Week 18 Terrasini

Monday February 3, 2020

This week was crazy. We met with a lot of investigators and less actives this week. The highlight of the week was going to Terrasini, a town where I have ancestors from. It was so incredible and so beautiful there. I feel really blessed to have had the opportunity to go there. Also, this week we had a dinner appointment with a couple from our ward and it was a lot of fun to get to know them better. We also were able to go up to Monreale and have pronzo one day up there with a member from our ward. Friday we went to Casa de Nina, the house where handicap adults go to spend the day. We were able to teach them the song "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" which was really cute to watch them do. I just love them all so much. This Sunday was Fast Sunday and that was a good day. There were some really good testimonies shared and we were able to have one of our investigators come to church. It seemed like the focus of the testimonies was a lot on the Book of Mormon which was really cool because of the invitation that the Prophet has given us of reading the Book of Mormon more to prepare ourselves for the General Conference coming up in April. I got transfer calls today and I will be staying in Palermo for at least one more transfer. I am getting a new companion because my companion is being transferred to Malta, which is an island off of Italy. It is super exciting for her, but I am definitely going to miss her. I wanted to be with her for another transfer, but I am grateful for the time we had together. It's so cool the friendships you can make while on a mission with each companion.
Today for P-day we went to Cefalu, which is a town about an hour away by train. We were with some other sisters that are serving down here because one of them is going home this week and we wanted to spend some time with her before she leaves.
This week I was having a little bit of a hard week, just being more emotional than usual. And actually, my beautiful mother sent me a devotional that was given at BYU-Idaho. And that talk was so incredible and really, really helped me. Some parts that I liked from it were that we truly are a work in progress and we aren't going to be perfect in this life. The one part that I really liked was an analogy that the speaker gave. She said "When we plant a rose seed in the the earth, we notice that it is small but we do not criticize it as rootless and stemless, we treat it as a seed giving it the water and nourishment required of a seed. When it first shoots up out of the earth, we don't condemn it as immature and underdeveloped, nor do we criticize the buds for not being open when they appear. We stand and wonder at the process taking place and give the plant the care it needs at each stage of its development. The rose is a rose from the time it is a seed until the time it dies, within it all times it contains its whole potential. It seems to be constantly in the process of change yet at each moment, at each stage it is perfectly all right as it is. Just as we would never expect a rose to develop from a seed to maturity automatically, we can't expect our own process of becoming to yield instant results." I loved that so much because that is how I feel a lot of the time; I want things to come more quickly and I get down on myself when I don't see that growth right away. But it's not going to come right away and I need to be patient with myself. We truly are a work in progress. I wish I could just quote the whole entire talk, to be honest, it was so good!! There was one more quote that I really liked. She says; "President Ezra Taft Benson testified that the Lord is pleased with every effort even the tiny daily ones in which we strive to become more like Him." I loved this talk and it was just what I needed to help me.
This week has been a crazy one and next week will be too because of transfers and getting a new companion.

