June 24, 2009

Ciao!
Nertil got baptized on Sunday!!!!! It was so beautiful! He bore his testimony during the service, and it's one of the highlights of my life to hear him bear his testimony! He talked about how people go through life trying to find happiness in so many different places, but the only place we'll ever find true happiness is through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He then thanked me and Sister Millis for helping him find his Heavenly Father. It was a day that I will forever treasure. After the service we were talking to him, and he kept saying over and over again that he feels like he's floating on air. He had the biggest smile on his face all day long, and yesterday when we saw him again, he still had the same smile on his face.
Thursday I went down to Rome to pick up my trainee! Her name is Sister Bucholtz, and she's awesome. She's from Canada, near Toronto. She's been a member almost 2 years and is the only member in her family. Before she joined the Church, she was studying to be a minister. We're having a great time together and working hard. She's great- she's not afraid to go talk to people anywhere we are and she just jumps in and gets the job done.
This week we've done lots of finding work. Silvana called to tell us she doesn't want to take the lessons anymore, and we dropped Elsa and Sabrina, so we're working on contacting more ex-investigators. We've also had all sorts of adventures this week. I got proposed to last night by a man from Nigeria who asked me to marry him so we can show the world that racism needs to stop. He gave a very passionate speech about racism, and then said "So? Will you marry me so we can show the world how it should be?" It took all I had not to bust out laughing. I also got pooped on by a pigeon right in my hair! It was gross. Then, during the baptismal service, the elders had accidentally left the hose that was filling the font running, so by the time we all walked out of the chapel into the room where the font was, it was overflowing and water was leaking all over the floor and down the stairs into the basement. Saturday morning we did house for a little bit, the first time for Sister Bucholtz, and the first door we rang, a man answered in only his tighty whities. It makes for a memorable first time doing house experience. Good times on the mission!
Anyways, life is great! I love my mission so much! This Gospel has become so much more real to me. The Atonement especially has become so much more real. Recently I read a talk by President Eyring from October 2002 conference called Rise to Your Call. It's a great talk! He talks about 3 things that we all need to know for any calling. The first is that we are called by God. Every calling we have is by revelation and we are always called where Heavenly Father needs us to be. The second is that we will be lead by revelation on how to fulfill our calling. That is so true and so necessary on a mission. None of us can represent our Savior without His help on how to do His work. The third thing is that Heavenly Father will magnify our efforts. That is also so true, for which I am so grateful! President Eyring talks about how we sometimes feel like we can't do it alone, and the reality is that we can't! We need the help of our Heavenly Father. We need to give all we can, and then Him make up the rest. I am so grateful for Him and His Gospel, and this sacred opportunity to take it to His children.
Vi voglio tanto bene!
Sorella Hawkey