Come What May and Love It!!

Ciao tutti!

Come state? We're all doing great here in Bologna! It's so crazy that

it has only been a week since I said goodbye to Sorella Marostica and

welcomed in Sorella Taylor! It feels like 3 weeks has gone by with all

that has happened! We've seen so many people with introducing her to

everyone, and have seen so many miracles! Sorella Taylor a great

missionary :) we're going to have a great transfer together! She is in

her ninth transfer and is from Hyrum, Utah. We are actually super

similar. We have the same interests. So many actually, it's kind of

scary haha ;) we're practically the same person.

"Come what may and love it" is so perfect for this week since we've

had some pretty crazy experiences this week! But you just have to love

it :) here are a few fun/crazy experiences from this week since I

can't tell you everything!

So on Monday we saw Cristina and Maria. We actually saw them a time

last week and had a great lesson on prophets. So we were expecting to

go back and continue with that. But nope! We go in and we

actually had seen Maria leaving with her son for a few minutes down

the stairs. She explained that there was something that

happened and Cristina was upset. So we go upstairs and Cristina

wasn't really happy. She was cooking. Finally we get her to

sit down and talk to us and she tells us about some problems that have

been happening around the house. Some major family problems. It was a

pretty tough situation. Eventually she said she wants to talk about

something else to distract herself so we sing a hymn and say a prayer

and start to go into a scripture but then other people come in and

talk and it's just a little chaos. It didn't help that there was a ton

of family members in the other room there to visit. They were actually

there for the communion of the father in law. So they were all in one

room singing and praying, and we were in the kitchen trying

to help Cristina and Maria. Oh, quite the situation. We had no idea

this would be going down. And then one of the old ladies came in and

got upset with Maria and Cristina for not being in there with them and

saying that what we were doing wasn't religious or right. Most of it

was in Romanian, but you got the gist. So then they were upset about

all that. At this point I didn't know what to do. Sorella Taylor gets

out a scripture about faith and then all of the sudden, to top it all

off, a rainbow bird comes flying into the room from outside and lands

on my head!! Yes, it was flapping it's wings and trying to land on my

head! Haha it completely surprised me and I didn't know what it was.

People were freaking out and the kids were kind of screaming. Then it

flew into the other room and they shut the door. I was laughing so

hard I started crying, but they thought I was crying because it scared

me! Hahaha but then by the end of the whole situation, with the

problems from the beginning and the words from the lady, Maria and

Cristina started crying for real. We said a closing prayer and

left. Oh mamma Mia. That was the craziest lesson of my life. But

really though, Cristina and Maria are having a hard time, so prayers

for them would be good.

Another experience we had was yesterday. So last week we got quite a

few referrals from the church so we called them and actually set up an

appointment with a lady named Ginetta. She said the sister

missionaries had been there before but never came back after one time.

So yesterday we went over and after a little bit she shows up at home

from doing yoga. We go in the home and there are two birds (in the

cage this time ;) and then we turn the corner and this guy just kind

of pops out and starts talking to us in his kind of broken, but pretty

good English. That actually wasn't that weird, a lot of people talk to

us in English once they find out we're American. But the only way I

can describe him (and not in a bad way in the slightest) is he's like

a real life Tarzan! He had long brown dreadlocks and was just kind of

everywhere and then with him talking in his English he learned in

school. But he was super nice and interested in what we had to say. So

apparently they met the missionaries when they did a mostra in Centro

a year ago and were interested in practicing English. But I guess it

just never worked out with the missionaries in the past. But then as

we were talking with them in English they asked us about our church

and we were actually able to have a really good restoration lesson

with them! And their friend, who made sure he told us he was Muslim

several times, was actually a part of the conversation and talked a

lot about how important Christ is. They took the Book of Mormon and

said they would all read it together. So that was neat! Ginetta is

really nice and understood really well everything we were teaching.

About a month ago, or maybe more, we met a man named Ovidio. We found

him because the citofino was Stirbu. Anyway we haven't been able to

see him or his family since then until last week. Then we passed by

and talked to his wife for a little bit and she said to passby Sunday.

So we did and at first we were talking to Ovidio and his brother

outside and a little to his wife, but then she told us to come inside

and we got to really got to talk to her and get to know her. She is

amazing. She said she has actually been wanting to come to our church

since we first invited them but everyone else in her family has wanted

to do other stuff Sunday morning. With Romanians the husband is very

in charge. The wife doesn't quite have the say and is expected to be

home and cook and clean for the family. But she wants to follow Christ

and is really interested in having us come over to teach her and her

kids. So that was a neat miracle!

Lately I've been studying about trials because lately almost EVERYONE

we have been teaching has been going through a really hard trial. A quote I found in a talk is:

    "Learning to endure times of disappointment, suffering, and sorrow

is part of our on-the-job training. These experiences, while often

difficult to bear at the time, are precisely the kinds of experiences

that stretch our understanding, build our character, and increase our

compassion for others.

   Because Jesus Christ suffered greatly, He understands our

suffering. He understands our grief. We experience hard things so that

we too may have increased compassion and understanding for others."

I know that trials are an important part of life. Without them we

wouldn't be able to learn and grow how we need to. Sometimes they feel

like they will never end and that we won't be able to get through

them, but one thing I've learned as a missionary is that God will

ALWAYS give you the strength to get through them. One day at a time.

Or even one lesson to the next. He helps us get up, keep going, and do

what we need to to fulfill our calling. They truly are the things that

refine us and shape us.

Well I hope you all have a great week! This month as a mission we're

focusing on finding a lot of new people to teach, and we have already

seen great miracles! I know it will be a great month!

Vi voglio un sacco di bene! Baci!

Sorella Dixon

Saying goodbye to Sorella Marostica

The last training with Elder and Sister Dibb. They return to Bountiful
at the end of June.

Sorella Dixon is always good for shots of yummy foods!

Sorealla Taylor--her new companion from Hyrum,Utah.

Sister Training Leaders

"This is Kebab!"