Christmas in Venice, the Power of Fasting & Insightful Training!

Okay I honestly have no idea where to start. It was so incredibly fun to talk to you all and see your fantastic faces!!! Oh how I loved that.  A LOT of missionaries get thrown out of the groove when they call home, even emailing, and it becomes a major setback. Something Sister Bush taught me, forever and a day ago, was to only let my family be a source of strength and support. Satan knows us, and I made a promise to not let him use the people who mean the world to me, Kaden and my family, to be a distraction. Ever since it has been nothing but a pure joy to communicate with everyone!!! Sorry for the brief tangent! 

Venice - Christmas Day

So after we hung up we went and met the anziani (elders) and took a bus to VENICE! Okay that was the first time in my mission thus far that I realized that I am really in Italy and in the coolest place ever. I live a dream. Yup I do! I got off the bus and memories flooded back to when I was here with ya'll four years ago. I realized that I was literally in VENICE Italy, who gets to serve their mission in Venice? It all of a sudden became so real to me. It was hysterical. I was laughing, giddy, dancing around. So fun. We were following the anziani; man they have fast skinny legs.  We practically had to run to keep up with them, to the bridge on the highest point. We got there and I was just overcome with gratitude for how I ended up here. 

Sorella Stephens & Sorella Montagnoli

After we took a few pictures we began to sing carols, Christmas hymns. We just began singing and people flocked around us. They got out their cameras, were flashing pictures, and taking videos. It was so fun - I was in Venice, speaking Italian (the language I love), singing as a missionary. What better Christmas present than that? People would see us and they instantly smiled. A man, a Spanish man, who sat and listened the whole time we were there bought us and the anziani roses. It wasn't a creepy thing at all. He was gentle and alone for Christmas, and we brought him some spirit, so he bought us roses. It was such a magical evening. Well, until some drunk people dressed up like nuns, priests and monks swarmed us. We just kept singing, trying to ignore them. The interesting thing was we were singing I am a child of God. It was at the third verse they came and interrupted. They left and a woman came up to us and said for us not to worry. She was a member from the Bergamo ward! Members are everywhere watching what we do! She was so kind and sang our closing song, Silent Night, with us and then we all went home. Such a cool experience. 

Then yesterday was quite the experience too. It was kind of a rough couple of days this weekend. Both Sister Stephens and I are new to the area, navigating the city, and we have this new calling that is a bit big and it all has been a little overwhelming. Our city hasn't even had a new investigator in three transfers. Problem? Yes! This city has had nothing but the most powerful missionaries I know, anziani (elders) and sorelle (sisters), and it is still stuck. Sister Stephens and I were like, um....why did they send us here?! What do we have to add to this city? How can we help this city? What can we do that hasn't been done? Lots of probing questions. We let it get the best of us to be honest. 

So we decided to fast on Monday. We fasted for a greater desire to work harder, for new ideas, and to just help us out. Really, neither of us could put our feelings into words. We fasted and no major miracles happened that would make a wise man say "wow", but little ones occurred that make any missionary grateful. We taught three lessons that day! One was a random woman we stopped in the street, who didn't get a return appointment, but she thanked us for making her day brighter. The other was an inactive family who lives far away, in a city we had never been to before and it was dark when we went to find it. We arrived at the train station in a factory area - probably not super safe for two American sister missionaries. But, very kind people showed us the bus, and we arrived safely to her home right as she was pulling out of the drive way! Miracle! The funny part, she is American. Haha! We had a little lesson with her and also managed to get home safely. At the end of the day I felt better about my purpose as a missionary. 

Since I got this calling I have noticed all my flaws. I felt very inadequate...very imperfect to train all the other sisters...to be a leader in this mission. The fast was partially to help me feel better in this regard. Yes, it worked. I went to bed feeling better, which was good because Tuesday we went to consiglio (counsel) w/ President Dibb in Milano with all the other sister training leaders and zone leaders! 

Yeah that was a scary experience too! I walked in and saw all of my old zone leaders, STLS (sister training leaders) and the assistants. It was so strange that I was now at their level. All the people who were giants to me "growing up as a missionary" were all in the same room. Intimidating? You betchya! But, I still managed to feel confident. President opened the meeting with Moroni 10:32 and that was the answer to my prayer. I instantly felt the approval of Heavenly Father and that He trusted me - that if I worked hard enough, he would provide. I still do not feel like I will be the "missionary who changes the city", well no one missionary changes a city anyway, but I will be able to fulfill my role as a missionary here and a sister training leader. I am not expected to have this perfect city or be a perfect missionary. I had all these same feelings in Forli, when I was called to train my dear Sister Bennett. Now, I wouldn't replace those months for anything. 

Consiglio (counsel) was so interesting. These people practically run the mission! I felt like I was finally let in on all the mission secrets, well not really secrets, but how it all works. President called us the engineers of the mission. So interesting. We got special training and talked about how we can improve the mission. It was very insightful and fun too. The capi drove us home, so nice to be in a car! Then we went to the ward New Year's party! 

 That too was hysterically fun. Music, American music I hadn't heard in ages came on and I couldn't help but dance a little bit. It was so great. YMCA, Abba, Queen, that fun stuff. I played with the kids, helped buss tables and just relaxed for a second counting my blessings. 

My New Year's resolution is knowing my Savior even better. Each month I am going to focus on a Christlike attribute. I want to know Him, serve Him, and trust Him with everything there is in me. I love this work, this gospel and everything that has to do with it. It's the only truth. What an honor we have to be partakers of this fruit. 

I love you all! Your support, prayers and examples drive me to be better each day. Thank you! I could not have done this year without my amazing family. Your holidays seemed so fun. Lucia and mom, daddy truly did spoil you!!! Haha Enjoy it! :) 

All my love, 

Sorella Montagnoli

alicia.montagnoli@myldsmail.net
http://sorellamontagnoli.blogspot.com