September 26th, 2012 Update

Ciao a tutti!

Basically, everything in the gospel is about your heart. It is what makes the difference in every moment of the day. This last week in church, the subject was on sacrifice. Everytime that we sacrifice something it is a trade for something else. I have realized that I am already sacrificing my time, but there is something more and that is my heart.

Georgia has such a light spirit it was great to be able to share with her the Plan of Salvation. One of her greatest questions is why God allows catatrophes/evil in general to happen in the world. Knowing why we are here makes all of the difference. She felt strengthened when we bore our testimony of this life as a chance to come to learn and how important is is that we have a loving Heavenly father. I have to say it is one of my favorite lessons to teach. Her companion Antonio was there as well.
Janet loved the first lesson. She said that she had a lot of questions and we know that she will find them in reading the Book of Mormon. She had even asked some of her questions to her 13 year old daughter, Fernanda, and she was able to answer her. Her mom, Miriam, doesn't speak a lot of Italian, but we work it out.

Rosita Tapia is just blossoming. She has had issues with depression in the past, but is completely happy and full of sunshine. She is even sharing the gospel with her friends.
Marilou continues to have health issues with her knees and so is not able to come to church, but she is slowly read the book of mormon. We had a lesson on going to the temple that touched her heart. She loved it is and accepted the goal to prepare to go to the temple.
Last night we actually had a great lesson with Fratello D'angelo. His friend was there it became a pretty intense discussion of ideas, etc.. However, the entire feeling changed when we came to bearing our testimony that God is our Heavenly Father and that he can find the answer to all of his questions in the Book of Mormon. He completely changed and accepted a book of mormon and promised to read it. I am learning that a humble testimony is one of our most powerful ways to touch people's hearts. There is a strength that comes from quiet humility and I hope to gain more of it. That was one of the strongest feelins I have had of the spirit.

This last Saturday we had an awesome dance activity with our ward. There were so many cultures represented and it was filled with such a joy for life.

Also, I wanted to share some more thoughts from meeting with President Nelson. He said that some of the quickest ways to bring the spirit is through prayer and singing. Also, education is the difference between wishing to be able to help someone and being able to help someone.

Love and prayers,

Erica

P.S. Oh, by the way, the picture of the sweet senior missionaries from last week were a set of missionaries that met mom and dad at the training in the MTC and passed on a great hug from them. Also, Sorella Caramia served with Britt in the MTC. Britt had written me about her and I was so excited to serve in the same zone for her first transfer. We had to take a photo moment.

September 19th, 2012 Update

What an amazing Sunday. This last weekend was Stake Conference in Rome. We had the opportunity to be have Elder Nelson here as the main speaker. who also happens to be my companion's grandfather. His entire talk was focused on the role of parents to teach their children. The more I see, the more I realize that makes all of the difference.

We were able to have lunch with he and his wife after the conference and it was an amazing experience. As I walked by him after the meeting, I felt my body filled with such a strong feeling as the spirit bore testimony that this was a man of God. He was called of God and yet so humble and human. It was sweet to see him together with Sister Miles.

I know that this church and I am grateful for this time to serve a mission.

Here are some quick notes on the people we are teaching.

Georgia has such a sensitive spirit. We have only met a few times now, but everything has come so easily for her. She already has a testimony of the Book of Mormon and the Joseph Smith. In one of our last lessons, we invited her to be baptized. It brought an amazing spirit and she accepted immediately. She came to Stake conference this last week and loved it.

I also started talking with a woman, Miriam, and her 13 year old granddaughter, Fernanda, on the bus and it turned out that her grand daughter had joined the church in Peru, but was less active. We stopped by their home last night and Miriam and her daughter Janet really want to learn more about the gospel. It was great to see Fernanda excited to bear her testimony and share her testimony of the things she knows. I think she will be a great help for her family.

 

In my setting apart, I realized that I have been blessed to appreciate the cultures of those I serve. I have definately seen that and am grateful for it.

 

 

 

 

 

September 12, 2012 Update

Ciao a tutti,

This past week was zone conference and I am amazed yet again by how inspired my mission president and his wife are. This summer, Elder Holland visited our mission on vacation with his family. He stayed at the Villa with President Kelly and President Kelly asked him if there was one thing that he would share with the missionaries in Rome. His response was: learn to love rejection. We talked about how getting rejected means that you are doing something. My companion and I were blown in to open the sister companionship in this area. In a way it can be exciting to start from scratch, but it has been a learning experience for sure. Doing finding has led to some amazing experiences. 

