Mangia mangia!

Cara famiglia,

Questa settimana era bellissima!!! Can I just tell you, it has been so good. Perchè? I will explain.

So, as I mentioned last week, there have been some issues with my permesso di soggiorno.  We have to take a culture class for two days, and I never received a date.  Every agency that we talk to tells us to go somewhere else, and so I’ve been a little stressed that I’d never be able to take it and wouldn’t be able to renew my permesso.  Well, Sorella Gross had her date, and we decided for me to go with her because her companion Sorella Clawson had a really big appointment she couldn’t miss. The miracle is: I communicated with the permesso people all by myself and was able to convince the head police man to let me coming the culture class with Sorella Gross count because I never receievd a date. (yes, that was a run on sentence, I know,  but all Italians use are run on sentences, and please forgive me, but I’m having a hard time writing in English.) Seriously such an answer to prayers because otherwise I would have to go to this class twice. That class was one of the most hilarious/entertaining/informative things ever.  I love Italia…

That night after culture class Sorella Gross and I decided to head to a park in our area to teach a lesson to someone.  We found this beautiful girl who is Italian.  She listened to us 🙂 Guess how I got her to talk to us? She had these 2 little dogs.  So I went up to them and asked their names.  One dog’s name was Zoe.  So of course I got really excited and said that was my dog’s name too! Then eventually she asked if we were testimoni di Geova and we explained who we were. We both had a little difficulty understanding what was going on.  But we bore testimony of The Book of Mormon.  I can’t put the experience into words.  But at the end, we testified of God’s love for her. And then she pulled out her pack of cigarettes and said – I know that God doesn’t like this. I shouldn’t smoke.  But I can’t stop.  I just really hope that He will forgive me.  The spirit was so strong, and we just testifed that through Jesus Christ she can give up any addiction.  As she meets with us and finds strength through prayer and reading the Book of Mormon, she can stop smoking.  It was such a beautiful lesson.  We will meet with her next week because she is on vacation this week, but please pray for her because I know she has such potential 🙂

The reason why this email is called “Mangia mangia” is because it means – EAT EAT! And let me tell you, we have eaten WELL this week.  Three members had us over for pranzo! A senior couple fed us, and today, we met some American tourists from Utah who took us out to eat. Seriously, I love Italian food. (Don’t get me wrong I miss Mexican food like nobody’s business.) Lots of pasta.  Pizza. More pasta.  More pizza. Canteloupe and prosciutto together, and of course, gelato.  And lots of tomatoes and mozzarella. I’m trying to learn how to cook Italian style, and Sorella Acerson is teaching me a lot too.

We went to a member’s house, the Lui’s, for homemade pizza, and it was so so beautiful. Everyone listen up because I want to you to do what he did.  The four of us sisters came to his house for lunch. And he says – okay, I have three people you are going to teach today. Split them up.  Then he takes us to their houses.  And we teach 2 lessons in the presence of a member about the plan of salvation.  One person we were just walking by and he rang their doorbell and said, can these missionaries share with you a message about what we believe after death? DO THIS. Just take the missionaries around to the neighbors yourself! They won’t say no to them if you’re there 🙂 Fratello Lui is such a missionary it’s inspiring.

Anyways, it has been a beatiful week.  We have done a lot of finding work, I am teaching more and more and getting more and more comfortable with my Italian, and we have found a lot of potential women to teach 🙂 It’s August, so everyone is going on vacation or to the sea.  We can meet in Settembre, cara, they say. So Settembre 1st, lots of people will be getting lots of phone calls from the sorelle!

There have been so many more miracles that I don’t have time to write, but, I know that Heavenly Father loves me.  I love being a missionary, despite almost fainting a couple times because of tracting in the heat and not feeling my toes because of all the walking.  I get go up to people and tell them that they are chilren of God. When people tell me that God doesn’t answer their prayers, I pull out the Book of Mormon and say – “We all struggle with that.  We want God to answer us. We want to hear a voice.  But I promise you, He will answer you through this book. Io so con tutto il mio cuore che questo libro è la parola di Dio è lei puo ricevere le risposte alle sue preghiere. Just read this book.”

Open the pages, because there is a greater feast in the Book of Mormon than any delicious Italian mean could ever offer.  “Nutritevi abbandantemente delle parole di Cristo.” – “Feast upon the words of Christ.”

Feast upon His words, and He will answer your prayers, provide you peace and the best meal you’ve ever tasted.

I love you all con tutto il mio cuore.  Grazie mille mille for your prayers.

Vi voglio bene,

Sorella Strong