May in Italy

Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2011 4:14 AM

Subject: "Siamo INTERNAZIONALE!"

CIAO TUTTI!

Ahh how are you all? Well I hope!

THINGS ARE INCREDIBLE here in Italy. HOW DID I GET SO BLESSED? Like everyday my companion and I just take a new street and find some cool new church or structure and just have out of body experiences, like...WHAT the? Are we really here in ITALY? Walking these ancient streets...TEACHING THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST TO PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD? WOW! It is amazing.

We are INTERNATIONAL!

I am American, with a Canadian companion, we are teaching a family of Italians, a girl from Bolivia, a young man from Sri Lanka. Everyday we meet several Egyptians, several other Africans, Ecudorians, Peruvians, Venezuelans, El Savadorians, several Philipinos, Russians, Romanians. No joke! We gave out 4 Books of Mormon yesterday in 4 different languages. It is incredible. I am in the best mission in the world in the coolest city. Milan is international and I absolutely love it. I am learning so much about so many different cultures. All these people are incredible. With such great stories and life styles, beautiful accents and personalities, delicious food (we have had Sri Lankan food, Peruvian, lots of Italian, Philipino, etc..SOooOO yummy haha) different family traditions, dress, beliefs.... But yet...what unites us all? WE ARE ALL CHILDREN OF GOD! Ahhh it is BEAUTIFUL! MY SISTERS MY BROTHERS! It is beautiful. It is a miracle..a MIRACLE to be able to give each of these people the most important book they can ever read, in their own mother tongue. The Book of Mormon! The book that contains the words of life! Testimants of our Savior Jesus Christ! The plan of salvation! The fulness of the everlasting GOSPEL! Ahhhhh the joy!!

Oh my the miracles happening here in Milano 2 are just...humbling. So humbling. In this ward...there are over 400 inactive members and around 300 active. The ward is HUGE. Our work has been so focused on member work. Strengthening active members. Visiting and teaching inactive members. Doing missionary work through families and their friends. It is has been amazing to see how it has evolved. For these last few weeks we have been really trying to figure it out in our district meetings..how to best to serve the ward here. We had different ideas, and plans, and exciting ways we were going to try to use to get the members pumped on doing missionary work. Haha..but you know what we have come down to? The most effective way? Is to teach members just as if we were teaching new investigators. Teach members the lessons, the restored truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon through the profet Joseph Smith. The Plan of Salvation. Faith, repentence, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. The commandments and obedience. It is so simple. These are things they already know. But the Gospel is so simple, so simple a child can understand it perfectly. That is the beauty. As we teach these lessons to the members, we have been able to just bask in spirit. These lessons have been more spiritual then almost any others. These lessons have entered into the hearts of the members, reminding them of what a blessing it is to be a member of this church and know the things we know, and has inspired them and given them the faith to share these blessings with their family members and friends in need. It has turned missionary work into the simplest most beautiful work in the world, not a stressful complicated discouraging work. The gospel is beautiful, it is simple. I have the smallest role ever. All I have to do....Is completely love these people. Serve these people. Share my testimony with these people. That is all. And I get blessings hundredfold in return. The work is thriving, the fruits of the harvest so delicious and sweet. How does Heavenly Father love us so much? It will never cease to amaze me. My favorite line.

Something I have learned\better understood this week, from some talks and studying.

Sacrifice. God has given us everything. He has given us life, our every heart beat. He has given us time and talents. He has prosperd us and provided for us. He has given us obstacle courses to learn and to imporve ourselves, to progress while here on earth. He is never indebted to us, he is always just giving. When we pay him one tenth of our tithing, we are just giving him back one tenth of what he has already given us. When I give him 18 months of my life, my talents, my blessings, these are all things he has blessed me with in the first place. There is only one things that we have to choose to give back to the Lord. One thing that he cannot ever take freely. Our hearts. God wants to give us everything. He wants to work with us and make us into the divine kings and queens we are destined to become. But if we refuse to give him our hearts, then has nothing to work with. If we insist on following the will of our own natural men, then we are refusing the will of the Father and the divine men inside of us. I will sacrifice my natural man and strengthen my divine nature.I will sacrifice all my wishes and desires and completely give my heart and will to the Lord!

That is my goal:) After all, who better to trust with my heart and will?

I love you, MY BROTHERS MY SISTERS!

Love

Sorella Simkins