Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Week 73: The Last Transfer

Well, it's official. I have started my final transfer. How did that even happen? I know I keep saying that but seriously I cannot wrap my brain around it. However, if I think about it, it also feels like I have been here since I was born. Boh. My perception of time is really messed up. The days are getting longer and longer but the weeks just fly by and before I know it's Monday again and time to write the ongoing saga that has become my mission. Haha.

Well, it was a pretty solid week. A little screwy with transfers thrown in the middle because we hosted the Messina sisters so that Sorella Brunson could go to Bari without leaving her comp all alone...but other than that it went well. We taught Gabriella the word of wisdom and she really liked it. She came to church on Sunday too! We were so happy for her and she was so excited to come! We called her Saturday night to confirm one more time and give her the address, and she kept telling us how excited she was and that she felt anxious but happy to be coming....and it went so well. She brought her husband too, we really want to teach him but the only time we see her is when he is at the hospital doing therapy, because that's when they come in to the city. She was really excited to meet the members and stuff though. She is right on track and we are going to help her get to stake conference on Sunday next week :)

We got to help Marieanne, the sister from the Mauritius islands, learn Italian. She is so sweet! Her real story is that she has been a member for ten years, her husband is a branch president there and they have a son who served a full time mission and was sealed in the temple. She speaks a bit of English but her native language is creole, and then French. I've been studying a little French and being with her, a LOT of stuff came back to me. I could feel my brain struggling between the usual Italian verbal vomit and wanting to heave out French instead (sorry for the graphic, best way to describe it), it was a bit struggle haha. But a really cool experience. She's having a hard time adjusting and she misses her family, and so she loves to be with us. She told us (in an adorable French creole accent): " seeing you make my heart....chaude....how you say chaude?" My language-wearied brain pumped one last time, and kicked out "Hot!" "Oui, oui! You make my heart hot!" It was so sweet :)

Also, Jennifer found a new house that is waaaaaay closer to her work and where the boys go to school, so we are helping her move after pday today.

We got to see Iole and Gesualdo, they are the ones who told us about what happened in France. We were stunned. My first thought was for the missionaries there because a family on the ward, the Battezzato's, have a son in the France Leone mission. He is ok, just on lock down until the mission president says that they can go outside. For me it was the punctuation on my study of obedience because the attack happened at 9:30, which is the absolute latest we are allowed to return home in the evening. Knowing that the missionary rules can keep us safe is one thing, but put into the perspective of a terrorist attack it becomes literally a matter of life and death. It is the same thing with any commandment; that's what they are for. The lesson with Iole and Gesualso was about ten minutes long....out of the two hours we spent there. They just really love to chat and I love chatting with them, but try as we might sometimes they will just not let us steer the conversation into our lesson plan. Or stay in the lesson once we are there! Gesualdo said he feels like he can do more good in bringing people to the church as an ex-member because people see him as having an outside view and is therefore more credible. He calls himself a "Mormon on vacation." Sorella Flansberg told me when we left that she really wanted to ask when he was planning on coming back. We love them....

We actually had pranzo with the Battezzatos, they are doing pretty well. Both parents served missions so they know how it all works and trust infinitely in the promise that the Lord takes care of His missionaries (super true). It was good to spend time with them, and it is always a good meal. Plus, Roberta is planning a funeral for me for my last week. I am gonna wear all black; it should be fun;)

Our big Sunday miracle was Nadia. She was baptized 25 years ago but has been inactive for 15 years. We had planned a lesson a few weeks ago and just haven't been able to see her. But we went over and talked about temples and brought her the temples magazine and whatnot. She said she never made it before she went inactive. Then she started talking about how she has always known the gospel is true, but she has distanced herself all because of a small problem that she tried to resolve on her own instead of taking it to the Lord, and consequently took a job that required her to work on Sundays. Now she has a second child with marriage problems, she's struggling with the word of wisdom again, and all sorts of other things. She said sometimes she prays and prays for help, but she recognizes that she isn't doing all the things the Lord asks her to. She had a crying breakdown this week because of all of it, and then started looking for the quit smoking program the missionaries had given her. So she asked if we could bring one by, to which we absolutely agreed. She has a really strong desire to come back right now, and we are so happy for her. She said "non ci riesce mai a davvero farlo (I can't do it)", so we invited her to pray for the strength to make the changes for the better in her life. It was beautiful. God does know each of us and wants all of us to make it home to Him, and I am so grateful to be a part of the effort to get them there :) like I said to mom, God' s work is this big: |---------------------------------------------------------| and He can do it all by himself. He lets me do this much: |-|. And he does everything else when we aren't there. That's when the miracles happen. We just get to be there to see all the chips fall into place.

I still love it out here and it is good to know that the Lord still has so much that He needs me to do :)

Baci,
Sorella Decker

Sending Sorella Brunson off
Backup planning at a cafe with some really dark hot chocolate

No comments :

Post a Comment