Love ya
Sorella Acton

Pizza and Planning

When our train 

broke down

When we finally got

on a new train

Trip to Terrasini

Week 17 The Lord's Hand

Monday January 27, 2020

For P-day last week we just took it easy; we went and did some grocery shopping, came back home and relaxed for a bit, and did our emails. Then we ate to the station and ate at a hamburger place and then we went with the Sorelli from Agrigento to go shopping for the sale that are happening right now. It was a lot of fun, I love spending time with them. Afterwards we came back and talked to our families which is always the highlight of P-day! It is so nice to be able to talk to them.
Tuesday we went up to visit one of our investigator's husband. He works at one of the theaters here and he said if we came and visited him he would take us in, show us around, and we could talk with him for a bit. When we went there, there was actually a production going on. He told us to sit down for a bit and watch and that we could talk afterwards. So we did, and it was a very interesting puppet opera. Probably one of the weirdest things I've ever watched, but I guess it was a "cultural" experience. Afterwards, we talked with him for a while. Then after eating lunch we went up to Monreale and visited a sister in our ward at her shop. She was making some really cool pottery out of clay. It was really pretty and was fun to see her. She said we could come back and she would teach us a little bit about how to make some of the stuff she does. We are really excited about that. Then we went and got some hot chocolate and did some comp study. After that we went and had a lesson with a less active. It was really good to check up on her, visit, and show her our love. We ended the day with English Course.
Wednesday we got up, had studies, and then went to District Council. After District Council we walked to the Center of Palermo and had District pronzo together. That was a lot of fun to unite our district more and to be with them. Then we went home and did some more studies and planning and then went out and had a lesson with a less active. She asked us a lot of questions about the temple. We were able to talk with her about the importance of the temple and were able to bear our testimonies pretty strongly about that. She was having a hard time with some questions and wondering why the temples were so elegant and expensive when there is so many people in the world who are suffering from the lack of money and we are just building this expensive temples. We were able to try and explain a little bit to her of why are temples are the way they are. That they are sacred and that they are a House of the Lord. I was able to bear my testimony of my love for the temple and that we don't always have answers to all of our questions. But the Lord has directed his Prophets and Apostles to build the temples the way they are so we need to have faith and trust in the Lord. I also shared with her that I believe if the direction comes from God then that is the way it should be done. Then we went and had a lesson with an investigator. We did a "Come Follow Me" Book of Mormon lesson with her. I always love reading from the Book of Mormon.
Thursday was a pretty good day. It started off really good. We went and visited Sorella Simoncini in the morning (she is the one that was one of the first ones to be baptized here in Palermo). She showed us how much family history work she has done. It was really fun to talk with her about all of that. We showed her a video from Elder Holland called "Where Love and Mercy Meet." I love spending time with her, I always feel the spirit so strongly. I feel so much love for her, she is so incredible and christ like. She studies her scriptures, does the family history work, and does her best to serve others. Whenever I'm bearing my testimony to her I feel the spirit so strong and I love that! Afterwards we came home for pronzo and then had language study. Then we went out and did a little bit of contacting and then we went and picked up Catia, who is a member in our ward, and headed to Lara's house (who is the Relief Society President of our ward). We visited with her for a while and shared a spiritual thought, which was focused on Joseph Smith and the Prophet, Russell M. Nelson's, invitation to us to learn more about him and to study the Book of Mormon and to study more about Joseph Smith's life for this upcoming conference. As we watched a part of the Restoration video I felt the spirit so strongly bearing testimony to me again that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that he did translate the Book of Mormon. And how important that is in our lives. I am so grateful for that because without him I wouldn't have the Gospel of Jesus Christ that means so much to me. After that we went to English Course and then we switched and I went on a Scambio (exchange) with Sorella Allen from the Palermo II area. While I was with her I got news that my GranPapa had passed away. That was really hard for me and I was really sad. One blessing was that I got the news right before I went to sleep so I was able to just go lay down instead of having to go through my whole day with that knowledge.
Friday I woke up and Sorella Allen made me breakfast and took care of me since I was feeling sad. That was such a blessing to have her. We did studies and then went out to one of the smaller little towns called Bagheria, we went out there and visited a cute Filipino lady. We taught her the Restoration and she spoke English which was nice. That went really, really well. We could tell that she felt the spirit and she agreed with the things we were sharing with her. We put her on a rough baptism date. Her family is pretty Catholic and they aren't supportive in her changing from that, but she feels that it is right so she wants to keep reading and seeing what she feels. Then we had pronzo and did another language study. After that we went to a less active's house and talked about talents and family history with her. We could tell that she felt the spirit and the importance of the family history. But unfortunately, she didn't have any interest in coming to church because it makes her really emotional and sad because her parents were active. So every time she goes to the church building she feels very sad. We are trying to just show her our love and help her realize that it's a good thing to feel emotional and to be close to her parents and that church would be a really good thing for her. But for now, we are just showing her our love. After that we switched back with our own companions and our own areas. It was really nice to be back with my comp, I definitely missed her.
Saturday, we did studies, contacting and then we made zucchini bread and took it some people. After pronzo we headed out to go visit Angela and Bernadette. Unfortunately, Bernadette left shortly after, but we were able to talk with Angela and help her. While we were with her I realized that I was able to understand a good amount of what she was saying. After being at her house we went and did some family history and learned how to index at the church. And I was doing some contacting, which was also a blessing because I realized that I was able to respond in Italian by myself with little errors. That was a real blessing for me to see my improvement.
Sunday morning we woke up and went to correlation, as always. It was Ward Conference and they talked with the members a lot about being member missionaries. That was awesome for us because the work really does move forward a lot faster with help from the members. Then we went and had pronzo with Catia and then did some contacting and weekly planning.
The spiritual thought that I want to share is, because I'm trying to learn more about Joseph Smith and get to know him better and his stories in order to prepare for General Conference in April, I have started reading in the Doctrine & Covenants. And I have just realized how awesome the chapters in the Doctrine & Covenants are. There are so many things in there that were given for Joseph Smith and that time but they apply to us so well at the same time. Some of those that I want to share are first, D&C 9:7-9 it says; "Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right. But if it be not right you shall nave no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong;" I loved this because it is a good reminder for me. A lot of times I go to the Lord and ask a question, waiting for an answer. But this reminds me that I need to make the decision myself and then go the Lord and ask if it is right. And then He will help me to feel if it is right or not. The second one I want to share that I liked is D&C 10:5 which says "Pray always that you may come off conqueror." I like that, it's short simple and sweet but how important prayer is. Heavenly Father is just waiting for us, He wants to hear from us. All we have to do is pray to Him and talk to Him and give him all of our concerns. He is willing and ready to help us.
I have seen the Lord's hand in my life a lot this week. Hearing the news of the passing of my GranPapa was very hard but it really helps to know of the Plan of Salvation and to know that I will see him again. And that our families can be together forever. His family is some of the family that I am going to be trying to find here through family history work and that is really special for me. I just realized that it's sad but it's my choice whether to dwell on it and be sad or to move on and to realize that he is still here with me in spirit and watching over me. I have felt the spirit a lot and the Lord's love for me this week and I am grateful for that.

