Un giorno senza un sorriso e perso (letter from 10/22/14)

Carissima famiglia,

A day without a smile is lost. A member gave me that phrase this week, and I thought I’d share it with you. There’s always a reason to smile 🙂

I just love you all! This week was a great week, filled with lots of little miracles.

We taught a beautiful member present lesson to our investigator who is marrying her companion so they can follow the law of chastity. We taught about Christ and about her personal relationship with Him. That He is the only way back to the father. It was a beautiful lesson and she is changing so much to prepare for marriage and baptism.

After that we taught one of the most interesting, difficult lessons of my mission. We were teaching some of my dearest friends in the world, people I will never forget. We were talking about our purpose as missionaries, because they are some of my dearest friends and we’re so close, sometimes they forget our purpose – to teach and baptize them because that’s what Christ did. We’re instruments to bring them unto Him. And they told us everything. Despite investigating for 6 months, they don’t agree with all the doctrines of the church, but they want to be baptized because they know it will make them happy. It’s so interesting. It was like all of the philosophies I had studied and discussed in humane letters were coming up, the things I learned from my studies of hinduism and islam from my anthropology classes at BYU, all this stuff. I know there is an absolute truth, that it is not defined by us, but that it is what governs the universe and that it is what makes God, God.

I was grateful for that knowledge that I had, for my ability to see things from their perspective. For my willingness to see things open.mindedly. But, I know without a doubt that yes, this church blesses our family, it brings us hope and faith and it makes us happy, but I know withought a doubt that doctrinally, this is the only true church of Christ. It doesn’ serve anything to exchange verses in the Bible, becasue yes, I can do that, but the witness I have from the Spirit of God is truth. I will never deny that witness. I know that God is my Father, Christ is is Son and my Savior. Anyways, I know these investigators are people Heavenly Father prepared for me to meet and teach, even if they never come into the church and receive that witness for themselves, they have taught me and strengthened me in many ways.

I love this country. We biked throught the countryside and stopped Luciano, asking him how to say an Italian word. We ended up teaching him the entire Restoration. It was beatiful, oh mamma, beautful. Picteresque you could say. Just teaching Luciano in the middle of the Italian countryside.

Sunday we had 5 investigators come to church! We had a ward talent show, and members brought friends. We’re working hard, setting high goals, and smiling 🙂

I also did a scambio in Pordenone this week! It was a great scambio, filled with lots of finding miracles. I am so blessed for all the sisters i get to meet and work with here in Italy. I learn so much from all of them.

I know that this gospel is true. I love you all so much 🙂 I know that I only have a week left to be a full time missionary for my Savior,so I’m trying to give it all that I can. I know that I will always strive my best to be His disciple, and always strive to build up His kingdom, even if it’s not in Italy has His missionary.

Vi voglio bene,
Sorella Strong