August 29th

Well dear friends, here I am again, in another internet point in Italy looking back on the last week and marveling at how time flies. It keeps getting faster and still surprises me how so much can happen in so few days. Sorella Nilson arrived Thursday and we spent some time getting organized. We are both so excited about all the people we have to work with and we will be really focusing on young single adults and sharing the love and light of the Gospel with them. With the GANS center here we feel it is really important to help those inactive young adults find again the faith they had and then give them the chance to share it with our young investigators. We are very excited. We just want to share God's love because that is what changes people. Saturday night we were doing finding work in a park and we just felt guided right to certain people. In the end, we taught three lessons in a row. One to a young woman who is studying literature and trying to make a life for herself in Italy who said she is searching for her path, another to a mom and her little boy, and the last to a father who told us his family was falling apart. We placed in his hands the tool he was looking for. I have never felt more strongly to give someone the Book of Mormon. Usually we make an appointment to come back and bring it, but when he asked for it, something just told me it was what I had to do right then and I gave it to him. It felt so strange and incredible to be used as a tool like that. It was such a little thing, but because of how I felt, I can't deny the Lord's hand was in it. I love the moments when I can instantly connect with someone, when I understand what they are looking for, what they need. It shows me the Lord is mindful of all of his children and that the calling he gives us to teach them is real. He really will make me enough when I am not enough. We went to church in Milano 2 because they are working on our building before they split the stake in a couple of weeks, which is a very big deal here in Italy. I believe Elder Nelson is coming. We are very excited. The Barbieri/Xhunga family is still great, we love them so much and we are still working with Beny, trying to help her understand that if she commits herself to do she will also receive the blessings, she will know what is right. I pray she gets it. We had a great district meeting that focused on using members and helping our investigators really make progress and how our faith has a lot to do with it and then yesterday we had and incredible sister's conference where we learned how to better use the Book of Mormon in finding and how to apply the atonement to us, so we can change, and then help others understand. How could we ask others to apply something we have never experienced? Especially when it is the center of everything, all we teach. The steps in the gospel are how we apply it. I think sometimes we forget that Heavenly Father is the only one who sees us how we really are. We see ourselves reflected in a darkened glass, but he sees us perfectly, and if we apply the atonement, learn what charity really means, we will change, and in the end we will not only see ourselves as he sees us, but we will BE who he made us to be. That is the incredible power of the gospel, of the truth. It changes us for the better. And watching that change in others is the greatest blessing I have ever received and I know that is changing me. I send you all my love e un gran sacco di bacioni! Remember how special you are, how much He loves you, and choose today to let that give you hope, to let it make you happy. You can do that with Him.

Sorella Chandra Lloyd

 

On a funny side note, I made Lemon chicken and cooked fresh pumpkin, all with out a recipe and it turned out very well, and I bought a bag that I hope with all my heart was not stolen. (it isn't name brand, but who knows). Ciao!