Gem Cleaning

This post was written on 2-19-14

Buon Giorno Tutti!

So on Monday we cleaned the ENTIRE apartment.  It took us from 8:00 in the morning to 5 in the evening.  We literally cleaned EVERYTHING.  But not gonna lie the apartment smells really good now and we hardly had to do any cleaning for P day this morning.  

Good news.  THERE ARE ANZIANI NOW IN SAVONA.  We have Anziano Christensen and a greenie coming to Verazza, a city close to Savona.  This is a huge blessing for us.  Sisters cannot visit single men so we are able to give tons of scedas (records of investigators) to the Elders.  We are hoping that the work will really take off soon and that the church will grow.

So Sunday we had 3 investigators and 4 inactives at church.  WOW!  We've kinda plateaued right now so that was a miracle.  We also had a couple from a cruise who spoke English and a family from California because the husband is stationed in Italy right now.  It was so weird to be greeted by someone with an American accent.  But sacrament meeting was so spiritual.  The talks were fantastic and sitting next to one of our inactives, hearing him sing the hymns... it was priceless.

So please please pray for our branch.  The members are not as involved with the work as we would like and we are struggling to grow.  But with faith and effort, we will achieve the goals we have.  

Yesterday we had an awesome appointment with one of our less actives V.  she received a 12 pound jar of Nutella from an admirer for Valentines Day.  So we made crepes and helped her eat it.  DELICIOUS!  We also shared with her the book of Enos.  She shared a beautiful experience of how prayer has helped her life.  There was a wonderful spirit there.

So we visited a less active D.  D hasn't come to church in a long time and we've stopped by the house before she's just never been there.  Well she was finally there.  Half way into the conversation, come to find out that she does martial arts... in fact she does jiu jitsu and krav... aka the ones I do.  We bonded instantly.  To have someone in the mission who shares my passion, it felt amazing.  We talked about fighting for a while and then the conversation moved on.  All of the sudden she asked us to start reading preach my gospel with her.  She used to be a ward missionary and wants to start studying it again.  The spirit truly works changes in people's hearts.  

So how's the language, well I can understand about 80% now of what people say.  My goal is to understand 100% by the end of this month.  I know I can do it.  

We had a wonderful appointment with a less active Sorella N.  A friend had recently passed away and she wanted to know where we go after death.  We were able to teach her about the spirit world, resurrection and that families can be together forever.  We committed her to start preparing to go to the temple and it was a beautiful lesson.  

Thank you to everyone for the beautiful valentines day cards.  They are so lovely!  I truly felt the love from home.  Thank you thank you thank you.  

So I had a cold all week but it has finally lifted.  I have a new appreciation for my health now.  Now it's time to start losing all the pasta, pizza and sugar pounds that have accumulated this transfer.

Love you all sooooo much!  

The scripture for this week Alma 37:6-7

The challenge for this week:  Set a goal for this week and plan out how to accomplish it.  Then ask Heavenly Father for help to do it.  I promise if you do this, you will see how he helps you everyday to accomplish that goal.

Phrase of the week:  Lui Ci Ama.  (Loo-ee Chee Ahma) God loves us.

Buon Settimana

Sorella Hatch

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

Christmas Day post

This was written on Christmas day in the MTC.  12/25/2013

Dear family and friends,

On this beautiful Christmas morning I am so grateful for this Gospel.  I only have 20 minutes to write so there won't be much detail.  I'm so tired and sick all the time but I have seen the Lord working miracles for me to keep me going.  Thank you sooooo much Aunt Karen for the homeopathies.  Can you send me a list saying what they are and what they do?  Dad, Mom, David, Thomas and Kyli, I love you guys sooooo much!  Thank you for the amazing gifts.  David I can't wait to read the play.  Tell the Ford's thank you for the beautiful letters.  I will treasure them.  This morning my roommates and I exchanged gifts and opened presents.  I will never forget that experience.  Thank you for all of your emails, cards, letters, notes, etc.  It truly means a lot. 

I invite all of you to take a few minutes and read Luke 1-2 and ponder the purpose of Christmas.  They have really focused on that here in the MTC and it has brought such a profound and deeper meaning to Christmas.  We watched the Nativity last night and Mr. Krueger's Christmas.  Both of those shows truly depict why we celebrate the birth of our Savior.  This is a season of love, service and giving.  I hope you all feel that spirit in your hearts.  The hymn Silent Night in Italian is titled, "Nato e Gesu"  Literally translated:  Night of Jesus.  Christmas truly is the celebration of our Lord and Savior. 

Mom, we are singing Where Shepherds Lately Knelt today for MTC choir.  It is no accident that this hymn was picked.  I wish you could hear the chorus of Angels that sing with us when we practice. 

I didn't make the MTC talent show with O Come O Come Emmanuel but that's alright.  It was a blessing from the Lord for me to practice it. 

