The Old People Love Us!

First things first.
Mom, why didn't you tell me?! I knew that you had eyes in the back of your head, but I never knew you were a fortune teller! 3 weeks ago when I asked you to send me some thinning sheers for my hair, how did you know that 2 days before the package arrived, my watch would break?! (Thank you for the watch and the thinning sheers!). And also....how did you know that I was just complaining to myself about how I am already sick of the music that I have! Because two days later there was a disk of music in my mailbox and a letter that made my day! I hope that before I become a mother you will tell me all your tricks! Because I am starting to realize that you have many! :)

I am learning quickly that every transfer has a theme of trials. Last transfer it seemed like it was us against the world (but with the Lord on our side, we came up on top!). This transfer it is the trial of lonesome heat. It is so so so hott! And everyone is on vacation until the week before next transfers, and the people who are here tell us that it is just too hott to have a lesson. But I am also learning that the people who are here and who are willing to meet with us, are so prepared to recieve the gospel! 

And of course every week I have a personal trial. (Which I willingly accept because in the end I grow so much). This week I have been comparing myself. Comparing myself to other missionaries in my mission and other missionaries that are my friends. I have been a little down because I feel like I have been working so hard, but I just can't quite be on the same level as all these amazing missionaries.

 
Before I left on my mission I was talking to someone and they said "Oh you are going to Rome! Wow, that is a dream mission! But don't worry if you don't get lots of baptisms. You are going more for yourself than you are for them".

And that really bothered me. I'm not here for me. I am here to bring the Italian people unto Christ!
D&C 18:10 "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God...now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me...how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me".

Then I read that scripture and wonder about my mission. Because that person was right. The Italy Rome mission is a hard mission. I could very well go home without any of my investigators being baptized.
So what about my joy for bringing many soul unto Christ? I dedicate the same 18 months as every other sister missionary and don't I deserve the same happiness as those that have dozens of baptisms?

Being a missionary in the Roman Catholic center of the world is hard. And discouraging. We work so hard to come to a different country, learn a new language, and try to teach people who already know the doctrine of Christ. Some even know it better than me! Their ancestors helped found this ancient church. And we come all the way from America with our terrible English accents, to tell them that what they have been putting their trust in for all these years is wrong. And it's hard. Hard for both sides. 

And not many people are willing to change. But when we work our tails off to find those people who are willing to change, how precious is that baptism? That one baptism that was the result of so.much. hard work, and it makes that one baptism so much more special. 

And along the way I do learn a lot about myself. Who ever said that of those "many souls" couldn't be my own? Or my companion, or the branch members, or the less actives, or even those investigators that we planned lesson after lesson for, but in the end it wasn't their time. 

Coming unto Christ isn't a one time thing that happens in the baptisimal font. It is for people all along the path. Those who have already been baptised and those who haven't been baptised. It is even for our sweet neighbors who said they weren't interested, but still see our happy smiling faces and our name tag bearing the name of Jesus Christ...just seeing that reminds them of Christ and invites them to think of Him. 

So maybe I won't get my 12 baptisms. But maybe I will! And maybe I will have more! 

But I do know that if I strive, every day, to "invite others to come unto Christ, by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, repentance, baptism, recieving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end" I will be succesful as a missionary and there is no doubt that God has set me up to fail. Because the worth of my soul is great in his eyes! 

Sometimes I do wonder though if I benefit more from my mission than anyone else! I have learned so so much! And I learn more every day! 

Funny event of the week-

Like I have said before, the old Italians are my favorite! I love em! And there is an old lady that lives a few houses down from us. When we first got here we talked to her a lot from outside the fence and then she started inviting us in. We didn't try too hard to have a lesson, but we always talked about prayer. Nicolina is 93 and she loves Jesus Christ. Every time we talk about Jesus she starts crying! She is so sweet.
But since she is so old she has to have someone take care of her. And this person happens to be her daughter-in-law who lives in the apartment above her.

One day we were visiting with Nicolina and her DiL leans out the window and starts yelling at us! She was so mad that we were talking to her. But Nicolina was on our side and kept telling her DiL that she could choose who she wanted to talk to and that we were really nice girls. But the DiL had none of that. She told us we could only talk to her from outside the fence and that we were to never come inside! So we did. And it broke Nicolinas heart! 

We have to pass her house everyday! Probably at least 4 times and she ALWAYS...every time, asks us to come in. And every time we tell her we can't! She argues for a minute and then as we are walking away blows us a kiss and tells us how much she loves us. 

This has gone on for about 6 weeks now. And The other day as we walk by we hear "eccole!" (there they are!). We say hello from outside the gate and she yells the usual,
"Come in for just a minute!"
"Nicolina, you know we can't!"
"Come on! You know that your religion's Mary would be so mad at you for just ignoring the old people!"
(what I wanted to say) "You are so right! Even though we don't pray to Mary, she would be upset!"
(what we really said)
"You know we love you!"
"Ugh! I know....ugh fine....I really really really love you guys too" and blows us each a kiss!
Man the old people here love us!

Italian phrase of the week: "Non mi interessa" = Im not interested. followed by a glare and a shake of the pointer finger in your face.

Love love love you guys!!

Sorella Wiltbank! 

p.s. Sorella Wightman found a stamp in her things and gave it to me! She is so awesome! You should be getting a letter any day!