It has been another wonderful week out here in the beautiful città di Trieste! Learning lots errrrrrryday. The week started out wonderfully, last Wednesday. We had a party for New Years at the church with the ward. Tons of members came and everyone made food and we just had the best potluck type dinner of my LIFE. man Italians really do know how to cook. The real miracle of the night was the fact that two of our investigators, J. and R, actually came to the party! We had invited them but we weren't sure if they were going to make it, but then they did and IT WAS SO GREAT. They came and also an ex-investigator that we found in the area book named M. (she came as well) Annnnnnnnd to top it all of one of our members brought a friend! It was just suuuuuch a miracle night for us! We were able to introduce them to a lot of ward members and just get to know them better! They had a wonderful time that night, talking with everyone and it was just a wonderful activity. J. is wonderful, she has a real desire to change her life but doesn't really want to take the actions necessary to do so. She is also very flaky when it comes to appointments, which has made teaching her very difficult. The party was actually the first time I met her! But she is great and I am really hoping that this good experience that she had at the party will spark her desire to truly make a change. It was just neat, i felt SO happy that night. It was one of the first times where i truly just felt like i was myself with the people! I was able to talk to them and carry on real conversations, and just really get to know a lot of people!! ah it was just so great, i cannot describe it. We have a wonderful ward! So many really amazing people.
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| A cool statue in Trieste. |
On friday we literally had a miracle day. I am not sure why but it was one of those days where everything just goes really smoothly and everything works out how you planned! That happens VERY rarely. but it was just wonderful. We had wonderful lessons and got places on time, and it was just so cool, we kept running into people all over! Like we ran into one of our less active ladies and were able to teach her a little lesson, we ran into a potential, and one of our members that was having a hard time! And that night we had some time for finding and so we went to a little piazza near our house and we were able to find this girl named C....she is 16 and had talked with missionaries before! We were able to have a really great talk with her about the plan of salvation and get her information. So many little miracles! It is amazing how many people we meet here that have heard about the church before or met with the missionaries in the past! it happens SO often! Like the other day we were on a bus and I had a feeling like i should talk to this certain lady. I kind of put it off for a second and then i realized that i was being dumb and then started talking with her. Turns out she used to go to our English class in the past and met the Elders a few weeks back! I was so glad that I talked to her, she said that she would start coming back to English class! I have really been realizing how each encounter that someone has with the missionaries or with the church is just another step in their conversion process! With a lot of converts it takes A LOT of different encounters with missionaries until they actually decide to listen or until they are ready. It is amazing how perfect the plan of our Heavenly Father is. Each person we talk to...we are just one more steop in their journey to the truth. I like thinking of it that way!
This week we had a really wonderful Zone Training in Pordenone. I love Zone meetings, they just get me super pumped to get out and to do things even better and work even harder. I love learning from older missionaries and hearing how they have seen success! One thing that I took out of the training this week has to do with this quote from President Monson, "you cant change the wind, but you can adjust the sails" As i have been thinking about this quote this week, i have learned quite a bit. My mission has been nothing like what i thought it would be. Nothing. There have been strong winds that i did not expect, experiences that I could not have predicted. But it has been exactly what I have needed. Heavenly Father controls the winds. He knows exactly what we need exactly when we need it. Sometimes the winds are strong, sometimes they are calm. The only way out of the wind is through it, and the only way through it is to adjust our sails. I have learned how the small adjustments according the His will, is what make the difference. Those little adjustments are what make the winds worthwile. I have learned to love the wind, to embrace it, and to learn from it. The winds come to all, but if we are not focused on our purpose and focused on our Savior, they may blow us off course. But with His help and with a clear mind to our purpose, the winds blow us closer to where we want to end up. We get pushed when things are hard, we are forced to grow and to see things in a new way...and i am so very greatful for every gust of wind that He has blessed me with.
Today we are going to Venice and then to Pavia! It is going to be a long day of travel but I AM STOKED. yeah, Italy is just the coolest place ever.
I love you all, you mean the world to me! keep on keeping on!
Til next time...keep it real.
Vi voglio bene,
Sorella Burt
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| Sorella Bringas...one of the best missionaries I have ever met! |
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