Dear Family and Friends,
So, as usual, not much time. So I'll just share a quick snippet from our work last week.
We were fairly discouraged on Saturday night. We had planned over 25 lessons for the week. After teaching number 14 that morning we had done already hours of casa and strada. We rang a citofano. No answer. Rang the second. Same. Then I said, 'Ok, one more and we'll go to the next building.' I rang it.
The typical, 'Chi è?' (Who is it?)
'Sono Sorella Willey.' (It's me, Sister Willey.)
'Sorella di chi?' (Who's sister?)
'Sono una sorella della Chiesa.' (I'm a sister from the Church)
'Ma cosa vuole?' (What do you want?)
'Condividere un messaggio riguardo alla famiglia.' (To share a message about the family). Then I felt a little guilty that maybe he might have thought I was from the Catholic church.
But then he said, 'Vuole salire?' (Do you want to come up?)
'SI!!!' (YES!!!) And then he opened the door. When we got up the stairs to his floor he said, 'Entrate pure!' (Come right on in!!!)
We were a little tentative because for these last few weeks most people have been very rude. We stepped in, and his wife peeked around the corner (in her Carnivale [Italian holiday] kitty cat face paint she looked a little intimidating). 'Chi è?' She asked her husband...
Long story short, they invited us in, told us that they had been studying a little with the Jehovah's Witnesses, Marco (the husband) had played basketball with the missionaries 15 years earlier in Savona, and Anna was very interested because even though they attended the Catholic church and were very involved, they were a little disillusioned with the policies and were unofficially searching. Better yet, their calling was working in the baptizing-babies-for-part-
Then they invited us to eat their Chinese dinner that they had just finished preparing. After we blessed the food, Marco said, 'Devo chiamare la mamma!' (I've got to call my mom!) He proceeded to tell her that he had just invited us in... (so we were two Italians and two Americans eating Chinese food prepared by their Philipina cook). Then he said that it was the Ragazze (Girls) this time, not the Ragazzi (Guys). He also said he wouldn't have let in the Ragazzi (or the Elders) anyway. Apparently his mom had invited the missionaries in years ago as well.
It's true that angels are preparing these people to meet the missionaries. We just have to knock on the right doors!
During scambio on Monday, Sorella Soh and Forbes invited Anna to baptism We're seeing them again on Saturday. We have been praying for a family, and they are incredibly great! They'll also be coming to church on Sunday. YAY!!!!
Again, for lack of time, I'll close by inviting you all to read the 127th and 128th section of Doctrine and Covenants regarding baptisms for the dead. It's SOOO beautiful, and I especially love the verses of 128:22-24. I just know that this is the Lord's work. I know that the earth and the angels of God rejoice when someone decides to humble themselves and let Christ change their life for the better. Cristina, one of our investigators, is being interviewed by President today. She has made SUCH great changes in her life, and she just glows as she's sharing with us what she read in the Book of Mormon that morning. We're so proud of her, but she could still use your prayers for the next couple of weeks as Satan works VERY hard to stop her progress.
I'll leave you with D&C 127:11:
'I now close my letter for the present, for the want of more time . . . '
I love you all! Thank you for your love, letters, love-letters (jk), friendship, and support all my life and my mission!
Keep the faith!
-Sorella Willey
Sorella Willey
Sorella Elizabeth Willey
Missione Italiana di Milano
Via Gramsci, 13/4
20090 Opera MI
ITALIA
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