Italy, Week 43 (9/2/2015) - Spiritual High: The Kearon Conference

Hey! So I had spent ten minutes writing this email on a computer, saved it, and headed out. But as I feared, it didn't translate to my iPad. Va bene, fa niente. COMMUNQUE.  So yeah, the president of the Area Seventy over the Europe area, President Kearon, came and spoke to us missionaries on Thursday and it was so good! Before the conference started, he took all of the STL's and Zone Leaders into a side room, shook each of our hands and asked our name and where we were from, and then stood there and thanked us.  He told us we were going to have to stretch ourselves and keep getting better. The Spirit in that room was absolutely incredible. I just wanted to bask in it all day haha. But then he gave us an incredible conference and we talked about not settling and getting comfortable with where we are and what we're doing. Some of my favorite points were that, attacking the day, how to help our investigators and those we teach with understanding the importance of reading the Book of Mormon by giving them reasons and promising blessings through personal experiences, inviting the power of the Spirit into the work, and becoming the message.  I especially like the last part: to become the message. It's so important to be what you believe, in private and in public, everywhere you go. You don't pick and choose to act like a disciple of Christ depending on where you are. You already made  the decision to take upon you His name and therefore you are His disciple.  You don't choose where and when you're going to be good. You already made that decision. The choice now is HOW you're going to be good.  What you're going to do now to be even better. BE the message of the Gospel that we know and love. Do people look at us and think we're weird and different? GOOD. We ARE. News flash.... The world is full of corruption, sorrow, filth, and heartache. But we are the light. We need to show it. Don't wait until tomorrow, and don't dwell on the past when you were such a great light. BE IT NOW. Christ is trusting you with His name. Wear it well.  RANTS. Sorry hehe. 

Anywhoooo then the next day we had a missionary council (consiglio) with President Kearon and it was awesome! We talked about how we're going to help everyone apply these principles into their lives and the most important part. I'm super stoked for this transfer! You always get so spiritually pumped after conferences like these and everyone feels it. It's awesome! 

So we recently started teaching two new investigators. They're two girls that a member lives with (their family friends) and they're awesome! The second lesson we had with them we brought two new converts, a young man and a young woman, and they were AWESOME. Youth have such a power about them. They basically taught the Plan of Salvation and the Five points of the Gospel and then the investigators talked about the Restoration. It was probably one of my favorite lessons in the fact that everyone else was teaching each other and it was just a beautiful thing.

On Monday we had a surprise scambio and we were in a trio with one of the Sorelle from Como! They're In a trio and two had to go to Genova, so one stayed with us, Sorella Insalaco. She's a genius. She write symphonies. I kid you not. She wants to write music for movies, and she is absolutely more than capable. She's so cool.
And now we're here! Today we met up with the Como Sorelle at the Duomo and we ran into the Sorelle from...... BUSTO ARSIZIO! My birth city!!  And they were there with a few members! One of which we were working with to help re activate and she's fully active now!  Gah! I'm so happy. Then we went to a creepy bone church that had all these skulls and bones in the walls. Why would people do that. But it was fun and we got really yummy food after :)
And that was our week! It was great! We've just been killing it here in Cimiano and I'm loving it! I just love the mission so dang much. 
And I love YOU all so dang much. You guys are the best, I'm so grateful to each and everyone of you. Stay strong and don't just live the Gospel, don't just love it, BE it! 

Hugs and kisses (only to the girls) and firm handshakes to the guys,
Sorella Hawks :)

 Members from Busto!

 Bones, lots and lots of bones!

 The walls are filled with this, minus my fleshy face!

