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We found these
ladies in the area book--they LOVE the missionaries, aren't interested
in religion, but they were cute anyways.
We teach these Africans Italian and at the end of the lesson they always give us cookies and the strangest drinks.
Sono
felice di sentirti! That's cool that already you got to meet one of
Dallan's converts...if only people of Italy came to Utah more
often...haha. Anyway this was another bellissimo week! First off...
We got a call Thursday night
from our Zone leader saying that Saturday night we need to come to Rome
because Elder Ballard wants to have a meeting with all the missionaries
in this area!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sunday was
stake conference and we were already planning on going to Rome with our
ward, but now we get to go earlier and meet Anziano Ballard! All of us
missionaries stayed in the villa (the mission home) and then we had to
wake up super early to head over to the hotel (conference center). Both
Elder Ballard and Elder Maynes spoke to us and it was so great! I was
kind of expecting a talk about the atonement or how to follow the
spirit...but if I could title it...it would probably be "How to deal
with Catholics." Not what I was expecting--but it was SOOO helpful and I
learned so much! It was basically just an apostle of the Lord giving us
advice very specific for this area! He was talking about how we need to
praise people for their belief in Christ and tell them we want to add
to it, how important it is to establish who Christ and God are (the
catholic church believes in the trinity, but most people don't anyways),
how we need to emphasize the apostasy and especially help people
realize that it has happened many times in the past and it is no
different from today. He gave us all this advice to work with members
and he went on a long time about how we need to convert the youth here
in Italy! They did a study and almost all the church leaders in Italy
were converted when they were about 18. Older people are so stuck in
tradition that they won't ever listen to us, but the young people
aren't! He really emphasized the youth and how we can have a greater
effect through that. And he said a bunch of other great stuff! For the
conference with everyone they only talked about missionary work and he
said that when God gives a temple--he raises the expectation for the
members...so now all the members have a great desire to do missionary
work. Ah such a great conferenza!
The work this week has been
really great! We've had some really great lessons with our investigators
and we've finally saw Maria and Elena this week (these are huge
miracles). Emilia's baptism is this week and we are way excited for it!!
Oh the other day we were walking when this girl stopped us and said
"Hey I want to do lessons with you." It was right after English class so
I thought she was talking about that and I started explaining about the
class when she says "but you guys are a religion right?" "si..." "Yeah I
want to learn about your religion--I met the Anziani (Elders) in
Milan." We talked with her for a while, got her information, and we're
teaching her later this week. We were so amazed. We didn't do anything
and this girl just asked us to teach her. THIS THING NEVER HAPPENS. One
day Sorella Spicq told me how it's easier for prepared people to stop
the missionaries than it is for the missionaries to find and stop
prepared people and that we should pray that prepared people will stop
us. I've actually been praying for this to happen--and it did. God
really does listen to our prayers!
Read and pray every day!
Vi voglio bene!
Sorella Knudsen
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