HOPE! We Have so Much Hope... and Happiness to Offer!

Cari Tutti!

Come state? Life in Italy is pretty great! The weather has been so nice lately! Which is so great because so many people are out that we can talk to! The last couple of days we have just been able to do finding in the park because so many people are just sitting on benches enjoying the weather! 

So about Marlene.. She actually didn't get baptized... We weren't able to see her for a couple days because she didn't answer when we called and when we stopped by her place she wasn't there. And then when we were finally able to visit her, she decided not to get baptized. It was kind of crazy. Something happened at FHE that week I guess and she got offended. She almost decided not to come to church. But she was able to get over it and still loves the church and is going to meet with the missionaries in Venezuela. We just hope and pray she'll feel ready there. Hopefully she'll be able to bring her family into the gospel too!

We had great lessons with Romolo. He is loving everything! He came to the ward activity on Saturday and church on Sunday! He is so bravo! We are going to have to pass him to the Anziani this week because since we have Anziani in our ward, there's no reason Sorelle should just be teaching a single man, even if we teach him in the church. So that's kind of a bummer because we have loved teaching him, but we will still see him all the time! 

Friday as we were walking on the street I had the first encounter with an anti-Mormon, or really just someone who wanted to argue. We were walking and the guy just started asking "Joseph Smith?  Joseph Smith?" and we were like yes... and then he was just saying stuff to get us to argue. We just smiled and pretty much agreed with everything he was saying because he was saying the Bible was the word of God and Joseph Smith is a normal person like each of us. We didn't try to argue and by the end he was just happy as ever and even shook our hands and said it was nice to meet us! During part of it he was talking about names and how everyone has a name that means something. He looked at me and said "Like your name.. well I don't know what your name is.. but if it was Silvanna it would mean..." And then he said what it meant. I don't remember what he said because I was just shocked that he guessed my name! Silvanna is the Italian version of Savanna! crazy!

Saturday there was a baptism for one of the Anziani's investigators. It was beautiful! Then that evening there was a ward culture activity. We had a little extra time between the two so we decided to try to visit a less active member. We tried to find the apartment but it was no where to be found! Either we had the wrong address or something because the number we were looking for just wasn't there! We decided we should probably start heading back. Then we saw an older couple sitting on some benches in this park area so we went to talk to them. At first they were like No we know you're Jehovah Witnesses, we don't want to listen, yaddy yaddy yadda... (EVERYONE thinks were Jehovah Witnesses! Its crazy!) but then we told him we weren't and told them who we were and then we had a lovely chat about the gospel and stuff and they even invited us to sit down to talk to them! We talked to them for awhile and ended up being late for the activity because the buses were being super slow that day and we practically ran back!

Yesterday when we were just out in the park talking to people, we got to talk to so many people with such different beliefs! It's crazy how many different ideas people have! One guy had faith but believed faith and work, or the rest of his life, were completely separated. One lady believed in Christ and likes to just go to lots of different churches, one guy was Athiest and was telling us all his ideas. We actually got to pray with him though. One guy was a little interested but was interested in coming to our English class because he's interested in friends. He just needs to feel a little love! One lady is studying with the Jehovah witnesses, but loved everything we were saying. Pretty much all the older people we talk to say they are too old to change and they aren't happy. They are't satisfied with the lives they have lived and it's really sad. They wont even let us pray with them because they see no hope. Pretty much everyone remarks on how horrible the world is. I wish we could get everyone to listen to us because this gospel can help EVERYONE! We have so much hope and happiness to offer! Someday they'll be ready, and they'll want to listen to the missionaries. My companion told me some statistic she heard somewhere, so we don't really know where it's from, but its: people in Italy have to come in contact with missionaries 7 times before they'll actually listen to them. So we're just one of those times! Usually the first actually! 

This week we were quite the scientists. If you ever wondered if mold can grow on mold.. it can! We did that experiment without even knowing! In our fridge... on our mushrooms! Don't worry, the rest of our food is good! We just had a little too many mushrooms...

For FHE we wanted to do the object lesson where we color the water and then pour something in it and it becomes clear again- relating it to repentance and baptism. So we just kind of made up the chemical solution of bleach and some other cleaning liquid in our house... and it worked!! We did it 3 times in our apartment to make sure we got it down. And then we did it at FHE aaaaand.. of course it didn't work! The water was blue and once we poured in the chemicals it started turning this green gross color! We poured in more bleach and it turned pinkish orangish, and when we poured in a little more bleach it FINALLY turned clear! Haha it was a lovely lesson... we just said how the Atonement is ALWAYS there and we need to ALWAYS utilize it. Not just once! 

I hope everyone has a great Easter this weekend! Remember-- He is ALWAYS there.

Have a great time watching conference! I know we're super excited for general conference this weekend!

Vi Voglio Bene! Buona Pasqua!!

Sorella Dixon

"We found some cool walls to take photos in front of"

Spring in Milan

"I love the cute little cars"

"The weather has been nice enough for us

 to eat out on our balcony"

What nice scenery

Sorella Dixon's apartment building

"The street is named Caio Mario"

ps--Here is a little April Fool's Day trick played on us this morning. It is written by Sister Nedelkov. Those little stinkers. Doesn't Sorella Dixon know that the gray hairs are already overtaking my head?!?!

"This last week me and Sorella Dixon were out walking in the park. Remember how I told you guys that the Italians drive like maniacs? Well... I am living proof! So we were walking across a road and of course just like you taught me I looked both ways. The car that was coming toward us was really nice and stopped for us, but the car behind him thought that it would be smart to go around. In short, I got hit by a car and broke my left leg. It's not super bad though, I only have to be in a cast for 10 weeks. Don't even worry about it. :D"

Nice. Just nice.