My wonderful companion and one of the Sorelle in Como, who also happens to be Sorella Nilsen's ex-companion

Italy, Week 42 (8/26/15) - Food Poisoning, Black Magic, Witches, Ghosts and Murders

Made for a real interesting week....
Actually that was all just in one night, so let me back track and think about what happened this week.....
Thursday morning we went to visit to member who is the cutest little old lady. She's 85 and from Ecuador and absolutely LOVES Ecuador. She is the absolute most lively 85 year old i have ever met. She is so happy and loves life and loves everyone around her. When she tells stories she has so much energy. She was just so dang cute!!  We started to meet with an old investigator that we had dropped when I first got here. She's from Albania and super cute, but just going through some hard times and didn't make time to read and come to church, but she always said she knew this church was true, so we just had to give her a little space and some time to get things settled.  Things are really going a lot better in her life and when we called she was so happy! We extended a baptismal date and she was hesitant to "promise" anything, but we told her to pray about it, but she said she definitely wants to get baptized. That night we went to a new converts house to eat with her and her nephew and they're from Bolivia, so they made us some Bolivian food. IT WAS SO GOOD. It was meat that was pounded really thin and then fried, then with rice, a chunk of potato, a fried egg, and some tomato and onion salsa. So. Yummy. And it was such a fun night! Her nephew just got back from his mission in February and is still learning Italian. We asked him to tell us some mission stories and he starts pulling out name tags (he has 15 of them....) and business cards that he and his companion made to give to members to get them to feed them haha. He served in Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela and had some really great stories. It was SUCH a fun night!

On Sunday two members came out with us to do missionary work, so to start off we went to a less active family's house and talked about temples and it went so well! The less active mom was able to make a really good friendship with the relief society president and it turns out that the other. Ember that was with us is just starting to come back to church more and she really needed that lesson too! Miracles! Then the other member had to go and it was down to three. We visited another less active family's house and played a game about following the prophet (that one that we did for FHE that I talked about a few weeks ago where you have pieces of paper with good and bad things and you either go closer or farther from Christ. That one) and again, it
was SO PERFECT. It was so great to have the relief society president with us to make these friendships and help ease members feel more comfortable and loved.

Okay, now about the title of this email..... Oh my. So Monday night we were supposed to have an FHE with this less active family from the Philippines, but the daughters weren't home, so we were just going to visit the mom and bring our new convert whose also Filipino and is like a son to this woman. She told us that she was going to make us her specialty and she was allllll excited about it. And it turned out to be squid pasta. Anzi, squid spaghetti. Yeah. Didn't taste too awful, but seafood in general here is a little sketchy... So we eat the food and I don't know how it gets into this, but our new convert (we'll call him Kip) starts talking about witches and how his great grandpa was killed by a witch. Then the mom starts talking about how she doesn't believe in black magic and witches and Kip starts going off about black magic. We finished our squid pasta and within ten minutes, Sorella Nilsen gets these awful stomach pains and has to run to the bathroom, feeling like she's going to throw up. While in there, the conversation continues on and goes towards ghosts. And during this whole conversation, Sorella Nilsen is running to and from the bathroom, poor thing. So ghosts come up and they're telling us all these stories and whatnot. And then a family secret regarding murder gets thrown into the mix. I don't know what else was in that pasta, but it definitely seemed like it made them start spilling all of their confessions. Like some type of truth serum or something... It was some night.... But somehow we got the Spirit to come back and taught about the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's burying their weapons and about how we're going to choose something to sacrifice, such as pride or sleep to wake up and go to church or time on Facebook to write a missionary (cough
cough)( haha just kidding you guys are great :) ) it went really well and the mom asked us to teach the same lesson to her daughters!
Anywho, on the walk home Kip is being the typically annoying little brother who's trying to trip us and whatnot, but we have to stop at this cute little sandwich place for Sorella Nilsen to run to the bathroom. At this point I'm not feeling too great, but I know I can make it home. I can't run home, but I can make it home. We show up at the metro station and we see the Anziani so we plan to pull a prank and have Kip pretend to try to steal Sorella Nilsen's bag,  but he laughed too soon, so there was no time for anyone to react. Then Kip was just on one and super hyper, laughing, messing with everyone. It was such an interesting night.... In the middle of the night I woke not feeling good, but nothing happened. Until the morning that is....  And the rest of the day Sorella Nilsen felt sick  and I felt a little off, off and on. It would come in waves. So that was... Fun? Haha but luckily Sorella Nilsen felt well enough to go to church for FHE and correlation.

