Mamma mia!

Ciao, cara famiglia e amici!!

Thanks so much for your emails!! I love hearing about what you all are up to. And I'm so excited to actually talk to everyone next week for Natale!!! Sounds like Ceci is doing great on the debate team- I'm not surprised! She is so eloquent in both speaking and writing. This week has been so great! A little crazy too. Last week we had another scambio from Wednesday to Thursday (I was with Sorella Beutler) and then on Friday we went to Bergamo for a concert with Sorella Padula and Sorella Harward. I got to play violin, which was really fun to be able to share my talents, and then there were also some voice numbers by Sorella Padula, Harward, and Lloyd, who are all amazing singers! 

Before anything else, I must tell you that today I got to see La Scala and it was absolutely amazing!!! We were so lucky because the orchestra was actually rehearsing while we were there and we got to watch them from one of the boxes! Ah, it was so cool. I felt like I was in a movie, or had gone back in time. They were playing Symphony Fantasique by Berlioz. It is now one of my new dreams to see an opera at La Scala. It is so beautiful! And then we got to look at the museum where they have the piano of Franz Liszt (how do you spell that again?) along with many other cool musical artifacts and props, like some of Mozart's hair and a mold of Chopin's hand! It was definitely a highlight of all the P-days I've had so far.  

Mamma mia, this week has just been full of wonderful things I want to talk about! We started teaching a part-member family last Wednesday who are so great, and so ready for the gospel. Sorella Forbes had actually been talking with the husband on the phone before we went to see them that night, who isn't a member and hadn't been able to really set up a time to see him. When I went with Sorella Beutler, it was to go with Sorella Cano to see Norelys who is in the Relief Society. We ended up teaching a great restoration lesson to both her and her husband who was there for the whole lesson! We went back to teach the Plan of Salvation on Monday to them and also their daughter, and they loved it! I am so excited to keep teaching them and help to bless their lives through the gospel! 

Man, I wish I had more time to talk about all the great things that have happened, and also to talk about all the delicious food I've eaten! I ate SO MUCH yesterday, including an ENTIRE margherita pizza, pandoro, butter cake, spaghetti, and some other delicious things. I'm still feeling pretty full from it. I was going to send you pictures, but I forgot my camera cord! :( I guess it'll have to wait until next week. Well, I love you all so much, and can't wait to talk to you on Christmas!!! 

Love,

Sorella Lyman

Mountain Villages and Italian Violins

Ciao tutti!!

Wow, this week has been packed with so many awesome things!! I love hearing about everything you all are doing. It sounds like you have some fun plans for Christmas and are all keeping very busy! 

Wow, well where do I start? I have seen so many wonderful things this week, eaten delicious food, and had some great experiences with people! On Monday I got to go to Como for zone training, and it was absolutely beautiful. It's nestled up in the mountains and there's a beautiful lake in the center (Lake Como). It sort of reminded me of Crestline, except that it was an Italian wonderland everywhere I looked! The church was so cute, too. It's in a little yellow two-story building, with a pretty little balcony on the top center window. I wish I had a picture! Last P-day was pretty amazing because we got to go to an international fair in Ro (right oustide Milan) where they had tons of stuff from all regions of Italy, and also other buildings devoted to Europe, China, India, and America! It was so cool! Mom, you would've loved it. I kept thinking of you when I was walking through all the stands in Italy... they had so many beautiful hand-made things and amazing food samples everywhere! It was like heaven! We didn't have time to go everywhere because it was HUGE, but we did go to Europe where we heard some Irish people playing awesome bagpipe music and ate churros from Spain! It was basically like Epcot World Showcase times infinity. 

Another exciting thing this week was that I had my first scambio! (is it called exchange in English? I can't remember...) I went with Sorella Lloyd who is serving in the northern part of Milan with Sorella Brown. It was a really beautiful part of the city! We had two appointments, one with an investigator they're teaching right now with a baptismal date, and another with a new convert family. They served us a delicious meal of rice, chicken, and lentils. (I'm making sure to be more detailed on the food this week... I know Mom wants to know all about it!) We taught them about prayer afterwards, and talked a lot about how to be more sincere while praying. Sorella Lloyd used the example of when Jesus is praying for the Nephites, and the words couldn't even be written because they were so powerful and sincere. It was a beautiful example! One of my favorite scripture about prayer is in Alma chapter 37 (I can't remember the verses right now) where it talks about raising your heart to God before you go to bed, and then when you arise in the morning, giving a prayer of thanks! I don't remember it exactly, but it's a beautiful scripture! 

This week is going to be very exciting. This Friday, Sorella Forbes and I are going to Bergamo where I'm going to play violin for a benefit concert along with a few other missionaries who will be performing. I'm so excited! I mangaged to find a violin from someone in the ward and have a few pieces I will be playing. I'm so happy to be able to share my talents! I didn't think I would be able to do it very much on my mission, but it looks like there will be lots of opportunities! I also get to see Sorella Harward again who is serving there with Sorella Padula! Both of them will be singing, along with Sorella Lloyd. Lots of fun things for today: we're going to the Last supper (!!!) and going to see the big, beautiful Christmas tree at the Duomo! Well, time is running short. Love you so much! Vi voglio tanto bene!!! Have a great week and go share the gospel! :) 

Love,

Sorella Lyman :)

Finding New Investigators

Ciao tutti!! Come state?

