What if Romeo and Juliet were Mormon?

Buon giorno tuttiii!!!

Wow, what a week. Actually, yesterday is sort of the climax of the whole thing. With bikes comes the added intensity of any wind or rain and yesterday there happened to be a HUGE storm right as we were out trying to get to an appointment on the other side of town. So in other words, WE GOT SOAKED!! Seriously, I've never been more wet in my life. Even with my rain coat which I discovered was no match at all for this storm. Bascially it's just really fun riding around on bikes come wind, rain, or shine as long as we're doing the Lord's work!! We showed up at our members house dripping head to toe and spent about 30 minutes drying off and changes into the clothes that they graciously gave us. :) The picture is attached. Yep, with purple crocks and all. 

So yesterday was definitely a day to remember. You really just never know what to expect. That's what makes life so fun, and a rollercoaster at the same time. Other highlights from the week are that this past weekend we had stake conference! There were a lot of members and missionaries that came from all over the area including Bergamo, Reggio Emilia, Bolzano, Mantova, and others. There were a lot of super strong testimonies, including a lot by the youth about temple attendance. It was espeically cool coming from this group of youth because the temple is about 6 hours away and in a completely different country. Their priorities are straight and tesitmonies rock solid. And practically the whole conference was about missionary work! Woohoo! There was also one talk that I particularly liked speculating what would have happened if Romeo and Juliet had grown up in homes focused on the temple. Very interesting and thought provoking! I love being able to develop new insights being in such a culturally abundant city! 

As far as the actualy work in Verona, I feel like it is going pretty well. We have a lot of investigators who we've found through families in the ward- a lot of them members of the family who haven't been baptized. We're slowly working with them, piano piano as the Italians would say, but I really do have faith that they will all be baptized! If there's one thing I've learned it's that it's all in the Lord's timing. I've met so many members in the wards that I've been in that have taken four or five years, if not more to decide to be baptized. And they are all some of the strongest and stalwart saints I have ever met! One of my favorite things is to learn about members conversion stories. They are always so inspiring! 

Do you know what else is really inspiring? Grab a friend, have them choose a number 1-531, flip to that page in the Book of Mormon and tell them pick a verse on that page. And then you have to apply it some way to their life and the gospel. It's something that Sorella Willis and I are trying in our finding work and in lessons and it's always an adventure to know just what we're going to get. And the cool thing is that there's always a way to apply it- that's the power of the Book of Mormon!

Have fun with all your adventures this week... there's a surprise around every corner!  ESPECIALLY this week! (buon Halloween! :) )

Lovelovelove,

Sorella Lyman

Juliet's balcony!

The colosseum

Rescued from a rainstorm

First Week in Verona

Ciao tutti!!

I am so excited to write to you all this week, since I am writing from a new city! Verona is so beautiful- it seems like there is something to look at practically everywhere we go! We live right close to centro which is where you find all the pretty Verona sights- ancient roman ruins, juliet's balcony, cute little shops and winding streets everywhere, churches, bridges, rivers, the whole deal! I just feel like I'm in heaven as I ride my bike down the street and thank my Heavenly Father that he sent me to such a beautiful country! 

So there are lots of exciting things about being transferred and lots of adjusting to do to! This is acutally my first time being transferred regularly with a companion who has previous experience with the area (besides going to my first city, Milano). It's pretty nice! My goal for this week is to just get myself oriented and keep everyone straight! One exciting thing is that we're on bikes! It's the first time on my whole mission that I've been on a bike and my legs are definitely feeling it! I can also see how the sisters before really helped this city. We are working with a beautiful family right now where the dad just got baptized a few weeks ago and we're continuing to work with the mother and the daughter. They have two kids total- the daughter is nine and the son is six. They are so cute! I love teaching families. 

The ward is also so great. I haven't gotten to know a lot of them yet but from what I can tell from Sunday and from what Sorella Willis has told me they are super on board with missionary work. We are doing a lot of member missionary work here and I have already gotten to know a few members who are so in gamba! (sorry, I don't really know how to translate that... on the ball?) --Including the ward mission leader. He is hilarious! 

I guess what I really want to talk about is how I've just felt so much love since I've been in Verona. It's been building up and building up my whole mission and now that I have a bit more experience and know what I'm doing (hopefully :) ) I hope that I can just shower it onto everybody. I love this country, I love this people, I love the gospel, I love being a missionary! I just feel liberated, like I know what I'm doing, and ready to go out and GEM this city! 

