Agency and Investigators

Written 4/16/14

 

That's what I've learned about this week.  Agency.  Using our agency in every situation.  We use our agency to determine our attitude, perspectives, progress and learning in this life.  

So update about our investigators.  Sorella Gjika had the amazing idea to cook a bunch of dolci (dole-chee... means sweets) for our investigators because it would be her first time meeting them.  So a few cupcakes and brownies later (Italians are obsessed with brownies and cupcakes... basically any American dessert) we met a lot of people.  All the appointments went fantastic and now that I can understand a lot better, I was actually able to learn about our investigators.  I had gotten to know the investigators a little bit during my first two transfers but because I couldn't understand very much, I didn't learn a lot.

So our investigator S.  We had a beautiful dinner with her and her daughter G.  Dinner consisted of pasta with a fish sauce, deviled eggs but with mayonaise and tuna in the mix instead of paprika, salad, focaccia, crostinis, torte verde (pastry filled with spinach and artichoke.. delicious), and then yogurt cake and little chocolate easter eggs.  S. is super healthy so I actually felt good after dinner and not like I was ready to fall into a coma for hours like I usually do after an Italian dinner.  Anyways the daughter G. is 17 and absolutely lovely.  She has some small developmental delays because she was orphaned when she was little and that caused some problems.  S. adopted her when she was 5.  But the spirit was so strong.  We have to teach G. a lot slower than we usually teach but I knew G. was learning.  We finished the lesson and I asked her how she felt.  She said she felt more relaxed and happy.  I testified to her that those feelings of peace and happiness were the spirit and I knew she understood.  She played the guitar for us and played the sweetest songs that totally set the spiritual tone to start the lesson.  She also does Karate and studies German... a girl after my own heart.  I gave her a Book of Mormon and I'm hoping that she's reading.  We also saw miracles with S.  We text our investigators a verse of scripture every night.  S. texted us that twice in a row, before she received our text, she opened the scriptures and had flipped right to the page where the text was.  Then she got the text and knew that it was no accident.  Also, we thought she was hesitant to join the church because of tithing.  Turns out that she's scared she won't be able to pay enough tithing because she has some financial problems.  This woman is so elect and I watching how the Gospel is literally changing her life is so beautiful and exciting.

Also another miracle with them was S. started asking us all these questions about polygamy and other... touchy subjects.  We're taught in Preach my Gospel to help the investigators understand that if we know that the Book of Mormon is true, then we know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that he restored The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints on the earth today.  When we know these truths, we can know that whatever the prophets say for us to do is counsel and guidance from our Heavenly Father.  I personally don't know why polygamy was practiced but I have a strong testimony of prophets called by God.  I explained all of this to S. and she was content and understood.  I was so grateful that I had studied that material and that Heavenly Father helped me remember how to handle those situations.  

We met with a member Sorella Garcia.  Her husband is the first counselor in the bishopric.  They have small children so it's hard for her to get to church.  I was having a hard time understanding her because she speaks spanalian but Sorella Gjika was able to understand that she has an inactive brother and we planned a family  home evening with her.  After the lesson she invited us to eat lunch with her, her kids, her sister and her kids, then their mother showed up and then our investigator J. showed up with his daughter because he's her brother.  It was delicious lunch of rice, minestrone soup, meat and salad but all Ecuadorian style.  We're really excited to see where things can go with them.

We did scambio this week with the Genova sisters.  I met the lovely Sorella Ball who grew up in Idaho on a sheep farm.  She shared with us the lessons she learned about helping sheep.  We as missionaries are the under shepherds for Christ sent out to bring back His lost sheep to the fold.  It is a beautiful principle to ponder and I was so grateful to be in the company of such beautiful sisters.

Spring is here and it is the perfect weather.  There are blossoms, it's green and it's sunny and cool.  But I've heard that summer is hot hot... not sure how I feel about that yet but ready to take on the challenge.

Challenge for this week is:  Make a goal for one day and fulfill that goal during the day.  It feels so good!

Word of the week is:  Agnelo (Awn-yelloh).  Lamb.

Scripture of the week is:  D:C 6.  

Love you all and am so grateful for all the love, prayers and support.

BUONA PASCUA!  (Happy easter)

Sorella Hatch