It wasn't a super crazy week, other than Monday night. But it was a great week!  In the Book of Mormon I've started studying the book of Ether and Jared and his brother. Every time I read that story I always learn so much more. First off, chapter 2 "the Lord talk[ed] with the brother of Jared and chastened him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord." (Vs. 14) there are so many times in our lives where we become content where we are and where the Lord has brought us up to this point. But we need to continue to move forward, dive into great waters, take a chance, turn to the Lord and ask what else is to be done to bring you closer to getting to the promised land, aka the Celestial Kingdom. There's a great talk by Elder Carlos A. Godoy from
the Oct. 2014 General Conference called "The Lord Has a Plan for Us!“  It's super great and talks about this!  There is a lot more, but my favorite chapter is chapter 6: Crossing the Great waters to the promised land. First off, the people had light CONTINUALLY throughout their journey to the promised land, no matter how deep they were buried under the water. No matter how dark our life may seem, the light is ALWAYS there. "Choose to Believe" Elder L. Whitney Clayton April 2015 Women's General session. There's a great story of a little girl in a plane crash whose parents died. She could have sat and waited but she got up and moved and saw a tiny light in the far distance and made her way towards it. No matter what, the light was always there. Sometimes she couldn't see it, but sure as anything it was there. Sometimes we don't see God's light or hand, but it is always there. In vs. 8 it talks about how the wind God created never did cease to blow them toward the promised land. When we are in God's hands, when we put ourselves there because we must choose to do it by choosing to follow His will for us, he will ALWAYS guide us toward the right and life eternal. There will be waves of life that crash upon us, that scare us, that make us think we'll never rise to
the surface. But cry unto God, like this people, and you will always be lifted up. Life wasn't meant to be easy, the journey is long and requires a LOT of faith. But you will get there if you are letting yourself be guided by God. But don't just cry unto Him in the dark, scary moments, but at all times. The good, the bad, and all the in betweens. And I promise you you will reach the Celestial Kingdom and God will say unto you "Well done, thou good and faithful servant.“  Okay, this is getting way long and kind of preachy, but I invite you to read chapters 1-6 in Ether and those talks!  I love you all SO much, thank you for everything! You're the best!
Vi voglio bene! Tanti baci!
La Sorella Hawks :)

Italy, Week 41 (8/19/15) - Free gelato and Transfer News!

