Ciao famiglia!

We had the opprotunity to attend ward council on Thursday evening. From that experience my testimony of the organization and the structual part of the church has grown so much. These people, who they themselves are going through a rough time both financially and in other aspects, gathered together in the evening after a long day to discuss how they can help other people. They were there probably until about eleven at night,  (we left around ten, by they way we were late coming home that night, oops) discussing and making plans to help certain people not only have help with their physical well being, but overall their spiritual well being. The sweetest spirit just filled my soul as I realized the veracity of this church, in all of its aspects. Yes, there is a lot of cattiveria in the world, but there is a lot of good and we know that by small and simple means are great things brought to pass.

English Course is the best! We are getting so many potentials from it already. We are excited to meet with a lot of them this week and hopefully they will become new investigators. One guy, Antonio, said the closing prayer last time and he asked us for a copy of the finding happiness film. He was also excited that we wanted to meet with him beyond the course. How wonderful!

I had a mental break down or I guess an emotional melt down on Monday. I am crazy, just saying. I received a letter from Sorella Preston, my old campanion who is still in Bari. She sent me a picture of Giovanni's baptism and talked about the work there. When I saw the picture of Giovanni I got so happy I almost started to cry. He looked ecstatic! It was so great to see. Then as I read her letter I just got so sad that I was not there and got frustrated that I got transfered and I just had a bunch of other negative feelings. Then I started to sob! Man, poor sorella Ehorn had to deal with me wailing for like half an hour or longer. I just started feeling so inadequate, thinking that the work was going so well in Bari right after I leave, was it because I was the one hindering it, I also started thinking about how we are supposed to do our best, but I never know what my best is, then I started thinking about how much I miss you all (I usually do not get homesick, so all those feelings then started rushing in). and it just went on and on, me in my little self pity party. After I calmed down I decided the best thing I could do is pray. I always testify to people the importance of prayer, why not apply that power to myself. As I prayed I asked if Heavenly Father was happy with me and if what I am doing is what he wants and I asked him to help me figure out what my best is. Then a miracle happened. A thought of what happened that day came to mind. I lost my cute T key chain from my bag earlier that day, Then on the metro Sorella Ehorn found the exact key chain on the ground! I thought it was cool when it happened, but thinking of that little experience after my prayer and after my negative emotions I realized that that little experience was a miracle to show me that God is consapevole of me and loves me and is happy with me. Also, since that prayer, I have been getting more ideas on what to do during the day, like what I should teach for english course, or during lessons I have more confidence. I feel, like I am doing my best and that my enough is enough.

I think that this episode was brought on by the adversary. For this week has been so wonderful, I found out Giovanni got baptized, I went to ward council, from these things I found a new drive to invite more people to get baptized, to work on making sure the spirit is in the lessons and not get distracted and it really has been a good week, we got rejected just the same, but my attitude and drive to continue remained high. So I think the only way to get me down was to bombard me with these feelings of inadequecy and thinking that I have no purpose. Anyway, now you know that I am crazy, but I know that God loves us, and knows each and everyone of us. Prayer is key! I want to invite all of you to pray this week, for it is the best!

I also have been studying the concept of perfection. I will explain more about it later, for I am running out of time, but I just want to say that I have come to a conclusion. There is variety in perfection and in imperfection. I keep thinking that I am not the quote un quote perfect missionary that I thought was possible to reach, I kept comparing myself to these people I thought had reached that, diciamo perfection in this life, which is still not perfect. But the thing is that I am discovering is that there is more than one way to be perfect or to try to reach perfection. Ok, I have no idea if this is making sense, I think I think too much! But just like we know that God and Christ are different separate beings, yes they are the same in purpose, but they too are different, they have different personalities (I read in Jesus the Cristo that in greek in the bible they use the nuetur form of the word one, when Christ says he is one with the father, that denotes same in purpose, if he used the masculine form of the word it would mean same in personality, but it is not used).

