Never in my Life so Busy!

What a week...I have never been so busy before in my life! We literally have been running to get places. We haven't even been able to get all of our studies in! But, I would rather be busy than suoning citofonos (ringing doorbells) all day. 

So my new Ghanian name here is "Sista Ama." Wa flemi Sista Ama! Haha! It is quite fun. I just laugh every time I think of where I really am. It is a breath of fresh air when I get to teach in Italian - which we have been doing a lot more of, which is nice. I love church. 

So dad, you were talking about mini prophesies coming to pass (from her missionary setting apart) different cultures, yes; my companions turning into my eternal best friends, yes; people thinking that I am a native Italian...YES! I laugh every time I hear that, because I know I have an American accent - and it is usually stranieri (foreigners) who say that, but still it is kinda fun. 

Fun news...my Bishop here served under President Conforte (mom and dad's Italian Mission President)...Anziano Carrus si chiama. Fun stuff...he recognized my name. Second, a family here from Bari knows you dad - well recognized you. Servedio is their last name. Then, I ran into another random woman in the street named Lucia, who used to live by the Conforte's. Yup, small world over here! 

So more about Simone....he is amazing. If he is my one convert in all my mission, I will be happy. We met with him on Thursday, asked him how he was feeling, and followed up on our last visit. He is so unreal. I almost was at the point of having a long chat with Heavenly Father, asking where all these people who were ready for the gospel were hiding, because I couldn't find them. Then Simone jumps out of NOWHERE!   He told us that our lesson Monday was all he could think about. He even told his friend about all we taught, and he said his friend got that same warm burning feeling inside and wanted to meet with us. He asked for a pamphlet and a Book of Mormon to give him. We didn't even ask him to do that!

It is the best thing ever when investigators do things that you don't ask them to do. Haha. I think that is like when children do things without asking - that same feeling that mom gets. We started our lesson with him about the spirit. On our way to Modena for our district meeting, I was doing some of my scripture study (I am currently in the war chapters - well was.) I wasn't really feeling it, so I went to the first place that came to mind = 3 Nephi 11 when Christ comes to the Americas. I got a little uplift from that, and then we went to our meeting. 

As we started our lesson with Simone, he was expressing that as he felt the spirt of Heavenly Father, he would get all warm inside, that it was peaceful. Immediately I thought of what I had just read hours before - 3 Nephi 11:3 which says almost the exact words that he expressed. As he was reading the verse, he stopped and said "This is me. This is how I feel." He related himself to the scriptures! I have never seen in my life the spirit work on someone so tangibly before. I am so humbled that I get to witness his conversion. In all reality, I have nothing to do with it. His hands were shaking while he was with us. 

We went on to explain the plan of salvation and he actually understood the Fall, which is a miracle all in itself. It has never been that easy to explain the fall to a Catholic and have them accept it and its simplicity. We stopped at our purpose on earth and talked about the word of wisdom. He said he only drank coffee, but he would stop as long as he had his orzo(barley). We told him it was fine. His wife's eyes were about to bulge out of her head.  She is so happy!

He told us that he wouldn't be able to come with Blerina to church on Sunday, because it was the opening day of the hunt, and it was some long tradition with his dad and he had to go. Sad, but okay, we set a time to meet that evening, because he still wanted to have a spiritual uplift on Sunday (since he couldn't come to church.) So, on Sunday Blerina was there by herself. She came up to me and told me, "I get to be married in the temple!" I got chills when I heard that. We got to sacrament meeting and none of our investigators came to church, which was lame - because we went all over Reggio on Saturday, making arrangements for our people to get to chruch: bus tickets, clothes, rides - everything possible. None of them showed. Then, our meno attivi (less actives) walked in the door :) A whole family we have been working with came, which made up for it all.  

Then, I turned around to check one more time, after the intermediate hymn, and there was Simone. He was all smiles and glowing as he waved at us. We talked, and he said that he felt inside of him that he had to come at least to the last hour. He was out in the mountains and it was like a hand was pressing on his head and he had to be here. They had never had success on the opening day, but they got two of whatever they were hunting. He saw that as God preparing the way for him to come and still be okay with his dad. So he came and we had a lesson with him that evening, and it was just beautiful. We might be changing his baptism date to this transfer. We will see.  Please pray for him, because we don't want it to seem like our idea, but rather his idea to be baptized sooner - because he will be ready in two or three weeks. 

Well my family, I love you so much. You all are my angels and keeping me going. I am so grateful to all of you. Sorry no pics this week, but next week I will send them. I gotta go! LOVE YOU! 

--

Sister Francesca Montagnoli

p.s. Will someone somehow get Sister Bennett's emails to me? I am dying to hear about how she is and my Forli people.

I will get the package in a week or two Thank you!

You can email her at:  alicia.montagnoli@myldsmail.net
Mission Blog:  sorellamontagnoli.blogspot.com