Boun giorno, tutti! Sitting here typing this morning I feel sort of
thoughtful and reflective and full of a lot of different emotions.
I have had a wonderful time this week, but I have also been learning a
lot, about myself, about others, and about god. Last Wednesday we went
to the area of Milan where everything is written in Chinese, all of the
signs, everything, and ate at a Chinese restaurant with only Chinese
people. It was the best Chinese food I have every had. Easily. We had a
shrimp stir fry with soy noodles and a Chinese curry with spices like
nutmeg and cinnamon that was like nothing I have ever had before, not to
mention the steamed dumpling things that I adore. And it hardly cost
anything. It was a winning day. Plus, we bought matching shirts that we
wore yesterday to the addestramento. We are quirky. The Garcia family
did their first grand FHE and invited the Astudillo's and us as well as
Akim. The spirit was there and we talked about tithing and their non
member cousin agreed with everything. We ate Ecuadorian food that
included a cold soup like dish with shrimp, tomatoes and a lot of
cilantro. So yummy. One of our newer investigators, Maria, just wept
with us at the park the other day because of her family difficulties,
and I embraced her, hoping with all my heart it would help and that she
would feel the spirit of comfort. Our message is exactly what she needs.
Nothing heals the family like the gospel of Jesus Christ. Cristina, the
mom of Dylan, Noemi, Giada, Siria, and Ahron, asked us to help her stop
smoking so she can be re-baptized and then go to the temple with her
family. It is the thing she wants most in the world, especially because
Dylan wants to wait for her to be baptized with him. We have been
praying for weeks for a way to help and this we she asked us to do it
quickly, so we got everything together and made a plan with a great big
calendar to get the whole family involved. They each have a
responsibility, no matter how little they are, to help mom stop smoking,
with the objective of being a family forever. It was really neat. I
have faith it will work this time. We gave Cristina a book to write in
when she needs to and filled it with scriptures and things to help.
Their family is really special and I feel so blessed to be a part of
their lives. I wish I had time to write about everyone, Giovanna, who is
sharing the gospel and she is not even baptized, who is so filled with
the love of God it amazes me, Jenny who is discovering for the first
time a religion that speaks to her, that makes sense to her and is
willing to read and ask God to guide her, talking with Anziano Capece
about his incredible mission in Italy some 40 years ago and realizing I
know a man he knew well, Gaia, Giovanna, and Josè, who shared their
testimonies with us, Wilson who was so excited to receive the Book of
Mormon, Beny who is struggling, but knows she needs to do what is right,
though it is hard in this world (pray for her), Silvia who made us the
most incredible lunch I have had in a while and was just like a light,
so special, even in all the hardship she has had leaving an abusive
husband and living in a home for mothers and youth with out homes, and
seeing how happy she was to share her home with us, her heart with us,
and learn all she could about the gospel, and so many more. There is an
incredible work here, and the training yesterday during interviews just
helped me see it even more, helped me see how I can be a part of it, how
I can help and serve. President talked about how we are our own book of
life, all of our thoughts and actions become written on our bodies on
our hearts, and in the end we will gain a celestial body because that is
what we become, a person celestial. Everything we think and do is
written on who we are and we become that. It was incredible to think
that, but it gave me a lot of perspective and I feel more capable and
powerful knowing that everything I do is changing me, making me that
person God knows I can become. Sorella Wolfgramm then talked about how
we do these things and it is by having a Christ centered life, because
when our life is centered on him, our will becomes his, we become more
of who we really are and more like Him. I know that is true and that we
can all do it, if we will proactively seek out a Christ like life,
change our thoughts and actions and realize what power we have as
children of god and that our value is something inherent, that we have
had from the beginning, and as we develop our God-like characteristics,
we will see who we really are and who we are meant to and capable of
becoming. I just feel so ready to do more and be more and that is
amazing that this work gives that kind of motivation, that holy and
whole change. I love you all and just want to close with a scripture
that has really touched me lately, Moroni 10:32.
32 Yea,
a unto Christ, and be
b in him, and
c yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and
d God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be
e in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
I know that is true. His grace will perfect us, because it is sufficient, no matter how insufficient we are. Lots of love.
Sorella Chandra Lloyd
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