Annie sent this letter last week, however, I was not able to get it sent out to all of you. Our area experienced flash floods last week and then a dam broke flooding homes and families near us. We are fine and thankfully no one was hurt, but the destruction is unbelievable. We have been helping with cleanup efforts and hence the delay in sending out Annie's letter. She is doing well and we so appreciate all your love and support.
-Marybeth aka Annie's mom
Hello hello!
This week has been good and tiring! We've had to run a lot of small errands, especially with our car problems. But in some ways, I like it when we can run errands. Running errands gives us a chance to meet and talk with people that won't give you the time of day as they're marching down the street (singing "Do a diddy, diddy dum, diddy do"). For example, here's my awesome SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE OF THE WEEK:
To live in Italy, I have to get what they call a "Permesso di Sogiorno" (Permission to Sojourn... sounds like the name of a Christian rock band). Very, very important that this happens, it's what makes me "legal," as they say. There are numerous steps involved, which take us all over town. We have to go to the post office, the passport office, the tax office, back to the passport office, etcetera etcetera. Anyway, we had, what we thought, were all the steps completed to go to the passport office for the last time. We got there ahead of everyone else and were super pumped because we got over the line. But once we got in, the worker told us that we hadn't paid the full amount and we had to go back to the post office to pay, and then come back. Bummer summer.
So off to the post office we went. I started talking to a couple people in line about our message and one woman was a little bit interested. One man started getting a little irate when I handed him a card that said, "Heavenly Father has a plan of peace and happiness." He started talking about how I didn't understand the meaning of patience or peace (and the cards that we hand out can sound a little patronizing if you don't explain then). But he didn't really give me a chance to explain and everyone in line was talking all at once. It was our turn in line, and so I had to skaddadle, without saying or explaining anything more.
After running a couple more places, we ended up back at the passport office to finish our business. And looooo and behold, there was the same man (Jake). We were in a waiting room and so I got a chance to sit next to him and really listen to his story and his concerns, what had made him so upset back at the post office. I was able to share a scripture with him. And then A MIRACLE HAPPENED! He corrected my Italian!!! Hahaha. That doesn't seem like a big deal, but it really is. Italians never correct my Italian and I wish they did. And he did. And I learned from it. And it was good. That's when I knew I was supposed to meet him. That, and the fact that he let us have his phone number to come see him another time. Ha! It was probably my favorite experience this week.
Also, the yogurt here is great. I eat it every day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I love the yogurt!
The part for our car arrived today, so we will be getting it fixed and moving back up to our apartment in Mistretta, which we are both looking forward to. It's been great being able to sleep in the church, because we don't have to drive up and down and mountain every day. It saves time and let's us meet with more people at a time that is convenient for them. So I'm glad we get to. But I'm also ready to have showers with hot water again. Yeeeeah.
I'm learning again and again that you can't make people change, only Heavenly Father can. People only change when they feel something. When they feel something changing inside of them. That something is the Holy Ghost telling them, "Yep, you're doing something that's good." It's like the feeling we get when we watch a movie musical. We as missionaries can't create that feelings, we can only faciliate it. Because it happens between that person and Heavenly Father. And sometimes it takes people a long time to settle down and listen to that voice and feel that feeling. And it requires a LOT of patience from us to deal with their same problems over and over and over. But it motivates me to study harder. Not so I can know more scriptures to convince them that this is all true. But that I can do "my part," and be worthy to have the Spirit with me. So they'll feel something special when they meet with us. And then the change can come through them and Heavenly Father. People changing is awesome and it happens! Even to crusty ol' Sicilian Catholics, who smile at us with only 3 teeth and ask us if we have Padre Pio in our church. I love em, I love em.
I love you guys! Thanks for your letters and love!
looooove
sister annie
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