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| This is Demba |
Hello everyone here are some funny things that happened this
week:
- When you ask three Italian men sitting on a bench where the bus stop is and they ALL point different directions. It was classic. I wish I could have gotten it on video. Italians will give you directions to anywhere if you ask them, even if they have no idea where the thing you are looking for is......
- We went to teach our investigator Cristina about tithing and fasting. Before we start the lesson, she starts telling us about how she was fasting today instead of Sunday and how she hadn't eaten anything because she felt she was in need of some blessings. So apparently she didn't really need to be taught about fasting.
- Also we sat in her kitchen and sang Nessun Dorma, Maria, and La Bella Donna which was of course the funniest thing ever for me haha. Cristina couldn't figure out why we weren't allowed to listen to those songs even when we told her four times that they are about romance.
- This same investigator also brought her Catholic friend Gilda to church (keep in mind it's fast Sunday so everyone is handing bishop tithing and fast offerings) Cristina turns in a fast offering (this is her second time and no she isn't baptized yet haha) and she tells her friend Gilda about it and Gilda pays a fast offering as well!!! Now we just need to figure out how to get them baptized. We have tried starting the lessons with Gilda, but she only wants to meet with us when Cristina is there and Cristina lives with a man who pays her rent and we're still trying to figure out how to get her to nicely kick him out and somehow have enough money to pay rent. But what little money she has she certainly makes sure it goes to tithing and fast offerings, which is so awesome.
- · Also we started fasting after pranzo on Saturday and went to visit a less active. They offered us gelato and we told her "No, thank you." But she went and got us two cups full of gelato (which I'm pretty sure was coffee flavored) and so there goes our fasting out the window. Now I know how to say "I am fasting" so we won't have that problem anymore haha
Welllllllll this week was just about the saddest week ever. Just
kidding, but not really kidding that much. On Monday we found out that the
Lahadernes were leaving......which is like a dagger to the heart. They didn't
tell us why they were going home, but their youngest daughter was struggling with some things and some of their other
kids needed them and they just decided it was time to go home. They were supposed
to finish in November but they left on Tuesday. At district meeting on Tuesday
they brought all of their American food and Sorella Lahaderne told us this
really cool story that I will share later and then they just said goodbye. It
was so sad. I was crying as I hugged them goodbye. They were basically my
parents. I love those people so much and I hope that some day I will be as
thoughtful and generous as them. They live in Montana, but Anziano Lahaderne
has some connection to Holladay, Utah so I gave them our address and your phone
number mom haha so just a heads up on that one. After they left, district
meeting was just silent and Anziano Friedman played "Savior Redeemer of My
Soul" and if you know how much I love that song, then you know that didn't
help with the tears at all either, but it's ok. They are needed elsewhere and I
am so grateful that I was able to know them.
So here's the story, remember how I told you about Sorella
Mazzolari and how she was struggling because all of her kids are less active?
So in the car I said something in very simple Italian along the lines of "I
don't know why anything happens, but I do know that Heavenly Father loves and
knows us and he has a plan for us." That was all directed by the spirit
and that was honestly the only thing I could think of to say. That apparently
really touched her and when Sorella lahaderne was having this really hard time
she called Sorella Mazzolari and Sorella Mazzolari told her that. So I am a
living witness and can personally testify to you that Heavenly Father works
through and by the spirit. Anziano Whited (an elder in our district) said
something I really loved. He said, "Trying to do missionary work without
the spirit is like trying to boil pasta without water, it just doesn't
work." I loved that because it is so true. And I just feel lucky that
Heavenly Father can trust me to be an instrument in his hands.
Also, this week I taught my first African!!!! Woot woot! Haha.
There was a group of these Africans on the street and one of them stopped us and
said he wants to talk about God with us. And we were like...ok. What do you
want to talk about? He told us he didn't believe that white men can believe in
God. And wanted to kind of get in an argument type thing with us about gun
violence in America and what not. But he had a friend who actually spoke
English really well. We asked them where they were from and two of them were
from Senegal and the guy that told us we can't believe in God was from Nigeria,
but he wouldn't tell us where he was from haha I have no idea why. Anyway. One
of the ones from Senegal was named Demba and he wanted to learn more about Christianity
so we set up a return appointment.
There are just a couple of problems. 1. We are not allowed to
teach Africans if they don't have their papers (which allow them to be legal
citizens of Italy) 2. We are not allowed to teach Muslims if they are planning
on ever returning to their country in Africa, because they could be in danger.
Well Demba is waiting for his papers and he is Muslim so unfortunately that
doesn't really work out, but we can teach them the first lesson. So we met and
taught him the restoration and kind of told him about the Book of Mormon and
the bible and Christianity in general and it was really cool. It was incredible to teach
someone something and just have them listen to everything you say. It was so strange
actually. I think that was the first time I haven't had to butt into a
conversation and was also the first time I have never been interrupted in the
middle of my sentence. The lesson went really well and I think he was
interested in it. I don't know if he will convert ever, but we left him with a
Book of Mormon and some pamphlets. It is kind of sad because the Italians don't
really like immigrants that
much. He was telling us how he doesn't really like Italy that
much because he goes up to people and tries to just say hello and they just don't
say anything back. All we said was, we know the feeling. (Also fun fact about
Africans, whenever they are stating their opinion or talking about their beliefs they say, "for me.....")
But overall it was just another week in the life of an Italian missionary.
Maybe just a missionary in general. Actually probably just life in general.
Lots of appointments that fell through, lots of finding, lots of people not
wanting to talk to you, and lots of exhaustion, but we are not alone in this
work. You have to look for the good moments. For the tender mercies.
I read this talk I found this past week by Elder Quentin L. Cook
called "The Songs They Could Not Sing" and he said this that I really
loved, "There are many kinds of challenges. Some give us necessary experiences.
Adverse results in this mortal life are not evidence of lack of faith or of an
imperfection in our Father in Heaven’s overall plan. The refiner’s fire is
real, and qualities of character and righteousness that are forged in the
furnace of affliction perfect and purify us and prepare us to meet God."
I know this to be true. We are never alone. I also love this
verse in D&C 101:16
16 Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for
all flesh is in mine hands; BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.
Ciao ciao ciao ciao ciao
Sorella
Lucy Ann Gochnour
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| This is Matteo and he gave me this book Paradise. |
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| my view from the bus |
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| peanut butter? |
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