Transfer news!: Sorella Nilsen and I are staying the same!! Woohoo!  Thank goodness too because I did not know the city well enough for her to leave me. Haha. So happy!!
This week was AMAZING.  On Thursday I got to do a scambio in Lugano, just like the old days in my first and second transfer. Haha, so weird! It was really cool to be able to see it all green in the summer time because last time it was all barren and cold. It was so fun! I got to serve with Sorella Kras who's from Germany but apparently I'm more German than her haha. It was super fun! This woman stopped us on the street and told us that we shouldn't have another book and that we worship Joseph Smith, but she
wouldn't give us any space to say anything. I was getting really frustrated and annoyed, but luckily my scambio companion was really calm and nice. I just had to keep telling myself that this woman was saying this because she loved me and cared about me and thought she was right. Basically doing what I'm doing, but just going about it the wrong way.
Nilsen and her scambio companion had an awesome scambio here in Milano! They went to get gelato and while the member that was with them talked to the owners, the Sorelle talked to a guy in there from Peru who wanted to learn more about our church. MIRACLES. The owners told them to come back the next day and they'd give us free gelato.  When we went back on Friday, we got lots of free gelato haha. They started with the normal two scoops, we talked about families and the gospel and then we took pictures with them. They let us behind the counter and they gave us even more gelato. They offered some for us to take home, but we weren't going straight home. But they were so fun!  Plus they said that they would let us help them make gelato sometime
when they get back from vacation. SCORE. 
President Dibb called us on Friday night at 10:31 so we knew it was exciting news haha. He was in a super good mood and super happy to tell us the great news :) so happy!  Sunday we went to pass by an investigator that we haven't been able to see the whole time I've been here and she wasn't home. But right as we were walking out she pulled up over bike: miracle! And she was so happy to see us and asked when we were going to come see her again!
Okay, our members here are absolutely incredible. Best member missionaries everrrr! Two different women in our ward brought women that they had just met a few days before on the metro to FHE with them. THEY hardly even knew them! And one of the women that brought a friend was less active! Then a member brought the two daughters of one of his friends to FHE as well. So many people came last night and it was so awesome! Missionary work: just do it! There's a member here from Russia named Tatiana who is the most incredible member missionary I have ever met. She has a friend here from Russia and she's been talking to her about the Church and gave her a Book of Mormon and last night she told us she's ready to be baptized! Now we just need to meet with her... But still, so cool!!
I've had so many good studies in the morning this past week. First off, I'm studying Genesis and I've been reading the story of Joseph.  He is such an incredible example. I am so impressed by how forgiving he is and how he makes the most of every situation he is in. He was sold into Egypt by his brothers and is made head over the household of
Potiphar because he worked so hard. Then he finds favor in the eyes of the prison guard because he was a hard worker and good even when he was in prison. Then he becomes just below Pharoah. What?! And then when he sees his brothers again he tells them that he is not upset with them because it wasn't them that sent him to Egypt, but God, so he could help his family. Talk about hard work and forgiveness. I hope
I can be like Joseph some day... 
Then I was reading in Mormon chapter nine this morning and a few phrases stuck out to me; "o then he unbelieving, turn ye unto the Lord;" (Mormon 9:6) don't just believe, don't just turn your mind or just your heart. But turn all that you are, your full body, mind,
heart, strength. Focus completely on the Lord. Try with all your might to become like Him. Carve His name into your heart and reflect His image. "Work out your own salvation..." (Mormon 9:27) God has given us all we need to return to Him. Now it's our turn. We need to act.  Salvation doesn't just come. It wasn't easy for Christ and it doesn't come cheap for us. But it is worth it. Oh, is it so worth it. Don't just go through the motions. Live and act and love the things you are doing. Do them for the Lord, your family, but overall for yourself.  This is YOUR salvation. Is that important to you? Show it!  I love you all so much! Have a wonderful week, and don't forget to always strive for perfection. Work for that Salvation. I promise you it will come when you do your part.
You are in my prayers, I love you all so much!
Vi voglio bene!
Sorella Hawks :)

Italy, Week 40 (8/12/15) - The Fury of the Heavens Unleashed

It's been so long! Haha just kidding, it feels like it was just Pday because it was....
To start things off, the opera was INCREDIBLE. So funny, the singers were so talented, and the seats were so awful. They were €11 so I didn't expect much. We had to stand if we wanted to see the stage. But hey, it was totally worth it. Those singers are soooo incredible, I don't know how they do it. After we ran over to the Duomo to see it at night because it would be our only opportunity and it was so fun! An African guy came up to us trying to sell us bracelets and after we said no thanks, he said "hakkuna mattata" as he walked away. It made me so happy.
A few nights ago we were woken up to the craziest storm I have ever experienced. I can't even describe in words what it was like, all I can say is it sounded like the world was splitting in half.  The thunder was so incredibly loud and powerful. At one point an alarm started going off and it stopped, but then went again, which made us think it was some kind of "run to safety or die" type of alarm. We didn't know what to do in such a situation, so we just laid in bed until it stopped.... It didn't take too long, so we were totally fine :) but gosh dang, that storm was incredible.  Lightning that made you think it was mid-day and thunder that made you think you and your house were going to drop into a giant hole in the earth.

