Letter #13 and Pictures from Cosenza, Italy

Dear Family,

 

Sorry that this email is coming on Tuesday. We will not have time to write tomorrow. I am going to Rome for 2 days :) :) I am so excited!!

 

As a Sister Training Leader I have  to go to a leadership conference they are having at the Mission Home. All Zone leaders and Sister Training Leaders will be there!! I am ecstatic! Sorella Worsham will stay in Taranto with Sorella Hibbert while Sorella Buckley and I take the bus to Rome. THIS IS THE 1ST TIME I HAVE BEEN IN ROME SINCE I ARRIVED 10 months ago!! I feel so blessed! 

 

Other exciting news: God is working miracles in our branch. This Sunday we had an amazing Sacrament meeting. It was completely based on missionary work (all discourses have been based on Missionary Work for the past 2 Sundays). The 1st talk was by one of the Anziani and then the Ward Mission Leader spoke. The final speaker was the Branch President. He got up and said "We are distracted!" He said that he was sad that not many members had come to the leadership broadcast on missionary work, and he invited all to still watch it on lds.org. He then went on reading from the church handbook about how members need to help the missionaries. He said "The work of Salvation has existed since the fall of Adam. A Savior was needed! And the message of Christ needed to be declared." He then went on to summarize and read selections from each of the speakers at the missionary broadcast.

 

IT WAS AMAZING! He was guided by the spirit. Our Branch President has never been against missionary work, but he seemed without direction. Now he has direction. God has worked a change in our branch. We will be starting a split calendar where members can come with the missionaries and we can go to lessons, do finding, or go visit in-actives. Whatever the Lord needs! I am amazed!! 

 

Purtroppo. I do not have a lot of time to write. But it has been a long time since I have sent pictures so I will attach some.

 

I love you all

P.S. Ann I got really cute earrings with your birthday money and I will get something else :) 

P.P.S. Mom, thank you so much for putting money in my USAA account - you were so inspired. Without that I would not have had money to go to Rome!  Thank you!



Anziano Gonzalez who gave a talk at the October 2012 General Conference came to our branch. This was taken after church. His wife has ancestors who are from Saracena, so they were here doing family histroy. I got to translate for him!!! :)

I cut my hair last Wednesday! This was the before picture.

My actual hair now. I was terrified - this was the shortest it has ever been!

Before - Front of Face

After my cut it was fancy.

I AM SO CUTE!



 

 













Letter #12 from Cosenza, Italy

Dear Family and friends,

I hope you are doing well and I hope that this email finds you blessed. We have had an amazing week this week. God has so shown us so many miracles. But first news: Sorella Worsham and I are staying in Cosenza!! For another transfer! I am so excited that we have this other 6 weeks to be with these wonderful people.

After Zone conference we have seen so many miracles. Thursday morning we called one of our investigators that we have not been able to see in weeks. And she said she could meet us that night. This was our 2nd appointment with her. She had read the introduction of the Book of Mormon and after the prayer she asked us, "I just want to know why there was need of this book." My jaw dropped! We had planned to talk about the Restoration and so we did the 1st lesson as planned. And she just drank it up. Afterwards she said, "Oh, now I know. Thank you for answering my question!" She accepted it. :)We went on to read something in the Book of Mormon but nothing was coming into my mind and then Slla Worsham said, let's read 2 Nephi 31. We read about baptism. And it was perfect! The spirit was there and we were able to talk about why Christ was baptized and why we need to baptized and then we asked her to be baptized. She was a little nervous and she asked if she could pray about it first. But she did not say no, she wants to think about it.

She is one of the biggest miracles I have seen on my mission. We found her doing casa-in-casa and we had been led. We felt we were supposed to be on that street, going that direction, and knock at that palazzo. Everytime we meet with her, I know that I am not doing anything. But it is the Spirit prompting me and giving me words. It is wonderful! Afterwards Sorella Worsham says the things she had liked that I said, and I cannot remember them! :) They slowly come back and I realize, "WOW, that is a good way to explain that principle!"

We saw her again last night at church. We did a little tour and she loved it, we showed the baptismal font and everything. We had Lina Favre at the lesson with us. She is a member and she is the same age as this investigator's daughter, 17. We had planned to talk about the Plan of Salvation but the spirit led us elsewhere. We talked about the Book of  Mormon and about what she had read. She was in 1 nefi 3.  As we talked, I saw how she was discovering that these things are true. She said that she loves to meet with us and feels happy when she does. So she has decided that it must be something Jesus wants. :) We were able to point at that that is the Holy Ghost letting her know this is a good thing. She also said that she feels deep peace as she reads the Book of Mormon, the same way she feels when she reads the Bible. As we talked, she realized that that is the Holy Ghost and how the Holy Ghost speaks to her. And how the Holy Ghost has talked to her in the past. She has a giant faith in Christ. And it amazes me. She also is very honest. If she does not understand something, she asks us what it means! Everything was inspired. Lina, we found out, goes to the SAME school as her daughter!!

