God Loves Us

Cari Tutti!

Happy November! I can't believe that November is already here! It sure

doesn't feel like it here! I still leave the house without a jacket

most of the time... which usually isn't good because it does get

chilly in the evening, but it still looks and feels like August or

September during the day!

Well, this week was a great week! We had a lot of fun, a lot of

spiritual experiences, and were able to see a lot of people! It was

great! For Halloween we ended up going to 2 activities! One on Friday

with the GANS (the YSL) and one on Saturday with the ward in Genova 2!

They both turned out great! Georgina came for the beginning of the one

Friday! Which was a huge surprise! Randomly last week she texted us

asking us how we were and said she has been busy with work and

school lately but was free the next week sometime. So we set up an

appointment to see her and she ended up working late, but still was

able to come to the activity later that night!! So that was neat! Then

on Saturday we had Rosio, Elizabetha and Chiara at the activity! We

also had a lesson with Rosio right before and talked about the

Restoration. She's really interested and really wants to search for

things for herself. Maria Jose is the member who invited her to

English class and she was able to be there for her, too. I just love

Maria Jose! She is so sweet! She is 19 and wants to serve a mission

sometime, too! She's going to be a great missionary!

The Halloween activity with the ward was CRAZY!! SO many people came!!

IT was so great!! So much fun!! We played a bunch of games and ate a

bunch of delicious food! The Anziani dressed up as a cowboy and a

pirate and Sorella Goethals and I wore butterfly headbands :) All the

kids thought it was funny that we were butterflies because Halloween

here is only associated with scary things....haha so I guess

butterflies weren't scary enough :)

This week we were also able to see Talia and get her reading in

the Book of Mormon. We have made a focus to read the Book of Mormon

with our investigators. I love it! I love helping them understand and

helping them get into the stories and experiences.

On Monday we saw Sorella Papallo. She's the one who we called before

the first appointment and said we were welcome to come but she wasn't

going to come to church. And then she just loved us because of how

many times we had to change the appointment. I just love her! She is

so bubbly and fun to be around!! She is just sooo nice to us and 

shows so much LOVE for us! She was cute and said that she felt a

connection with me right when I first talked to her on the phone. She

still has a testimony of the church but there have  been problems

that have happened in the past I guess, so hopefully we can help her

with that.

Yesterday we tried passing by Kerly, and she was home! Yay!!! We

haven't seen her since that first time we saw her. It was an amazing

lesson. We talked about the Restoration, and she was reminded of a lot

of stuff. She has forgotten a lot, but wants to learn and start with

everything again. She has been through a lot in her life and has done

a lot of different things,and she asked us a lot about repentance. She

truly wants to repent and be clean. She asked us if God really does

forgive any sin if we repent from the heart? It was such a neat

experience because I could say YES, completely sure that it was true.

God really does forgive anyone from anything!! He loves us soooo much

and just wants us to be clean so we can return to Him. What was even

more special was that even though I know that she's going to have to

repent and change her life, I could feel the Love that God and Jesus

Christ have for her. There is no resentment or judgment or holding

back. They love her 100% and are sooo happy that she WANTS to change

and come closer to Christ. I was able to share that love for her and

help her know that Christ is there with her all the way. I know that

that's how it is for EVERYONE. Christ loves us so much, and when we

desire to repent and come to Him he accepts and embraces us!

I'm so grateful that I was able to have that experience and 

feel the love that God has for each of us. As missionaries we are

called to teach the gospel and help others come unto Christ. We are

the ones that are supposed to help, but really I think the others

really help. Most of the time I feel like I'm the one being more

blessed in the situation. I get to feel the love from others and

really get to know them in their homes. I get to learn from them and

learn from the spirit as I teach and help others. I love it. We are so

blessed as missionaries!

Well, I hope everyone has a great week! :D Miracles happen everyday!

Make sure you look for them! Vi voglio bene!

Love,

Sorella Dixon

Beautiful sisters in beautiful Genoa

Halloween 2015 for Sorella Dixon

Sorella Goethals making Sorella Dixon a Dutch dinner

Sausage, potatoes and carrots--cooked the Dutch way!

Happy Halloween!

Cari Tutti,

This week was a great week! We saw lots of little miracles! And I

learned a lot! We got to do a scambio with the sorelle in Savona. I

was with Sorella Salmond. She's from West Valley and went to the

University of Utah. She is in the same group as Sorella Nedelkov, so

she goes home December. She is such a great finder! She talked to

everyone! I loved it! I learned lots of great things from her, and I

feel like my finding has improved just from being with her for a day.

