Hello From Rome!

Dear Family,

Transfer calls came! I am staying in Rome, which means I will get to see Lizbeth and Michael get baptized. :D

Sorella Smithson is getting transferred, and I am getting a new companion, Sorella Fairbanks! I've done a few exchanges with her before, so I know that she is great.

My shoulder is still having some problems. Here's hoping for the best!

This week I did an exchange with the Rome 2 sisters. It was hard, but cool because we got to do some finding by the Rome temple that they are constructing. The Spirit is really strong near there. I got off the bus, and felt an overwhelming good feeling, and I told the sister that I was with that, and she said, "That's because the temple is right around the corner. Then I saw it, and was just filled with awe. It is beautiful, and just so exciting that the people of Italy are getting a temple. :)

On Saturday, we were invited over to Lizbeth and Michael's house for dinner. They invited a bunch of their friends in the ward (They are getting intergrated so nicely! They really are a part of this ward already). We ate some peruvian food (Arroz con pollo, and cerviche), and it was sooo good. It was really cool because it was like a family home evening. Michael conducted the night, and I was just thinking about how he is going to make a great priesthood leader soon. Michael gave a testimony, and told us how grateful he was to us that we found his family. Then, it went into a testimony meeting. It was so great. The Spirit was really strong, and Michael told everyone that he wants to be baptized with Lizbeth, on the same day. This was really significant, because for awhile, he told us he wanted to be baptized, but sometime after Lizbeth. Now he's officially decided and told everyone he wants to be baptized the same day as Lizbeth! I am so excited. April 26th. Can't come soon enough. :)

Then yesterday, we were invited over to the Silva's house, for Sharon's birthday. It was an awesome Filipino party, with lot's of food. There was even a roasted pig head! Also, there was karaoke, and it was one of the most hilarious things ever.

Anyway... I am really excited for general conference this weekend. :) Woot woot!

CIAO!!!!

Love,

Sorella Worsham

Things Slightly Less Downhill

Hey! I have officially been on my mission for over a year now. It was funny thinking about my first day in the MTC, and all the things that have happened since then, and all the amazing people I have met in this year. This mission really has been such a growing experience, and I am really greatful that I have been able to have it, even though at times it's been hard.

Hey, remember how Lizbeth has a baptism date for April 26? Now her husband Michael has a baptism date for the same day!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited!

:D

This week we had a really interesting conference with Elder Patrick Kearon. He is over the Europe area. A TON of missionaries were there. I think over half of the missionaries in the mission came. Afterward, Sorella Smithson and I were waiting to talk to the mission nurse, and he came up to us and started talking. He was really funny, and we joked about how he thinks Sorella Smithson pushed me down the hill. :)  

We found a less active woman this week! She lives in a building that used to be a school, and now is converted into housing for people who need it. It was really cool to see how great she and her daughter are. It was a really humbling experience.

I have been having a hard time lately with my shoulder, and getting around places. I realized that the times when I feel the happiest is when I am teaching. For example, when I am teaching Lizbeth and Michael, everything bad doesn't matter anymore, because I know that this is what they need to hear. I have been blessed. :)

I hope everyone has a great week! I love you all! :)

Downhill...

Dear family, (I won't be able to write as much this week, and you'll know why as you read)

The beginning of this week was good. :)

Then it sort of went down hill. Literally, on Friday, I actually kind of traumatically fell down a cement/gravel hill near our house. I was running down the hill to catch a bus, when I saw it go the other way, so I knew that I still had time to catch it. I stopped, but unfortunately fell forward and made full body contact with the ground. Both my hands are really scraped up (they're both wrapped right now...which is why I won't be able to write as much as normal). Also my right leg is pretty scraped, I have a big heart shaped bruise on my side, and my ribs and back hurt pretty badly. These last few days have been really painful and hard.

Have any of you heard of Padre Pio? If not, you should look him up. It's an interesting story. Anyway, all the ward members have been joking that I look like Padre Pio because both of my hands are bandaged. :)

Right now I kind of feel like a cross between Padre Pio and Edward Scissorhands. If any of you want to send inspiring quotes right now, that would be appreciated.

On the plus side, Lizbeth wants to be baptized and she chose the date of April 26th. :)

Thanks everybody!

Love,

Sorella Worsham

Home Sweet Rome

Dearest family,

This week went pretty well.  

This week we had the most beautiful lesson with Lizbeth and Michael. We were all crying as we all bore our testimonies about Joseph Smith, and this church. The Spirit was really strong, and we taught them about the Spirit in that moment. It was very powerful. Then, last night, we committed them to pray about baptism for the 29th of April. This family is just the best. They both mentioned again how they want their 4 year old son to go on a mission. Sigh. Also, Lizbeth gave us two referrals. I just love them so much. Their faith has just grown so much since we met them. The Book of Mormon and church and prayer is just the best. :)

(Also, another cool thing about them is they make us Peruvian food sometimes. It is a really nice break from eating Pasta all the time.)

This week the goal for our zone was to find new investigators. We talked to so many people this week. I even ended up teaching a very abridged version of the Restoration to a man on the metro. We are going to meet him this week to give him an English Book of Mormon.

We had a crazy family home evening with a family in our ward, and and english course student who is their cousin. The plan was to watch the Restoration film. Let's just say...just about everything went wrong. Hahaha. It was almost comical. I just always say that a mission teaches people to be flexible and resilient.

You know, it is interesting, because my whole mission I was kind of scared and intimidated by Rome. It is such a big city. At first when I came to Rome, it was hard because it was nothing like the other cities I have served in, and it was hard to figure everything out (especially my way around the city, and the public transportation). I was thinking about it today, and I really have grown to love it. I really am happy here. :)  

THANKS EVERYONE!