The spirit was so strong during the whole lesson. Lina had to leave early to catch a bus but we kept talking. We asked if she had prayed about baptism and she said not yet.  She opened up about how she is afraid of water. We were able to explain how she will be baptized, what she will wear, what happens in the program, the symbolism, etc. We explained the gift of the Holy Ghost that she will receive afterwards, and so on. She just listened intently. Sorella Worsham and I were explaining and we exuded joy and it was then that she felt the excitement of baptism. We  used words like "When you are baptized" not "if" - there is no "if". We told her that this is why we are teaching you, and this is what we see in your future and this is how you will fill the void in your life. She was so excited. She did not want to pick a date because she wants to be spontaneous. We are meeting again on Saturday and we want to help her have a date.

She is leaving on vacation for all of August but she wants to talk with us on the phone. And she has promised to read the BoM while she is gone. We feel that September 21st is a good date. That gives her just enough time after she comes back from vacation to come to church 3 times and for us to finish the lessons.

When she said the closing prayer, she asked to know if this is the right road for her. she said that she feels that this is His answer to her many questions and prayers. I wanted to cry. She was so happy and so peaceful. She WILL be baptized. I may not still be here but she will be.

The miracles just continued this week. Another investigator passed by the church because it was open. We were just walking by so we could go in and teach him a lesson. He is a student from English Course. He is an atheist. But he wants to believe in God. He has a lot of questions but he listens and is very respectful! :)

On Friday, we were at the bus station looking at bus times and we saw an investigator we have not seen for a month because she lives too far away. It is not possible to reach her and return back to Cosenza in one day, unless we get a ride from a member. We were able to show her the church and have a little lesson.

Then Sunday, one of the part-member families that we have been working with invited us for lunch. The mom is a member of 2 years who is very strong and has gone to the temple already for her endowments. She was introduced to the church 10 years ago by her daughter, Cinzia, who is a member. Her other daughter and grandson both live with her but are not members. We had talked to her in church about starting to teach her grandson (he is 11). She said she would try to have us over to meet Simona, her daughter, and talk with her. We were so excited that Sunday was the day. We had no idea what to expect. The grandma, Sorella Filippelli, told us to expect a little cold welcome. We just asked her to keep praying like she has for the last 2 years. I was praying and asking God to help us know what to say and how to help Simona And how to help her trust us. We went with another member family, the Lopez's.

Then an amazing miracle happened. We got there, and there was no ice!! She gave us a bacio and said she would love our help with some English for her job. After lunch we went out with her on the porch and we talked about her life, her job, her dreams. It was beautiful!!! Eventually smoking came up. We asked if she has ever wanted to quit smoking. She said, yes! We were able to tell her about the program we have to help people quit smoking in 7 days. We asked if we could come and explain it to her and she said, yes!

Then we did our spiritual thought, Luigi, (the nipote) came as he always does. But Simona was on the phone. I looked at Slla Worsham and she whispered to me, "family proclamation." We had thought of doing that, but I was sad that Simona was not there. But I followed Sorella Worsham's lead. After we introduced it, Simona got off the phone and came to sit down!!! We talked about the family and its importance. We had Luigi read the 3rd paragraph. As he was reading, I was stressing out. I had no idea what to say or how to pull this message together. Then the thought came to me, "STOP and LISTEN" So I did and the lesson started to flow.

Fllo Lopez  bore a beautiful testimony. He was bold and the spirit poured into the room. He had planned a lot of the same message as their  home teacher. He praised the joy and sacrifice that they have done for their family and their roles and then he said "If it it does not continue forever that will be a waste." This let us come in and bear testimony that it can continue forever. And that is why we were there. That if they are willing to do what it takes they can be together forever.

I felt prompted to talk about David. I told them about how he has not been active in the church since I was 5. I bore testimony to them that I know that God knows him and that the covenants we have made in the temple are real. I know that as I am here, there are missionaries in Nebraska helping my brother.

David, I know that your heart is being softened. And that you are being blessed right now. God knows you!!  I told them that just right before I came you promised to read the Book of Mormon.

