Week 36: Scambios, Blitz, Transfers, & MIRACLES

Ok the mission is just one miracle after another. It is so awesome.

I want to preface by letting y'all know that I am STAYING in Ostia for another 6 weeks with Sorella Hansen! I am so excited; I love her so much :) (We just had a conversation about how telekinesis is real. So.)

Pday last week we went inside the Colosseo, not a big deal at alll (that is a lie - it was so cool!).

Tuesday we taught Mara the best lesson ever. Our rock star member Angela came and did SUCH a good job in the lessons. We usually have a different member in Mara's lessons, which is hard because they are already friends, so she is super like "no no no piano piano go at your own pace don't worry about coming to church it’s all fine" and that kind of blows sometimes. So with Angela it was great because she was all " you need to pray and if you don't have enough faith to receive an answer pray for that and then pray with a specific question because you need to know for yourself if the things that these girls are teaching you are true." We had finished teaching the Plan of Salvation and talked about how important a testimony of the BoM is because that is where we learn a lot about the plan and how we know that there is a prophet on the earth who receives revelation, which is how we know that the rest of the things included in the plan of salvation are true. Mara totally got it and gave the best prayer I have ever heard after the lesson. She didn't come to church again, but once she really gets the answer to that prayer EVERYTHING will change.

Wednesday we had district meeting and I had to do the training, which was super nerve wracking but also really cool. I am not quite sure what I talked about; it was all about becoming a consecrated missionary and being converted to Christ and developing Christ like attributes, which are all kind of the same thing? It was cool because I answered my own prayers and some of the missionaries in the district told me that what I had said answered their prayers too. It's nice to know that Heavenly Father will use me to answer other peoples' prayers. After that we did a scambio/blitz, so the Ladispoli sorelle were in Ostia helping us do finding all day. I was with Sorella Barona and we had 23 gospel conversations! That is the most I have ever done in one day, plus we got five phone numbers, and I met someone with the same last name as one of my friends back home, so it has become my personal quest for next transfer.

Thursday we finished our scambio and then we had a lesson with a person who is a referral from one of our members. She bore her testimony yesterday and said that with the temple being constructed she felt like she needed to make some sort of consecration, to do her part to prepare herself and the people around her. The elders went over and invited her to think of someone she could share the gospel with. She is a school teacher and a few days later she found out that one of her little students, Annì, prays for her as a teacher. So she decided to set up an appointment with us and Annì's family so that we could talk to them. It went so well! That was the first real member referral I have ever received, and it was such a good lesson. I can't wait to go back for our next lesson.

Friday was sort of boring. We played just danced with some of the Peruvian members and their kids. That was a lot of fun :)

Saturday was a little crazy. We went to Nettuno in the morning, which is one of the most beautiful places I have seen so far in Italy (Google it. It is BEAUTIFUL). We had another member, Sorella Favaloro, who has a friend and his daughter down there that she wants us to teach, so she took us to the appointment. She is such a great missionary. We taught about eternal families since his wife and two sisters-in-law died within like 20 days of each other. The daughter wasn't there, but she will be when we go back on Thursday. I want to spend a Pday in Nettuno. It was incredible.  That afternoon we went to pick a sister up from Termini who is finishing her mission (shout out to Sorella Price for putting up with our insanity for a few days) and then we went and helped the Serafinis move. It was cool because Slla Price helped teach Slla Serafini after they got baptized last year, so they got to see each other again.

President Waddoups was in church on Sunday! That was fun :) Then we took Slla Price to the office and got to say hi to a bunch of other missionaries. Sorella Pinkston is the new STL!!! I am super excited for her. She served with Slla Margheriti and Sorella Patterson down in Catania.

Anyway, that is about it! I am still loving every minute of this mission thing, even the hard ones. It is good to know that the Lord is helping me learn the things that he needs me to know :)

Vi voglio bene!!!! (I love you!)

Sorella Decker

Also, I have to pull together a musical number for a member of the 70 who is coming to Rome tomorrow....and I got asked to do it TODAY. HELP.