It was so great to hear from all of you! It sounds like you're all keeping very busy with music, school, work, writing, and everything else! It's so great to hear you have a christmas tree up! It sounds so pretty! Can you send me a picture? :) As far as eating at members' homes goes Mom, I actually haven't yet because we're not supposed to unless there's a nonmember present. I'm sure I will get plenty of opportunities though. That's where I hear the best food is! That's so cool that Katherine's thinking about doing an internship in Berlin! What kind of internship? Wow, that would be so cool! Berlin would be such an amazing place to visit. 

I have had a great week! The last couple of weeks we've had a lot of potential investigators fall through, so we've been doing a lot of finding work. Monday was such a great day because we got three new investigators! It was the first day in a while where all of our lessons went through and we were able to teach great lessons to all the people we were planning to see. The first woman we taught, named Anita, is a practicing Catholic who we found last week doing casa. We taught her the restoration and it went so well! It was cool to see how accepting she was of everything even though she is very devout in her own faith. Our next lesson with Sandra was also on the restoration. I felt the spirit so strongly while Sorella Forbes was telling the first vision. Afterwards we asked her how she felt, and she said "Meravigliosa!" (wonderful) She said she felt very peaceful and I know it was because she felt that what we were saying was true! I'm so excited to teach her again. 

I can't believe I have almost been here a month now! Christmas time in Milano is going to be so fun! All the Christmas decorations are going up, and I'm beginnng to see delicious panetones and other Christmas treats in the windows. Milano is a beautiful city. Do you remember the river Navigli, Mom? Sorella Forbes and I walk over it every day. :) It's getting pretty chilly too! Last night was particularly cold, especially standing outside ringing citofonos all evening. But don't worry, I have nice warm boots, tights, and plenty to bundle up in! I really love being here in the same ward as President and Sister Wolfgram! We get to see them almost every week. Yesterday Sister Forbes and I got to go to consiglio at the mission home with all the zone leaders in the mission and the mission president. It was so cool to be part of the planning for the mission, and also to eat Sorella Wolfgram's delicious food! 

Well, it's about time for me to sign off. I hope I'm not forgetting anything important. I'm so happy to be a missionary and see how this gospel really changes people's lives and their families! It's such a special experience to be a part of the converting process and see how the Holy Ghost testifies of the truth as we teach about the restoration of Christ's church today. I know that it's true!! I love you all and hope you have a great start to the Christmas season! Vi voglio bene!

Love,

Sorella Lyman

The Missionary Work Begins

Ciao, mia famiglia!

I can't believe another week has come and gone! I'm sorry I didn't tell you that my regular p-day is actually on Wednesday. Last week was just a special circumstance. How has everyone's week been? Are you all getting excited for Christmas? Sorella Forbes and I went and got a little christmas tree and decorations on our last p-day to set up in our apartment. It looks so cute! Have you gotten a Christmas tree yet? I can't wait to see all the lights go up in Milano. I hear it's absolutely beautiful here at Christmas time. 

This week has been a little slower than my first as far as teaching goes, but we've been doing a lot of finding and have had some cool experiences! One night (I think on Saturday) we were tracting and rang the citofono of a man named Giuseppe. He sounded really interested in our message through the citofono but couldn't meet with us right then. We went back on Monday and met him outside the palazzo. He saw us both with a Book of Mormon, took one out of Sorella Forbes' hand and starting flipping through it. Before we could say anything he told us, "ok, it will take me three or four days to read the whole thing and then afterwards we can talk about it." I was so taken aback! I've never seen someone so eager to learn about something so instantly like that. We told him we would come back to give him a Book of Mormon in his language (Albanian) and talk about it a little more. I'm excited to see where it goes! 

Last night we talked to an elderly lady named Maria who had a lot of interesting ideas about the Mormon church. She liked to talk so we weren't able to say a whole lot, but at the end she looked at me and said she knew me! I said my mom, Sorella Rogers, was here a while ago and maybe they had crossed paths! Do you remember any Catholic ladies named Maria, Mom? :) Another lady we're teaching, named Assunta, also loves to talk and is very fun to teach! Right now we're teaching her about faith and read Alma 32 together in our last lesson. She says it's a little hard for her to understand, but she said she would read the rest of the chapter this week which I think will help her. 

I love seeing all the little miracles that come when we're diligent in our finding efforts and continue to have faith. We have a lot of potential investigators right now that we're trying to meet with, but they're all super busy with work! Right now we have baptismal dates for Patrick and a Filipino woman named Abby. She is so ready and excited to be baptized! She talks about the gospel with all her friends and when we saw her last we gave her five pass-along cards to hand out to them! She is so great. We're also teaching her roommate, named Ditche. I'm really hoping we can meet with more of our potentials! I feel like there are so many great things coming. 

