Eternally Grateful to be a Missionary!!!

This week has been crazy! Thursday we had a fabulous zone conference that we were 3 hours late for. Yes, Italian trains….our train was 5 minutes late and we missed our connection. Next train didn't go for 4 hours, so we had to go to Milano and get another train. The train arrived late in Milano, and we just barely missed our connecting train, so we had to wait another 30 minutes. We get on our train and go through Pavia, where the train breaks down, and then we finally get to Alessandria where our conference was :) Haha! It was hysterical. We did however give out pamphlets and pass along cards on every train :) Forever finding! 

The conference was perfect for me. I'd been feeling weighed down, but now I feel I have been lifted! My prayers keep getting answered. The reality that I am heading into my last transfer is almost like a slap in the face. Sorella Jameson came in with me, and she is my STL here. She took my spot in Forli and was comps with Sorella Bennett and Stephens, so we are all pretty close. As we were singing our mission hymn, we were standing together, and the tears just started flowing. Gratitude filled my heart as we sang,"Non ci stancheremo mai di servire il signore. Servirem con grande fe diamo tutto il nostro cuor, se fedeli noi saremo il premio si avra il vangelo restaurato il italia fiorira! Sulle montange e nelle citta. Da milano a torino a padova! Le nostre voci alzerem e tutti udran la verita! Tutti udran la verita! Ora su fratelli andiamo al servire il signor. Batteziam con grande fe dando tutto nostro cuor. Gia la terra qui e pronta e sion sorggera, sorggera! Sorggera in Italia!" 

My heart was there. Singing those words. I was flashing back to these past 17 months in unbelief! I cannot believe what we were singing was my life. I was that missionary. Those people are part of me now; those cities are engraved in my mind, and I will be eternally grateful to my Father in Heaven for blessing me with this. We each have a calling and a sacred duty to serve in some capacity. With every little act of service we do, Heavenly Father blesses us more than we can understand. Sorella Jameson was feeling those same emotions, and we both felt so blessed and grateful. She came home with me for a scambio.

That scambio (exchange) was a breath of fresh air. It felt like a break, even though we worked like crazy ladies and got so much done! Oh it was wonderful. Shoulders were broadened and burdens were lifted. Also A MILLION MIRACLES! Oh how I love scambi…I miss that about being an STL. 

There are so many miracles that have happened this week, I cannot even write them all in my journal. Too much goodness, too much help from Heavenly Father…I often don't know what to do with it all! haha :) The best was this family we found. When I got Sorella Jones back from our scambio, I felt we needed to go to visit this new convert family who hasn't been coming to church. They didn't answer the phone, but we went anyway. We arrived, and their neighbor was there. Low and behold this neighbor was their cousin's husband. They both came in and we began talking.  They shared they had been having marital problems, after only two years. I pulled out the Family Proclamation and bore testimony that our message heals families and helps us be united together for eternity. Oh it turned into a BEAUTIFUL lesson. We closed with a prayer and Sergio, the husband, leans over and says, "You really are sent from God." They wanted to come to church too! 

Sunday rolls around and he calls to make sure they can come. It ends up only he makes it, as she wasn't feeling well.  As he walked into church, I was just glowing. So happy! We sat with him during sacrament meeting, and he was just in awe. His face was so peaceful. After he leaned over to me and said, "This was the thing that was missing in my life, and I didn't even know it. I found it." It was as the scriptures say…"They do not know, only because they know not where to find it!" YES! :) We went to their house yesterday to teach about the restoration, and it went so well.  It felt like an hour of happiness, joy, love and goodness.  He said that he has been doing as Joseph Smith was; looking at the different churches, searching for truth. Before we even invited them to be baptized, he said when he goes to visit Peru (he is Italian; she is Peruvian) he will be opening up the mormon church. I laughed and said it was already there! :) They accepted a baptismal date for August 2nd! They are fabulously ready! I pray, pray, pray that they can keep this date! Please keep them in your prayers! Sergio e Vilma. 

I love you all! This is His work, His truth, His glory, and we are His hands! There is nothing better than being His instrument :) Nothing! 

I hope you all have a fabulous week! 

Love,
Sorella Montagnoli