This week has been a little bit crazy. Well, actually a lot crazy.
Transfer call: I will be staying in Bari Libertà as the sister training leader for the Bari zone and for the last two transfers of my mission I will be training a new missionary!!!! YAYAYAYA!!!! Her name is SORELLA BAIELLI. And she is Italian.....kind of. She was born in Cagliari (which is on the island of Sardegna) and lived there until she was 12 years old and then she moved to Eagle, Idaho. So she is fluent in Italian and in English haha. Can't get better than that. I'M SO EXCITED TO SERVE WITH HER!
So Sorella James is out of here and she actually went to the island of Sardegna. She was super excited and I am very happy for her and proud of the changes at she made. She's funny, intelligent, and kind. She makes me laugh so hard haha. As she was saying goodbye to everyone we saw the biggest miracle ever!!! I don't know if you remember those girls we met while doing casa in casa (home to home) with my violin. We were able to schedule an appointment with them and we showed up to the appointment and instead of being three people there, there were six!! Two boys and four girls. We were able to pray and to teach the restoration, parts of the plan of salvation, and talk about the word of wisdom. They were very interested in comparing "their" religion and ours and said that we could call whenever we wanted. They agreed to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it so we will see how it goes with them. Soooo cool.
Sorella Baielli is incredible!! She is very upfront and honest with me, which I really like and it is really a joy to be able to be training a new missionary. This is my favorite part of missionary work. We had a really cool experience last night. I told her our gesso(gathering in the city square) was themed "the Book of Mormon" so she grabbed a Book of Mormon. I had already stepped out the door and as she was closing the door she asked, "do I really need this Book of Mormon? It's not like I'm going to be handing it out anyway." I replied, "Why would you say that? Of course, you're going to be handing it out tonight!!" She kind of shrugged and rolled her eyes and brought the Book of Mormon. I said to her, "that is my invite to you. To hand out a Book of Mormon tonight at the gesso." She agreed and at the gesso she was having difficulties communicating with people. She said she was trying to talk to people and a couple would stop, but that no one would listen to her. Then she said she prayed really hard and told Heavenly Father she really wanted to talk to someone and that she was ready to talk to someone and boom. She stopped a man named Francesco who she had a great conversation with. She was able to get his phone number and to give him that Book of Mormon. It's moments like these that make training a missionary my favorite part of missionary work. I was very proud of her.
Also I am sure you have all noticed that I started using Facebook haha. I got Sorella Baielli on Thursday and we did a quick weekly planning session and then headed off to English course. The poor girl probably had no idea what was going on, but on Friday morning I left really early in the morning with Anziano Vance and Anziano Cutler (the zone leaders) and we took a four-hour train ride up to Rome for MLC to be trained on how to use this new technology as missionaries. I am excited to start using it. I will admit I was very fearful of it. But after MLC I was able to really grow a testimony of how vital this will be in helping this work grow. We are continuing to move forward! (It was also SO MUCH FUN to be in Rome. I love that city) just a couple of details, Like in the white handbook, I communicate with friends and family through my email (Lucy.gochnour@myldsmail.net) and will not be able to comment back or respond to any of the comments you send me on Facebook or with messenger. Facebook is more of a way for us to become friends with investigators, contacts, and members here in Italy so that we can then communicate with them through messenger (have lessons, chat, etc). Everything I do on Facebook will be with my companion.
We already had a super cool experience on the train ride home. Me, Anziano Vance, and Anziano Cutler were just talking and we started talking to these people that sat next to us on the train. We started teaching them the restoration and pretty soon we had half He train car listening to our message. It was so cool and this man and this mother, who were the main ones we were conversing with, we're going to Bari, but would only be there for a little bit. We asked the man to follow Anziano Cutler on Facebook and he did so now we can be in contact with him!! Within the past two days of having access to it we have been
able to reach SO MANY people we wouldn't necessarily be able to reach without it. It is so incredible.
Update on Leonardo: he came to the gesso yesterday and goes straight to me and asks why I was trying to act like I didn't see him haha. Awkward. Then he started talking. Anziano Vance saw and SAVED ME. He came over and was talking to Leonardo and it actually ended up really not that great because Anziano Vance told him we couldn't talk and that we had to do missionary work and he was not happy with that. He called Anziano Vance some bad names and then stormed off. Hopefully, he doesn't come back. If it weren't for Anziano Vance I probably would have been stuck in another two hour conversation with him.
Updates on Silvia and Rosa: they have stopped responding, unfortunately. We will try this next week to contact them and if not we will try our best to find those who are READY to hear this message!
My spiritual thought for the week is Alma 5:27 Are you sufficiently humble? Because I am not.
Thanks for your support and inspiration. I love you all. L'Italia sta fiorendo!!! (Italy if flourishing)
Con affetto,
Sorella G ♥️🇮🇹
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