Thursday we went to visit a woman named Luigia Pezzetti. We have visited her before and she is a very sweet woman but has not been active in the church for years and we do not know why because her son is really active and she does not appear to have any problems with the church. We taught her about the Jaredites and their journey across the sea to the promise land and faith. That was quite an inspired lesson because she completely opened up about everything. Turns out she just has lost her testimony. She does not know where along the way that it occurred but she really wants it back, she is just lacking the desire. But she told us she knows it has to begin with her, she needs to turn to the Lord in sincere prayer and ask for his help in acquiring the desire. We plan on working with her as if she were an investigator by giving her all of the lessons again and helping her gain that testimony of the Savior and gospel again. We love her even more now that she has trusted us with her feelings and we hope we can help her return to the church. English course that night was fun. I had made snickerdoodles for them because A) they are an American cookie and B) because Sorella Pickett and I really wanted to see their faces when they saw and heard the name :) They did not let us down. They thought it was quite ridiculous but really enjoyed the cookies. We did not have that big of a turn out for the advanced class because only two students came. One girls name is Christina and she is from Slovenia and Giuseppe is an older Italian man that makes us laugh.
Friday afternoon after weekly planning we met a member, Louisa, at the church to teach her a lesson. She has been going through a really difficult time lately and so we began with a prayer and then Sorella Pickett played some really pretty piano music while I talked with Louisa. After a little while Sorella Pickett joined us and we shared a conference talk with her from May 2010 about putting your trust in the Lord. She really seemed to like it and her spirits were lifted. She left having a little more strength because she had given some of her burden over to the Lord. After that we had to run over to Bufalotta (a zone of Roma right next to Fidene and Montesacro) for a dinner appointment with Susan and Ramaskey Tholley. Susan has been doing really well and has not missed a day of church in weeks but her husband is still not coming and we do not know why. But they are a wonderful family and the Burts (a senior office couple) offered their home as a place to have dinner with them and their son Emanuele (the awesome little boy that I love). Dinner went really well and we learned a lot about Ramaskeys life growing up in Sierra Leon and how he found the church and served a mission in Nigeria. Unfortunately that was when the war broke out in his home country and his mission was the only thing that saved his life while he ended up losing his entire family. Susan had a similar experience. Her father was kidnapped by the government when she was only 2 years old and he never came home. They have both had hard lives that I will never begin to understand but it has made them the people they are today and they offer such strength and examples to us and those they come into contact with. Sorella Pickett, I, and the Burts have great hopes for their family and the wonderful blessings that will come to them if they continue to learn and grow in the gospel and are sealed together as an eternal family!
Saturday morning we went to go and visit the Marcuccis who are also a senior office couple. On Tuesday Sorella Marcucci received blood test results that she has a chronic illness that needs to be treated and that same day they heard that their youngest son had unexpectedly passed away in his sleep :( We went over that morning to bring over a loaf of bread we had made them and say good bye because they were leaving the next morning to return home. I love those two so much and they are such an example of love and faith to all of us. We had the opportunity to hear stories of their son from when he was young and see videos and pictures of his sweet family. Their family is in our prayers and we know that Heavenly Father will bless them at this time. My time was short with those two, but I loved serving with them.
Sunday we met a really nice girl from Salt Lake. She is a return missionary and served in the Independence Missouri mission but she served in Kansas. I told her we lived there and she knew exactly where Olathe and Overland Park was. She lived in Spain for over two months and is finishing up her trip by traveling through western Europe. After church was also . . . eventful. We took the bus home with Louisa who still is having a hard time. As she got up to exit at her stop she fainted. We had help getting her off the bus and one really nice woman ran and got her water and called an ambulance because we were not quite sure what was wrong and Louisa would not get up. She ended up being alright, thank goodness, and is now safe and sound at home. Sunday night we visited the Ingrassia family. They are really awesome. Raquel Ingrassia (the mom) is a life time member from the Dominican Republic and her husband is a convert. They have the cutest little daughter also who is 7 :) we made pancakes with them and had a great lesson about service. They told us there are two families near by that they want to share the gospel with and will try to set up lessons with us to teach them. That would be awesome! I hope that works out. We are kind of lacking in investigators at the moment and would love to have member referrals and be able to teach them in their home as well!
