Hi!
This week has flown by! We had a couple day “vacation” in Sassari this week. Of course it wasn’t really a vacation, but we did have a sleep-over with the Sisters there. We had a great zone conference with Elder and Sister Paya. We learned a lot about what success really is. Sister Paya told several stories about missionaries who never saw the fruits of their labors, but are successful because of the influence they had on the people they served.
One of the elders in our zone, who is from Albania, told his story. He met the missionaries four years ago. The first elders who taught their family left thinking that this family had no interest in the Gospel. A little while later, the family met another set of elders, and circumstances were right for them to accept the Gospel. This boy is now on a mission. When he was at the MTC, he ran into the elder who first taught him. This former elder who once thought that he had no success with this beautiful family was able to see this boy as a missionary. We truly never know the effect our efforts can have on someone.
Our work is picking up a little bit. We’ve been able to see Ilaria a few times. She’s pregnant! We consider her our daughter, so we’re going to be grandmas! We’re really excited, because her being pregnant is helping her stop smoking, and it’s also helping her and Alfredo realize that they need to take the steps to get married. She came to church on Sunday and had a beautiful experience. She’s praying to pick a baptismal date! We’re so excited!!
Roberta is also doing well. She is still really scared, but she’s slowly making progress. Susan Imafidon is so great! She’s getting ready to go to the Temple, hopefully in April. She’s so excited!
I’m currently preparing a talk for this next Sunday and I read “The Love of God” by President Uchtdorf this morning. It is so beautiful! One thing that really stuck out to me was when he said:
“Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amount—that is the measure of God’s love for you. God does not look on the outward appearance. I believe that He doesn’t care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely. He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God’s love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked. What this means is that, regardless of our current state, there is hope for us. No matter our distress, no matter our sorrow, no matter our mistakes, our infinitely compassionate Heavenly Father desires that we draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us.”
This is so true! Our Heavenly Father has such an incredible love for us. It’s not because we’re perfect, or even close. It’s because He is perfect and loves us perfectly. He loves us, even with all of our flaws. He sees us in terms of eternity and according to our potential. I am so grateful for His love and the knowledge that we are His children.
Vi voglio bene!
Sorella Hawkey
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