Italians Love Brownies!

 It is finally cold and wet here! I'm probably going to regret saying that I am so sick of the heat and humidity.

.

All of us missionaries and our YW Sara

Family Di Marzio

Our great ward mission leader who turns out to be one of the most talented music leaders in Italy--he leads all the choirs and teaches all these classes. 

English course! This is only half of our students!

So you did get my package? Whoo! I'm glad you all enjoyed conference! Did you like Elder Ballard's shoutout at me? (well at all the missionaries in Europe) I only got to watch two sessions...and in Italian! Haha so I didn't understand the whole thing and that's kind of a bummer but that's okay. Instead I had a lunch with this Italian family and it was the best ever! Their name is Di Marzio and only the son is a member. The food was great, the Dad OFFERED to say the prayer (first prayer he has EVER said), we had a great spiritual thought, and it was just so much fun joking around with these loud Italians. Ah I just love the people here!

This week has been great! Our ward mission leader FINALLY came home from his vacation (we've gone two months without a ward mission leader...non va bene) and now we have so much work and it's great! He also gave me a great compliment saying that I have the gift of tongues because when he left I couldn't say or understand much, but now I can understand everything and talk okay. Hooray for progress! Also he and his family come to Utah every year and they want to come over to our house and cook for us. Who's excited? 

So we lost my Jehovah witness this week.  Last week we weren't able to get a hold of her so we dropped by and left a note. The next day she called us and invited us over, we tried to teach a lesson (but then she kept interrupting us with random doctrine questions), but at the end it ended good and she seemed really sincere in wanting to read the BOM. Then we got a text message Sunday saying that she wanted to stay the way she is. So yeah. It happens. But I still have a lot of faith for her because she's not like all the other Jehovah witnesses and she really seemed interested in the BOM. 

BUT then I found a new investigator this week--Analia! I met her on the bus and invited her to English course. She just looked at me like I was the answer to her prayers because she and her family are moving to America next summer and they need to learn English. We set up an appointment and when we went over we ended up talking the whole time about the gospel! She told us how she has seen the missionaries all her life and she has always wondered about them, but has never talked to them and all the people who she has talked to don't know who they are either. We explained the restoration and the BOM and she was just eating it all up and telling us how she hopes its true. She doesn't have a religion, because she doesn't like any that she has been to. Okay off topic for a second: so I've learned a lot about prayer lately...for example the Catholic church prays to the Saints to take the prayers to God. Jehovah Witnesses pray to God through Christ. But we pray directly to the Father! I love the fact that we know that he is our father and wants to hear from US and we don't have to feel unworthy to pray to him like other churches. The great thing about Analia is that she doesn't have a religion but has taken parts that she likes and lives those--like she doesn't like how other religions pray and she prays directly to the father! I'm so grateful to have found her and to see how well God prepares people for the missionaries! 

Also, I am now know as "Brownies master" here. I've made brownies for some activities, families, service, etc---and everyone LOVES them! So I'm really popular right now! It's so funny how much Italians love brownies! Oh hey I think my P-days are now going to be on Mondays so make sure you get me my letters in time! Also this week is transfers...vedremo se rimango o vado. We'll see if i remain or stay. Ah freaking out here. Ci Vediamo! Vi voglio bene!!!

Bracio!

Sorella Knudsen