Cuneo - Transfer 11 - Week 5

April 4, 2012


Dear Family and Friends,

This has been an exhausting week!  We have been going CRAZY and
literally teaching everyone that we can possibly talk to!  We've
probably gotten more rejections this week than in my entire life, but
we've also met lots of very beautiful people.  Last night we met a
family from Peru, and we'll be going back to see them on Saturday.
Throughout the week, we've seen lots of disappointments, but we've
really changed in the process.

Sorella Forbes has found the inner bold and couragious missionary, and
she literally talks to everyone possible.  It's kind of a game now
that I say, "Oooo, we should talk to them!"  And then she says, "OK!"
and then talks to them.  It's so wonderful, and she also encourages me
to be bolder.  I love Sorella Forbes!

Friday night we had both felt that we should go to a specific park
(for the first time ever) first thing in the morning, and find people
to teach.  Saturday morning we went, ended up being able to teach
Wafia and Adil, and then as we were closing up the with Adil, we saw a
beautiful miracle.  Marco, one of our investigators, whom we have been
trying to reach for nearly 2 weeks, walked up with his son and said
hi!  You might say that all these little events are the miracles. They
are miracles.  How could we have known that Marco would be at the park
at just that time?  We were planning on a last resort of sending a
text message from a pay phone. It was a miracle that we were able to
see Clara and Giuseppe the last day before they went on vacation.  It
was a miracle that something that one sister said in a 2 minute
presentation changed my mission and my life forever.  The real
miracle, though, is how we have changed this week.

It was so much easier before to find people to teach.  I used to take
it for granted almost.  But now we have to give our all, and more, and
the result is that we have much more trust in God, and He blesses us
with many more tender mercies.

Well, I guess I'm going to wrap it up here.  I don't have much more to
say.  I've been reading lots of conference talks this week, and
listening to more!  We got to see the Saturday Afternoon session and
Sunday Morning session, but unfortunately we didn't get to see
Saturday Morning or Sunday Afternoon.  Well, we saw a little of Sat AM
in Spanish and French.  And a few seconds in Romanian, but the
broadcast was having issues in Italian.   I can't wait to find out
which temples have been annouced and hear all the rest of the talks!

I keep starting the Book of Mormon over!  Not because of the Isaiah
chapters, but because there are SO many lessons to learn from Nephi!
I've probably recommended this verse a gazillion times, but it is SO
beautiful and SO true!  1 Nephi 10:19.  If we truly seek, we shall
find.  I LOVED Elder Scott's talk about revelation, (at least that's
what I learned from it).  One thing really hit me... he said if we are
thinking of others we are more likely to receive revelation that if we
are thinking only of ourselves.  Heavenly father will 'piggyback'
blessings for us as we try to help others.  And at the end he said,
"Revelation is a sacred RESPONSIBILITY and blessing."  We ought to
receive revelation.  We MUST receive revelation!  What a blessing to
have the fulness of the Gospel and living prophets who can boldly and
safely guide us to God.

I know that God is just SO excited to hear from us every day!  Prayer
is becoming so much more personal to me these weeks.  I really feel
that the more I am willing to share with my Heavenly Father, the more
He is able to share with me!

I love you all, and I look forward to seeing you soon!

Keep the faith!
-Sorella Willey

P.S.  Packages at this point would be better not sent.  Customs are SO
high now adays, that it's cheaper to send $200 to your missionary than
to mail a package of $20 worth of clothes, candy, personal items,
etc..  By the time it reaches the missionary, if it reaches the
missionary, customs could be up to $150.  Plus the price of mailing
it, plus any possible charge that Italy can come up with.  The country
is in serious debt, and they're trying to solve it with customs.
Thank you all for your letters and packages sent throughout the
mission!  They were happily received, and I really appreciate all of
them! And all of YOU!!!