Monday night I got to teach a new convert piano lessons for a couple of minutes after a lesson and it was awesome! I forgot how much I love teaching piano, it was such a blessing to have that opportunity again.  Last night we taught the ward FHE about follow the prophet and it went super well! We played a game were we had a bowl full of pieces of paper that have good things that you did and bad things and there was a picture of Christ at the front of the room. If you "did" a good thing, you got to take a step forward. If you "did" a bad thing, you take a step back, both show that when we follow the prophet, we are coming closer to Christ and to Eternal life. It was so fun!
Last week I got to do a scambio with one of Sorella Nilsen's old companions which was so fun! She was super great and I got to stay in the city and get lost and whatnot :)  

I started studying the Old Testament a few days ago and I'm currently reading about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. One thing that stood out to me most as  I'm studying this is how much faith and patience all of them have. They're promised that their posterity will number more than the stars in the skies and the sands of the sea. And yet some of their wives, through whom this blessing was to come to pass, were unable to bear more than one child. And yet they knew that this blessing would come. How often do we feel like the Lord is not upholding His promises? How often are we impatient for the fulfillment of His blessings? I know for me it can be pretty often, certainly more often than I wish. But one thing I've learned and am continuing to learn is that God never leaves a promise or a blessing unfulfilled. He never goes back on His word. His timing is MUCH greater than ours. Trust in Him, believe in Him. Miracles are coming, and are already all around us. God loves us and wants to bless us more than we can receive. At times we just need to be patient.
I love you all so much, I hope you have a wonderful week :) transfer calls are coming up on Saturday, so I'll let you know what's happening next week!
Lots of love,
Sorella Hawks :)

Italy, Week 39 (8/8/15) - Poppin' Wheelies with Babies and Strollers

This week was long, stressful, busy, crazy, fun, hilarious, and overall just great :)
First off, I'm sorry about the tardiness! We're allowed to see one opera on our mission and so we decided to go this week! We got permission to move our P-day from Wednesday to Saturday so we could go
to the opera. We're seeing the Barber of Seville! So excited!!
Exciting news: I'm engaged!
Sorella Nilsen and I saw this woman waiting at the bottom of the stairs at the metro with two large grocery bag stroller things, so we helped her carry them up a few flights. When we got to the top she said her husband was coming and she wanted us to meet him. When he got there they took pictures of us with her and then asked if we were married.  Upon discovering that we were in fact not betrothed, they proceeded to tell us about their two sons who were about our age and even picked who got who. They showed us their passport pictures. It's love. Forced and arranged, but love, right? Haha.
Sunday we got the mom of a new convert who is inactive to come to church! She has only come to church for the full three hours maybe two or three times in the past twenty years that she's been a member, it
was so exciting! After church we visited a less active family and talked about temples. The mom really wants to go to the temple and be sealed, but her husband really doesn't have the desire. So we brought a bunch of pictures of temples and the kids and the mom put them up all around their little apartment. The mom was so excited and her kids were so happy. It was so fun!!
On Tuesday we went to go help a member go into the city to pick up diapers. She has a 27 day old baby and a four year old, so the task was a bit daunting.   I never knew how hard it would be to have to take a stroller on the metros. Such stress. At one point I was pushing the stroller and had to go up on a curb and I wasn't expecting the stroller to be as light as it was.... Thus the title of this email.  The baby was fine, she just slid down a little... Later Sorella Nilsen did the same thing when getting on the metro. It's not as simple as it
seems. 

Then when we got back to their house and they let us cook for them!  They just told us what to do and let us do it all! It was so fun cooking for Italians!
Friday night there was a baptism for the Zone Leaders in the next city that we got to go to! Sadly they didn't realize there was construction that day and their directions became useless.... We got very lost, kept bugging the bus driver trying to figure out when and where to get off, and got there right after the baptismal ceremony... Bummer, but it was still good to go and feel the good spirit there :) then getting
home that night sure was an adventure haha!
Dang, this week I had a lot of teachings from the Spirit. I really learned a lot and I'm really grateful for this week. I learned a little about humility and selflessness. I'm currently reading third Nephi, the teachings of Christ, and it's amazing how you learn so many different things at different points in your life. I invite you all to take moment and read the chapters in third Nephi in the Book of Mormon when Christ comes and teaches them. There's so much to learn, that we can only learn as we continually study it.
We're currently at a really fancy restaurant with really fancy dresses on. It's slightly intimidating... Bah.
Anywho. I love you all SO much. Thank you thank you thank you for everything! You are all the BEST. Tons of love being sent from Milano Italy to New York, Utah, Arizona, and all over the world.
Loveeeee,
Sorella Hawks :)
P.s. Sorry for being lame by just sending a mass email and my lack of personal emails this week, next week will be better, vi prometto!

