Looking for New Opportunities

Ciao, cara famiglia!

 

Unfortunately I don't have much time to write this week, so I'll just hit some of the major things that happened. First off, we had a baptism on Sunday!! Yep, the second one in two weeks! This one was for our nine-year-old, Mishell. Everything went so beautifully, and I am just so happy that she has chosen to make this big step in her life. I'll have to send you some pictures when I have more time. Hmm, what else? Yesterday we had a mini little miracle as we were getting onto the bus to head to one of our appointments. Do you remember the man I told you about that we met at the bank (I guess about a month ago now), and then two weeks later he showed up at church. Well, right after we got on the bus we saw a man sitting in the seat right in front of us reading a newspaper, and lo and behold it was Antonio from the bank! It was definitely not a coincedence. Those are some of my favorite kinds of miracles when we just run into people who we've met previously, who have had interest but have been hard to contact for one reason or another. The Lord works in mysterious, but marvelous ways! After our two baptisms, we now find ourselves having to start a little from scratch again, but still this week we got one new investigator! The work just keeps moving forward, and especially with all the new sorelle coming in next transfer, I'm just trying to prepare the best I can to be able to carry on the work here in Milano (I think I'll be staying here, but I guess there's really no telling!) Well I love you all so much! Keep on the look out for missionary experiences wherever you go, and have a wonderful fantastic week!!

Love,

Sorella Lyman

Jennifer's Baptism

Ciao tutti!! Come state?

Wow, sounds like it's been an exciting week for everyone! That's so awesome that Katherine got into Harvard! Things have been pretty exciting here in Milan too. I love all the little miracles that happen during the week! Yesterday I was on a scambio with Sorella Brown from the Milano 1 zone. We were down in the metro and I saw a man leaning against the wall that I sort of recognized. I came up to him and said "Ci conosciamo?" and he recognized me too! I had talked to him on the bus in December right before he was about to return back to his country (Peru). We wrote down his number and gave him a pass-along card, not expecting to see him again. Little did I know I would see him two months later after he had come back to Italy! He said he was really interested in the message (I think more than the first time I talked to him) so it was really cool that we were able to run into each other again! The Lord really does put us in the exact right place at the right time! 

Another great experience this week comes from the missionary night we had on Friday in the church. We texted a lot of people about it, telling them to invite their friends and be prepared for a message and a little game afterwards. The turn-out wasn't quite as many as we were hoping for, but there was a member family who brought along one of their friends from work, along with another part member couple. We started off by giving a message about the importance of family which everyone seemd to really enjoy. And then afterwards we decided to play the newspaper game (a fun little circle game, sort of like signs). It ended up being so hilarious that everyone was practically dying of laughter. At first we thought that the night might be kind of a drag, but everyone loved it so much and was getting so into it! It was definitely the most I've laughed in a long time. Activities like that are such a good way to get people more involved with the church! 

Oh, and I musn't forget Jennifer's baptism!! Hooray!!! It was such a wonderful experience to see her taking that step. I think even more powerful was the next day when she was confirmed a member of the church and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. I felt the spirit so strongly! I am so, so happy for her. I love being a missionary, and I love learning new things every day about the gospel and how it applies when you are talking to real people in the real world. It is so beautiful seeing people change and helping them come unto Christ! I love you all so much. Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Sorella Lyman

Exciting Work in the Ward

Buon giorno a tutti!! Come state? 

It's another P-day once again, and the first week of the new transer! ...My third! I'm so glad to be staying here in Milano with Sorella Soh. We have so many great things coming up including two baptisms and a lot of other wonderful investigators and members we're working with. I love the ward here so much. On Sunday we did a special missionary sacrament meeting where all the missionaries in the ward gave short little talks, along with President Wolfgramm, and we did a special musical number of I need the every hour. Sorella Soh and Anziano Herrington sang, I played violin, and Sorella Lynch played piano. Afterwards we had a swarm of members come up to us wanting us to come visit them this week along with the ward mission leader and one of our part member families wanting to set up appointments. It was crazy, but definitely a great success! It was such a great opportunity to bear testimony to the ward and become closer with them. 

We're staying busy this week with Jennifer's baptism on Saturday along training meetings, member appointments, seeing other investigators, plus finding work. Yesterday we went to see one of our part member families who we talked to about prayer and learning how to recognize answers from the Holy Ghost. It was such a powerful lesson and we were really able to see how we can continue helping their whole family come unto Christ and be more united in the gospel. I love being a part of that process by sharing my testimony and learning others' testimonies and experiences as well! I espeically love hearing all the testimonies of people in the ward. On Sunday we went to have lunch with a family who's sister is becoming more interested in learning about the church. She had a lot of questions which we were all trying to answer, but what really brough it home is when one of the members just bore her testimony about when she was converted to the gospel and how she has never had any doubts since. It gives me so much more respect and understanding for people when I am able to hear their experiences about the gospel! 

This week I am reading the part in Alma about the conversion of the Anti-Nephi-Lehis. I continue to be amazed at what a humble and powerful missionary Ammon is. He preaches the gospel to an entire nation of Lamanites who all become converted and still gives all of his thanks and praise to God. He is one of the biggest examples to me of the right reasons for doing missionary work-to help people experience the same joy and love of God that we can feel from the gospel! 

Well, I hope you're all staying warm on the Iceburg! And congratulations to Ceci for getting to quarter finals in the debate tounament! That's awesome! Did she get my picture with the can of ceci beans? :) Well, alla prossima settimana! Vi voglio tanto tanto bene!

Love,

Sorella Lyman

Pictures at La Scala:

Feb. 6, 2013

Buon giorno a tutti dall'Italia!! 

Grazie mille for all the wonderful updates. It's so great to hear what's going on in all of your lives. I'm so glad Lisette is calming down and that Sophie and James are able to handle her a little better! And that's so great that Tom and Jocelyn get to go visit NC! That will be so fun. 

Well, another week down! I can't believe it's already P-day again. This week we have transfers, but they won't be affecting me or Sorella Soh. Which means we'll be together in Milano for one more transfer, and then she goes home! So crazy! Yesterday and today we got to host an Italian sister, Sorella Vardeau, who just got here from the Spain MTC with Sorella Palumba. They're coming with fourteen other new elders all from the Provo MTC. And next transfer I think it will be somewhere around sixteen new sorelle!! It was so fun to see them all together at the church in Milano Cimiano. That was me just three months ago! 

This week was full of a lot of cool little miracles. One of them happened on Sunday when we were in Principi Evangelici and a man walked in a little into the lesson who I recognized as someone we had talked to at the bank a couple of weeks back. We were there accompanying a member, and he had noticed my nametag so we started talking a little bit. It turns out he lives right next to the mission home, so has seen missionaries around a lot and sort of wonders about our church. We gave him a pass-along card right before we left which has the address of the church and didn't think much of it afterwards. But then in Sunday school, he just showed up out of nowhere! It was such an unexpected surprise and makes me grateful once again for the miracles that come when I least expect them. 

We have a very full couple of weeks coming up. This week we are having an activity on Friday where we will be watching Legacy and asking everyone to invite their friends. I hope it turns out well! And then next week our investigator, Jennifer, is getting baptized!! I'm so excited and happy for her. Well vi voglio un sacco di bene and alla prossima settimana!

Love,

Sorella Lyman