I'm excited for the rest of this week- our ward, Milano 3 (or Milano Navigli), is having a serata di talenti (talent show) on Friday, which everyone is very excited about. There's going to be lots of participation including a performance by the missionaries (I'm not quite sure what we're doing yet) and lots of people who will be singing, etc. It's going to be lots of fun! Mom- thanks for sending me some names of people you know! I don't think I've ran across any of them... yet. :) Well, I love you all and can't wait to hear what you've all been up to! Vi voglio bene! 

-Sorella Lyman

 

 

Me and my MTC companion, Sorella Harward!

 

 

Our Christmas tree :)

 

Me at the Duomo!

 

Pictures from Italy

 Cannolini!

Leaving for Italy!

Hi everyone!

How are you all doing? This is my last P-day here at the MTC! There are so many things to do before I leave, it's crazy! Mom, did you get the letter that I sent to you? I can't believe that I met someone in the temple who served at the same time as you in Italy! Her name is Sister Colton and she said was companions with one of your companions, who I think was a native Italian. I can't remember her last name, though! I got my travel itinerary this week! My departure date is the 13th, and I'll be getting to the SLC around 9:30. We leave for Dallas at 12:15, have a about a three hour layover, and then leave for London at 4:45. We'll be getting to the London airport at 7:30 a.m. on the 14th... I'm not sure what time that would be for you all- maybe about 1:30 in the morning? And then we leave for Milan at 9:30 and will be getting there at 12:30 p.m.! I'm guessing when I'm at the SLC would be the best time to call. Will you all be free from 9:30-11:30ish? There are no restrictions for when I call or for how long (although my branch president said to keep the calls relatively short). So I could maybe even call you when I'm in London!

Things have been pretty exciting for my last week at the MTC. Tomorrow we have in-field orientation, which is all day long and sort of a practice for contacting people on the streets and tracting, I think. Sunday was exciting because Sorella Harward, Anziano Johnson, and I got to play a musical number for mission conference! We did an arrangement of Savior, Redeemer of my Soul from the Joseph Smith movie. I played violin, Anziano Johnson sang, and Sorella Harward played the piano. I'm so glad I got to play the violin one more time before I leave for Italy! It was a little intimidating, but also really fun to play in front of the entire MTC! Devotional was really great on Tuesday. Elder Zwick from the Seventy and his wife came to speak to us. They talked about being a true disciple of Christ how having a pure and honest heart is one of the most important things in missionary work. It was a really great reminder for me to always keep Christ at the center of my thoughts and how I can be a better representative of him through my work as a missionary. 

I can't believe my time here is almost over. In a lot of ways it's seemed like an entire lifetime but it's also gone really fast, especially in the last few of weeks. I'm so excited to get to Italy and start teaching real investigators the gospel! I'm sure it will be a little intimidating walking up to someone for the first time, but I'm just going to have faith that the spirit will be with me and I will know what to say! Well my computer time's about up, sadly. I wish I had more time to write to all of you! I can't wait to you on Tuesday! Keep your phones on from 9:30 to 11:30!! If I don't get a hold of you then, I'll try to call from Dallas/London. I love you all! Have a wonderful week this week!

Love,
Sorella Lyman

Nov. 1, 2012--The District on TV

This week has been great! I can't believe I only have 12 days until I leave! I am so excited. We had two new districts come in last week, including one sister named Sorella Ehorn! She is from Southern California, and actually only lives about 15 minutes away from Nana and Gramps! She's been to Crestline a lot, and used to live in Lake Arrowhead! All the rest of the new Elders are great too. All the sorelle are making a goal to speak ONLY in Italian this week, and whoever ends up speaking the least amount of English gets a prize at the end. It can be hard to speak in the language all the time, so having a little extra motivation definitely helps! Right now I'm really trying to just make the most of the remaining time I have here. I'm trying to read up until Mosiah in my Italian Book of Mormon before I leave, but right now I'm a little behind. We still have the same four investigators, and they're all doing great! This week has actually been pretty exciting because it turns out that the main TV station in Italy, RAI, is some sort of special on Mormon missionaries because of the political campaign with Mitt Romney. They wanted to come and film one of the Italian districts and see how they train the missionaries here, because I guess one of the biggest reasons Romney gives for his success is his experience as a missionary. They chose the other district that's leaving with ours, and had a camera crew come in yesterday to film them in class and do interviews with them. I think it's supposed to be a two hour special, and it will be airing all over Italy!! Isn't that crazy? This is going to be really great for all the missionary work that's happening right now, and hopefully will get people more aware of the church and open to our message!

Well, my time on the computer is about up, unfortunately. I'm so excited to be in Italy in just under two weeks! I'm sure there will be a lot of challenges I wasn't expecting, and I'm really trying to utilize my last to weeks here to speak the language and become as familiar with Preach my Gospel as I can. I love you all and hope you have a great week! Arrivederci!

Love,
Sorella Lyman