Sorella Goethalls and I have really been trying to do lots of finding

and talking to lots of people so I was able to put some things I

learned from Sorella Salmond into practice. We were able to see a

woman together Friday night. Her name is Maria and she has been

less-active for several years. It was kind of funny because when I

made the appointment with her on Monday I said something that made her

laugh. Then on Thursday I had to change the time. Then on Friday I had

to change it back, and it was just kind of crazy. But things happen for

a reason because it just made her laugh and she just thinks we're

great now. She really wants us to come see her a lot, especially

before she goes to Brazil at the end of November. It was interesting

because when I first called her she said we are welcome to come see

her but she wasn't going to come to church. She just said that right

out. We said we still wanted to come see her. Then when we saw her she

told us that she had told that to other missionaries and they didn't

end up coming. Hopefully she'll be able to feel our love and will want

to return to church.

Saturday we saw Mayra and her mom. Mayra is our age and has a hard

time gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon. She feels like she was

just baptized because that's what her mom wanted her to do. Her mom

has a strong testimony. But on Saturday when we came she said

she has been reading the Book of Mormon, and said she prayed and then

opened the Book of Mormon and found a verse that was perfect. Then the

next day she did it again and the same thing happened. It was a

different verse, but it said pretty much the same thing. She has been

reading ever since and has really liked it. We were so happy!! She is

finally coming to know for herself!

Friday night we had an FHE with the ward in Genova 2. and it was sooo

great!!! SOOOO many members came, and it was  blast! We even had

several of our investigators there! :D I'm so excited to continue to

do FHE with this ward. I think we'll see lots of miracles. The ward

will grow closer, and it will help with inviting friends and

investigators.

Monday night we saw Talia!!!! YES!! We finally saw Talia! She has been

so busy with work and kind of figuring things out for herself. She's

going through a hard time right now. We had a great lesson with her,

and she really opened up to us. She does want to get baptized, I think

she's just afraid of the commitment and the complete change that comes

with this decision. I think both Sorella Goethalls and I were guided

with what to say during the whole lesson.

Yesterday morning we decided to passby a lady named Susanna and she

was miraculously home! She's Kerly's and the other Mayra's sister. The

three of them are the ones living in Italy and they have 6 other

siblings in Ecuador and in the United states who are really active members

of the church. I don't think it's a coincidence that we have started

to teach all 3 of them. Heavenly Father is definitely guiding this

work. They all say they feel something missing in their life and want

to get that back. They are all so great.

We were going to have a lesson with Glenda, but then she cancelled so

we decided to passby Elizabetha and Chiara and they were there! Chiara

had a rough day at school because she didn't do too well on an

assignment... and Elizabetha was super tired. But by the time we left

they were both smiles! We talked to them about the 10 commandments and

the the hand signs to remember them. I just love that family so much.

I just feel at home when I'm with them.

Yesterday on the bus I was thinking about the Atonement and how

blessed we are to truly know what we do about what Christ did for us.

He didn't just make a worthy act and die for us on the cross, but he

truly suffered for each one of us in the Garden of Gethsemane. He

knows us so personally and knows EXACTLY what we go through. I guess

what made me think of it was whenever we talk to people about Christ

they usually say they believe in Him and he was a great person. How it

was a great sacrifice that he made to die on the cross or whatever.

But they never really understand how MUCH he did. A lot of people we

talk to don't even believe in Him. This morning I read Mosiah 14 and

the words Isaiah use to describe what Christ went through are so

beautiful. It truly humbles me and makes me grateful for the love

Christ has for each one of us.

Well, I hope everyone has a great Halloween this Saturday! We're

getting ready for a great Halloween party we're having with the ward

:D Italians actually DO celebrate Halloween, but only in these recent

years. It's fun to see the decorations in store windows and the

bakeries, who make yummy Halloween goodies :)

 Love ya bunches!

Vi voglio un sacco di bene!

Sorella Dixon

Nine Months. A Time for a lot of Reflection...

Cari tutti,

Right now I'm way up high in the hills of Genova, and it's beautiful. We are spending p-day with Ester, the lady who was in the hospital, but is now out. She lives way out of the city in the trees and hills. We stopped by an older lady's house and now we are just waiting for Ester to finish doing something with her, and so I decided to take time to write. This older lady is from Sicily and she is a little crazy. Haha! I can understand her well enough but Sorella Goethals can't at all. She lives in the tiniest little house. It's quite adorable. So Italian :)

Anyway, this week was hard at times but really good at other times. I wasn't able to email yesterday because we had a sister's conference with Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson and Sister Linda K. Burton. We were able to meet them and give them both hugs! We also ate lunch with them. I got to sit across from Sister Osarson during lunch :) the conference was a.maz.ing. I was spiritually lifted and inspired. The spirit was so strong, and I learned so much. It was the same spirit that I felt during the conference with Anziano Bednar. I just love these inspired teachers and the words they bring to us missionaries. That church in Cimiano Milano will always be a sacred place for me. I have been able to learn at the feet of apostles, prophets, general authorities, and inspired leaders from our Heavenly Father. They really talked about the mission being a time to really grow and prepare for life after. To become that disciple of Jesus Christ and keep that spirit with us and the things we learn forever. I think I learned the most through their example though. One of the things we're really focusing on as a mission is becoming the message and these wonderful women truly are the message. I could see it in the way they talked, how they held themselves, the testimonies they bore, and the way they treated everyone. They truly take their callings seriously and work out of revelation from God.