Love you all soooooo sooooooooo much.  Merry Christmas.  Froliche Weihnachten.  Buona Natale.  More details of Christmas coming next week.  Hugs, Kisses, Smiles, laughs, tears of joy.  Arrivederci!

La Missione

Ciao Tutti.

No I did not see an angel.  Rather God sent one of the sisters in the mission to be an angel for me this week.  More details later.

First I have to start with last P day.  So after internet, one of our English students and two of her friends took us with them out to lunch for her birthday.  It was a high class Italian restaurant.  We drove through the mountains for a while to get there and it was soooo beautiful.  Italy literally looks like shire from the Lord of the Rings.  The cities look like cities but the country side is breath taking.  Anyways we get there and it was interesting.  In Italy you don't order whatever dish you want.  The waiter comes over, and tells you all the options for the different courses and then you tell him what you want.  So to start off I had Minestrone soup.  The canned minestrone we have in the states is garbage compared to what I ate at that restaurant.  All the ingredients were fresh and it was hot and delicious.  It was so flavorful and I want to learn how to make minestrone that way.  We had white rolls that were just delicious.  They also had little pieces of focaccia slathered in olive oil.  I had gotten a massive focaccia for internet earlier so I was in heaven.  After minestrone we had the main course.  I had a roast with mushrooms and onions in the most savory, flavorful roast sauce I've ever had in my life.  I also had a small salad that was just lettuce and tomatoes but maybe it was because it was "in Italy" (that's for you Fratello Jeter) that it was better.  After that we had dessert.  It was vanilla gelato with a drizzle of black berry syrup over a slice of pineapple with these cookies that are literally just like crunchy scones with cinamon and sugar on top.  It was the best meal I've ever had here.  Unfortunately I didn't take any pics of it because we aren't supposed to look like tourists while we are here even if it's p-day.  So I'm still trying to find where that line is between recording memories and being a tourist.  Sorry.  But we did take a pic at the restaurant.  

So after that we went and did shopping, came back, napped, and taught English class.  After class our students took us to a pizzeria for dinner.  I got a margherita which is just cheese pizza.  Except this thing was probably a foot across.  It was HUGE!  There are moments where I just ask Heavenly Father to please expand my stomach so I can put it down.  And put it down I did.  It was real thin crust, flavorful sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese pizza.  I will never forget it!  

Ok so that was p day.  So Sunday I gave my first talk in sacrament meeting.  Sorella Bennett kept encouraging me to write out the talk word for word and then translate it.  Me being the debater I once was, I can't stand doing that.  So I wrote out bullet points, a couple words and phrases and based my talk off of the conference talk It's a miracle by Neil L. Anderson.  I practiced and prayed.  And it went amazing.  I wasn't nervous at all.  I know I made mistakes and didn't always make sense but I have a huge testimony of the gift of tongues.  The people came up to me afterwards and told me they could understand what I said and that I spoke well.  When we truly give ourselves to the Lord, he makes us so much stronger than we could ever be on our own.  

So we did scambio this week.  We went to Genova and spent 24 hrs there.  I switched companions and was with Sorella Durfee for that time.  We got up and went to an appointment with a less active.  It was wonderful to meet all these new people and see Genova which is a beautiful city and a little sketchy but gorgeous.  After that we came home and a sister made us all hot chocolate.  The next day Sorella Durfee and I went running which felt amazing.  Then I got ready and we studied.  I read these two beautiful talks about love and meekness that left me in tears because they answered some concerns and worries I'd had.  After that we went to a new converts house.  J is 16 and was baptized in October.  We planned to talk about the Plan of Salvation but instead he just asked us all these different, amazing, in depth questions.  The spirit was strong and it was so wonderful to talk with him and his mother.  Their home used a wood burning stove to keep warm and was the cutest little Italian house in the country side I've ever seen.  After that we had lunch with all the sisters and feasted on fresh bread from the farmer's market.  Then we went to another investigator.  I can't describe that experience because it was too sacred but safe to say my testimiony of the gift of tongues was strengthened again.  

So why do I talk about angels?  Because Sorella Durfee was an angel for me.  So I had really been struggling with a lot of stuff.  I'd had tons of stress and anxiety built up and was really slacking on the work.  I had extremely low self confidence that I could be a good missionary.  Safe to say that life had been pretty bleak for a few weeks.  Sorella Durfee let me pour out my heart to her and let me cry on her shoulder.  She gave me encouragement and taught me different principles of missionary work.  She taught me that missionary work does not have to be miserable.  I felt safe, comforted, strong and confident for the first time in weeks.  We finished off the day with chocolate drizzled focaccia.   All the sisters were so sweet and I felt like I was surrounded by angels all day.  I was nervous about going back to Savona because I didn't want to fall back into the same habits and mindset that had been keeping me from being successful but I learned important principles.

