Right now I'm on a train ride to Lugano, Switzerland. And since I have an iPad I can write this email! Right now I'm passing a lake with beautiful mountains! I can't even believe I'm here right now. It's really a dream. Hopefully I'll be able to send pictures of Switzerland this week. If not, then for sure next week! So Lugano is in our area but we're not allowed to serve there as Americans. Only Europeans can serve here, I think.
This week was full of ups and downs. Mostly ups. The downs were more personal. I felt like I couldn't teach very well because each lesson we had Sorella Griffin knew exactly what to say, and it was so powerful, and I didn't feel like I was contributing that well. But after I really prayed for help in teaching, following the spirit, and not worrying about myself the lessons went better. We were able to switch off and really teach with the spirit. When I was thinking about myself and worrying about what I wasn't saying it was harder to teach and even speak Italian. But when I focused on the person, really listened, and tried to follow the spirit the words just came and I could speak Italian better.
We had amazing lessons with Nancy. She's the lady who came from Peru who we talked to on the metro last Tuesday, and she asked US if she could meet with us. She has the cutest baby named McKenzie who is ALWAYS happy and so calm! She's not even a year yet but I'm pretty sure she likes to sit there in her stroller and listen to us :) We had a lesson with Nancy Thursday at the park and taught her the restoration. At the end we asked her to pray and she gave a beautiful simple prayer where she thanked God for sending us to her to teach her the truth and said that she wanted to get baptized. SHE was telling Heavenly Father that!
Then on Saturday we had another lesson with her at the park where we talked about the Book of Mormon more. She said she has been praying,and when we asked her if she believed Joseph Smith was a true prophet she pretty much said, "well ya, of course!" When we taught her about the Book of Mormon and Bible being like two nails in a board it clicked for her and she's starting to understand that there's only one church that contains the fullness of the gospel.
Sunday she came to church! I think it was a little awkward at first because no one really talked to her.... So after I was finished playing postlude, I walked around and told people to go say Hi to her. Luckily they did. One was Patricia, the member from Ecuador. And they just clicked! Patricia said she wants to come to lessons with her and they got each other's numbers. Then Patricia and her husband gave her a ride home because it was raining. Perfect!!
Yesterday (Tuesday) we had another lesson with her, this time in her house, and got to meet a couple of her friends and family members. We haven't met her compagna yet because he's always at work. In this lesson we asked her how she felt as she prayed and read and she said she always felt peace and a warm feeling in her heart. She told us she thinks she feels like that because "sto trovando la verita" or "I'm finding the truth". It was in that lesson that we found out that she had actually studied with the Jehovah witnesses before but didn't ever feel anything and so she stopped. It was kind of ironic because after the first time we talked with her and she told us that she wanted to join a church we were both thinking how it's a good thing she found us before the Jehovah witnesses so she just didn't join theirs. But really she had already tried them. She was really looking for the truth!
I'm so amazed with her at every lesson. She understands and really wants to understand. I'm amazed at how much she actually teaches herself. We mentioned the sacrament and baptism and she already knows how important it Is to come to church every Sunday and to keep the Sabbath day holy. I'm excited to keep teaching her! If you could define a "golden investigator" it would seriously be Nancy. I don't know how I'm so blessed to be able to teach her. I'm pretty sure part of it is from all the prayers from home. A person's whole life is being changed because of your prayers! And more too because she was talking about sharing it with her family and giving us her family's numbers who live in Peru as referrals.
We had a cool miracle on Friday. We were going to visit the bishop's wife's sister who is less active because of health reasons, and to get to her house we need to take a train. So we got on the train, and I realized it was the WRONG one! But then someone across the way was looking at me, and when I looked at her she smiled and started waving. I didn't recognize her... I was quickly going through, in my head, members and people that we knew who would know us.... Then I realized that she wasn't a member or investigator but someone who I had talked to on the metro before! It was actually the day before the Anziano Bednar conference that I talked to her and a bunch of her family on the metro. A few weeks ago I saw them on the metro AGAIN as they were getting off, and they all recognized and waved as we were getting on so we didn't have a chance to talk to them. Well, this time I HAD to talk to them! She said how crazy it was that this was the third time that she had seen me because she NEVER sees the same people twice on the Mezzi. She said it must be a sign that she needs to read the stuff we gave her--we had given them pamphlets the first time we saw them and they hadn't read them yet. She didn't want to switch numbers on the metro... BUT I know they will see missionaries again! I just love how they were the ones who recognized us and waved to us! And it was all on the wrong train. We were late to our appointment, but it was all good :)
We are still working with Elda. We're trying to get her to see the positive things and be grateful. When we have actual lessons with her they are actually really good. She loved when we showed her the verses in the Bible and the Book of Mormon about "other sheep I have which are not of this fold". And we set a baptism date with her, so we'll see how that goes!
The rest of the week was full of visiting members, less actives, talking to people, and the usual missionary stuff! We've been having rain lately which has been super nice because then it's not as hot.
Life is good, I'm now on my way back from Switzerland. It was beautiful! We got to see the lake, go to a church from the 1400's, see the view from a great lookout point, just see the houses... no buildings, and of course, buy chocolate :) Sorella Griffin is convinced that she's going to live in Switzerland some day haha :)
"Me with just a little bit of Swiss chocolate"!
(I wonder if she will send some home.....?)
Well buona settimana tutti!
Vi voglio un sacco di bene!
Sorella Dixon
This video was sent for Sorella Dixon's Grandpa and Grandma Warburton's 50th Wedding Anniversary!! Isn't technology just awesome?!!
No comments:
Post a Comment