 Sister Burton shared a little experience where she was asked by President Russell M. Nelson to listen to his talk before he gave it at this last conference. He was on his 24th draft and he wanted the Relief Society's perspective. He gave the talk on "The Plea to Sisters". It just made me realize how sacred these words are and how much time our prophets and apostles spend on them. Each word is so exact. The words from our prophets and leaders are truly revelation from God, and i'ts important that we treat them that way. I just gained so much more appreciation for the opportunity we have to receive guidance from our Heavenly Father in this day as well. They really talked about our role as women and and how much we can contribute in the Lord's work. 

This week has been a time for a lot of reflection about a lot of things for me. It was my Hump Day yesterday! CraZy! And it was the best hump day I could've had because of the conference, and I got to see all of my past companions! So fun :) I just love each of them so much! I was able to get a picture with all of them together :) It also made me think of things I've gone through with each companion and things I've learned from each of them. 

Left to right:  Sorella Goethals, Sorella Russell, Sorella Griffin, Sorella Dixon,
Sorella Pulli (MTC), Sorella Nedelkov, Sorella Gregg

I thought a lot about what I've done so far on my mission. What I've learned. Who I have become, etc. I have learned so much and have grown so much spiritually. I've learned how to recognize the spirit more and how to respond to promptings. I've learned how to pray more specifically and personally. Especially in those hard moments when I have no one else to confide in. I've learned what it means to have faith in Christ and how to use the Atonement daily. I've learned patience and what it means to really love someone. Even someone you barely know. I've learned how to ponder and cherish the scriptures. And so so so much more. I've especially learned a lot through training. It has taught me a lot about motherhood. It's also neat to see how far I've come because Sorella Goethals is a lot like me when I first got here, so I can totally relate to what she's feeling and thinking and going through.

 I've also grown a lot in Italian. I still learn new things everyday which I love, but now Italian just feels a part of me. It was pretty neat the other day when we met with some members and I was telling them about FHE that we're going to do every other week. But to say every other week you say "una settimana si, una settimana no" or one week yes, one week no. And the older son, who's in his 20s and served his mission in Rome, was shocked that I got that right. He said he had never heard a missionary say that right before. Haha so that was pretty neat :) 

It's so weird that I've already been on my mission 9 months. 9 months!! That's practically a school year! It does not seem that long and I'm pretty sure these next 9 months will go even faster! I'm glad I still get 9 months to be in Italy and serve the people here. 

This week we did a lot of finding and talking to people. We also found 2 great less-active families to really work with. One wants to start doing FHE with us every week so we're pretty excited about that. And we found some new people to teach through English class! We've been passing out English class flyers like crazy and lots of new people have come because of it! Yay! Hopefully we keep seeing miracles through that. 

Well, Genova is still as beautiful as ever and I still love every second of my mission! Remember that Christ loves you and is ALWAYS there for you. For anything.

Vi voglio bene!

Sorella Dixon

"Don't Forget to Play"

This photo had no caption. For a minute, I thought she had 

gone to the Philippines! :)

District Meeting

"I just had to take this photo for Jess"

Adorable!!

Getting to see Sorella Russell at the Sister's Conference

We're Half Way!!

We're half way---

36 weeks 

270 days

6,480 hours

388, 800 minutes...

and an eternity of blessings!!

Italy!!!

Temple Day

Setting apart

Waiting to say good-bye at the Provo Temple

See you in 18 months

Love.

And she's off...

                                                                     Laundry in the MTC.

Yay for Italy!!

First day in Italy

The shops in Milano

Gelato

A few too many heads

Sister Nedelkov--Savanna's trainer

Beautiful Italian sister

Visiting in the hospital

Children love Missionaries and Missionaries love children

Pizza--the Italian way

Chocolate-the Switzerland way

Making friends

Sisters in His service

Happiness

Sorella Dixon and her sweet trainee!

A Breath of Fresh Air

Cari Tutti!

