Dear Family and Friends,
I have had a beautiful week - full of miracles and heartaches, as usual. ;)
So, last week, we did casa a TON! If you don't know what casa is, for us in the Italy missions it means going from palazzo to palazzo, ringing citofano, trying to get into a building so you can knock on all the doors or ring the doorbells and try to find someone who wants to listen to this message that can change their life forever. It's hard to find someone who will let you into their building first of all, but once you get in, you almost have to prepare yourself for the most rejection you've ever felt in your life. So far, it hasn't gotten to me much, but both of my companions, with over a year in the mission, have said that after a while you just hate it.
I was very enthusiastic at on Monday morning, and we tried to get into a few buildings, but with no success. Then we met a man coming out of his apartment. He said, "Go away, nobody here wants to hear from you." Then he said something about "Testimoni di Geova" (Jehovah's Witnesses) and we tried to explain to him that we were actually from a different church. (Testimoni di Geova is what we hear all day - 2nd only to "non mi interessa!!!!!" And you can guess what that means.) But he said, "It doesn't matter, you're all the same. I don't believe in God."
Anyway, then we asked him what brought him joy in life, and he said, "I never feel joy, I only know that I'm alive, suffering, and that there is no God." We attempted to bear testimony, but he told us to "vai via!!!" (go away). I don't know why it hit me so hard, but for the next 20 minutes I couldn't stop crying. I couldn't imagine anyone never having ever felt joy. I mean, I'm sure he has felt happy, with his family, with friends, at some points in his life, but he seemed so sincere and hopeless, and he woudn't listen to our message of hope. It was rough. Probably the first public breakdown I've had. Luckily we were near a field, so S.lla Snodgrass took me for a walk.
We were doing casa a couple of days later, and we knocked on the door of a man who said, "I'm old, and I don't believe anymore." Then his big fat cat came to the door as if to say, "I don't believe either, and you are wasting your time." At the time, I remembered my last "cry" and didn't want to make a fool of myself. So I just said, "Well, hopefully one day he'll find a reason to believe." The funny thing is that, looking back on that meeting, I thought he looked kind of like a stake president, but I didn't say that out loud because he had basically shut the door in our faces.
The next morning, as we were walking back to our bikes after receiving a bidone (someone not showing up to an appointment- it happens almost daily), we met this same man. We didn't recognize him at first, but he recognized us and stopped in the middle of the walkway starring at us. Sorella Snodgrass said, "Can we help you?" (She's aweseome about always having the right thing to say). Then he said, "Don't you remember me? You knocked on my door last night!" We didn't remember exactly who he was. We had knocked on probably hundreds of doors the day before. Then he said,"I'm the one who said I didn't believe anymore. But I want to correct myself. I do believe in Jesus Christ, but not in churches." Then he went on to describe how he had lost a leg, an eye, and his other knee, how he'd had throat cancer and his heart was bad. His wife had all kinds of health problems and now was losing her memory. Then he said, "I go to church, I confess to the priests, I give them my money, I recite my prayers, and I am not a bad person. I always try to do what is right, and yet I receive no help from church. I just don't believe that church can help me." And of course he asked if we were Testimoni di Geova. Then we talked to him and told him about how repentance shouldn't involve paying money to the church, how it is a personal thing between us and God, and most of all, that God wants to hear our prayers in our own words! I was afraid that he might send us away again, but then we asked if there was anything else we could do, or if we could share more about our message. He said, "Your words are beautiful. They have helped me a lot already." And then he agreed to meet with us!!!!!
The next morning, as we were walking back to our bikes after receiving a bidone (someone not showing up to an appointment- it happens almost daily), we met this same man. We didn't recognize him at first, but he recognized us and stopped in the middle of the walkway starring at us. Sorella Snodgrass said, "Can we help you?" (She's aweseome about always having the right thing to say). Then he said, "Don't you remember me? You knocked on my door last night!" We didn't remember exactly who he was. We had knocked on probably hundreds of doors the day before. Then he said,"I'm the one who said I didn't believe anymore. But I want to correct myself. I do believe in Jesus Christ, but not in churches." Then he went on to describe how he had lost a leg, an eye, and his other knee, how he'd had throat cancer and his heart was bad. His wife had all kinds of health problems and now was losing her memory. Then he said, "I go to church, I confess to the priests, I give them my money, I recite my prayers, and I am not a bad person. I always try to do what is right, and yet I receive no help from church. I just don't believe that church can help me." And of course he asked if we were Testimoni di Geova. Then we talked to him and told him about how repentance shouldn't involve paying money to the church, how it is a personal thing between us and God, and most of all, that God wants to hear our prayers in our own words! I was afraid that he might send us away again, but then we asked if there was anything else we could do, or if we could share more about our message. He said, "Your words are beautiful. They have helped me a lot already." And then he agreed to meet with us!!!!!
Yesterday we taught him (that's Romano Pigozzi and his wife Plnea) a lesson about the Restoration, the Book of Mormon, and how we can pray to know for ourselves the truth, and he said he felt that what we were saying was true. We told him that it was the Holy Spirit, and he said, "I will read and pray, and I also want you to teach my son and his family." !!!!! Then we scheduled the next lesson for tomorrow night, and he's going to try to have his son come too. At the end, it was beautiful, because we asked him if he wanted to pray. He quickly recited "The Lord's Prayer" and then we taught him how to pray in his own words. Then he did it, and it was so beautiful! If nothing else, he has the Book of Mormon and now knows how to pray to his Heavenly Father in his own words! But maybe he will be a stake president someday! He and his wife will celebrate 60 years of marriage on November 22, 2012, and I think that a great anniversary present would be to be sealed in the Rome Temple!
Side note... We also got to meet his cat who was still pretty stubborn, but even he lightened up a bit after about 10 minutes and let us pet his head. He's over 10 kilograms! Yeah, over 20 pounds!! That gives you an idea for how big that cat really was...:)
Side note... We also got to meet his cat who was still pretty stubborn, but even he lightened up a bit after about 10 minutes and let us pet his head. He's over 10 kilograms! Yeah, over 20 pounds!! That gives you an idea for how big that cat really was...:)
This is just one of the many miracles that I have seen this week! I know that the Lord is preparing people to meet us, and preparing ways for us to meet them. Even something as simple as a bidone can lead us to His children. Lorella is doing AMAZING with her "Smetere di Fumare" program. We believe that she can actually quit this week! She bore the most beautiful testimony in our lesson with her last night, and said that she is on the right path and will NEVER turn away. She has had so many great ward members help her, and she is very susceptible to the Spirit.
I know that this work is true, and I know that everyone can see miracles in their lives and know for themselves. I have another challenge for you all. This week, during one of your personal prayers, ask, "Father, do you love me?" And see how you feel afterwards. He really does love us, and I know that we can all return to Him if we live the simple and beautiful principles of His gospel.
Thank you all for your support, letters, encouragement, great stories, and examples to me! I love you all so much!
Keep the faith!
-Sorella Willey
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Sorella Willey
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Sorella Willey
Sorella Elizabeth Willey
Missione Italiana di Milano
Via Gramsci, 13/4
20090 Opera MI
ITALIA