Love ya

Sorella Acton

Me and my Comp, Sorella Barnes

Comp Bonding

Trying to have an

attitude of gratitude

 Visiting Monreale for P-day

Week 16 Zone Conference

Monday January 20, 2020

The week started off pretty crazy, a little stressful. We woke up on p-day and thought it was just going to be a normal day but step by step it turned into a pretty crazy day. Our good friends and Zone Leaders here in the Palermo I area, made some choices that they shouldn't have and they had to get transferred up to Rome and one of them had to go home. So Monday we had to deal with that news, it was a bit of a hard day and a shock to us. Later that day, we met up with some of the other Anziani (Elders) in our district and we spent some time with them. That was fun and helped to take our minds off of the other Anziani that had to leave.
Tuesday, we had interviews with President and Sorella Smith today. In the morning we went and met the new Zone leaders that came in and then they and my companion worked on a powerpoint that they needed to do for Zone Conference the next day. After that we headed to the church building in the Palermo II area, which is about an hour from us. We waited there for our interviews and then had our interviews. I had an interview with Sorella Smith first. We just talked about the area and my new companion. And then she asked how I was doing and if I was having any struggles. I just told her that the only one I was having was not knowing my standing with Heavenly Father. And how I really just wanted to know that, and for some reason I just was having a hard time knowing exactly how He feels towards me. She said things back to me that I really needed to hear. She told me that I needed to forgive myself and that I needed to believe the things I was teaching and the things I would tell someone else in a similar position as me, I often needed to tell myself. She said that I had a special light about me and she has seen it ever since we first met and it has only grown since then. And that she can tell I have potential and that everything from my past is forgiven and that I just need to move on from that. It was a really sweet moment with her. Then I went in for my interview with my Mission President. It was great to be able to talk with him and to discuss things with him and hear his point of view on some of the situations here. I just really love my Mission President and his wife, they are a real blessing here. It was a blessing for me to have those interviews with them.
Wednesday, we woke up at 5:50 and got ready and headed to the Palermo II church again to practice a musical number that we were going to do with the Sister from Agrigento. Then at 9:30 Zone Conference started. My companion and the Zone Leaders gave their presentation on the area book and then President and Sorella Smith spoke to us. President talked about the process of building the temple and how the lot used to be a farm. It use to be farmland and there was a little farmhouse that was on the lot as well and the missionaries stayed in the rooms there. On this farm there were olive trees and when they finally started to build the temple they took out those olive trees from that land and they preserved them. All except for six of those olive trees survived and they are now planted on the temple grounds. He told us that the Mission President before the announcement of the Rome Italy temple would take missionaries there when they first got to Italy. He would take them to the colosseum and to the pantheon and all the sites in Rome and then he would take them to this farmland. And would tell the missionaries that one day this will be a temple. Then a couple years later the announcement came in General Conference that there would be a temple built there. And how amazing that would have been for those missionaries. Something else that President said at Zone Conference that I really liked was "the best time to plant a tree was twenty years a go. The second best time is now. And how we need to be planting our trees." The missionaries back then were "planting trees" among the people so they would be ready when the temple would be built. That was a really spiritual moment for us. Then Sorella Smith got up and talked to us about the spirit of Elijah and turning the hearts of the children to their fathers and how the temple needs to be filled with Italian saints. After that the family history senior couple spoke to us about family history and Italian indexing. They talked about how we are going to be doing that a lot more and focusing a lot more on family history. We are going to learn how to index for Italian names and then teach the members here how to do that as well. They told us that only 8% of Italian records have been indexed. Those need to be done so that it will be easier for people to do their family history. They talked about how family history is going to be the hinge point and we are going to be using it a lot more in our work. That got me very excited! The spirit was very strong throughout that whole talk. It makes me so excited because I have a lot of family here that needs work done. I'm excited that I get to be a part of this new change. Afterwards, I went up and talked to the family history lady about finding my ancestors here and how I could go about that. She told me that she would help and that there are a couple more ladies up in Rome at the family history center there that love helping people find their family names. She said I could send her all my information and that they would help me find people. I am very, very excited about that. It was an amazing spiritual day!! Another thing I really liked from Zone Conference was they said there are three things we will take with us when we die; our relationships, our knowledge, and our character. Wednesday night my companion left back to Messina, which is on the other side of Sicily to do her permesso travel so I was in a trio with the Sorelli from the Palermo II area.