I should also say a little about my companion, Sorella Willis! She is from Jacksonville, Florida and is one transfer ahead of me in the mission. It is amazing how similar we are. We both have that sort of calm temperament and are both very flexible. We get along so well! We were actually in the MTC together for three weeks before she left for Italy with the older group in October of last year, so it's pretty cool that we now get to be together! I'm so excited for all the adventures we're going to have. :) 

Well I think those are all the big things... Another thing is that we're living in an apartment of four. That's new for me too! The other two missionaries are Sorella Acerson and Sorella Gross, and they are so great! I'm basically just loving every minute of life and am so excited for the new opportunities and experiences ahead. I can truly say that I am the happiest I've ever been as a missionary. Of course there are the hard times and it can be very stressful but it doesn't even compare to the amazing blessings you get in return. I can't even begin to recount all the things I've learned and the experiences that have shaped me into who I am now. They are to many to count! 

Vi voglio beneee... alla prossima settimana. :) (hopefully with pictures)

Love,

Sorella Lyman

Transfered to Verona!

BUON GIORNO!!!!!

Well the transfer news is in and after six wonderful months in Collegno, I am getting transferred to Verona!!!! Yes, the city of Romeo and Juliet. :) My companion will be Sorella Willis who is one transfer older than me in the mission and I'm going to be a sister training leader! That means that I'll be doing exchanges with sisters every week in all the cities surrounding Verona. I AM SO EXCITED!!!!! And also very sad to leave Collegno. Yesterday we went around all day saying goodbye to all the members and will be doing the same thing today. It was very bittersweet. One of the less active members who I have grown very close to in these past six months hugged the stuffings out of me for about five minutes and made me cry!! Being transferred is definitely an emotional roller coaster. I've never been so excited to go to a new place (it's really only my second time going to a new city) and at the same time never been so sad to leave! I would love to stay here in Collegno for the rest of my mission, and for a little bit on Monday was thinking that I would at least stay for one more transfer. But then at 9:40 at night the phone rang as we were still planning and the name on the screen was President Dibb. My heart was hammering out of my chest! Week six is always the craziest week of the transfer because we never know until at least Monday what will be happening so it only gives us two days to say all our goodbyes.

The sister coming to take my place in Collegno (this part is even crazier) is Sorella Condie from Torino 2!! Sorella Hoffman and I were both shocked out of our minds because Torino is basically attached to Collegno and I don't think I've ever heard of someone getting transferred 20 minutes away from where they were before! :) Sorella Hoffman and Sorella Condie are so excited to be together though and it literally is the perfect thing to have her coming here at this time since she is pretty familiar with the city and knows what's going on. That's exactly what Collegno needs because we are at such a crucial point where the work has reached such a peak. It's so different from when I first got here with Sorella Haslem and we had practically nothing, had no idea where we were, who anyone was, or where we were going, to the point we are at now! Collegno is like my baby and there will always be a part of my heart that will remain. :) I'm so excited for the things that will happen here even if I won't be here to see it.

I've been thinking a lot about saying goodbyes and you all know how much of a sentimental person I am and that it's not my favorite thing in the world to do. But yesterday as I was saying goodbye to our ward mission leader and his wife, I just felt so much peace, that I had done my part here and that the people here have all appreciated and benefitted from it so much. My mind has been expanded so much about what my purpose and mission really is. I think this is just a little taste of what it's going to be like when I leave Italy all together, which I don't even want to think about. What it's basically done for me is renew my sense of purpose and excitement as a missionary- the same excitement I felt when I opened up my mission call. My motivation to go and do is out the roof and I am so excited for the remaining months ahead!!

Arrivederci alla mia bellissima, preziosa Collegno, and next week from the city of love!

con tanto amore,

Sorella Lyman

P.S. sorry this email is so cheesy. The Italians have really gotten to me.

Job Search

Buon giorno i miei carissimi!

How are you all? I heard that Disneyland was a blast and that you rode the Matterhorn three times?! Mamma mia! Che divertente! I'm glad you all had fun. Any pictures? :)