--
Sorella Willey
elizabeth.willey@myldsmail.net

Sorella Elizabeth Willey
Missione Italiana di Milano
Via Gramsci, 13/4
20090 Opera MI
ITALIA

More photos

March 28, 2012

1. The group of all the sorelle

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2. Sorella Willey (me) with Sorella Wolfgramm

Cuneo - Transfer 11 - Week 4

March 28, 2012

Dear Family and Friends,

I will mostly be sending pictures, and I'm also attaching some of the miracles that we saw this week from my letter to President Wolfgramm.  Yesterday we were in Milano all day with ALL that's right, ALL of the Sisters\Sorelle in the mission!  It was SO neat to learn from their experiences and hear all of the miracles happening around the mission.  And I got to take some fun pictures...  The first is me with my Jacob and Joseph... that is 'first and lastborn in the wilderness.' Or literally Sorella Hanks and Sorella Forbes.  Then the 2nd is a photo of all of my companions (except for Sorella Noteware and Sorella Snodgrass who already are finished with their missions).  SO much fun!  I have learned so much from EVERYONE here, and wow, has it changed me!

We have been being very specific about who we want to find this week, and God has been putting these people in our path.  Ever since we got back into our city last Wednesday, we have been faithfully doing Red Zone (finding work from 6-8PM), and every day we run into a person that we planned to meet the night before.  What really got us going was on Thursday night when we had planned earlier to meet a woman in a purple sweater, and the first door opened was a woman (same age that we planned) with a purple sweater.  She actually listed to our message, asked for he address of the church, and took a pamphlet.  We were a little sad that she wouldn't give her number or a follow-up appointment, but she said that she would read about he restoration for sure, and that "who knows?", one day she might come to church.   Then we proceeded to get in, get in, and finally that night, we met Giuseppe and Clara.  Clara (85)  fell in love with us instantly, but Giuseppe (82), was a little hostile.  We were a little worried that he might throw us out, but when we went back for the return appoitnement on Saturday, he LOVED and ATE UP EVERY WORD!!! He dived into reading the Book of Mormon, and then rode his bike to church the next morning!  Unfortunately, he was a little scared away by the members so he left, but he said he'd try again the next week, and he's already read all the title page, intro, Testamonies, and explanations.  When we saw him on Monday, he said he's just finally starting on 1 Nephi 1, and he said, "Once I start reading, I just don't want to stop." 

God is really preparing these people, and as long as we turn to Him, having done all that we can do, He will help us to find success and those who are searching.  Sorella Wolfgramm, yesterday in the training, as a last minute thought, refered to prayer and having a plan.  She said, "When Nephi was tied up, he didn't pray that God would break the bands for him.  He prayed that God would give him strength so HE could break the bands that held him."  I know that we can do anything that the Lord commands us to do, but we also must DO something and have a plan to receive His power unto the fulfilling of it.  He gives us agency, and we must USE this agency and ACT in order to receive the promise, the testimony, and anything else that will bless our lives.

I love you all, and I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Love always,

-Sorella Willey

--
Sorella Willey

elizabeth.willey@myldsmail.net

Sorella Elizabeth Willey

Missione Italiana di Milano

Via Gramsci, 13/4

20090 Opera MI

ITALIA

Cuneo - Transfer 11 - Week 3

March 21, 2012

Dear Family and Friends,

 

I apologize for the blank email last week!  If the email had had its text, it would have talked about concert that we were able to put on in the church last weekend, my trip back to Verona to get my 'permesso di soggiorno,' and meeting with an old contact who had read over half the Book of Mormon and just happened to stop us on the street.  You would have heard how my companion has still been sick, but how we had a miracle where a previous investigator from the sisters here in August left his name and number in the door of the church because he'd read the Book of Mormon and wanted to learn more.  I probably would have recommended some scriptures in Mosiah 5 that have really touched me and changed the way I see EVERYTHING and I'd have told you about how 2 Sundays ago the bishopric anounced that I was giving a talk in Sacrament meeting.  Luckily we came that day, even though Slla Forbes was not feeling well, and Slla Wolfgramm had ordered us to stay in all day.  I looked Fratella DeStefanis in the eyes with a little horror in my eyes as he sat down and shrugged me a "Sorry... I forgot to ask you.  You can also just bear your testimony." 

 

Luckily, the day before in studies we had talked a lot about repentance and read through the "Gospel of Jesus Christ" in Preach My Gospel.  As I stood up, I had my mini PMG in Italian, my study journal and planner, and my Italian triple, and really had no idea what I would say.  Just a couple of scriptures jotted down in my planner.  I don't actually remember what I said, but I remember what I felt as I read from Mosiah 5 and repentance in Preach My Gospel.  I don't know how long it was, but I was so grateful for the opportunity to rely wholly on the Spirit and read again from the inspired words of the prophets.