Thursday I woke up and was with them most of the day. It was a lot of fun to spend the day with them and get to know them better. It was nice to see how they went about doing the work, there was some fun things that I learned from them. That evening I went and picked up my companion from the train station and then we headed straight to English Course. We were told at Zone Conference that our English Course would also be changing. It is going to be more closely connected with English Connect and we are going to have a more structured outline for them. Also, we will have a longer spiritual thought for those that would like to stay for it. And after the first and second course they can do a third course and if they pass it they can go straight into Pathways. So we are opening the doors for them with that as well, which is really exciting.
Friday we went to Casa de Nina, and of course I just love going there and sharing my love with them and feeling of their light and love. After that we did some contacting and studies and then we went out and stopped by Anaze's. She was not feeling well so we had made her a card and brought her some oranges. That night we spent time with Catia, Arlinda, and Ana (Catia's daughter). I love spending time with them, they are incredible. We had a fun time there but by the end of the evening I was feeling very sick. Luckily, they live right below us so I was able to just come right home and get ready for bed.
Saturday, it started out a little slow because I was still feeling pretty sick. I started to feel a bit better after studies so we headed out to visit one of the girls we are teaching. Unfortunately, she told us that she didn't want to go too deep into learning about our religion because it confused her. But she loved the Book of Mormon and she wanted to talk with us and continue to read and study with us. So that is a step in the right direction even though I was sad to hear that she didn't want to learn much more right now. Also on Saturday I opened an email from my mom and saw that there were some troubles with my GranPapa, so that made the day a little bit harder. But it does help to be out here on my mission teaching about the Plan of Salvation and about the doctrine of Christ. It helps to know that I will see him again someday and that he's going to a better place. And that everything will be okay, so that gives me comfort. Saturday night was really awesome because the Palermo II Sorelli were having a baptism and we were able to go. About three or four weeks ago this man had a baptism day all set up and everyone had come but he was overwhelmed and didn't follow through with it at that time. But this Saturday, he did. He was baptized, it was a spiritual experience to be there and witness his special day.
Sunday was a really good day. We had correlation and church, my companion gave a talk. Unfortunately, the people we had invited to come to church didn't show up but it was still a really good Sunday. In Sunday school we were able to watch some of the Book of Mormon videos as we were discussing the Book of Mormon, that was a lot of fun. I love those videos and they help me feel closer to that story and relate it back to myself. Afterwards, a lady from our ward came up to us and asked if we would come over to her house for lunch because the Temple President and his wife from Madrid Spain were here and they did not speak Italian. She wanted to have them over because she has done some work in the temple and knew them and wanted to have them come over for pronzo. She was wanting us to come over and translate. We had lunch with them and then after the Temple President and his wife had to leave but we stayed and helped her wash the dishes and clean up. We talked with her as we cleaned and she shared with us how she was one of the first people to be baptized here in Palermo. It was so neat for us to hear her story. She has had a pretty hard life so she was a bit emotional. She was really needing us to be there, we were so glad that we had followed the spirit to say "yes" and to go over there for lunch and help her feel the spirit. We were about to leave and then I had a prompting to take initiative and ask if we could share a spiritual thought with her. I shared 2 Nephi 24:26 and I inserted her name in that scripture. Then I told her that I know Heavenly Father loves us and that He loves her so much. She is special to Him and he knows her and the things that she goes through in her life. And that we love her as well and that I knew Heavenly Father was so grateful for her. That was a big spiritual experience for me because it was the first time since I've been on the mission that I took initiative to share a spiritual thought and, of course, did it in Italian. I felt the spirit very strongly and I could tell that she felt the spirit strongly as well. We were both on the verge of tears, it was such a wonderful experience for me. It helped me realize that I do just need to open my mouth and then Heavenly Father will help me with the language.

