Libero arbitrio

This is Elliot - he was frustrated I didn't let him hold the camera 

Sooooo not a lot happened this past week and general conference is like the best thing ever. 

We did a scambio (exchange with other sisters)  in Crotone this past week which made up about the majority of the week. The lady that gave me my bus ticket spelled my name "liusi goghnour" so that was cool. I've never got that one yet!

There was a tv on the bus and they played Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad, day haha. Worst movie ever!!! I was trying so hard to ignore it, but it helped with my language study that's for sure. 

Sorella Condé was sick. I think she might have an ear infection and so she and my companion stayed inside most of the day. They had us still do the scambio because they needed to try to get some work done in the city so Sorella Hills and I went to work!!! We had a lesson with a recent convert who is like 13. She and her family are from Nigeria and Sorella Hills was talking to her mom in English and I swear they were not speaking English. I have no idea how Eli understands that language haha. 

We also saw a pretty cool miracle. We were walking back from our appointment and this lady was like smiling at us really big. Which sounds very strange and was very unusual but I was like Ciao!!! And she asked if I remembered her. I looked at Sorella Hills because obviously I don't know anyone in Crotone and Sorella Hills didn't know her either and so I said no. But it turns out the Sorelle helped her carry her groceries home one day and she is very catholic but was super grateful for the help and remembered us!! So that was a cool experience. 

We had another lesson with Elena when we got back to Taranto and it is just frustrating sometimes. I love her so much and she is so smart and it's so painful because she is so close!!! She tells us that she believes everything in the pamphlet (the restoration pamphlet) but then we try teaching her a lesson about prophets and the priesthood authority that ONLY OUR CHURCH HAS. And she just doesn't accept us and starts telling us that we can't say that we are the only true church. I also think she doesn't believe us because we are 19 and 20 year olds and she doesn't see us as REPRESENTATIVES OF JESUS CHRIST. Sorella Flansberg was getting pretty frustrated. It's hard when a person tells you what your beliefs are (and those actually aren't your beliefs) and it is very easy to sit there and argue back and forth. But I just told her. ELENA. The only way you can know of these things for yourself is to pray. You have to pray. And she said she has prayed and I asked if she has received an answer and she said no. And so I asked her to pray again and ask specifically if our church is the only church. And bore testimony that I know that she can receive an answer if she will ask in faith, believing she will receive, with a desire to believe, and with a sincere heart and real intent. And she said she would do it again but this is the last time.......I HAVE FAITH that she will pray. It's such a cool promise that ANYONE. A N Y O N E. Can receive an answer. 

One thing I have really learned about Italians, or at least the Italians in Taranto, is that you HAVE to have charity for them. You have to love them. You have to be patient with the,  maybe they don't want to listen to you are maybe they don't want to believe or act on anything you invite them to do. For me I feel like sometimes the ONLY thing you can do is to be an example. Heavenly Father gave every single one of His children the beautiful gift of free agency. Of which I have really grown to appreciate on my mission. It's frustrating sometimes to have people choose to not follow the example of Jesus Christ. That doesn't mean we stop inviting or we stop trying. It just means that we do all that we can and do our best and the rest is in the hands of Heavenly Father. 

We had a fun relief society activity with our ward. Sorella Flansberg and I got to play some music for it. It is fun to be with our ward. I love the members in our ward.

I felt so lucky to be able to listen to most of the general conference talks and luckily I was also able to listen to most of them in English. I can understand them in Italian, it's just not the same. I loved watching the Saturday morning session live and just thinking. Last year I was sitting in that beautiful conference center with my cute dad and sister listening to the beautiful words be delivered by incredible people. And know I am sitting in a church in the boot of Italy watching it on an iPad!!! So cool!! Conference is truly an incredible gift we have been given. There were so many things I loved, but I haven't had much time to look over and organize my thoughts so I will just share a few of the things that really stood out to me. 

1. Faith can nor violate another persons agency
2. Jesus Christ is the center don't look past that
3. The fathers will
4. Heavenly Father will ALWAYS listen when we pray
5. You will make it!!
6. Trust in him 
7. He will always love us but he will not save us from our sins 
8. Focus on the simplicity of the gospel 
9. Sharing the gospel is not a burden but a JOY 

And then I was reading in the institute manual and I came upon this quote given by elder Dallin H. Oaks and I thought it was very applicable to me and hopefully to all of you. 

He said, "A message given by a General Authority at a general conference--a message prepared under the influence of the Spirit to further the work of the Lord--is not given to be enjoyed. It is given to inspire, to edify, to challenge, or to correct. It is given to be heard under the influence of the Spirit of the Lord, with the intended result that the listener learns from the talk and from the Spirit what he or she should do about it."

I feel so incredible grateful for this gospel. For the leaders of our church who are inspired by Heavenly Father to help guide us and correct us on the things we can do better to build His kingdom. IT WILL NEVER FALL!!!! 

We receive transfer calls tonight. The most likely thing to happen is that I stay here and receive a new companion, but no one actually really ever knows. Anything can happen! So I will let you know next week what happens haha. 

I love you all 

Have a great week

Sorella Liusi goghnour

That is Taranto in the back ground