We define who we are.  We do not need permission from others to be awesome, brilliant, confident, capable or successful.  When we know that we can do it, we can.  When we don't know if we can do it, but we tell ourselves we can and really believe it, we can.  Also, when we have problems with people, it is ALWAYS a two way thing.  Selfishness and selflessness cannot coexist.  When we constantly strive to serve and love others around us, we can constantly receive love and service back.  So my challenge for you all this week is identify one thing that you tell yourself you can't do and instead of saying I can't, say I can.  If you can't speak the language yet, say I can and confidently speak it as best as you can.  If you can't figure out a problem say you can and then do everything you can to do it.  Above all, stay close to Heavenly Father.  When we are praying and working always, that's when we are most powerful.

So scripture for this week:  Mosiah 2:17

Already said the challenge for this week.

Phrase of the week:  Voglio portare la mia testimonianza.  I want to bear my testimony.

Vi Voglio Bene!

Sorella Hatch

Ciaccolato Facaldo

Hot chocolate.  In Italy Hot chocolate is more like hot chocolate pudding.  I had my first one at a coffee shop next to our apartment.  It was soooo good.  Every food is better here.  It's just a fact lol.

It's been raining non stop this whole week which has been a little depressing but spring is around the corner and I can't wait.  We've been walking more and taking the bus instead of biking which has been a lot better... except for when the cars splash you as they drive by.  That's always kinda funny actually.  

We had an amazing miracle lesson.  We committed A. to be baptized a couple weeks ago.  But he has a girlfriend M.  sorella Bennett taught M. before I got here and M. wasn't receptive to the Gospel.  We were both nervous and wanted to be able to get both of them on board.  We got in there and everything went perfect.  We taught the restoration and M received it without hesitation.  We committed her to read the Book of Mormon with A. and for them to pray together.  We committed them to come to church when they have work off.  M. said she would be baptized if she received a testimony that the Book of Mormon was true.  We finished it off with chocolate covered gelato bars.  I was grinning from ear to ear after that lesson.  I'm so excited to see where things progress with them.  

We watched the Joseph Smith prophet of the restoration movie in spanish with our investigator family.  They aren't progressing because they are trying to get their marriage papers figured out but I was happy because I understood about 70% of the spanish.  I wanna learn spanish when I get home.  Also I felt the spirit sooo strong that Joseph is a prophet of God and he restored this church to the earth.  It was a beautiful lesson.

So I learned the coolest principle in Alma 43.  In this chapter Moroni's army (totally want to meet him in the next life) are fighting the Lamanites.  He mentions things they had to help them fight.  These things can help us fight our trials and temptations in this life:

1) They had thick armor and thick clothing.  We can have the spriitual armor of God and thick clothing is faith and peace.  When we have these things in our hearts, minds and souls, we are strong and have the strength to keep going and keep fighting.  

2) When we are fighting a trial we need to make sure we aren't guilty of anything to do with it. We can't be hypocrites.  We need to repent daily and be obedient.  Obedience brings blessings.

3)Fear and faith can't coexist.  When we are afraid we need to have faith and remember what we are fighting for, why we are fighting and the victory that will come when we have conquered the foe.  

Sunday was fast sunday and a day of bearing one another's burdens. it was amazing.  The members bore the most beauitful testimonies and the spirit was so strong.  We taught gospel principles and it went fantastic.  We had a mom and daughter in our class and they asked the most amazing questions.  After church we visited E. and comforted him because he had gotten robbed earlier that week.  It was amazing to see the difference in his countenance from when we first got there to when we finished the lesson.  He went from despair to feeling peace.  The message of the Gospel truly works miracles in a person's life.  We also visited a family and came to find out something horrible had happened to one of them.  We shared a message of comfort and prayed with them.  I felt helpless because with both of these situations there was nothing we could do to fix it.  But I learned that part of a missionaries job is bear another persons' burdens and to pray with and for them.  Prayer really is a soothing balm for when we are in pain or feel like we are hopeless.  

Overall my language is getting better.  I understand about 80% of what the people say and I'm starting to start and end lessons as well as give larger portions of a lesson.  I'm soooo happy that my study efforts are finally paying off.  It's still hard especially when we teach people who are native spanish speakers.  They speak Span-alian and it is really hard to understand their accent.  We also taught some Africans and they speak It-lish with a thick accent.  But it's been a huge blessing.  Instead of understanding their words, I've been forced to listen with the spirit and try to understand the person's heart instead.  I've learned so much about people.  

So I'm giving my first talk in sacrament meeting this sunday.  Excited and nervous.  I'm just hoping my pronouciation will be good and that I don't end up saying the wrong word because I pronouced it wrong.  

Overall, the mission is by far the best experience of my life.  I wouldn't trade any of these experiences... the good or the bad... for anything in the world.  

scripture is alma 43.

challenge:  find another person who has a heavy burden and bear it with them.  pray for them and help them in any way they need.

phrase:  Io amo Italia