 

So that's a little bit of what you would have read last week.  This week was BEAUTIFUL!!!  Really crazy, but really beautiful. 

 

We went to GENOVA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  on our way home from a training meeting in Alessandria on Monday.  We had a blitz or scambio... in English I think the word is exchange... with the Sorelle there.  We got to go out with each other's companions and teach their investigators and find people with them.  I got to see where my dear trainer, Sorella Noteware, started her mission, where Christopher Columbus was inspired to find the New World, and where my older brother and role model, Anthony, spent his first 5 transfers.  We even read from 1 Nephi 13 during language study in honor of Columbus,the 'great and abominable church,' and the Book of Mormon.  :)  We saw some great miracles with a few of their investigators, and found some really great people who they will be seeing later on this week.   I've been wanting to go to Genova my whole mission.  I am so grateful that even in this last transfer, when I had given up hope, God gave me that tender mercy, and we were able to feel His hand guiding us through the streets that neither we nor the two sisters brand new to the area knew. 

 

Oh, yeah, we also ate focaccia and pesto.  YUMMMMY!!!

 

Then, we came back to Cuneo!!!!!

 

We feel like we haven't been in Cuneo hardly at all.  Between being sick, going to trainings, permesso appointments, scambios, and district meetings in Verona, Milano, Torino, Alessandria, and Genova, we were shocked that getting off the train it even looked familiar last night.

 

We're ever so committed to keep strong, find, teach, baptize, invite others to come unto Christ, and be the representatives of Christ in our city.  Then we realized today was P-day..   When do we get to see OUR investigators??  But luckily, the Lord will help us in that.  We just have to keep being as obedient as we can be, and do everything we can, and then the Lord will guide us to do and say what needs to be done and said.

 

My Sorella Forbes ***GEMed me this morning when we were planning lessons for today.  I felt pretty confident about my plans for the first 2 investigators. But for Rosy, our almost baptismal date, I had nothing written on the lesson plan, but pages and pages in the study journal.  I knew I needed to find some scriptures to back up all the information, and then I also knew I'd need to shorten up all the info as well.  I was a little overwhelmed.  I peeked over at Slla Forbes to see if she was ready for Comp study.  I was a little frustrated.  We've actually planned this lesson 3 times and then had to cancel or felt like we needed to teach something else at the last minute.  When I said, "Ok, I've only got ideas for Donatella and Rosaria.  What have you got for Rosy?"  She proceeded to read me scriptures that answered all of the questions and confirmed what the Spirit has been trying to tell me for the past 3 weeks!  She led me to the Bible Dictionary, Bible and Book of Mormon and literally taught me exactly what I was looking for AND what Rosy is looking for!  What a GEM!  I love her so much!

 

We really do have the Lord's hand in our work- His work.  We see beautiful miracles in all sorts of ways, and truly feel His presence as we read, pray, and try our best to be obedient.

 

I have very little time left in this email.... But I wanted to thank you all for your letters, packages, and emails this week.  I have received so much mail this week, more than my entire mission combined, and I'm so grateful to feel your support in this last month here.  Please pray for me to stay focussed and continue to have the guidance and physical strength to endure to the end.  I'm very tired, a little discouraged, and trying hard to make the most of every last minute I have here.  Thank you again for your prayers, support, and EVERYTHING that you do and have done for me every day!

 

I just want to leave you with a couple of ideas about covenants and the need to make them with God in order to receive blessings. No time to explain, but here are the scriptures:

Mosiah 3:17-19

Mosiah 2:20-24

Mosiah 5:5-9

Moroni 7:33-34

Ephesians 1:13-14

Bible DIctionary 'Earnest'

2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5

Mosiah 4:2-12

Moroni 8:25-26

 

I've been working on this topic for a while... A LONG TIME, and only this morning when we were studying for Rosy did I get the spiritual and scriptural confirmation of all the answers.  Obviously not ALL the answers yet, but I've got a lot to chew on for a while. :)  And now you do too.  Hopefully these words will touch you and help you to feel the Love and excitement for the Gospel that they gave for me!

 

I love you all, and a happy March 21st to you all!