We then committed Simona and Luigi to do what David is doing "READ THE BOOK OF MORMON" - from the beginning. Simona had leaned forward and just been listening as I shared about my brother David. After this invite, she thought and she looked at the Book of Mormon in front of her. After a few seconds of silence she looked up and said that she had read little bits before but she will read from the beginning again!! We asked if she had a Book of Mormon. Her sister Cinzia had given her one with a dedica 10 years ago! It was amazing!! She and Luigi are investigators and we are going back this  Sunday with the smoking program. Cinzia and Sorella Filippelli have been praying for this miracle for a long time!

GOD is so GOOD! He has shown His hand. I know that He is the one who directs this work and that it is never something I do. It is the prayers of all of the people who came before me. I am very humbled and I hope to live worthy of these miracles I have seen.

I love you all so much!!! I am grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary. I was talking to Lina Favre at the Mostra and she said that now she is firmly decided to serve a mission. I started tearing up as I said, "The mission is the best thing you will ever do!!" I Have not even finished yet and I am emotional! :) I love you and I feel blessed that I get to be a missionary.

Love,
Sorella Preston

Letter #11 and Pictures from Cosenza, Italy

Dear family,

I love you all and I am so grateful for all of your prayers.

Monday and Tuesday the 15th and 16th of July we had zone conference. It was amazing!! I got to meet Sorella Waddoups and she is hilarious and President Waddoups. They both have so much vision for the mission. I am so excited for the miracles that are waiting.
 

The conference was different because President Waddoups does things differently, but they are amazing. We did a lot more role plays and interactive things but it was fun. He speaks pretty good Italian. He served here 45 years ago in 1968 when it was "The Great Italian Mission" - even before mom and dad came. They gave a very nice introduction of themselves and of their family.

They both are very in tune with the spirit. During my first interview with the President, the spirit was so strong and I knew everything He was saying was coming from God specifically for ME and it was a great testimony that God's priesthood power has been restored!

They gave a lot of advice for us and they also talked about obedience. They said that they do not want to come in with a lot of rules because the white handbook for missionaries is so thorough. And if we are obeying all of those rules and commandments then we will have the Spirit and we can bless the lives others.

One of the things that President Waddoups talked about was the Rome temple. He said that He knows that God is not just building that temple for the 25,000 Italian members (only half of whom have temple recommends.) He is building it with a much larger number in mind. God wants that temple busy when it opens.

During the leadership training meeting that I was blessed to be part of as a sister training leader, Sorella Waddoups said one of the greatest things. She said that even if those of us in that room would not see the temple opening (and none of us will) we are the ones preparing people to enter. In the same meeting President was talking about the temple and he pointed out that the temple will be finished in 18-20 months. That gives us only 6-7 months to find and baptize - to bring back and rescue, the souls that will enter. Because they need to be members for at least 1 year!! We have to get BUSY.

That really put it in perspective for me. Only 6-7 months!! We have a lot of work to do :)

The conference was wonderful and very empowering. We even played Bingo using Smarties  :) Sorella and President Waddoups had been primary teachers before they came here! It was the BEST :)

I love you all. And I am excited to see everything that will happen in these following months. And I am excited to be the best I can be and really be a servant of the Lord.

I hope you have a great week and I will be praying for you!

Love,
Sorella Preston

Me and my MTC pals at Zone Conference

Sorella Preston, Sister Waddoups, Sorella Worsham
 

Bus ride home

 

Letter #10 and Pictures from Cosenza, Italy

Dear family and friends,

I want to thank you for everything you have done for me and for all your birthday wishes. My birthday was great. We had a district meeting that morning and Sorella Waddoups and President Waddoups called me!! I got to hear their voices and they sound wonderful, I cannot wait to meet them!! Then we had lunch with a member, Karin Spizzirri. She is German and very intense, but I love her. She made me a desert, Profittero (I think that is how you spell it). It is a ton of Bignets (or cream puffs) that they fill with cream and Panna and then they drown in melted chocolate!!!!!! Then you put it in the fridge to harden a little.

Me and Sorella Spizzirri and Proffittero

All us missionaries!! And Proffittero

She also gave Sorella Worsham and me these cute little white things to put over our hair buns, I felt like I looked ridiculous but it was very sweet.

Sorella Worsham also made me an ice-cream cake. IT WAS GOOD!

Sorella Worsham's Cake

 

My Sunflower

That night we had a branch activity, a night at the cinema. They were all going to watch the 'Lake House.'  Imagine our ward mission leader's shock when we told him we could not watch the Lake House!! :) He was mystified. He said, "But - it is a GOOD movie..." I replied that we know that it is a great movie but as missionaries we cannot watch it! :) He resigned himself to this and all was well. We still came early to help and for the spiritual thought.

