Last one.. maybe?

Okay quick run down of the week. We went to Bologna for a scambio, saw a member in the hospital, volunteered at a nursing home, saw Two different Sandras, and did some finding.

But seeing as this could be my last letter home because I may not have time next week to write or the will because I will just see you guys a few days later I just wanted to talk to you guys a little bit less about what I did and a bit more about what I'm feeling.

With the mission coming to a close it's been a roller coaster of emotions and I'm stoked out of my mind to see you guys. I can't believe that the time has passed so fast. I'm so grateful for this time I've had to serve and the memories I've made, lessons I've learned, and people I've met and served will always be worth more than all the gelato, pizza, and Italian shoes in the world.

There were lots of great times on the mission, there were hard times that now looking back are good because of what came out of them, and there was everything in between.

I read this quote the other day that I really liked that made me think about my mission.

"Real charity is not something you give away; it is something that you acquire and make a part of yourself. And when the virtue of charity becomes implanted in your heart, you are never the same again." -Elder Marvin J Ashton

Charity is the pure love of Christ. I'm no where close to having the amount of charity that the Savior has for us but I feel so blessed that He has allowed me to taste of how amazing it is. It truly does just fill your soul and helps you know that at the end of the day everything will be okay because God loves you and everyone around you. We can't acquire this trait until we have felt it. But I hope that everyone can just take a minute to think about how much God loves every single one of us here on this earth. Even ourselves, as imperfect as we might be and all the weaknesses that we may see in ourselves. See ourselves with the potential that God sees in us. Try to feel of that love and through that love, there begins to be a light at the end of the tunnel that we didn't think could possibly be there. The more we search for His love, for Jesus Christ, more light comes into our lives.

  

Now I'm changed and I can never be the same again. Nor, do I want to be the same again. I've felt too much love for other people and the love that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for me. I'm so grateful for the opportunity the Lord has given me to serve and for all of you who have supported me through it.

I will see you soon and be giving you all a big giant hug!! I love you all!

Piadina family night!

 Casual day in Bologna for scambio

P day in San Marino with all the sorelle in the zone

Radio Gaia!!

The big three things from the week:

1. Kenny came to church!! At the beginning he was a little nervous but by the end he was singing with the congregation! It was so awesome. He made lots of new friends and he really liked all the lessons. I feel like they were all directed toward the Restoration and the Book of Mormon. He really liked that because he already knew the things they were talking about but it helped him to understand even more! He got the full show too. He was able to see a confirmation and someone receive the priesthood. The Anziani had a car for a day so they gave him a ride home and they told us that as they dropped him off and he got out of the car he held the Book of Mormon in his hands and said "I'm going to read this!" Now he has started work in Vicenza so we made sure that the Anziani had his number and I'm sure that everything will continue to go good from here. 

2. We had dinner with the Anziani and their investigator Emanuel. He is the same one who helped us with all our bags on the first day we arrived here in Ravenna. He will be getting baptized in September. It was a lot of fun and I showed them all Grandma Anderson's game with the penny on the flour. Haha we had a good time and the Anziani lost every single time haha.  

3. Sandra, Sandra, Sandra. Right now we are meeting with or will be meeting with three different Sandras. We met with Sandra in a hospital/nursing home that took us two and half hours to find. We taught her but she didn't seem to understand. We went back a couple days later and we were able to clear more things up for her. She's so sweet! She's actually Favour's ex-wife and we've been meeting with both of them. Then we met with Sandra from the mostra and explained the Book of Mormon to her. She had her friend Cami over at her house and we will see them again next week. I feel like all of our lessons this week have been concentrated on the Restoration. We taught Marcella from English class the Restoration too. She's the one who made arancini with us! Things are going really well!  

Okay this week while I was studying Ether 2-3, where the Lords touches the stones so that they can have light in the boats, I found a principle I really liked. "It has often been said that we should pray as if everything depends on the Lord and work as if everything depends on us." The Lord has given us strength, a brain, capabilities, and reasoning. He expects us to use those to the best of our abilities when we are looking for answers and with the added power of prayer we can receive the direction we need. But the Lord expects us to do everything in our power first.

Sorry it's a little short! This week for PDay we went to Rimini to see Gaia and so I wanted to spend as much time as I could with her instead of writing emails. It was so good seeing her again! I love her so much. I got all nervous and anxious before we saw her as if I was going to see my family. 

I love you all and I hope you had a good week!

 Dante's tomb

So happy to see Gaia!!

The view from the place we stopped to eat!

Email Settimanale

• We went to the Castello di Gradara today! It was so cool! It's the place of a lot of famous love affairs such as Paolo and Francesca from Dante and a movie was filmed there in the 1960s. It was a real live castle on a hill with a little city within the walls and little boys playing with wooden swords all around.  

• Yesterday was Mauro's birthday! So we celebrated in the afternoon before choir practice with some members and some of us went to his house afterwards for a grill. It was also the Anziani's investigator's birthday. So they did a little something for him too! I think he liked it a lot. He's from Albania so it's not like he has family here to do something for him and he's only 20!  

• Kenny is moving for awhile because he found work in another city but we have still been meeting with him before he leaves. His wife will still be here and we met her! She's so cool! She is a pediatrician and is Italian. Apparently while Kenny was reading the Book of Mormon with her over this past week she realized that we are the Mormon Church. Turns out she had a friend in New York who was Mormon and she took the missionary lessons for awhile! Super cool! We are excited! Also, we love teaching Kenny! The Spirit is always so strong and we are grateful for how willing to learn he is.  

• The Anziani had a baptism! It was a beautiful ceremony and lots of people from the branch came. Even the convert’s sister from Bologna came who has been a member for over ten years!  

• We had Zone Conference! It was great! I bore my testimony with the other missionaries who will be going home. That was a little hard. There are so many amazing things going on in the mission and it makes me want to stay!  

• We visited a member family this week. The family Patanè. They are awesome and you can tell how much they love the branch here.  

D&C 84:36-38

36 For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me;

37 And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father;

38 And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.

Sorella Allen at Zone Conference gave an amazing training on these scriptures. In summary, in the end we can all receive ALL that our Heavenly Father has. He is not going withhold anything from us but we must actively follow Christ and keep His commandments. It doesn't matter how fast we are going on our pathway that will lead us back to our Heavenly Father as long as we are going. There's a lot more that I could say about this. But I will keep it short and simple. I love you guys and thank you for all the support!

 

My Companion Sorella Hernandez

Castello di Gradara 

This movie was filmed here in the 1960s.

On Bikes Again

Pizza Time - Mauro's Birthday

Zone Conference

Me and Sorella Smedley

 Sorella Anderson, Smedley and Perkins of the Sorellanza

Pres. and Sorella Allen