I love you all! Thanks for putting up with me! I love the gospel so much, it helps us to understand our purpose and who God knows that we can become:)

I love love love you!!!!

Love,

Sorella Comollo

CIAO TUTTI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So we went to the top of San Pietro and got to see all of Rome. It was breath taking and glorious. There was even a whole rainbow over the city, since it was a rainy day, to top off the spectacular view. But guess what is even better than that!!!!????? I heard yesterday at Zone Conference that Giovanni,  the investigator from Bari, my sweet Giovanni, got baptized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When I heard my heart just soared!!!! He did it, he was able to get help with his alcohol addication, he was able to receive the Holy Ghost on Sunday and he is going to be fantastic. He already knows that the church is perfect, even if the members aren't. All of the offense he could have taken he didn't, he did not let anything that anyone did or say crumble his testimony of the truth of this church, the truth of this gospel and the truth of our savior at its head.

Out of 11, How many cleaning items did you complete today?
It is clean. I have never felt so much joy!!!! There is a special spirit that comes when one hears of exciting changes in the lives of their loved ones.:)

On Friday we had a fun adventure. We met stefano on the train, he lives in a little city near Ladispoli, with his mom. We got his number and he said we could call him. Well he did and he said we could pass by. So he gave us an address. We took a train to get there and then started asking around to get to this via. Well, it was via rucellai 1. There was no such address it seemed. We walked around via rucellai for ever, but the only numbers were evens. Finally, after learning the word for even and odd from a man that helped us (pari/dispari), we found this blessed address and guess what it was... An ambulance hub! Oh dear, we just laughed! Stefano was not to be found there! I can just image him getting like a flyer for this place and then while talking to us and trying to "get us out of his hair" saying oh yes my address is, um, and then looking at the flyer for ambulences and giving us the address of it! The people that worked there thought we were crazy:)

Zone Conference was much needed. I received an answer to my prayers. I have been struggling for a while with what I need to be doing when we are looking for new investigators. I feel like I have been finding for the majority of my mission, in the sense of personal contacting and tracting, I love it so much, I think it is fun and I enjoy talking and getting to know people. I have made it a game, trying to figure out how I can start talking about the restoration from any small talk conversation starter (be it the weather,  (like you know what else happened on a clear day like this, a vision), be it talk of family, of school, of social problems, of work, of food). I love asking people for their number and telling them about prayer, even praying with them on the street. I love when I get to recite the first vision to a crowd of people on the bus or train and the excitement that comes when I bear my testimony about it. However, I feel like all of this finding has not led me to a ton of "fruit". I have been feeling like there must be a better way to find people that "stick" diciamo. I remembered a quote in the Preach my Gospel that says working with members is how to do it. So, I went from one extreme to the next, from always finding, to always trying to meet with members. However, I learned that there is a balance and I am learning it in how I am finding and what was said and what I felt at Zone Conference is going to help me understand this balance even more.

Love you all! Have a good week!

Love,

Sorella Comollo

Family!!!!

This week has just been filled with grand experiences!

Thursday: On the train ride from Rome to Ladispoli we had to stand in the little entry way because it was packed with people. I started talking to a this guy. He asked why I was here, so I started to explain about the church. As I started to talk about the restoration almost everyone who was packed in that area turned to look at me, bah. So I kept talking, I explained a little about Joseph Smith and set it up so my cute greenie could say the first vision, so I got to the part about Joseph praying and looked at Sorella Ehorn, by this point we had about 15 people just staring at us, she just gave me a look like, no I cannot do it, deer in the headlights and during that little pause this woman said, well what happened to the boy? I was thrilled, someone was interested enough to ask what happened (that doesn't occur as often as one would think or as I would like:)). So I finished the story and bore my testimony and later another woman asked what does it mean to receive personal revelation. So then I got to talk about the language of the spirit and how we can discern answers from God in our lives. It was the craziest thing, just preaching to a crowd, bearing my testimony and just feeling no fear, just the spirit and the excitement and happiness it brings. 