Monday was not too eventful. We had district meeting and that went well. Because everyone was gone we only had ourselves and Anziano Pesci and Anziano Schwing. I guess, as far as they told me, that was my first normal district meeting. Every other meeting has been with all of the office couples, the assitants, and even the President Kelly and Sorella Kelly sometimes. But it was great, much more low key and casual. Both Anziani are awesome and we had a great lesson and activity from Preach My Gospel.
Tuesday was fun :) We went to see Patrizia Gabriella at the Casa di Cura again. She is the woman that lives in the home that is similar to the Developmental Center. We brought her a bible and some cookies and sang a few songs with her. It is amazing what music and prayer can do for those who cannot understand other things. When we sang "I'm trying to be like Jesus" a few of the other people around came closer and were all quietly listening to us. It was sweet to see the stress in their faces disappear as they heard us sing words about the Savior. Patrizia also really liked the cookies haha! Sorella Pickett told her I made them and then Patrizia just went on and on about how beautiful I was in both body and spirit. Gotta love flattery so that I will bring her more cookies next time ;) We went to see Rosa Rivera that afternoon as well and she has been sick so she had a space heater right in front of the couch and it was starting to burn my legs and I did not have stockings on so by the end of the lesson my legs looked sunburned haha! Sorella Pickett said I looked like a baked turkey and Rosa just thought it was the FUNNIEST thing ever. She said it was a shame her camera batteries were out otherwise she would have taken a picture. Oh well, it is not the first time I have embarrassed myself haha! Also, I almost always refuse to wear tights which to Italians it is ridiculous. I get stared at wherever I go, literally. I even had a woman a couple of weeks ago stop me and say "Hot huh? Good luck!" and on our way home from Rosas I said hello to a woman on the street and all she said back to me was "Why are you wearing that?" I had my coat off and a white skirt on . . . Italians go by the calendar, not the weather when they decide it is warm enough to wear certain clothes and Sorella Pickett gets a kick out of it every time I get a comment for it. We were then in a rather weird mood after all of that so when we returned home that night we had a pumpkin seed eating contest (do not ask why) and we were one upping each other on who could bite through the most seeds in one bite. Ridiculous I will admit but it entertained us after nightly planning before we took off to bed :D
Today we took it easy. We started out the morning by going to a members house named Claire Fergusen. She is an absolute dear. She recently had surgery and has a difficult time moving so we went over this morning to help her wash and style her hair. I of course brought chocolate cake (I like to bake for people . . . sue me) which she appreciated and asked if I had made the carrot cake we had left for her the week before. I think I will always be on her good side now! After we helped her out we went to go play soccer with the Anziani. Do not worry though. I behaved myself and did not play because I know blowing out my knee and being sent home is not worth it. But I was tempted! Instead I sat on the side and wrote letters to some friends. After that we took off to the grocery store and got some much needed groceries as well as ear wax candles! Those are the craziest things! We tried them out when we got home and mine was SO full of ear wax from just one ear! I will have to send a picture I took of it. It was disgusting but kinda cool :D We also had an appointment tonight with a girl named Candy. She is a student at the University and is from Mexico. She was way cool and we gave her a Book of Mormon and talked about the Restoration with her. She really liked it all especially when we talked about the Eternal Family and the temple. Her mother died when she was 13 and it meant a lot to her that she can be with her again someday :) She was awesome and we really hope to continue to teach her! Her entire family can and will be greatly blessed by this gospel!
I am again so grateful to be here serving the Lord and these wonderful people. I am astounded everyday at the love they have for everyone around them. There are so many things I need to learn from them and I actually can do something for them in return, invite them to come unto Christ, their Savior and Redeemer. Missions are anything but easy. I find myself battling what I want to do and who I would rather become each and everyday and I can feel the Lord assisting me to make the right decisions. I love this work and I know if I do it Heavenly Fathers way I cannot fail. Thank you for all that you have done to help me get to this point! Who knows who I would be without those who have blessed my live!
Vi Amo!
Sorella LeCates