Love,

Sorella Worsham

Sickness Strikes Back

Dear Family,

This week was pretty dang good.

Today for Pday, we saw the Vatican Museum, which includes the Sistine Chapel. It was really cool. We kept getting harrassed by street vendors, and we decided it was because of our hair. At one point, I had lost my patience, and I said, "That's it! I'm dying my hair!!!" Hahaha. My hair is still it's natural color right now, but one day I might crack and dye it.

So, I have been feeling better, but whatever I had last week has been spreading. Sorella Samuels was sick this week, which made things hard at times, but the week ended up to be a good one.

On the Lizbeth and Michael front, things are going really well. In one of our lessons this week, she told us that she wants her son (who is 4) to go on a mission when he is older. :D We had a family home evening with them last night and a family in the ward (the Arrondi family), and it was great. We watched the Restoration, and the Spirit was really strong. The evening was actually mostly in Spanish, and it was really cool. It has been cool to see the gift of tongues really working. They talked in spanish, and we would respond in Italian. We talked, and eventually the topic changed to the temple, and how we can be together with our families forever. Sorella Arrondi talked about what a blessing it was, and how beautiful it is that everyone in the temple wears white. Then we talked about how people can be sealed after being baptized for a year, and how the Rome temple will be completed in a little over a year. Michael told us that a while ago, he was looking for a church in Rome. He was asking around, searching, and then a few days later, we were at his house. It is so funny how the Lord puts us places to find people who are ready. We found Lizbeth because we had taken the wrong bus. I am really excited for them. Keep praying for them! They are ready for baptism, they just need their testimonies strengthened a little bit.

This week we taught one of our English Course Students, Simon, the Restoration. He seemed to really like it. He accepted the baptism date of March 29, so pray for him as well.

This week was also Zone Conference, and Stephen B. Allen came. He kind of chastised our mission for being a low baptizing mission. At first it was kind of shocking, but it was a really big push to try even harder. People have their agency, but also I can always talk to more people, or do other things better. In our mission, we just got texting a few weeks ago, and they hinted that maybe after general conference we might be getting some other technology that other missions have, such as using the computer/facebook/maybe ipad for proselyting. We are still pretty old school in this mission, so it will be interesting to see what happens if we get technology.

LOVE YOU ALL!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Love,

Sorella Worsham

The Moment of Truth: Pinata Style

Dear Family,

The long awaited pinata has finally officially been broken! We did a P day this morning as a district and decorated shirts, and surprised the district with the pinata. Basically, it was awesome.

Last week for P-day, Sorella Winston, Samuels, Asher, and I went to La Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth). The story is, if you stick your hand in the mouth and tell a lie, it will chomp on your hand, but if you tell the truth, then you are fine. Sorella Asher stuck her hand in it and said, "The Book of Mormon is true!" and she was fine. There you go, folks. La Bocca della Verità says the Book of Mormon is true. :)

This week was pretty great. It definitely had it's ups and downs, because I was sick. We were still able to have a great week. We had five investigators in church again this week, so it was pretty crazy, but it was awesome.  

This Saturday, we had a huge Family Home Evening with Sorella Bretti, a woman in our ward who has been helping us with missionary work lately. She has been coming with us to the Peruvian Family (Lizbeth and Michael), and so she invited them, along with a bunch of people from South America to come to this family home evening. It was pretty awesome. It was a very "Mormon" family home evening, with it all planned out. The son conducted, Sorella Bretti gave the lesson, another one of the sons was in charge of the game, and then of course, there was food.

My team won the game, and the losing team had a "punishment."  She made a "cake" which was actually just flour that had been molded into the shape of a cake with a little ball on top. They each had to take a slice off, one by one, trying not to make the ball fall. Whoever made the ball fall had to eat part of it. Hahaha. Good thing my team won! :)

Good news, Michael said he wants to get baptized! He just wants time, which of course is what he needs. They have come to church now three weeks in a row, which is awesome. The ward really loves them. This week is Francesca's (the daughter) birthday, and we have another family home evening planned with them for this Sunday, so that combined with our normal appointments, we will be seeing them a lot this week. We are really excited for them.

Anyway, I hope this week is great for all of you. I love you all!

Love,

Sorella Worsham

Finally Sunshine!

Dear Family,

IT FINALLY STOPPED RAINING!!!!! :D

This week was pretty up and down. It ended on a good note though, so it was a pretty great week overall.

Sorella Samuels and I had five investigators in church this week! It was awesome.

We see our Peruvian family, Lizbeth and Michael and their two little kids, Sebastian and Francesca twice a week now, and they told us that they want us to come over whenever we can. This is great news to hear from investigators. They came to church again this week, and three different families have offered to have them over for a family home evening. This family has been sucked up into this ward so fast. It is a really cool thing to see. We are hoping to have a baptismal date for them this week, so please pray for them!

We picked oranges this week! One of our investigators is in a part member family, and they needed help with their oranges. I've realized orange trees are a lot cooler than the apple trees that I grew up with. I wish Utah had orange trees! Anyway, we did a good service, and then they gave us a lot of the oranges. Doesn't get much better than fresh oranges off the tree.

Yesterday, we had a family home evening with a family in our ward from the Philippines. It was all about unity, and then we ate food. You guys...they know how to do food right. AH! It was so good. Although...in the near future they want us to try a food called bulat (I think that is what it is called). Anyway...it's a fertilized duck egg... So we will see what happens with that.

Anyway, I hope this week is great for everyone. Please pray for me and my investigators. Thank you.

Love you all!

Love,

Sorella Worsham