Serving An 18 Month LDS Mission

In the LDS church, when a girl turns 21 she has the opportunity to choose to serve an 18 month, self-funded mission. I have wanted to go on a mission since I was a little girl. My parents both served a mission in Rome in the 1970's. In 2001-2002, my sister Letty served as a missionary in Hong Kong and my brother Algot in the Philippines. As soon as I turned 21 I submitted my papers. The Prophet and 12 Apostles determine through inspiration which of the more than 300 missions worldwide each missionary will be assigned. I was overjoyed when I opened my mission call and discovered that I was called to Rome, Italy! I feel immensely blessed and I feel that God has been preparing me to serve the Italian people. Each week, while I am on my mission, I will send my sister Letty an email and pictures to post on the blog. I won't see this blog till I come home, so I will be unable to directly respond to your comments until then. However, the sidebar will always have a current street address for me, and I promise I will respond to your letters! If you would rather write via email, just email your letter to my sister and she will print it out and send it me with her weekly snail mail!

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Thursday: Letter #1

It is my first P-day! I love it here. I only have 30 minutes on the computer to read and write emails so sorry if they are rushed :( please forward these email to the rest of the family. I love you all so much. I am loving the MTC everything here is so wonderful. The spirit is so strong. They have increased security and you need to use a card to enter any building. Also they have just thrown us in. I love it.

The third day my companion and I were able to teach an "investigator" ( actually one of the teachers here). Our investigator is Lorenzo. I am so blessed to know Italian I have felt as I have watched some missionaries come to grips with the language and how hard it is. But I love serving and answer questions if anyone has them for me. The anziani (elders) in our district are amazing! They are the sweetest boys. I can see the strength of their testimonies and have seen how fast everyone is learning the language. They have the strongest testimonies and they are here to work. Some of them cry as much as I do when they bear their testimonies. :) I love them.
Never before have I had my prayers answered immediately after I have said them. It has felt wonderful to feel myself being led and guided in what I say and do. This monday my companion and I were teaching Lorenzo for the third time. We had come with answers to his questions from the lesson before. We always pray in the corner before we enter the room. That day was amazing because I don't know how but the Spirit poured into the discussion. As we were answering his question he would ask a living prophet why bad things happen in the world. We used the scriptures recommended in Preach MY Gospel. We used the account of Alma and Amulek in Ammonihah as the people of Ammonihah were burning the women and children. Long story short the spirit was there while we read the scriptures and bore our testimonies. We also had memorized the baptism invitation in Italian. We had asked him at the last visit and he had said no. But on Monday he said he would think about it. What I marvel at is how the Spirit came even though it was not a "real" discussion. We all could still feel it.
My companion, Sorella Bradford, is amazing!! She has lived all over the world including 8 years in France so she speaks fluent french. Her french is helping her enormously as she is learning Italian. I love her! I love her spriti,charity, attitude, and desire to be obedient.
I am in Awe of how much God loves us! How much He is blessing me. THis tuesday we had a devotional by Brother Dallenbach an emeritus general authority. He talked of the truth of the Book of Mormon. He also talked about Nephi and Lehi in Helaman 5 who were surrounded by fire. He said something very powerful! As I obey the mission rules, do my best, and strive to keep the Spriti with me, I can be surrounded by the Spirit that will burn like fire. And the devil and my enemies shall not dare touch for fear of being burned! I feel that here. I know I have far to go and much to learn. I know that many obstacles and challenges await me. But I know God WILL protect me. He will bless me with peace! As Brother Dallenbach said "Go forward ... These are days not to be forgotten." Thank you so much for making it possible for me to be here and to feel this immense love for you, for the people of Italy, and for my Savior. I love you.
Thank you for all the packages and thoughtful letters, I love them. and Thank you for your prayers.
Letty, you can just post this one on the blog I will try to write another one for the blog next week.  
I do need Ann's address because I want to write you a real letter :)
Also MOm I would love the hymn concordance. Could you send me 14 copies actually for all the new people in my district and room. I love you and Dad. Thank you both for raising me so well to have a testimony and to put God first in my life. I sent you a letter for the family. I hope you get it.
They have so many wonderful resources here of talks and firesides recorded and given each week that only missionaries can get. You can't get transcripts or recording. It is amazing to think of that and it make you pay attention!
I love you all so much,
Sorella Preston
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