ALIVE AND KICKING

Ciao tutti!!

This week I asked an English student how he was doing. He said, "I'm fine. Alive and kicking."  It was hilarious hahaha.

We passed our investigator Domenico over to the zone leaders and it was such a good lesson! We asked him if he had a chance to read the Book of Mormon and he said he read about four chapters. He then began telling us the stories of Nephi and Lehi and Laman and Lemuel. We talked about the importance of prayer and studying the scriptures. In Romans 15:4 we read about why the scriptures were written, which is so that we might have HOPE!!

We also had a lesson with Sylvia and Christian and Rosa who we met at the gesso last Sunday!! They also had read the Book of Mormon! We explained the importance of the Book of Mormon. Something really cool this week I put together comes from Ezekiel 37:16-17 where it talks about the two sticks (the Bible and the Book of Mormon). The Bible is the stick of Judah, and the Book of Mormon is the stick of Joseph. In 1 Nephi 5:14 and 1 Nephi 6:2 Nephi explains that they ARE descendants of Joseph, the son of Jacob. WE HAVE BOTH STICKS AND THEY ARE ONE IN OUR HANDS!! It's so cool! Anyway, the lesson was great, they are very prepared, but unfortunately, they didn't make it to church. Updates to come on them next week!!!

Ok, this week I learned something about the atonement that I would like to share with all of you. We were on a bus and the Controllers got on. I showed them my ticket as Sorella James rummaged through her purse to find her abbonamento. She could only find the one from July so the man gave us two options: one, to call an agency and see if we had somehow registered that she bought the abbonamento for August, or two, go to the front of the bus and buy a new ticket. I, assuming she had money, waited with the man in the back of the bus while she went to talk to the driver. I felt really prompted that I should talk to him and tell him who we are and why we are here. In the middle of the conversation, we both saw Sorella James put a €20 bill into her wallet, turn around and begin to cry. Long story short, the man next to me told her she didn't need to cry, went and bought her a ticket, brought it back, stamped it, and then got off the bus. I didn't realize she didn't have coins so I tried to pay him back with my money but he wouldn't accept it.

I realized that this man, in that moment, was like Christ was for all of us. It was not the man's responsibility to have a ticket on the bus and it was not his responsibility to buy Sorella James a ticket or to give her a fine. Instead, for whatever reason, he decided to show mercy and bought her a ticket without accepting recompense or recognition. Christ did not commit our sins, nor is He responsible for paying for them. But He did.

I was very humbled and want to strive to be that person for someone else. I want to show that same mercy and charity to others even when it is not asked of me and when it is not my responsibility.

I hope you all know I am still ALIVE AND KICKING!!!

Love

Sorella G ♥️🇮🇹

Best food I ate this week: peaches dipped in brown sugar, grilled, on top of chopped nuts (pistachio, almond, peanut, hazelnut), with ice cream and honey on top