Buon Anno (Good Year)

Cari Tutti!

This last week we were able to spend a lot of time with a bunch of

families! I loved it!! And of course the best was when I got to skype

home to see my family!! Soo so great!! You are all so amazing. :D

Christmas evening we spent with the Bishop's family and had a great

dinner! Which included meat, cheese, olives, tortellini, lasagna,

meat, potatoes, lentils, and dessert. A real Italian Christmas dinner.

Here they call it a Cenone. Which means a big dinner. Cena means dinner

and if you add one at the end it means its bigger. It's actually in

the dictionary ;) haha. They even hand made the tortellini.

Delicious!!

On Saturday it was mostly just doing parco and trying to talk to

people. We were going to try to see the Romanian family but then we

realized that the bus that we would take to get to them doesn't take

that route on the weekends... and it was way too far away to walk....

so weren't able to see them Saturday. But we did end up talking to a

man on the bus named Erickson. He is from the Philippines and when he

saw us he said," Mormons"? and then laughed a little. We said yep and

talked to  him a bit. It turns out he had a Book of Mormon but it was

in the Philippines. So we offered to bring him one and talk more. We

were able to see him Monday. He has a wife here and we thought she

would be home, but she wasn't. And we can't go in the house without a

woman there... so we had to tell him that and then ended up having a

lesson right there at the door. He got little chairs and we sat on

them with the door open. You should've seen the looks the neighbors

across the hall were giving us as they came home haha!! All just on

chairs with our coats on because the hall is really cold. But it

turned out to be a really good lesson! We taught the restoration and

explained a lot of things he had heard about us. He accepted the

invitation to be baptized! So we really hope things will continue to

go well with him. He has had so many life experiences and has a lot of

faith. He knows the Bible really well and has been searching for the

truth. In fact we asked him how can we know which church is true if

there are SO many and he was like, that's what I have been trying to

figure out!! His name is Erickson and I believe that God put him right

there in our path.

Sunday we were trying to see people after church and we decided to

passby a less active named Giovanna that Sorella Russell has seen a

few times. We had an appointment with her a few weeks ago but she

cancelled. So we decided to

just passby instead. And it was just what she needed. We had planned

to talk about the Book of Mormon with her and really bore testimony of

how it could help her everyday. Right now she is pretty much taking

care of her parents. Her dad is in the hospital and her mom is sick a

lot. She says that she needs to figure a lot of things out and make

some decisions and we told her the Book of Mormon would be able to

help her. "Feast upon the words of Christ. For behold the words of

Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." I love it when we

are guided to people at the right moment when they need it.

Monday we were able to see the Romanian family again!! Corina, Ovidio,

and Samuel at least. And it was amazing. We watched the Restoration

video with them this time. Luckily they had a DVD player but they

didn't have a remote.... how were were going to change the language?

They pushed a few buttons and the movie started playing and it was in

Italian!! Then we stopped it so we could say a prayer and then when

they started it it was in English.... oh no! So then they tried again

and it was in English. Sorella Russell and I were both praying for a

miracle. For the video to be in Italian or Romanian. Either one. As

long as they could understand it! and it worked! It switched to

Italian again! Don't ask me how. Miracles. Afterward we had a really

good discussion. The spirit was so strong. When we asked them to pray

about Joseph Smith, Samuel was just like, ever since you told us about

him last week I already believed. And Ovidio said last week before we

came they didn't have light in the living room because they weren't

able to get a light bulb. But then we came and we were "two angels"

who lit up the place. And the next day they were finally able to get a

light for the living room. They are the most humble people, yet so

loving and giving. They have so much faith in Christ. We were able to

share how we were guided to them because Heavenly Father loves them

soo much and wants them to have the blessings that come from the

gospel in their life. I loved being with them. I already Love them soo

sooo much!!

At the beginning of this transfer I told Sorella Russell we needed to

pray for a family because I did that in Genova and we found Edith. And

God has already blessed us with this beautiful family! They are so

cute, when we ask when we can come back they say "Whenever! Whenever

you have nothing to do, just come over!"

I just love being a missionary! And being able to see how God guides

you to those who are ready. This really is His work and we just get to

be blessed to share this great message to His children. We are so

blessed to be able to feel the spirit when we testify and see how much

He blesses others and also US! He blesses us with so much love for His

children. So much I don't think I can keep it all in! I know I'm in

Bologna for a reason. There are people to find and teach.

I hope you all have a Happy New year!!

vi voglio bene! :D

Sorella Dixon

Eating pizza in Bologna

"Our decorated Door for Christmas"

"Christmas morning"

Christmas lunch with the Palmeiri's

"Christmas dinner with our Bishop and family"

Homemade tortellini

Homemade lasagne

Meat, lentils and potatoes

"We climbed one of the Towers today. Here is the view..."

"A pretty church we went to today"
A nativity inside

"A street in Bologna"