Thursday December 31, 2020
I don't have much to report for this last week. We had a couple of days where we were able to go to the Visitor Center and do virtual tours but for the most of the time we have still been on lockdown.
Hope everyone has a wonderful New Year!
Ciao
Sorella Acton
Friday December 25, 2020
It has been another wonderful week! We were able to attend and sing at two baptisms and it was Christmas. The whole country was put on lockdown for the week of Christmas and New Year's, not exactly what we were planning but we still had fun. We spent most of the time in our apartment. However, Christmas morning we were able to go and have breakfast with a Senior Missionary couple. They were missing being at home with all of their kids and we were missing our families; we all enjoyed it! It was great to call the family and virtually be a part of some of their gift opening.
Love and miss you all. Merry Christmas!
Sorella Acton
Esther's Baptism, what a special day!
Emma's Baptism (she's the 8 year old
that we taught to prepare her for baptism)
She asked the four of us to sing at her baptism
The temple at sunset
Merry Christmas from our apartment!
(quarantine hair fun)
Wednesday December 16, 2020
This last week was really, really good!
We had a lot of tours at the Visitor Center and we had Mission Leadership Conference with our Mission President. Then we had a mission wide devotional with him as well. For this year, back in January before covid hit, as a mission we made a goal to have 220 baptisms. Even with the Pandemic, we were able to get up to 66 but then the month of December was upon us and we were still short, by a lot. The leadership of the mission talked about it and they decided that since we have been talking so much about genealogy and family history work they really felt that we should include that in order to reach our goal this year; to add in our family history work as well. We've been working with new converts and less actives to help them learn about family history work. All the names we find through genealogy that need ordinances done, then they will be names that count towards our goal for 220. It is super cool that they added the genealogy element for our goal. As a mission, we have been working really, really hard this last week on genealogy. We went from 66 baptisms at the beginning of the week up to a hundred and ninety-six. As of right now, we have about 70 live baptisms that have taken place during the year and all the rest, up to 196, are names that will be able to be brought to the temple for baptisms for the dead once the temple opens again. We are really close to meeting our goal of 220 and we still have until the end of December. We've been working really hard on that and we have seen a lot of miracles. It has been so awesome. It's actually really cool because, as we've heard from the Apostles and the Prophet in the last General Conference, the work of salvation and the gathering of Israel is on both sides of the veil. We are working hard together as a mission for baptisms on both sides of the veil and it is a wonderful feeling!
I've also been working a lot in the Visitor Center this past week.
On Sunday our investigator, Esther, came to church with us and had her baptismal interview. There is one more interview that she needs to have with our Mission President and if all goes well with that, which it should, she will be getting baptized on Saturday. We are super, super excited about that and we are really hoping that everything works out for her. We've seen miracles as we have worked with her.
This week I had an interview with my Mission President. During my interview he told me that my "greenie", new missionary, would be arriving this week(she actually arrived yesterday). She is from America and the protocol is that all those coming from America have to be in quarantine for two weeks upon arrival. When he told me that she was coming I was super, super excited but also sad because I knew I would have to go into quarantine. I knew we had these baptisms planned(Esther and the 8 year old girl we had taught the lessons to), some Christmas plans, and some plans with our ward so it made me really sad to think about missing out on all of that. As my interview continued, President told me that he would be having another Sister Missionary quarantine with both her greenie and my greenie because he needed me at the Visitor Center to help with all the tours there. Also because we are getting new directors of the Visitor Center and he needed my help with that transition. And also because I am the driver for our area. He said that he couldn't afford to have me in quarantine so another Sister Missionary would be helping with that and I will receive my "greenie" when she is done with her quarantine. That was a HUGE blessing from the Lord, I am so grateful!! I get to be there for Esther's baptism and for the baptism for the member girl who turned 8 in November and we taught all the lessons to(she asked us to sing a song at her baptism). And I'll be able to be out for Christmas and all of that and all of the activities we have planned with our ward. I am extremely grateful for that and so excited!
I'm nervous to be a trainer and receive a new missionary that I don't know, but I'm also excited and praying that everything will go well.
My companion that I've had for the last two weeks is leaving for home today and so I will now be companions with the Sister Missionary who was companions with the Sister President is going to have quarantine with the new missionaries.
This week has gone really well and I am really happy!