 

Keep the faith,

-Sorella Willey

 

*** G.E.M. is our mission's battle cry.  It stands for Grow Every Missionary, and means that we as Milan Italy Missionaries are to do everything we can to always be thinking of those around us.  Especially our companion.  Each week, we report a GEM moment in our email to president, and that paragraph was a copy and paste from my email this week.

 

--
Sorella Willey

elizabeth.willey@myldsmail.net

Sorella Elizabeth Willey

Missione Italiana di Milano

Via Gramsci, 13/4

20090 Opera MI

ITALIA

Mail...

March 7, 2012


Dear Family and Friends,

I forgot to mention... if you are planning on sending mail (snail
mail) in the next month or so, you might want to send it directly to:

Sorella Willey
Via Antonio Meucci 8
12100 Cuneo (CN)

I might not get many more deliveries from the office.

Yikes!

Happy Wednesday!
-Sorella Willey

Cuneo - Transfer 11 - Week 1

March 7, 2012

Dear Family and Friends,

This has been a pretty hard week.  Lots of disappointments and
surprises.  Lots of great things too.  Don't get me wrong, we're still
seeing lots of wonderful things, but we saw a lot of things happen
that didn't need to happen.  The hardest thing in the world is seeing
someone use their influence unrighteously, and hinder someone's
progression.  The Lord really will help us when we are doing
everything we can do, but if we let someone else have too much control
over our agency, we are likely to be led astray.

Pray for Cristina and Salvatore, if you would!  They are facing their
trial of faith right now.  Marco and Anna also.  This is a pretty hard
week for most people.  We have so many miracles about to happen, but
there's someone fighting very hard against it.  I have learned so much
for myself in this week, but I've also learned that everyone has to
develope their own testimony and learn certain things for themselves.
I mean, I knew that before, but I re-learned it again.

It was amazing, though, to see the Spirit teach in our lessons this
week.  Sometimes we just don't have the right words to say.
Especially in Italian.  But this week we saw the power of the Spirit
really touch the heart of some investigators.  We literally felt the
Spirit leave, come back in, etc.  It's so hard to describe exactly how
you feel it, but I know that it's the Spirit, and I know that without
it, no teaching is really happening.

I've also noticed with all of my investigators, and with various other
people, that the days when they don't read the Book of Mormon, they
make poorer choices.  And, without fail, the days when they do read,
they are happier, feel the influence of the Spirit in their lives, and
are more willing to commit to make changes for the better.

I finished the Book of Mormon again yesterday.  My poor companion has
been feeling under the weather.  Sorella Forbes has some yucky lung
creatures that make her cough and make other strange noises.  While
she was sleeping I went from Ether 12 through Moroni 10, and WOW!!!
It's amazing!  How is it that I missed so much last time I read all
that?  The Book of Mormon is really amazing.  Without a testimony of
the Book of Mormon, it would take a lot of faith to believe everything
else.  I'm so grateful that I was blessed to be born into a family
where we read every day!  I've had a lot of questions this week about
a lot of things, and in the end it all comes down to my testimony of
the Book of Mormon.  I took the Moroni challenge (Moroni 10:3-5) again
last night, and I know that it's true.  Again, hard to describe
exactly how I know, but I definitely got an answer.

My recommendation to all of you for the week is to ask yourself some
questions, then ask God the questions, then open your Book of Mormon
and see if you can't find the answer.  I like Mosiah 5.  That one
really helped me to understand more about the Atonement and the Gospel
of Jesus Christ this week.  We really are here (on this Earth, in this
life) so that we can change for the better through the power of Jesus
Christ.  I'm so grateful that He has given me this chance here on the
mission to understand this better so I could start changing too!  I'm
still WAY far from perfect, but I have learned so much.

I guess it's about time to wrap up.  I could write all day about
everything that's happening, but, as usual, way too much to do today!
Plus we have rules about time... :)

Love you all!  Thank you for your letters and support!

Keep the faith!
-Sorella Willey

Cuneo - Transfer 11 - Week 4

February 22, 2012

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-member-families department, and so baptism was already brought up in the first 5 minutes.  They do believe that it's a little strange that babies don't really get a say in the matter, etc. etc. etc.

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

elizabeth.willey@myldsmail.net

Sorella Elizabeth Willey

Missione Italiana di Milano

Via Gramsci, 13/4

20090 Opera MI

ITALIA