Understanding God's Love!

Francesca & Lucia in Italy - 2002

Lucia, Cliff, & Francesca in Italy - 2005

Mom thank you so much for all the pictures.  Those memories bring such peace and happiness to my tired heart. I love it. This country is part of who I am and has been since a child. It only makes sense I have been called to serve here. This week was another one of personal revelation. Sister Stephens and I have put a title to what we have been experiencing. A missionary's midlife crisis. Haha. We think we are pretty clever. You get to the point where you are out here for so long and you get so into missionary mode you forget who you are. Which is kinda what we are supposed to do, lose ourselves in the work and all.

Grandpa, Francesca, Lu, Cliff, Sammie - Italy 2009

Francesca, Martha (mom) & Lucia in Italy

These last three weeks have been one of self discovery as to
who Sister Lindsay Stephens and Francesca Montagnoli are. How we can help these people? So again, fasting happened and I had such a beautiful experience. We were in relief society and we began speaking about Peter - how Peter was at Christ's side for years, and he was still a flawed person. He lost faith walking on water, he betrayed Christ three times, and he even didn't understand all of Christ's doctrine. Dispite all of that, he was made president of Christ's church. That lead into how each of us is flawed, yet we are still called in our weakness to be leaders.

It amazes me how exactly what we need to hear for our troubled hearts Heavenly Fathers tells us. He tells us through study, listening to our prophets and at church! After that we had a beautiful lesson in gospel principles and then we went to sacrament meeting. As I was sitting there I was pondering what I could bare testimony on. I have such a testimony of so many things, but was contemplating what I could share that these people need. I was searching through my scriptures, and then I just decided to sit and listen. I did and as I did, sister Albiero, our little nonna (grandmother) got up to bare her sweet testimony. As she was speaking, the most beautiful flood of love washed over me for these people. I was filled to the very brim of Heavenly Father's love for each child of His in that room. He blessed me to feel that. Tears slipped from my eyes as I was just overcome w/ gratitude to Heavenly father for the precious gift He had just given me.

I realized I needed that component, to love the people in my new ward w/ a God-like love- with His love. That is what this work is. It is a "labor of love", as quoted in our Mission Calls. In that experience, all my questions of what I was supposed to do faded; I knew. Oh how I love this Gospel. I love this church, and I love my call to be a missionary. I love my companion, and now I can truly say I love these people in Venice w/ that charitable love - where I am genuinely concerned for their welfare. I still have ZERO idea how and where we are going to get these new investigators or how we are supposed to "lead the mission" in lessons and baptisms here. But, somehow it'll work. haha....as my Africans in Reggio would say "by the grace of God."

I would like to share a cool miracle that happened the other day while doing errands for an elderly less active woman in our ward. We went to go do spesa (shopping) for her, when we ran into a man named Giovanni. We were a little lost, and he showed us how to find our way to the grocery store. That turned into a beautiful gospel conversation. He said that throughout his whole youth, he didn't have time for God. He was busy w/ friends, girls, work and games. Now he has aged and is realizing the important things in life, so he decided to find God. He began to read the bible and pray. We spoke about the Book of Mormon and shared testimony of its witness of Jesus Christ. We told him if he really wanted to learn of God and get to know Jesus Christ better, he should read the book. He graciously took it, with a restoration pamphlet and was happy as a child in a candy story. We prayed with him and after we said amen, he told us that we'd awakened something inside of him! Such a great man. We are hoping to be able to see him again, but his wife is very contro la chiesa (against the church). Either way, this man is so prepared, and one day, even if I do not see it, he will accept the truth.

Dad, I love what you are doing with the priesthood manuals! Fun story - I, not having brothers, wanted to know more about the priesthood and what all of my boys had done to get where they are. So I took all of the little booklets they give to the Young Men, and I have been studying them! haha dad we are totally on the same page! :) Good stuff!

As for your New Years questions, it was really tranquil. We didn't have too much excitement here in Venice. We got back to our area after consiglio (counsel) and went to the church. We had a fun little ward party, music, oodles of food, and then we left at 10 (w/ permission from president) and went to bed. Honestly not too exciting :) Sorry! President did have a rule that if we weren't at a ward party, all missionaries had to be in by 5 to keep us all safe, cuz that stuff does still happen - throwing things and crazy drunk people, just not in my city. :)

Monday was the Italian Befana holiday, and she visited all of the kids w/ their stockings.  They had this beautiful live nativity w/ real animals and people dressed in costume. We went with one of our investigators/English class students. It was such a dream. I felt like I had stepped into Bethlehem. The wise men came in on horseback and then came the Befana. It was such a fun tradition!!! They even had mamma sheep! I'm putting a package together, and I'll send all the picutres w/ that. Speaking of, any requests for your package?

Other cool stuff, Benny Cardullo (the son of one of my <Martha's>mission companions;our families are good friends was in my zone for like a second!!! He is doing great. So handsome in his little missionary get up :) Lu should marry him. I've decided.

Lastly, how long does it take to get from Euro Disney from Paris? I've got a member who wants to know. Poi, can someone send me a jump drive? We have a billion at home, so didn't want to buy one. Just throw it in an envelope and send it if you can :) No package necessary if it is too late. Dad, I have been listening, and they totally have an accent here. :)

I love you all! Sorry I have to go, but you are all so amazing. My life line! I couldn't do this w/o you! Until next week!!!

Love,
Sorella Montagnoli

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