Take Some Time To Make Some Music Today

Me, Sorella Strong, Giaccomo, and Alan

This week we had an amazing branch activity. The theme was “The Plan of Salvation.” Several of the members gave short talks and bore their testimonies. Then Sorella Strong and I were in a short skit with our two priests. Emilio wrote it for us, and it was about faith. Giaccomo and Alan were farmers, and we were explaining to them how our faith is just like a seed. That's an experience I never really expected to have, but our members all loved it. A few of our members brought friends and family who aren't members of the church. They really are loving all the opportunities they have to be missionaries. This Saturday we're having a multicultural night, and they are all so excited! I can't wait to tell you about it next week. As missionaries, we're representing America, Albania, and Italy. It's going to be so much fun!

Me, Sorella Strong, Emilio, Giaccomo,
and Alan

We had a lot of really beautiful things happen this week. We went to our district relief society president's house last Wednesday. We shared our message with Sorella Pini, and then her husband came home. He started investigating the church with his wife 30 years ago, but was never baptized. We had the most amazing lesson with him. He wants to start meeting with us again, and he agreed to read the Book of Mormon everyday. I can't even express how much I love this family. I just feel so connected to them. It was such a beautiful lesson; I'm so grateful I was apart of it. 

The Draghi family asked us to visit their neighbors. Sunday I talked to Giaccomo in church, and he agreed to come with us that night to see them. We went over at 8:30, and together the three of us walked across the hall. Giaccomo was great! When his neighbor opened the door, he explained who we are and asked if we could come in and share a message. We didn't have very much time so we shared a small thought about prayer. At the end, the neighbor asked what the difference is between our church and hers. Giaccomo answered in the most simple and sweet way; then he told her that we can come back and explain more on a different day. Giaccomo will be going on a mission in a couple of years; he'll be so bravo!

Monday we were walking through centro, and I noticed my favorite street musician playing. We stopped to listen just for a moment and noticed another man behind us listening as well. We asked him if he enjoyed the music and talked to him about how we feel close to the Lord when we listen to music. We ended up teaching him about the restoration of the Lord’s church, and he asked if he could come to church with us. Music has played a part in so many miracles I've seen on my mission.

When I was set apart, I was told that I had been chosen to come to Italy because of my love of music. I was also told it would be one of the most important aspects of my mission. I was stunned. I didn't really believe it could be possible. Let me tell you something; don't ever doubt the Lord. I have seen miracle after miracle happen because of music. It touches hearts and initiates change. I'm so grateful for the effect music has had on my mission. 

We have a feeling this is my last week in Rimini. Transfers are coming up, and we're pretty sure I'll be headed somewhere else. We could be wrong; you never know what's going to happen. Just in case though, we're doing a special musical number in church on Sunday. I think one reason I feel like music has affected my mission so much is because of the many opportunities I have had to sing for people. It's the only way I know to show them how much I really love them. Music is a cry of the soul. It can be happy or it can be sad. It allows us to connect with each other, to share how we're feeling in one of the most easily understood ways. This branch has taught me a lot about music and how it connects us all together. I'll never forget them for that.

I love you all. Take some time to make some music today. 

Sorella Ervin

This is what we look like when it rains (me & Sorella Strong).

Sorella Strong, Yulia, and me

Emilio mad us cookies (Sorella Gjika and me)

Sorella Gjika, me, and Sorella Strong

Smile Anyway

Sometimes, Italians make you put a turkey on your head
in public. Here we are, surrounded by classy, beautiful
Italians, with a turkey on our heads. I cannot believe my life.

Basically, I love life right now. It's beautiful. There is not another word to describe it. A few weeks ago at district conference, Anziano Reina said something that touched my heart. "We are a strange people. We are strange because we have the same trials, problems, and tribulations as everyone else in the world. Bad things happen, but when they do, we smile anyway."

Sure, life is tough. I haven't had a progressing investigator in the last two transfers. My heart breaks a little more every single day. I don't remember what it means to feel rested or to feel comfortable. I can barely speak English anymore, but speaking Italian stresses me out. WHO CARES? Smile anyway.

We all have trials. Some are big, some are little, and some are just weird. I went through a while this week when I was just really sad. I was tired of feeling like I wasn't really helping anyone. But I realized there was no point in being sad. If I let myself be sad, then I'm not going to be able to do this work. I can only do this work when I'm grateful everyday to be a part of it.

So I changed my attitude and decided to smile anyway. This doesn't work if you don't find reasons to be happy. If all you're doing is plastering a fake smile on your face, it doesn't help anyone. The smile has to be real. Luckily, we're in a habit of finding miracles. These help, I promise!

As soon as I made the choice, life became a little better. We saw many miracles this week. On Sunday we ate lunch with our district president and his family. It was wonderful! We talked about the work and his vision to move this district forward so one day we can be a stake. He asked us to do training for the branch mission leaders. What a blessing! Also, I found out, when he served his mission in Milano, he served in my ward. Milano Navigli! He also baptized one of my favorite members, Fratello Angiulli, who later became a bishop. 

