Wednesday, December 14, 2011 4:17 PM
Not so calm, but very bright. What can you do about living RIGHT NEXT to an Ambulance Parking Garage thing...I don't even know WHAT it is, but sirens are going off all the time. Sadly, I think Christmas Eve won't be any different.
Well friends and family, the time is drawing nigh and I CANNOT BELIEVE I am halfway in...2 days. Speaking of which, Happy Birthday Mom! Happy Birthday Daniel! And Happy Anniversary Gramma and Grampa Egbert!! What an eventful day! We just received news about transfers and Sorella Nilson and I are together AGAIN in Genova AGAIN for the 3rd transfer in a row. We were SO HAPPY!! We had calls all day on Monday from random members in the ward to see if we were staying...when they found out we were, they were all so relieved. There is still so much work to do in Genova, and we are so grateful that our wills were in align with Heavenly Father's. Come to find out, as President was doing the transfers, numbers came in and he had to close a coppia of sisters. The only one that would make sense would be to close down a companionship in Genova because there are 2...but he was definitely told NOT to touch any of the sisters in that city...he ended up closing a companionship in Firenze. So all four of us who opened will be staying here once again. We are SO happy to be staying here for Christmas, and now I can rest easy. I've been REALLY relying on my blessing about being able to walk through homesickness...it's been pretty hard, but I keep telling myself to keep serving and the Lord will help me through it. It's not that much time and more blessings will come through sacrifices.
Sorella Nilson and I have been working really well together in teaching. We have been sharing a Christmas message about hope. As it came to be we made little cards, each with a symbol of christmas on it. Each square had a picture and on the back a letter. Everyone has really been loving it and I've seen quite a bit of people look relieved as to what the TRUE meaning of Christmas is. I've noticed here that the holidays are VERY materialistic and the true meaning of Christmas is a little lost...so I'm really grateful that Heavenly Father has been inspiring us to share what we are sharing.
(this is HOPE in Italian)
S-Stella (star)
P-Pastori (shepherds)
E-Eccitazione (excitement)
R- Re (King of Kings)
A-Albergo (hotel...no room in the inn)
N-Natale (christmas)
Z-Zona di Betleem (Town of Bethlem)
A-Angeli (angels)
As we turn over the cards and put them in order of the spelling of the word, everyone just marvels. It's amazing how much Primary is helping me teach! I think I'd love to be called to do Primary Singing Time someday...it's really a great joy! Especially with all the fun materials and things...oh we are so blessed!!
As I reflect upon this Christmas season, I can't express how much my mission has changed me and how grateful I am to the Lord for getting me here. I reflect upon myself BEFORE the mission, and I KNOW that I was the stupid lamb who would wander away on purpose. When shepherds have a sheep that wanders continuously, they finally get ahold of the lamb, break it's legs and carry the lamb around until it is healed. The sheep has no choice but to listen and come to know the shepherd. I am SO GRATEFUL that the Lord broke my legs...because I am finally coming to know Him in such a magnificent way and truly understanding what it means to have faith! Every aspect of myself and testimony is growing, as well as my compassion for others. I used to have the idea of "Well, they dug that hole, so they gotta work it out" but now I realize, that that's not how Christ would be. Sure, people make their choices...but when I see homeless people begging on the street, every single day, my heart breaks just a little. That is someone's son, someone's husband, someone's dad, grandpa, uncle, you name it...and when they were little boys or little girls...I don't think they dreamt of sitting on curbs begging for money to get by. Then you see people begging, SAYING they are hungry...and yet they just want a pack of cigarettes. It still makes me sad, because most of them smoke so they don't feel hungry. Count your blessings my dear friends...count your blessings.
I am humbled everyday by how much the Lord loves me. Just when I want to smack myself for not doing this or not doing that, the Lord truly puts someone in my path that needs to be spoken to. Yesterday we had a couple appointments cancel on us and I wasn't feeling well and just didn't know what to do. So, my companion and I knelt down in prayer and we decided to go and visit an excommunicated sister who just had a brand new baby. On the way, we found a less active, a woman who had been looking for OUR English class approached us, and on the way home we found a beatiful little family who is interested in coming to the ward christmas dinner. But I think the most humbling experience that I have had on my mission has been my experience with the Yepez family...
Do you all remember me talking about that beatiful family that we met on the bus? How I just felt pushed to keep speaking spanish? Well, come to find out I am using and remembering more and more Spanish as time goes on...the Lord truly does give you what you need! But anyways, we were so fortunate as to make an appointment with this family Sunday night at 8:30...we kind of got lost because they live up on hills, pretty much nowhere to be found. But we finally found them and arrived on time. As we entered the home...it was such a peaceful and beautiful feeling. Come to find out they have ANOTHER daughter who is 17 named Angie and we spoke with her, the youngest daughter and the mother...then the father came home and the boy. I have NEVER met a more prepared family in my life. The spirit was so strong during the whole lesson and the children have been raised to fully rely on God. They wanted us to come back and so we are hopefully going to see them on Saturday. Just asking them what God was to them and hearing all of their testimonies was such a beatiful thing. By the end of the lesson, we had asked Fernando (the father) if someone in their family would offer a prayer. He asked his wife to do it, who hesitated at first because she can't really speak Italian...but she asked if she could offer it in Spanish...and so we all knelt down and she prayed. As she prayed, she thanked God for all that He had given them and for these little sisters who have come to share His word. By the end of the prayer she said "Father, I know that these sisters are sharing the truth and that they truly are your messengers. Thank you for sending them to us" OOOOOOOOHhhh!!!!!!!! I was SO TOUCHED!! We gave them a book of mormon, asked if we could see them again and the children were more than eager for us to come back...as well as the parents. They have seen so much struggle, but during that time, they turned to the Lord and studied the Bible as a family to make it through. Sorella Nilson and I are just more than eager to see them come to church. Work is hard for both parents right now because the economy is such a bummer...but I KNOW the Lord will provide a way. If we hadn't gone and seen that sister, if we hadn't done casa, if we hadn't just felt like taking number 12 and hadn't just opened my mouth to speak SPANISH...we NEVER would have found this family...NEVER!!! God puts us where we need to be when HE needs us to be...and I need to remember that I am more guided than I think I am. When I think I'm a failure for the day...I need to remember all the blessings God has given me...and they are innumerable.
For heaven's sake we are staying here ANOTHER transfer, which is VERY rare in this mission...everyone thinks we're lying when we say that ALL 4 of us are staying here...AGAIN. Speaking of which, we found Andrea the other day on the bus...and we have an appointment on Saturday...things are looking up!!!
Everyone have a lovely rest of the week...I KNOW THAT MY SAVIOR LIVES AND THAT THIS IS HIS GOSPEL!!!
bacci e abracci, (kisses and hugs)
sorella bowman
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