Well I have a new companion, a new greenie, and her name is

Sorella Goethals (pronouned Hoot-alls). She is from the Netherlands

and speaks Dutch! She speaks English almost perfectly, too, though :) So

we can communicate ;) She is so so sweet and I just love her! She is

really from Belgium but has lived in the Netherlands for awhile. She

said she knows, or at least recognizes, Elder Hayden Lott.

(Mom's note: Savanna went to elementary and high school with Hayden, 

and we are good friends with his family). He was a

greenie in her ward when he first got there!

So last Thursday was transfer day and Sorella Gregg officially left

Genova! I had to go to Milano early in the morning to pick up Sorella

Goethals. We had our training and got our companions, got lunch, and

then travelled back to Genova. That night we saw Ester in the hospital

and then Sorella Serra. Ester left the hospital this Tuesday so now

we'll get to help her around the house and hopefully help her come to

church. Sorella Serra was supposed to be just a passby to introduce

her to Sorella Goethals and see how she was doing, but of course she

had to make us dinner! So we ate a huge dish of pasta and some

meat. She always gives you more and more. She's an amazing cook so it

was so good, but we were running late! I felt bad for Sorella

Goethals, she was so tired and it was just her first day here. Well,

nothing like an Italian meal to welcome you to Italy! :D We were able

to share a message with Sorella Serra which she LOVED and helped her

feel better. So that was good.

Friday we saw Mayra and then Glenda later in the afternoon. Mayra has

an autistic son who loves music so we are going to prepare a song to

sing to him. Glenda really opened up to us and told us a lot of

things. She told us that the first time we called she wasn't going to

answer the phone because she didn't know the number, but then decided

to. When she heard it was us she thought about saying she wasn't

interested, but then said ya we could come see her. She doesn't really

say no to anyone. She hasn't been to church for a few years. I think

it's mostly because Sundays are the only day off they have so they

like to sleep in.

I also got to introduce Sorella Goethals to Cate! Cate is from South

Africa, but she speaks Afrikaans, which is a lot like Dutch! So they

could speak to each other and understand each other! Sorella Goethals

said the prayer in Dutch and it was so beautiful! I want her to teach

me Dutch :)

Saturday and Sunday were slower days because we had weekly planning

and then General Conference. We were able to talk to a few people

outside though. In fact we had a cool experience with one lady on the

bus. We started talking to her at the bus stop. She was just sitting

there smoking her cigarette. I just asked her how she was and she said

"so so", pretty much. We talked to her about happiness and she said it

was hard to find happiness because life was hard. She shared how her

Mom had been in the hospital for 3 weeks now. Eventually we said a

prayer with her, more for her Mom. And as we kept talking with her on

the bus she just completely changed. She just lit up and was happier.

We gave her a Restoration pamphlet, and as she was looking through it

she asked us if we had another one that she could give to her friend

who needed some help! So amazing. She went from being sad and gloomy,

to lifted up and thinking about helping someone else!

I LOVED General Conference. During all of the talks I just felt so

much love from our Apostles, Prophet, and leaders. And above all from

our Heavenly Father. The spirit was so strong and I learned so much.

They are truly inspired. One of my favorites was Elder Renlund's

testimony. I love how he talked about seeing others through the eyes

of the parents. It's so true. When we see others as true sons and

daughters of Heavenly Father our love for them is greater and our

purpose to share the gospel to them is deeper.

Monday morning we just did some passbys. We are really going through

our ward lists right now to see if people really live where it says

they live. So we passby the people who don't have a phone number or

whose number is less active. I got to show Sorella Goethals the

beautiful colorful buildings of Genova :) And walk the hills with her!

Then later that day we saw Denise! She is so great. She wasn't able to

come to General Conference but we shared a part of President

Uchtdorf's talk from the Women's Conference with her. She loved it!

She told us she's afraid of the Book of Mormon. I don't think I've had

that reaction to it yet. She loves the Bible. She's also hesitant to

pray how we taught her, but she did it this time! And it was so great!

Last time she just wanted to say one of the prayers they have in her church.

Tuesday one of our appointments fell through, so we just did some

finding in the park. We were able to talk to quite a few people. We

actually did a lot of finding that day! Casa, parco, treno, bus. Just

on the way to appointments and when we had time. I love talking to

people. It's so interesting to hear other's beliefs and then ask them

inspired questions that get them thinking.

This transfer is going to be so great I can feel it! I love having a

companion just straight from the MTC! The spirit is so strong, and I

know we are going to see miracles!

Well, Buona Settimana tutti!

Vi voglio bene!

Love,

Sorella Dixon

Beautiful blue-eyed blonde sisters!

"Making dinner with Sorella Serra."

"Yes! Even the dogs have pasta for food! "

"Beautiful Nervi"