Dear Family,
Let me just tell you that Sorella Mcnamara is awesome! She is speaking the language with me all throughout the day, even when we are inside the house. I remember SYLing being mentally and emotionally exhausting for me during my first transfer in the mission. But Sorella Mcnamara is determined to improve and be her best, and has a deep desire to support me as her companion. We are working side by side. I do not feel like she is dragging the work down in the least bit. It is very apparent that the work has skyrocketed ever since she came into town. Her enthusiasm to improve herself and to become selfless inspires me. She "GEMS" me every day!
We did splits yesteday with Sorella Padulla and Sorella Jacobsen. And afterwards we did cartwheels. Funny. Talk about a powerhouse companionship!!! I have never had such an instructive, uplifting, effective, spiritual scambio (Blitz). As a result of their constant SYLing,(Speak your language) laughing, desire to serve and love us, Sorella Mcnamara and I became better missionaries. We taught many lessons, gave two solid baptismal invites, and even set another baptismal date with one of our new investigators! Miracles were exploding all over Varese yesterday. I am confident that over a hundred people were affected by the Spirit.
For the last half hour of our time together, we sat in our living room and discussed what we had learned together and offered suggestions to the other companionship about how they could improve. It was very helpful and uplifting. It is incredible to witness the power that two 21 year old women who love the Lord and devote all of themselves to His service can do together.
Sorella Jacobsen is from Salt Lake, she has a rather quiet personality, but has no problem approaching and talking to people she does not know. She is very obedient to the teaching the simple doctrines of Preach My Gospel, but also follows the Spirit in using her own words and normal language to relate to people, as they are. I learned a lot from her in that respect. She helped me to talk to people in a more informal, haha you could say, "normal" way. I did not even realize it, but sometimes I can become a little too intense and forget to just relax and let the Spirit do its job. She also taught me a lot about just opening my mouth and speaking without thinking too hard about what I am going to say next. It really made a difference as we continued to approach people and I tried following her advice. I also felt the Spirit more myself.
Sorella Padulla is an Argentinian fireball. She had a big scholarship to sing opera at a university, but felt the Spirit call her to serve a mission. She followed the prompting immediately, learned Italian and English really well in the MTC in Spain and speaks better than most of us missionaries who have been out in the field for a while. This is her second transfer in the field, but you would never know it! She is super talkative, huggy and constantly thinking of others. I was most impressed with her prayers. I cannot even express how heartfelt, beautiful and powerful they were. I began to understand how the Nephites felt in 3 Nephi 17:16-17 " The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard before, so great and marvelous things..." when Jesus prayed for them. I know I am going on and on about these sisters, but I cannot even tell you how they have impacted my life. I pray to be like them.
I feel so weak in my capacity, more than ever, but in a good way, I think. I cannot believe why we are having so much success in the work right now, but all I know is that is not by our own power! We could never do it all on our own. All I can say is that we are trying to improve, to be 100% obedient, to forget all our personal affairs at home and to do our best. I feel like a tiny crab trying to move a wall. It's incredible, the "wall" is moving. The Lord is moving it. I am so grateful for the goodness of God and my companion.
All my love,
Sorella Oakes
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