When we arrived we saw Fratello Lopez on the phone. When he got off the phone he came running to us and told us, excitedly, "I just got off the phone with the Mission President and you can watch the movie that the kid's watch!!!" He was so proud of himself. Fratello Lopez is determined so I am not surprised that he talked Presidente Waddoups into it.

I got there and all of these members had found out it was my birthday, and they kept saying, "why didn't you tell us?" But they were very nice. And after the spiritual thought the Branch surprised me with a sunflower. I thought I was going up to bear my testimony and Fllo Gardi whips out from behind the pulpit a flower. It was sooo nice!. Then we left and watched "Ratatouille" with all the kids and ate popcorn. It was great!! 

I am still waiting for a few conversion stories. Specifically: Letty, Richard, David, Algot, Alisha, Joe, and James. Late entries are accepted :)

 

For my email today I wanted to share with you my conversion story with what time I have left to write:

My conversion to the Lord has been gradually over my whole life, as almost all of yours. But I can map it with key pillar moments over my life.

I grew up loving the scriptures. Because my parents loved the scriptures and shared this love with me. I loved to read the Book of Mormon and the Bible and I loved Seminary. I always knew that they contained God's words and that they were meant specifically to help us and to guide us in this life. At about age 13 I decided to read the Book of Mormon every day. I have continued to do this until today. There have been some holes, some days missed, or sometimes when I read the Bible or Doctrine and Covenants instead of the Book of Mormon (because that is what we were studying in Seminary). I know that God has given us scriptures for our own benefit and to teach us of Him. They teach us about His plan of happiness that He has for all His children and they teach us what we must do to return home to live with Him.

I have always known that my Savior loved me and all of God's children ever since a young age. Growing up I always had nightmares, my sisters Letty and Ann can attest to this seeing as we shared a room. I would always pray every night that instead of a nightmare I would have a dream about Jesus. (An idea I had learned in Church.) When I was about 5 (the exact age I do not remember) God answered my prayer. Instead of the usual nightmare, I had a dream that Jesus was seated and calling all of the children to Him. He called me and lifted me up onto His lap. He hugged me and told me how much He loved me and that I never needed to be afraid.

To this day I remember that dream and because of it and other experiences in my life I know that God knows us and loves us. I know that He answers prayers. Even the simplest and most seemingly insignificant requests, if they are in accordance with His will.

All during high school and middle school I did what was expected of me. And my testimony grew by doing little things. My testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet grew when I went on a trip with other youth in the church to go visit Church History sites. We went to Kirtland, Ohio and ended in Palmyra, New York. Standing in the Sacred Grove where Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ was not the part that grew my testimony. Instead it was a testimony meeting we had in the basement of the Palmyra Visitor's Center, surrounded by dummies and props from the Hill Cumorah Pageant. It was there, hearing the testimony of the other girls and sharing my own, that I realized that I believe that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ and that he translated the Book of Mormon through the divine power of the Holy Ghost.

Another pillar of my conversion was when I was 17 years old. I believed the Book of Mormon was true but I wanted a stronger testimony of it. The idea came to me that one way to strengthen my testimony would be to give a copy to someone else. That action would signify that I knew this book was true. So I did just that. I picked 2 friends and I wrote my testimony in a Book of Mormon and gave them each one. Through the experiences that followed I was given the opportunity to bear my testimony of the truthfulness of that Book and felt inside of me the realization that I DID KNOW with CERTAINTY that it was a true book.

I then went off to college and continued on with my little things. And with continual promptings and answers to my prayers my testimony has grown. I have been converted by the tender mercies I saw everyday. By every exam that I did not fail and by every roommate and friend I have made and learned from.

I still have a lot more to learn and my testimony and conversion must grow. But there I some things that I know.

Being on my mission I have felt my testimony grow exponentially and I have felt myself being converted to the Lord. I have felt the presence of the Holy ghost and I have felt the presence of my Father in Heaven. As I have prayed I have felt His literal presence and His closeness and I know that He is listening. I have seen the power of the priesthood. I have been actually physically healed and strengthened. I may feel horrible but as soon as we start a lesson, my nose stops running and I can think clearly; and as soon as the lesson is over I feel sick again!

I have seen people change, I have seen the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know that there are no coincidences, especially in missionary work. You meet who you are supposed to meet. To quote the prophet, Thomas S. Monson, "The Lord is in the details." I have felt the Lord use me to say His words, and do His deeds, even though I am not a perfect tool.