Well this week has been a spiritual overload a lot thanks to general conference and also to some other miracles on the side! I'll start with a miracle that happened last p-day, in fact, in the evening. We had met with a man four days before who we saw sitting on a bench and were able to talk with for ten minutes or so. He seemed pretty down, both in appearance and in spirit, because he was in search of a job and having no luck. We sympathized with him and told him a little about Joseph Smith, and how if he prayed we knew that God would answer and that he would see blessings in his life. He told us that if he prayed and was able to find a job, that he would come to our church. We offered a prayer right there, praying that he would be able to find work. Well, four days later we were walking down the same street where we had met him, after having all of our plans for the evening fall through so w decided to do some finding work on this particular street. As we were walking we felt impressed to call him, so I pulled out the phone and saw on the screen a missed call from an unknown number. I called it up and when the man on the other end picked up, we figured out that it was the very same man that we had wanted to call. He had called us because just the day before he had gone to a job agency where they had told him to come back the next day in a suit and tie. When he showed up the next day they hired him on the spot. He was so happy as he told us the story on the phone and Sorella Hoffman was throwing her pamphlets in the air for joy as I told her what happened. He told us that he knew it was God who had answered his prayer and helped him to find a job. We were actually able to meet up with him right then as he happened to be on the very same street. It was such a beautiful difference to see him then in comparison with the time before- a nice, clean suit with a smile on his face, business papers in hand, recognizing the hand of God in his life. We're still waiting for the second part of the miracle which is him coming to church, but that alone was a miracle enough for me! He said he considers us his angels. :)

Well, that was a really long story. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Of course I'm sure you all loved conference this weekend. I know I did! I can't even begin to talk about all the amazing things I learned, questions that were answered, and the beautiful spirit that I felt the whole time, as I'm sure you all did too. There are so many different ways we can feel the spirit... not just through feelings, but also through the things we learn from others and the thoughts that enter into our minds. I'm so grateful for this never-ending fount of knowledge that we receive every six months that helps us so much in our day to day lives. How blessed we are!

I know this gospel is true and I love each and every one of you sosososo much!!

Buona settimana!

con amore,

Sorella Lyman

A Wonderful Baptism! And lots of pictures!

Buon giornoooo!!

Come state? Io sto benissimo!! The baptism on Saturday was so wonderful! We had six investigators come and our invstigator who was getting baptized brought her friend who also came to church next day for the confirmation! She gave her a beautiful white rose with lace around it and wrote her a really nice note. What a great friend! After the ceremony, our investigator gave the most beautiful testimony I've ever heard. It brought tears to my eyes! She talked about the time we first met, two months ago now, and how two angels came and knocked on her door. She understood every single word we said to her, thanks to the spirit and truth of our message and soaked it all up like a sponge! I'll never forget that day. After she finished with her testimony the bishop got up and asked us to come up to the podium. He said he didn't know what angels looked like but said that there were definitely people who could resemble them, and then gestured to us. We just stood there smiling our ears off and feeling embarrased as he complimented us in front of the whole congregation. I just feel so blessed to have crossed paths with such a beautiful person so prepared to hear the gospel and am so immensely happy for her!

Another cool experience happened to us just last night as we were walking around doing some passbys of less active members and trying to find new people to teach. We had just rung the citofono of a person who was not interested at all and were trying to decide what to do to make the best use of our time. We had planned to pass by two or three less actives in that area. All of the sudden I remembered another less active member that I had tried to pass by back in May who I hadn't really considered passing by before. We decided to do the passby, even if it was a little far away and I wasn't sure how interesed she actually was. When we got to the house we rung the citofono and and gate opened right up. We were rather surprised because that usually doesn't happen unless they're expecting someone else. It turned out to be the case when the son came out and was very surprised to see us. Nevertheless he went in to get his Mom who came out a few seconds later. When we started talking to her we actually found out that she was American! she was shocked when she realized that we had walked all that way just to see her and invited us in immediately. We ended up having a good twenty minute chat with her and found out the she has lived in Italy for the past 30 years after having grown up in the US but hasn't had a lot of contact with the church here. We were able to tell her about the Rome temple which she hadn't heard anything about and how much the church has grown in Italy since 30 years ago. I know we came to see her at the exact right time when she had need of some support and encouragement. God is looking out for all of his children! It's always so refreshing, and a little strange, to meet someone from your own country and to actually talk to them in English. It makes me realize how much I've improved in my teaching on that level as well!

Well that's about it for this week. I hope you all are doing wonderfully, and those of you going to Disneyland on Thursday or whenever it is, give it a HUGE hello and kiss from me!!!!

Lovelovelove,

Sorella Lyman

This is Sorella Lyman eating kebab, a delicious Turkish sandwich that has become something of an Italian fast food. 

Sorella Lyman says: These are some delicious grapes that taste like strawberries that grow on a vine outside of one of our members houses in Rivoli. BUONISSIMO!

This is Sorella Lyman with her companion Sister Hoffmann in front of a medieval castle in Torino.