Also at church we had a visitor from Ghana! He was here on business. He was a mission president in Nigeria until this last June. He came up to talk to my companion and me. He told us how he was baptized in England 35 years ago. When he went to Utah to be trained as a mission president, his two sister missionaries met him at the airport. BEAUTIFUL! 

Let me tell you - miracles happen. Life itself is a miracle. It's not always easy to be happy 100% of the time. But it's worth a try. I love Rimini, and looking back I wouldn't change my experiences here for the world. We've had a lot of success in different ways then we have been expecting. Our branch is full of some of the best member missionaries in the world. All they want to do is share the gospel. I'm so grateful for them.

I'm also grateful for all of you. Thank you for your prayers. I felt them this week more than ever. 

I love you.

Sorella Ervin

Our beautiful park.

La famiglia Caramia e Michelle

Anziano Kekoolani!

Our district trying to pull ourselves together.
It's not easy for us.

Me and my little Sorella Gjika.

Anziani Gibbons e Tolman.

Sorelle Lofley e Gjika.

Old Wild West

Sorella Strong and me at Old Wild West!

Sorella Strong

Sorella Gjika

Sorella Lofley

Ilaria

A Full Tithe Missionary

Sorella Holloway (and me).

I was really sick this week with the flu. Emilio wouldn't let me go to church, which, looking back, is the right choice. However, it was really hard for me to miss church. It was the first time in eight months that I haven't been to church. Because of this, though, we had a beautiful experience. Emilio and Ilaria brought Giaccomo over to our house after church so they could give us the sacrament. I've never before had the sacrament in my home, but it's a moment I will cherish forever. I was filled with such love for these church members. As Emilio knelt to pray, I was struck by how sacred the moment was for him. After the sacrament, Emilio and Ilaria both bore their testimonies to us. I've never felt more love for them then I did in that moment. 

Since I was sick, I had a lot of time to think. I was thinking a lot about what it means to be a missionary. Yesterday, we had a beautiful zone conference, and President Dibb compared our time as missionaries to paying tithing. We're giving a portion of the time we have in this life back to the Lord. This isn't necessarily a new thought for missionaries, but it's something I very much needed to hear.

You see, you don't pay tithing with money, not really. You pay tithing with faith. The time I'm giving isn't the most important part of my mission; it's the faith I use to do so. When we come on a mission, we are telling the Lord, you are the most important. We show our faith when we do His work, when we follow His word. 

That's something else I was thinking about . . . The word of the Lord. You see, when Christ went to Peter as he was fishing, He told him to throw the net down one more time. Peter had every reason not to listen. I have no doubt he was tired, no doubt he was hungry, no doubt he felt downtrodden. All through the night, he had thrown the net in the water, only for it to come up empty. Yet, when the Lord asks him to try one more time, he replies, "Master . . . at thy word I will." 

What does this have to do with being a full tithe missionary? We're asked to do many different things on our missions. For instance, every morning, we wake up at 6:30. Maybe this doesn't seem important, but I promise it is. It's difficult to wake up, day after day, at 6:30. It's easy to tell yourself, "I can sleep in one extra half hour and still start studying on time." Maybe the time itself isn't the important part. But when we are being obedient to the standards of the mission, we're being obedient to the Lord. If I choose to wake up at 7, I'm not a full tithe missionary. I'm still here, still doing many of the things God has asked me to do, but it's only a part tithe. 

It's difficult day after day to walk up to strangers and share the beautiful message we have been tasked with sharing. Often they don't want anything to do with us. Often, we talk to 50 people without finding a single person who is willing to listen.  Often we're hungry, often we're tired, and sometimes, we feel a little downtrodden. I feel very much like Peter, throwing the net in over and over again, only to come up with nothing. Yet, if we want to pay a full tithe, we have to keep going. We have to throw the net in again. In the moments when it is the most difficult, and we try again anyway, we are responding to the Savior, "Master, at thy word I will."

Being a full tithe missionary doesn't mean you're perfect. If it did, none of us would ever come close. All it means is that day by day we try to become a little better. I'm a better missionary today then I was yesterday. I know Christ has asked all of us to do many, many things. Don't ever feel like you can't accomplish them. Christ is there to help. We don't always understand everything we are asked to do. We don't need to understand. We pay this tithe with faith . . . our faith on the Lord's word. No matter what we are asked, we can resolve to always answer, "Master, at thy word I will."

It is my prayer that we will all learn how to give this answer everyday of our lives. I love you all. I wish you all the joy in the world.

Vi Voglio Bene

Sorella Ervin

First thing we saw when we got off the train in Firenze.
Beautiful!

Sorella Strong did not feel like getting wet.

We're so excited to be in Firenze!

Sorella Gjika tasting her first Tiramasu . . . 

. . . Tiramasu . . .

. . . yum!

My sweet Sorella Jefferies.

Halloween party at the church!

Halloween

So, this is what happens when the two
most beautiful women in the world
dress up for Halloween.