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