Ciaody Family!
Hello from cloud nine here in Varese! Sorella Walton is in a three some in Pordenone by Slovenia. I pray she is doing well. Sorella Mcnamara is my amazing comp! She comes from Provo Utah and attended Timpview High School. We did not know each other in high school but we were at all the games together- I was playing in the pep band and she was a cheerleader. She wants to say hello to Allie Edgington from the Miss Provo pageant! She studied three years of art history at the Y. Sorella Mcnamara is absolutely gorgeous, intelligent, driven, and tells me that we need to laugh more. Any tips? I have not realized it before now, but I take myself too seriously sometimes. Sorella Mcnamara said something I really liked, "I want to be 100% obedient to the mission rules and work hard...but if we are not having fun we are not doing this right." So my question for y'all is how does one laugh more? Haha, I have actually started praying for that ability. I never felt like I lacked before my mission, but I want to get better at it now. Our faith skyrockets when we are super enthusiastic in our work.
Well I am just learning so much from Sorella Mcnamara. I even learned how to pronounce her name right, in Italian and in English! Wow, I had noooo idea how much I would learn training. I have absolutely no time to think about myself. It is great. I am constantly thinking about assisting and teaching my companion, obeying all the rules, being optimistic about the work, speaking the language as best I can...she copies EVERYTHING I do. We are coming closer and closer to sharing equal responsibilities and working together as she becomes more comfortable with talking during our lessons, contacting people on the street and updating the area book.
Let me tell ya'll, the work is exploding! I have never had so much success or seen so many miracles here in Varese as I have within the past few days. We teach 5 to 7 quality lessons a day, and have some awesome new investigators. Sorella Mcnamara has so much enthusiasm and faith. She cannot get over the beauty of the buildings, the snow capped swiss mountains, the Italian style of clothing. She is also very sincere and loving when it comes to our investigators. She is on the mission for the right reasons and it is very easy to be her companion. The thing that I appreciate the most about her is how she humbly accepts correction regarding Italian things. She studied two semesters at the Y, and so she knows quite a bit, but she is very timid. As we plan out our lessons, we decide who is going to teach each point, and when...in this way we teach together and she feels a lot more prepared and confident in teaching. All I can say is that I am grateful for the tips of Preach my Gospel and the new 12 week training program. It is super helpful for her as well as me. So, I will be here in Varese for two more transfers, and chances are I will then go to a new city.
As far as the work goes, Sander is progressing a lot. We gave him the Book of Mormon book with the immages for children last week, and when we returned four days later he had read about 60 pages! He loves it, and has an amazing capacity to remember all that he read. He recounts to us the stories as if he memorized them. He and his mom and little sisters are attending church and we are looking forward to his baptism May 5.
Yesterday's miracle... we found this man sitting on a bench named Marco. He was very open to talking to us from the get go. He said, "You guys are Mormon aren't you? I met two other young men in a bus in my hometown in Iceland." Iceland! What the?! He pulled out some pamphlets from some different religions from his bag. He continued to say, "Actually, I am here visitng my parents, and today I have just been walking around and reading these materials about Christ. I am so frustrated! They do not make any sense to me, they contradict one another. Why are the things of God so complex? I am Catholic by birth, but I do not know if I believe in my religion. I have so many questions that I want answered." Sorella Mcnamara and I were blown away by his electness! We exclaimed with joy, "We can answer your questions! God loves us so much that he has revealed his simple truths. Have you ever heard about the Book of Mormon?..." The Spirit bore testimony to him as we explained about the Book of Mormon and he read Moroni 10:3-5. We asked him how he felt. He responded, "I feel kind of relieved when this verse talks about the role of the Holy Ghost. There are so many men who try to convince me through their own knowledge and words, but I need to feel in my heart the truth. Only the answers come from God." He then asked, "Do I pay you to get this book?" We laughed and said, "It's yours!" Usually we wait to give contacts the Book of Mormon at our return appointment but he was clinging on to it like gold and he wanted to read it. We set up an appointment at the church and left him a chapter to read and pray about.
I cannot describe the joy Sorella Mcnamara and I felt as we talked with him. After he walked away we ran behind a building, huddled together and said a heartfelt prayer of gratitude. We hugged and jumped for joy! I cannot deny that the Lord places people in our path in the right place and at the right time. I am so grateful to Him for these wonderful experiences he allows us to have on Earth while on a mission. That little bench in busy Centro Varese will always be a sacred place for us.
Love you all so much!
Sorella Oakes
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