Oh mamma mia... we are having so many miracles here in Forli. :)
Thanksgiving
came and went suuuuuper fast (just like every day in the mission field)
so I am a little worried about how fast Christmas will go by. That
being said, being a missionary during Christmas time is such a beautiful
experience. I just have this LOVE and joy for the little things - like
all the Christmas lights and decorations - and especially for the birth
of Jesus Christ. We can sing more often to the people, talk more about
the beauty of the gift, and just all rejoice more together. I wish it
were more like this through out the year but it really is so magical! :)
For Thanksgiving, we ate at L's and Ao's home and celebrated
A's birthday. It was sooooo beautiful. We invited one of our "dry
members" who is 89 and very lonely. L is such a loving and accepting
person that she immediately began to show love to him. The next several
days were just filled with miracles that touched our hearts. The work
is rolling forward in Forli!
This
weekend we had one of the most tender and touching miracles. The
Jefferies have been working with an inactive member of the branch by the
name G. We had never met her and had only heard "Good Luck" when
we talked about visiting her. As Sorella Jefferies has gone to visit
teach G, her heart has been softened more and more. Sorella
Jefferies suggested that we go and visit her, bringing some banana bread
because it was her favorite. On Sunday we went, not really knowing what
to share and going with the intention of getting to know G and
follow the Spirit. This woman is such a special and beautiful child of
God. We felt prompted to just sing some Christmas hymns which invited
the Spirit and made it very easy to talk about the love of Christ. I
then asked if I could share my favorite scripture (Alma 26:35-37) and we
shared how much God loves her and has not forgotten about her. G
began to cry and explain that she missed this, how she had forgotten
these things that she once loved and believed in, and how she wanted to
come back to church. The Spirit was so strong and guided us along to say
the things that G needed to hear. It was so beautiful!
To
finish, I just wanted to share an insight that I read this morning in
parallel to the chapters in Mosiah 23 and 24. So many of us are faced
with trials and challenges that we must overcome. At times we feel there
is no hope. I have seen this so often with meno attivi or with
simpatizzanti here and it just breaks my heart. They often say to us
that we cannot possibly understand what they are dealing with because we
are so young. Yes that may be true. But the thing that I know with
every single FIBER of my being is that our Savior Jesus Christ can help
us with ANYTHING in this life. I just love these chapters in Mosiah
because it explains so clearly that we WILL have trials but that, with
the promised covenant that we make, the Lord will help us.
In
regards to Mosiah 23:21, Elder Orsen F. Whitney said "No pain that we
suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our
education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith,
fortitude, and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure,
especially when we endure it patiently, builds up characters, purifies
our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable,
more worthy to be called the children of God... and it is through
sorrow and suffering , toil and tribulation, that we gain education that
we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and
Mother in heaven."
Now
I must apologize that this is a little bit shorter than usual. :)
VI VOGLIO BENE!!!
Sorella Jameson
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