There is something that I wanted to share from my studies this week. I've been studying from a book that my twin brother, Marc, gave me for my birthday entitled "The Infinite Atonement." I read a story that I want to share with you all;
"Elder Von J. Featherstone tells of a young man who came to him for a mission interview. Elder Featherstone inquired as to the man's transgressions. In a haughty manner the young man replied, "There isn't anything I haven't done." Elder Featherstone inquired as to the specifics; morals, drugs, and so on. Again, he replied; "I told you, I have done everything." Elder Featherstone asked, "What makes you think you are going on a mission?" "Because I have repented," came the reply. "I haven't done any of these things for a year." Elder Featherstone then looked at the young man across the table, 21 years of age, sarcastic, haughty, and with an attitude far removed from sincere repentance. "My dear young friend," he said, "I'm sorry to tell you this, but you are not going on a mission. You shouldn't have been ordained an Elder and you really should have been tried for your membership in the church. What you have committed is a series of monumental transgressions. You haven't repented, you've just stopped doing something. Someday, after you have been to Gethsemane and back, you will understand what true repentance is." At this the young man started to cry, it lasted for about 5 minutes. There was no exchange of words, only silence. Then he left Elder Featherstone's office. About 6 months later, Elder Featherstone was speaking to an institute group in Arizona. Following the meeting, he saw this same young man walking up the isle towards him and the details of their interview flashed through his mind. Elder Featherstone reached down from the podium to shake his hand. As the young man looked up, Elder Featherstone could see that something wonderful had taken place in his life. Tears streamed down the young man's cheeks and an almost holy glow came from his countenance. "You've been there, haven't you?" asked Elder Featherstone. Through the tears he said, "yes, Bishop Featherstone. I've been to Gethsemane and back." "I know," Elder Featherstone replied,"it shows in your face. I believe that the Lord has forgiven you."
When I read this I just felt the spirit so strongly because the Atonement of Jesus Christ is something that means a lot to me. I have a very strong testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and this story really hit home for me. When I came home from my mission for those six months it was really hard, it tried my faith, but I can say that I have been to Gethsemane and back. I am just so grateful for my Savior and for all that He has done for me. I am so grateful for the person I am today because of Him and for the blessing of the Atonement. I know that our lives truly can be changed because of Him and that's why I'm here on a mission; to try and help others gain a knowledge of that as well.
I love you all so much!! Hopefully I will have some more fun things to tell you next week. I hope you are doing well and that you will have a wonderful holiday season.
Ciao, ciao!!
Sorella Acton
Wednesday December 9, 2020
This week was a lot of the same, except for one beautiful blessing! Since I am the Sister Training Leader, I do all of the scheduling of the tours for the Visitor Center. I noticed there was a tour scheduled from Palermo. I asked the other VC Sorelle if they would mind if I did the tour because I served in Palermo for the first 5 months of my mission. I was so excited I could barely stand it. Imagine my surprise when I logged on and saw that it was my Bishop and his wife! They had scheduled a tour with his brother and his brother's wife. This was such a tender mercy because I spent last Christmas with Bishop, his wife, his brother and his brother's wife and their family. They made my Christmas so special! It was so fun doing a tour for them and I felt the spirit strongly. The Bishop's brother and his brother's wife are not members of the Church, so it was extra special to be able to bear testimony of the Savior to them, in Italian. Another exciting part of the experience was that when I was in Palermo, I was still trying to learn Italian and it was really difficult for me to understand what people were saying, especially my Bishop. But during the tour I could understand all of them perfectly!!
I am so grateful for my Father in Heaven and His loving, and tender mercies!!
Sorella Acton
Wednesday December 2, 2020
This week was a really long and crazy week! They switched out p-days from Monday to Wednesdays from now on. So, we had an extra long week this week. And on top of that we were packed full of tours this week. Every single day we had 7 tours. It was wonderful but also difficult at times because we barely had time to make and eat lunch. The week went really bast but it felt like it lasted forever at the same time. However, we had a lot of good experiences.
We had the last lesson with a young girl we have been preparing for baptism and their family is just incredible. She asked us if we would sing at her baptism so we are really excited about that. We also have an investigator on baptismal date for the 19th of December so we are really excited for that as well. Everything has been going really well with her. We had transfer calls on Monday and I am staying here at the Visitor Center in the Rome 5 area as the Sister Training Leader, but I will have a new companion for two weeks until she goes home. Then, if everything goes well with new missionaries coming into the mission, I will be receiving a "greenie", a new missionary! I am praying that all that works out so I can have a companion through Christmas.
I can't believe it's already December! I only have 3 months of my mission left, so I am trying to enjoy ever single second even when times are difficult. I am so grateful for the Visitor Center, the girls I served with this last transfer and for the Lord's hand in my life! And thank you everyone at home who supports me, I love and miss you all!!
Ciao ciao!
Sorella Acton
