God Shows His Love for Each Person in the Smallest of Ways

**** Mom's note: I entered a weekend post on February 7. It is the post below this one. Yes, Heavenly Father is in the details of our lives. We are so excited for Sorella Dixon to begin her Italian journey, to share the gospel, and to share her love for Heavenly Father's children all over the world. She has always been a friend to all, and her letter this week is certainly an expression of that. Enjoy!****

Caro Famiglia e Amici,

This week was a pretty great week! I can't believe it's already p-day again! And that I'm already half way through my MTC experience! Il tempo vola! (Time flies!)

Since missionaries are going all over the world, we also have missionaries from all over the world here at the MTC! Let me tell you about some of the people I've met! An elder from a little island by Madagascar. He speaks french, English, and is now learning Spanish! We met him when he came up to us and wanted to know if he could understand Italian because he knew Spanish. So we got to speak a little Italian to him and we actually understood each other! We've also met an elder from Italy going to somewhere in the states! So that was fun! There is a missionary here from Syria! The FIRST ONE from Syria! How cool is that? I haven't met him personally, but President Burgess (the MTC president) had him share his testimony in our mission conference. His experience was amazing to here about. He has so much faith! 

Yesterday we also got to have two international sisters stay in our room for the night. Today they moved out to their actual room. Sister Kolo is from Tonga and she's going to Pocatello, Idaho. It turns out that she had to go to Fiji for visa stuff and met Sorella Pulli's brother because he's a missionary in Fiji! Tender Mercy! and Sister Danso from Ghana, but lived in South Africa and is going to Temple Square! So in a couple weeks after she leaves the MTC, you could go to Temple Square and possibly see her! They are the cutest sisters and it was so fun to get to know them! We got to hear songs and testimony in Tongan, and hear about life in Africa! Simply amazing! 

We have missionaries from all over the states, Canada, and the Philippines in our branch. One sister going to Romania is from Quebec and speaks French. On our Sunday walk, we were all sitting on the grass, enjoying the sun and she sang hymns for us in French! It was so beautiful! One elder from Hawaii was super sick Sunday morning, so his companion and other roommates gave him a blessing, and he got better in time to give a talk in sacrament meeting that afternoon. He shared his testimony about the Book of Mormon and the hymn "How Firm a Foundation". It is his favorite hymn. I was actually playing the piano for Sacrament meeting and had chosen that hymn for the closing hymn. How amazing is that? God shows his love for each person in the smallest of ways. 

With Sister Kolo from Tonga, who will be serving in Pocatello, Idaho 

and Sister Danso from Ghana, who will be serving at Temple Square.

Here's a little about my district: 

Anziano Cunningham (the tallest with dark, dark hair) is from Oregon. He was our district leader. He loves to talk about his family. Well, just talk in general. We probably know the most about him than anyone else. He is also very spiritual. We had a great discussion last night as a district that he lead. 

Anziano Yee is Anz. Cunningham's companion. He is half chinese and from Canada. He was super quiet the first couple of weeks, but this last week he has totally come out of his box and is a completely different person than we knew! He is Hilarious! And always has great insights to share. Yesterday we changed leadership, so now he's our district leader.

Anziano Hales (the one with red hair and the shortest) is so smart. He loves to read books and has amazing insights. He is very knowledgeable about the scriptures, church history, etc. He has an amazingly strong testimony.

Anziano Lingardo is Anz. Hales companion. He got baptized about 2 years ago, so it's amazing to hear about his experience. He has great missionary tips and has a pretty fresh view of the gospel which is great to have in our class.

The Anziano at "The Map"

Sorella Osborn (the one with blond wavy hair) is really sweet. She and sister Pulli have us laughing the most. She and I usually run together in the mornings and its fun to talk with her and try to SYL.

Sorella Inslaco is amazing at the violin. She has played with Jenny Oaks Baker, the Piano Guys, and others in concerts. She's probably going to play for one of the devotionals here. Her parents went to Italy on their missions, so she already knows quite a bit of Italian. She lets us go to her when we have questions. She's a life saver! She's so sweet and very down to earth. 

Sorella Pulli is still the best companion ever! She is so close to the spirit and has taught be a lot about really listening and following the spirit. She truly loves everyone and I can see that as we are teaching. 

We have a great time as a district family :) I'm so blessed to be with all of them!

The Sorellas at "The Map"

Last Thursday we got to do TRC--Training Resource Center. So we taught members who spoke Italian. They weren't "investigators" they were just themselves. So it was fun to get to know them. That was such a great experience! We just got to get to know them and share a spiritual thought with them! It's definitely something to look forward to each week now! One of the members we taught said he liked to sing, and then on Sunday we saw him in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir during Music and the Spoken Word! So that was pretty neat! We taught another lady and the spirit was so strong when we shared our scripture with her. It was 3 Ne 28:9-10:

 And again, ye shall not have pain while ye shall dwell in the flesh, neither sorrow save it be for the sins of the world; and all this will I do because of the thing which ye have desired of me, for ye have desired that ye might bring the souls of men unto me, while the world shall stand.

 And for this cause ye shall have fulness of joy; and ye shall sit down in the kingdom of my Father; yea, your joy shall be full, even as the Father hath given me fulness of joy; and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father; and the Father and I are one;

These verses are amazing. I have definitely been able to feel a piece of that joy here because I'm serving the Lord. We always have amazing devotionals here. 

Here are some thoughts that I really liked, "focus on the edges and the center takes care of itself" He was talking about sanding a piece of wood. So when we focus on others around us, we will grow and become more Christ-like even though we're not working on ourselves. Along with that "Receive without forgetting. Give without remembering."


This week our lessons with our investigators went well! We can always feel the spirit when we teach Valeria. One lesson we went in planning to tell her about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, but ended up completely changing our plans because her needs were different. We had to totally rely on the spirit. It was a powerful lesson. Probably the best one we've given because we were following the spirit. 

Francesco is a little harder to teach because he asks so many questions. Questions are good! but It's hard to answer when we don't know the language. We get through it though, and I think (hope) he understands most of what we teach him. 

I'm slowly but surely progressing in the language. Praying in Italian really helps. I have learned how to say pretty much everything that I would want to say in English in Italian! Also studying the Book of Mormon in Italian helps. I'm understanding more grammar everyday and my vocab is always expounding! I just love Italian! Something fun to say: In bocca al lupa! (it translates to "in the mouth of the wolf" but they say it to mean Good luck!)

Well I have to go! It's hard to believe I'll be in Italy 3 weeks from today!!! Non vedo l'ora! (I can't wait! but literally meaning I can't see the hour)

Vi voglio un mondo di beno! (how they say I love you! it literally means I wish you a world of good :)

Ciao!

Sorella Dixon

Enjoying the sunshine--

I think these sorellas are a ray of sunshine!!

"We have a great time as a district family.

I'm so blessed to be with all of them".