      This week we really started to see our work get rolling. We have five new investigators. Georgia, her compagno, Antonio, and her friend Marialug, all come Capo Verde. As we met for our second lesson, Georgia said that she normally wouldn't let people into her home, but there was a happiness that she saw in us that she wanted. They came to church this week and I was taught how the Lord truly is able to use small and simple things to bring to pass his work.

    We also met with Rocky and his girlfriend Joanna for a first lesson. They are a young couple from the Phillipines. It was an amazing experience to share the story of the first vision and see how it touched them.

     For less-actives, we met with Fiametta and her compagno Manny. We invited them to progress together. Fiametta wants to be able to go to the temple and is working to achieve that. Manny has allowed the gospel to become more of an intellectual discussion. The gospel is truely something that has to be felt with the heart.

   Marilou was baptized some years ago and has health issues, which makes it difficult for her to come to church. We met with her and spoke of the power of prayer and encouraged her to pray and read her scriptures daily. We have seen so much that this is what makes all of the difference.

I love you all!

Sorella Lovell

Sept 5th, 2012 Update

Ciao tutti!

Greetings from the hills of Rome. My area is the west side of Rome, so
we definately have our fair share of hills. Though I have begun a new
adventure of public transportation. Our area is quite large and you
have to take public transportation everywhere. I think the record so
far for an appointment is 3 buses, the metro, and a tram, though going
through the countryside can be beautiful as well. Let's just say that
we have a lot of time to talk with a lot of people. The Vatican is
actually in my area, so while I haven't quite been able to speak with
the pope, we did contact someone who works in there. It was a bit
ironic, but they were really great to talk with.

When I say "we" it includes me and my new companion, Sorella Miles.
She has a lot of spunk and can sing a song from any word you say. We
have been doing a lot of finding, so it has come in handy. We actually
celebrated her one year mark last week. It is amazing how quickly time
flies.

  We came up with each other from the south to open up a new
companionship in Rome 1. Sorella Miles served here a couple months
ago, which has helped a lot as we had to get the work started from
stratch. Though there is a bit of a twist because another set of
sisters serves in the same ward, we have been added as an second
companionship. The members were all super excited to have a second set
of sisters.

We have been working alot with the members, new converts, and meno
attivi while we work to get the work started. It is still so amazing
each visit that we make to hear of their stories. Sorella Tapia is a
less active from Argentina (Small world!) who has started coming
back.. She lost her job some time ago and has to move. When we visited
her, I was amazed that she was so strong. She simply said that because
of her knowledge of the gospel it would all be alright.

The more that I serve my mission, the more I am amazed by the power to
bring a fount of peace that never leaves. I was reading in John 14
this morning and was struck by the description of Jesus Christ as the
bread of life. Sorella Shakir (an amazing woman from Egypt) said that
before she had everything that she needed, but her life felt empty.
Now, if she ever cries, they are only tears of joy. I am so grateful
for this gospel and the opportunity that I have to serve a mission.

Love you all!

Sorella Lovell

P.S. I'am going to try to be better about uploading fotos. Here we go:
Photos:
1. Sorella Goumba and her awesome daughter Marlyn
2. Sorella Rosita Tapia
3. Piazza del Popolo
4. Roma 1 Sorelle!!!
5. Catholic church that has a Baptismal Font for the Dead in the
Basement. Hard to believe, but it's true.
6. Radica family from Romania. The two children were just baptized this year.
7. Sogna - Sweetest handicapped woman who lives with her Italian
mother. They lived in England for a long time, so we spoke in English.
I have never been called Darling so many times in my life.
8. Happy 1 Year Birthday for Slla. Miles at McDonalds

 

 

 

 

August 29, 2012 Update

Saluti da Roma!

Writing now is a bit different hilltops of Rome. A part of me will always be in Taranto. It was rough to leave, but it exciting to get to a new area and get to work.

Rome. My area is part of Rome centro, but just to the west. It is such a diverse area. When talking to people, it has been an adventure and a more common question is "Where are you from?" I have thought of the missionaries from the MTC meet people from all over the world. Contacting people from India, Phillipines, Peru, etc. is amazing.
 Most of the families in Rome 1 are international, including a few American families. My second night here I was able to meet the Goumba family from Africa. They are quick to laugh and quick to love.

My companion is Sorella Miles. There are actually four sisters serving  in this ward and we all live togther. We are a new companionship in this ward, so we have the excitement of being blown in. We are starting our work from stratch, but have been busy meeting with new converts and less-active members. There are so many people to meet here. We know that as we do our part, we will see that hand of the Lord in our work.

Much love,

Erica