Italy, Week 38 (7/29/15) - Sunday Funday

Hello from the wonderful land of Cimiano, Italia! So last P-day we went to Lecco, which is basically Como. Lake Como comes into Lecco and it's beautiful and there's mountains and water and joy. We had to wait forever for our train which was thirty minutes late, so instead of our hoped for two to three hours in Lecco we got about an hour, but it was enough :)
We had some pretty cool miracles this week! One was finding the house of an investigator! We were walking there trying to remember how we got there when she had showed us the last time and we got a little lost. After a bit of trying to figure it out, we stopped and said a prayer and turned around, asked a nice man for help and he gave us a
free little map of the area and we did it! With the guidance of God we found our way! Also we passed by a less active family's house and our investigator (that we had been trying to see) was there with her! It was awesome! We were able to set up an FHE with them all together.
I had an awesome scambio with Sorella Griffin in Lampugnano this week!  Two birds of a feather flock together, right? Hehe anyway, enough with corny bird jokes. But while we were on a scambio there was a giant thunderstorm at night and I was sleeping right by the window and I woke up to rain drizzling on me and the sound of thunder right above
us. It was glorious, I miss thunderstorms. 
SUNDAY WAS INCREDIBLE!! So many people came to church! About 16 people that don't normally come to church came to church. It was so cool!  SIXTEEN! I was sooo happy and so was everyone that came! So our church
building here was under construction for a bit so everyone had to go to a different building further away. After two months of this, we were finally able to meet in our own church which is way closer for everyone and everyone was so happy! They said it was like being home again. Best Sunday ever!
Monday night we taught this cute young family with a four year old and a 27 day old baby. So fun! We taught them the plan of salvation with little pieces to show the plan and there's a little tomb and the little four year old boy kept saying that it was a door that when you unlocked it with the key, it opened into the land of dinosaurs. He said it about ten times at least. Maybe he just knows something we don't know yet.... Now I know that heaven is where dinosaurs are.  Paradise: riding a dinosaur in the clouds.
This past Monday we talked about charity in district meeting, what it is and how we get it and grow it. Charity has been something I've been trying to wrap my head around and obtain my whole mission. Why is it so hard to have pure charity? So many things stop us from fully loving the people around us, in all their faults and weaknesses. Why is it so hard to just be selfless and think of others' needs before our own?
How often do we tell ourselves that we need this when really it's just a want? One thing I've learned that's the hardest thing to give is time. Time is so precious, and what better way to use it and spend it
than with others? In the service of others, helping them with their needs, physically and spiritually? As members we are commissioned to this! It is our sacred duty and responsibility and opportunity to care
for those around us. I've learned that as we take care of others, we are more blessed and more capable of taking care of ourselves. Look at the birds in the sky and the lilies of the field. God takes care of
them. When we show God that we are willing and wanting to help those around us, He blesses us ten-fold. Yes, we should always make sure that we are secure and okay before providing for others, but we can
always help in different ways. Even just a smile and a nice word to someone who is down can mean so much. What a blessing it is to be disciples of Christ, especially in this day and age when so many
people are suffering and don't have the light that we have. Let us share it and use it for good and for others.
I love you all so much and hope you have a wonderful week! Vi voglio bene!
Alla prossima!
Sorella Hawks :)!

The beauty of Lecco

Feliz cumpleaño Peru!

The beauties of Lecco

July Pictures from Milan

Happy Fourth of July! 'MURICA!

Dinner with the Nigido's and our simp Patrizia!

 

Boats in the Trieste harbor

Our District!

Trieste missionaries for Life.

That's Trieste, the Adriatic Sea and a little bit of Slovenia for ya :)

We're at the cheese church! I finally did a hike here!

That's Piazza Unità behind me :)

Mission sisters! We were all trained by momma Yost!

With our wonderful investigator Viola :) 

A guy's trying to get Sorella Nilsen to buy corn to feed to the pigeons. 

Duomo!

Duomo!

Duomo!