I am so grateful for all of you specifically my siblings and parents! For everything you have taught me and how each of you have grown my testimony by your example. I am grateful for God's plan and that we can be with our families forever. I am grateful for the temple, where we can go and make promises with our Heavenly Father and we can go be endowed with power. This is what God wants for every single human being and we need to share it with them.

I Love you all!

Love,
Sorella Rose preston

 

Happy Fourth of July!

Me and English Course students

Our English Course party for the 4th of July

Me at the 4th of July Party we did for English course

Our 4th of July Feast

 

Letter #9 From Cosenza, Italy

Dear Family and Friends,

I hope this email finds you well. I want to thank Ann, Mom, and Dad for sending me their conversion stories and I am waiting for the others :)

I loved hearing about the wonderful visitors you have been having at the farm and that Dad finally got his boat in the water.

I am loving Cosenza! This past week we have seen many miracles. We are just about to start teaching one of our students of English course. We are hoping that he and his girlfriend will both become investigators soon. He is very intellectual and he has many questions specifically about the Plan of Salvation. He is already keeping commitments that we give him after English course even though he is not an investigator yet. He is unsure if he believes in God but if he did he would lean toward what we believe! I just smiled and thought, "Oh just you wait!!"

This Sunday we saw the world leadership broadcast about missionary work. It was Amazing! I was very inspired. I loved all of the film clips. And specifically the talks by Neil L. Andersen and Russell M. Nelson. I know that our branch is ready to explode. We started another 40 day fast this week and that broadcast just helped everyone get the vision.

We have many areas where we need to grow, us as missionaries and also the members. I am very excited to start working with them more closely. After the broadcast we went to talk with Lina Favre. She is the District President's 17 year old daughter. Slla worsham asked her if she would like to start working with us more. And Lina agreed. She is wonderful and already talked to us about how after high school she wants to go on a mission. It is perfect because in Italy, high school ends at age 19.

The work is just exploding all over the world. I was talking with another sister missionary yesterday (we were planning for the addestramento we have to do at zone conference) and she shared with me something that her father shared with her. The concept was that, we may feel like we aren't making a difference and we are having a time with not many investigators but every smile, every 'hello' every lesson counts. And when you times that by 70,000 missionaries in the world, you get miracles!

After the broadcast, Sorella Worsham and I made some goals about how to help our members get the vision of missionary work. And build their confidence in their ability to talk to their friends about the gospel. We decided that we need to start setting dates with our members for when they can have a friend to teach with us. And we want to encourage them to invite friends when they invite us to lunch. And some other goals.

Just yesterday, we did a lesson with Slla Lopez because she was fasting (40 day fast). She did not have any referrals but as she was talking she mentioned how hard it is when you look and you see that one of the seats in sacrament meeting, where someone always sat, is empty. I asked her is there is anyone missing that she had noticed that we could visit. She told us of one sister. A name that never would have stood out to me otherwise. Slla Lopez talks to her almost every day!!! They are really good friends. She just started pulling away from the church a few years ago and then she moved to a small paese outside of Cosenza and that just completely cut her off. Slla Lopez even offered to drive us out so we can meet with her!!! 

It was a huge miracle and a testimony to me. We need the members because missionaries are always coming and leaving and we don't know the people who stopped coming. We don't know when they stopped coming or why, they are just all grouped into our inactives and we try to go down the list and visit them. But just like Slla Lopez did, members can help us narrow our search.

Another awesome miracle happened Monday and yesterday. We were doing casa on Monday. And we knocked on a door. She was on the phone and could not talk but she saw that we were

Americans and we set up a return appointment!!!! We thought it was just for English course and talking English with her daughter. But we went to the appointment and after some pleasantries, this woman looked at us and said, "And what about this church? What is it? How is it different from Catholicism and Protestantism?" And from there the conversation just flew. It was amazing. She invited her 17 year old daughter to come join us. We were able to explain the BoM and do a quick explanation of the Restoration. They were looking at us so intently, their eyes just drinking up every word. They both accepted Books of Mormon and promised to read the introduction. They want to see us again. And we are hoping to see them Thursday and the 4th of July party we are doing at corso d'inglese. It was an amazing miracle.

That Monday night we went out finding and I felt like we had to be on this street and go left. We got on the street and went right and after 2 blocks, I realized that this is wrong. We turned around and walked the other direction. We rang one palazzo and the 2nd portone we stopped at we got in. And the 1st scala we went to there was no one home except this woman who answered her door on the 1st floor. I love how God works. And I feel very humbled that we saw such a miracle.

I love you all. Thank you for all of your love. Sorella Worsham is going to make me a birthday cake for my birthday. I am so excited :) Have a great day

Love,

Sorella Preston