Mission Calls for the Members!

Letter Written July 10th, 2013


Hello my beautiful, wonderful family - who I absolutely adore!

Yes, our mission call idea for the members is working!  (I am attaching a copy <see below> of what we gave all of our members in our little branch here in Forli.)  Our members are super excited about this. They were beaming when they read it aloud! We are having them recite D&C: 4 with us, and there is such a power when we do that. I get chills each time. Usually we get a "WOW" response from our members too. Such a beautiful feeling. Our members are kind of down, because there hasn't been a baptism here in years, so they have somewhat lost hope. I think this will spark a flame under their bushels and get them going again. I am out to help them restore hope! Haha!

Because of our new creative program, last week was rough lesson wise, because our member lessons do not count towards our weekly totals. PERO (however) we did get a lot of referrals, which was the initial goal. Our standard of excellence is 15 lessons a week; we usually push 20, but this last week was only 7. Knowing me, how I am, and how I like to go above and beyond - that number just about killed me. Numbers aren't everything though; they are a means to an end. The people are what we really care about!  I love these people!

My miracle for this week was our Fourth of July party! At the beginning, we only had members and one investigator (Laura) there. I was really getting disappointed. Then all of a sudden families started filing in! Three full families came, and we got appointments with two of them! We are seeing them next week. The party was a blast; we gave a history of the star spangled banner and then sang our National Anthem. It was definitely a spiritual experience, because we tied it in to Joseph Smith and the Restoration. How blessed we are! I cannot get over it! We had 11 members there and 17 investigators by the end! I love members, they are my favorite! 

Another miracle...we did splits last night. Our day was full of finding. Sister Bennett was with me, and Sister brown with Sister Jefferies. They were on foot, we took the bikes, and we went everywhere. I swear we biked 10 miles. We found a bunch of names from our area book, and then went to work. We went to this house three times; we kept feeling like we needed to keep trying. The third time, our last try, a man answered the door. He was so kind, so open - and well, so amazing! Number one, he offered us cold water!  He knew the Elders two years ago, and then they stopped coming. We taught a little lesson/ thought and got a return appointment for Sunday with his mother and daughter. He was so open to our message - I couldn't believe it. We were hot and praying for a miracle, because I was seriously getting down on myself - and Heavenly Father came through! He listens! 

Mom, you are totally right, you can't explain being a missionary adequately. I didn't think it was possible for me to be THIS emotional. I am pretty positive that is why we only serve for a year and a half, invece di 2 anni (instead of two years). I don't think I could do it. I literally feel every single emotion every single day: happy, sad, angry, disappointed, a more powerful love than I can contain, peace, joy, hope, confusion, excitement, and irritation - all within hours of each other. It is crazy. BUT, it is so beautiful. I doubt I will ever be this emotional again - until I am pregnant, even then I doubt it will be this bad. Haha - my poor husband. Maybe we should give him a warning, because we neglected to tell poor Joe Joe about Michelle ;) Kidding! LOVE YOU! 

Mom, the heat on your mission the summer of '88 sounds nuts. I am so sorry! No wonder you are so amazing now. Our temperatures are in the 90's - then add humitiy, so not quite as bad, but we are still roasty toast. I have quite the tan lines. Our city is kind of like yours, in the sense that everyone is off to the beach, and the people in the park are stranieri (foreigners) - so they don't really speak Italian or English.  Those are the people who would talk to us. The others are kinda crazy. That is why we are focusing more on our members. Haha - otherwise we would continually have 7 lessons, and that would kill me. 

Ya'll are way too good! I am so impressed with my amazing family...continually doing good, continually working, and continually loving. Each of you had shared that you were trekking for me - honoring their "little missionary". Hmm...thank you. I wish I could have been there. I loved my pioneer trek; I am glad you are doing it. I will trek over here in the heat, and you all trek there. I am so excited to hear your stories next week. Will you each write your experience and mail it to me. I want to read them when I am not in a rush, and I am selfish and I like snail mail, haha. We hardly get any.

So.....as for what is happening here in Forli.  Updates on people: Dad, I got your "hint-hint-wink- wink" about more details on our investigators :) 

* Laura and Alberto are amazing, but Laura is really struggling. She is terrified of her, ex and it is really getting to her. Her kids, well her life in general is all in chaos. I feel so badly, because we can't do anything but love and support. She is tired in every sense of the word, so we are trying to really make her FEEL the gospel, instead of just study it. Hopefully that will help her keep on going.