Ciao Ciao

Sorella Acton

Zone Conference Pictures

Week 15 Short and Sweet

Monday January 10, 2020

This week went by pretty fast but it was a good week. We got three new people to teach, so that was really awesome. We worked really hard and were quite busy. We also had a scambio (exchange) with the Sorelli from Argrigento which was really awesome and it was super fun to have them around. On Sunday we had one of the people we have been working with come to church. It was the first time that she had been to church in a while and that was the first time that she had taken the Sacrament, or something like it because she used to go the Catholic Church, in five years. She said that it was amazing and that she felt the spirit really strong. We sang "I Believe in Christ" for the first hymn and she was teary through it and we were as well as the spirit was really strong as we were there with her. It was wonderful to have that experience with her. After church we taught her for a bit and she said she would like to continue to learn more, so that was a miracle. We also were able to go have pranzo with the Mauricci family and they have three kids. It was a fun time to be with them. We love being able to hang out with them, it reminds us of being with our families.
Life is good here in Palermo, we are definitely eating well here still. The work is good. The weather is beginning to get a bit more sunny but it is still pretty cold. I'm loving the mission and I'm loving the people here. The language is improving step by step, its still hard but I'm getting there.
This week for my little spiritual "snippet" to share is one scripture that I really like Mosiah 24:14. It says "And I will also was the burdens which are put upon your backs, even while you are I bondage; and this will do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye many know of surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions." And another one that I really liked is
Alma 29:9 which says " I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy." I really like these scriptures because they apply to me while I'm out here on my mission and they bring me a lot of comfort.
Sorry my weekly is so short this time.

Ciao, Ciao

Sorella Acton

Pizza with our English Course

We were able to go to Mondello this week.

I loved it, the ocean is one of my favorite

places. It is so beautiful and always 

brings me so much peace.