong in her belief) So we show up and CLaudia just looks at us, after Sorella leaves, and just tells us how her BRAIN has been EXPLODING and she needs us to clarify a lot...and she proceeds to tell us what i just told you all. Sorella Nilson and I look at each other and just start dying. haahahah With the kissing thing, I told her that "she can kiss him all she wants..,.just to be cautious of passion because that's where you go wrong. FOr heaven's sake with a face like this guy, if he goes for it...accept it!" And she just died laughing! Yeah, yeah, yeah...okay...a little bit of a spit fire still...but...it seemed fine to say at the time...And it was. Her fears were calmed. NO surgeries...NO nun-ness (like catholic nuns) and for heaven's sake, if you have a tattoo...you repent and move forward.. Oh the things people think...
But life is going really well...I've never been so tired, happy, blessed, frustrated, exhilarated and so forth...in all my life. I KNOW this gospel is true and that family's CAN be together forever...through Heavenly Father's plan. It's beautiful. Study it and I PROMISE it will bless your life! And so, my time is up and I must be going...until next time, I'll eat some fresh bread on your behalf!ù
Con amore,
Sorella Bowman
p.s. So...I'm kind of sort of the ward pianist...for everything. Every baptism, relief society meeting, even during Sacrament...as well as Primary...I think I'm going to be asked to be the Primary Singing time leader...the President has never done such a thing...and being in primary last week...it's time for a change :) I'll let you know how it all goes!!
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