* Elio, he is amazing. So sweet. We stopped by his house the other day, because Sister Bennett and I were out of water. He gave me a whole big bottle and a container to keep it cold, which was very kind. He treally tries to take care of us. He is reading the Book of Mormon - finally, which is a miralce, but he still has his hold ups. He got stuck on chapter 4 when Nephi has to kill Laban to get the plates containing scripture. But, he is still reading,  and slowly he will be baptized. I don't know when, but I am so excited for the day - even if I am not here. 

* Then Gloria; I am so sad, but we need to drop her. She is putting work above progressing in the gospel, and we haven't had a real lesson with her in weeks. She cannot seem to keep a time with us. It is heart breaking, because she wants to be baptized, is ready, but she won't stop working long enough to get in the water! She still reads every night and prays, but until September, we cannot really do anything. It breaks my heart and gives me a stomach ache just thinking about it. 

* Then we have Janeta; we are meet with her today. I am so excited for her future. She is so genuine, so kind, and so open. It is amazing the love you can feel for people when you look at them through "His eyes". It is instantaneous, incomprehensible, and unconditional. 

Well my family, time to go, but I love you so much. I am so touched each time I read your emails. Mom and lucia, I admire your attitudes and perserverence with trek. Dad, you are flat out the hardest worker I know. I love you all and pray for you each night. All my love,

Sorella Montagnoli

--

Sister Francesca Montagnoli

La Chiesa di
Gesù Cristo
dei Santi degli Ultimi Giorni
Ufficio del presidente del ramo Via Ghinassi, 13 Forlì (FC) Italia

Caro

Sei formalmente chiamato a prestare servizio quale membro-missionario della Chiesa di Gesù Cristo dei Santi degli Ultimi Giorni. Sei stato assegnato al Ramo di Forlì, nel Distretto di Rimini. La tua chiamata a servire diligentemente durerà per tutta la tua vita.

Dovrai presentarti alla casa di riunione ogni domenica per ricevere istruzioni su come magnificare la tua chiamata. Ti preparerai a insegnare nella lingua dello Spirito. I tuoi compiti potranno essere modificati in base alle necessità del tuo Padre Celeste.

Sei stato considerato degno di rappresentare il Signore come ministro del Vangelo restaurato. Hai fatto alleanza al battesimo di prendere su di te il nome di Cristo e di essere il suo rappresentante “in ogni occasione, in ogni cosa e in ogni luogo”. Sei chiamato all’opera.

Il tuo scopo è quello di invitare gli altri a venire a Cristo, aiutandoli a ricevere il Vangelo restaurato mediante la fede in Gesù Cristo e nella Sua espiazione, il pentimento, il battesimo, il dono dello Spirito Santo e perseverando fino alla fine. Se servirai con tutto il cuore, mente e forza, il Signore ti guiderà verso coloro che sono preparati ad essere battezzati.

“Non esiste nessun uomo o donna in questa Chiesa che non sia in missione” (Brigham Young). “Il tuo dovere è quello di predicare il Vangelo a tutti gli uomini... questo è ciò che Dio si aspetta da te” (John Taylor).

Come membro-missionario ci si aspetta che tu mantenga i più alti standard nel comportamento, nell’aspetto e nel linguaggio osservando i comandamenti e seguendo i consigli del tuo presidente di ramo. Nel concentrare i tuoi sforzi a servire il Signore, Egli ti benedirà con maggiore conoscenza e una testimonianza più forte della restaurazione delle verità del Vangelo di Gesù Cristo.

Il Signore ti ricompenserà per la purezza della tua vita. Ti aspettano benedizioni e felicità più grandi di quelle che hai mai avuto prima se servirai il Signore con umiltà e devozione in quest'opera di amore tra i Suoi figli. Riponiamo la nostra fiducia in te, preghiamo affinché il Signore ti possa aiutare a diventare un membro-missionario efficace. Ricordati: "Dopo tutto quello che è stato detto, il compito più grande e importante di tutti è quello di predicare il Vangelo" (Joseph Smith).

I missionari a tempo pieno ti guideranno per aiutarti a portare a termine la tua sacra chiamata. 

Cordialmente,

Le sorelle missionarie