Thursday, September 12, 2013

Families Coming Together

Buon giorno tutti!
The miracles never cease in Collegno, or in Italy for that matter. I can't believe it's been an entire year and that we are already getting close to the holiday season. The time goes too fast! Like i say all the time P-day always just sneaks up on me and here I am writing my email home once again. i also can't believe that I've been in Collegno for almost four transfers. That's six months! Thinking back to my very first day with Sorella Haslem seems like forever ago- a whole lifetime ago. But that's just how the mission is. The MTC seemed like a lifetime, my time in Milano seemed like a lifetime, and now here in Collegno seems like a lifetime, yet it's all gone by so fast. I've grown here in different ways than I did in Milano. It's hard to explain how, I just know that Collegno will always have a very special place in my heart because of all the amazing relationships I have made with people and the experiences I've had. I wouldn't trade them for anything.
One of those relationships that I love and treasure is that of our investigator who we met at the beginning of last transfer who is now getting ready to be baptized on the 28th of September. The miracles that we have seen with her and her family have been unbelievable. She is such a great example for me of her unwavering faith in God and especially the power of prayer. We basically just teach her like she's a member because she has been so prepared to receive this message her whole life,  and now is just the right time. Along with helping her come into the gospel we have also helped to reactivate her son who now lives in Torino and has been less active since he joined the church back in the 90s. Ever since he moved out of his mom's house to Torino he always asked her if there was anyone from the church who had come looking for him since he wasn't able to go to church anymore. It wasn't until we rang her citofono 2 months ago that he finally got back in contact with the church after years of waiting for someone to come along. There really are lost sheep out there that we need to gather back into the fold! That is why this work is so important because we never know when our influence and effort is going to have an impact. Now he is coming back to church, his brother is beginning to open his heart to the gospel, and the mother is getting ready to be baptized. E bellissimo!
Besides that, we are still having a surge of lessons and people to teach. Last night we actually ran into one of our investigators who we hadn't seen in about a month because he had gone to Salerno to be with family for a while. Well yesterday we ran into him and his brother while walking back with one of our members from an appointment we had just had and we ended up having a lesson and being able to explain more about the gospel to his brother who is genuinely interested and open. It was such a blessing because this investigator is so enthusiastic about sharing the gospel and we wanted so badly that his family know about it to. And then we just happened to run into him and his brother with one of our awesome members. The miracles never cease!
We are just busy little bees here in Collegno and we are determined to keep it that way and hopefully get some anziani here in the next transfer. There is nothing better than being axiously engaged in a good cause! D&C 58:26-28.
Vi voglio un mondo di bene. Tanti tanti bacci e abbracci :) (hugs and kisses)
con tanto amore,
Sorella Lyman

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