A Child's Prayer

This post was written on 2-25-14

 This song has taken on a new meaning for me now.  So first, last P day.  It was the best ever!  We went to an Italian buffet for lunch.  Pizza, pasta, lasagna, caprese salad, fried vegetables, rolls, fish, gelato, cookies, cakes, sushi, you name it it was there.  It was one of the best meals I've ever had.  After we toured the fortress of Savona.  Savona is a very old city with a lot of history.  It was MASSIVE and one of the coolest things ever!  We also went to an archeological museum at the fortress and saw old pieces of pottery, jewelry, clothing, weapons, farming tools, and all sorts of stuff from the excavation of the fortress.  It's moments like those that make being in Italy all worth it.  

So work this week was extremely slow.  We had a lot of appointments fall through and spent hours calling investigators, and potential investigators.  But it's moments like those where the miracles happen.  Monday we spent the day biking around the city visiting potential investigators.  None of them were home but we ran into people throughout the day that wanted to hear our message and made appointments with them.  It's amazing how the Lord works in our lives.  And then at the end of the day I got a Briocche gelato.  Basically a croissant with three flavors of gelato sandwiched in it:  Pineapple, dark chocolate and nutella.  Icecream bliss.  

So right now we are trying to build a ward mission plan for the branch.  It's hard because we don't have a lot of members to help us do the work.  But we're hoping that the ward mission plan, and later on individual family mission plans will help further this work even more.  

Also, we have finally received Anziani in our city.  Anziano Christensen and his greenie Anziano Sordes are able to help visit all the single men and with two pairs of missionaries, this work will hopefully take off.  

Don't remember when but we went to Albenga earlier this week.  We made piadinas for lunch and sat on the beach eating piadinas, basking in the beautiful gorgeous sunshine and listening to the ocean.  It was one of the best moments of my mission.  I thought about the missionary my Heavenly Father wants me to be and made some resolves to be better.  

So why do I refer to A Child's Prayer?  Because this week has been one of the hardest weeks ever.  But I have learned a most beautiful lesson.  I have spent days now where I am constantly pouring my heart out to Heavenly Father asking Him to fill me with strength, love, happiness, and joy.  Our Heavenly Father knows EXACTLY how we feel and is always ready to give us what we need.  We just have to ask and have faith that He will give it to us.  Sometimes He witholds the blessings we ask for.  I've learned that is a sign that either He trusts us to make our own decisions or He is testing our faith, endurance and patience.  

My perspective of our Heavenly Father is so different now.  I used to think of God as this almighty powerful being who made the earth but that having an actual personal relationship with God was kind of strange and weird and since we can't actually see Him, I relied more on my friends and music whenever I was going through hard times.  Now my Heavenly Father is my best friend.  He is literally walking next to me holding my hand.  He has filled me with love and happiness when there was literally none left in my heart.  He has given me feelings of peace when my anxiety was so high I thought I was going to blow.  It is through the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ that all of this is possible.  I am so grateful for my Savior and my God.  

Scripture of the week:  Joshua 4:1

Challenge of the week:  Take a moment to pray and pour your heart out to God.  Watch the miracles that happen.

Word of the week:  Padre Celeste.  Salvatore. (Paw-dray Ch- el- estay)  (Sal- vuh- tor- ay).

Love you all

Sorella Hatch