Discovering a City

Family! Hi!

This week has been crazy! We had to move apartments yesterday (just a different floor in the building). But that took a lot of our time this week.

Sometimes I get a little frustrated with our work. Since we are opening up the city we have to do a lot of ground work. Like settling the apartment, buying a stamp for our pass-along cards, finding out how to work the buses, trying to see our whole area, so on and so forth. And a lot of times I feel like we aren't doing real missionary work. But I have to remind myself that somebody has to do all this "busy work" or else it could pile up in the future.

You asked about English course. We have talked to all of the people we gave the Book of Mormons away to, and next Tuesday we are all going to meet together and talk just about the Book of Mormon and who we are. I am really excited! And all the Anziani are telling their students about it, so hopefully we will have a big group!

We visited Giovanni Profeta and he is just great! Probably a little too great. He is a really religious person and he is so nice and I don't know how to tell him some of the things that he needs to change. We still don't know how we are going to approach the situation.

So I don't know what I am trying to learn. But I don't think Heavenly Father wants me to have a camera. First my camera got stolen, now this one is broken. And the store that I need to go to to get it fixed is really far away. Sometimes I want to cry when I need to take a picture. And I cant. :(

One of my favorite things of discovering a city, is finding all the "regulars". You know, those people that you see every day and who know who you are. Like Nicolina, in my last city. Like Joey in Eagar! Well in Palermo it is Pito. He is the old man that stands outside of the shoe repair store next door to our apartment building. I don't think he even works there. He just stands outside the door all day long. Anyway, he loves us! And he loves seeing us every morning when we leave and when we come in for the night. The other day we went to take our trash to the dumpster and we were walking down the street and all of a sudden this car just comes and cuts us off. It was Pito.

"What are you guys doing?"
Oh just taking our trash out.
"I didn't think I could catch you fast enough if I just walked, so I got in my car to tell you that the best time to throw away your trash is at 7 am or 7 pm. That is when the trash man comes!"
Okay, thanks Pito!

haha he's cute!

So you know how my mission scripture is Alma 36:24. The one that I told you to put on my plack (sorry don't know how to spell that). Well here is what it says...

 24 Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto ^arepentance; that I might bring them to ^btaste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be ^cborn of God, and be ^dfilled with the Holy Ghost.

I loved that! Because that is why I am going on a mission! To help people feel this same joy that I feel about the gospel.

Today in my scripture study, I have gotten to Alma 36 and I was reading that scripture, remembering just how much I love it. I never really paid much attention to the verses right after... (vs. 25-28)

25 Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth ^agive me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my ^blabors;

 26 For because of the ^aword which he has imparted unto me, behold, many have been born of God, and have ^btasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of God.

 27 And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has^adelivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still ^bdeliver me.

 28 And I know that he will ^araise me up at the last day, to dwell with him in ^bglory; yea, and I will ^cpraise him forever, for he has^dbrought our fathers out of Egypt, and he has swallowed up the^eEgyptians in the Red Sea; and he led them by his power into the promised land; yea, and he has delivered them out of bondage and captivity from time to time.

Now I have started my work! And I am feeling great joy in the fruit of my labor. It is hard. Missions have a way of giving you lots of trials to overcome, but every time I am in my own personal "prison" the Lord has delivered me. He has raised me up and for that I am so grateful!

Well that's all for this week! I hope you guys are having a good week and I will keep Montana in my prayers! Love you guys!

Sorella Wiltbank