Friday: Oh Public Transportation!!! I have had the car up to this point, so I am not super acquainted with the train system in Italy. Well, the train we wanted to take home was switched for a bus, but we did not know that. So we waited for like an hour just to get to Rome. Then we had to take a train back up to Ladispoli, by this point it was about nine. That train was late. Then we missed the stop for Ladispoli and didn't realize until two stops later. So we got off. We got off at the worst place, santa severa, aka the middle of no where and it was nine forty and the next train back to Ladispoli did not come until six in the morning the next day... Yup... and our phone was dying and it was freezing and we had got caught in a rain storm before, so our feet were wet, so the cold felt colder. The train station waiting room was covered in broken glass, from beer bottles and there was a little blanket set up in the corner, can you say creepy! Thank goodness for the saftey net that the church provides! Some wonderful members came and picked us up, thank goodness we were able to get a hold of someone before our phone died! We just laughed and sang hymns while we waited for them to come, for if we did not sing and laugh we would have gotten super scared! bah!:)

Lots more happened but I have run out of time!

I love you all!

Have a good week!

Love,

Sorella Comollo 

Ciao!

CRAZY WEEK!!!!

I am training!!!! AGAIN!!! In a new city!!! BAH!

I cannot tell a lie, I have been feeling super overwhelmed this week. It has to do with just being in a new place, then switching companions and having to train all of the sudden, I did not prepare as much mentally this time. However, from all of these opprotunities to learn and new experiences I have come to the conclusion that it was much needed, for I realized just how much I need to rely on the Lord, something that I was not doing so much before. My prayers are becoming more sincere, something I have been working on my whole mission, I have more of a desire to work, instead of just going through the motions. It is incredible how with Heavenly Father this trial for me has been a very special growing experience.

We are already finding new investigators, getting to know members, inviting people to get baptized on specific dates and learning where everyone lives and visiting less actives. It has become an adventure for Sorella Ehorn and I to explore this new terrain, instead of getting stressed out. 

I am excited to continue to work hard and be sure to rely on the Lord in every aspect of the work.

Sorella Ehorn is from California. Her mom is from Florence and her dad is American. She loves to cook. So we have lots in common. She is just barely learning Italian, and poverina is getting so frustrated. She works so hard though and I just love her!

Guess what I saw last week... IL COLOSSEO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was so cool, we just walked out from the metro station and there it was, just looming above us. I felt so excited to be in Rome, it is mordern and ancient. However, I had an interesting contrast. In the evening we went to see an investigator. We wanted to watch the restoration film with her in the church. We called her and she kept making excuses not to see us, finally we decided to meet her at her house. Well, we put the film in, but the remote was  lost, so we couldn-t change the language, we looked and looked, but it was no where to be found. Well, the daughter came home after about ten minutes and found it for us. She has never been interested in staying before, but I think her helping us find of remote made her more interested to see the film. So she stayed and watched with us. Right when it got to the part where Joseph sees God and Jesus the dog starts going crazy and barking. So Ilaria, the daughter went to take care of him. We paused it. We thought she wasn-t going to come back, she did! At the end we bore our testimonies and testified of God-s love for them and specifically for Ilaria, the spirit was so strong!!! It was amazing!

So it was grand to see the colosseo and to feel the feelings of excitement of partaking in history of an ancient society. However, it was even more grand and made me feel even more happy and wonderful to be a part of the spiritual progression of one of God-s beloved daughters. Everything worked out so we couuld see her, Paola not wanting to meet in the church, the remote being lost. We are here for each other. Our own progression, but also for others-. Life has so much more meaning if we fill it with helping others, more than just seeing sights.

I love you all!

Have a great week!!!! Read the Book of Mormon, it is the best!!!! Everyday!

Love,

Sorella Comollo