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.

A 7-Course Meal and Sacrifices for High Fashion

Ciao carissimi!!

Come state? As for me, I am feeling quite full as we have had two HUGE meals this past week which will basically last me until Saturday. Yep, everyone just loves us here. It's so great!

So speaking of huge meals on Monday we went over to our baptismal date's house first for lunch and then with her to one of our member's houses for them to give her a blessing before her baptism. First she served us salami and a tomato salad, then a whole plateful of ravioli with ragu sauce, some beef stew and bread, and then three whole servings of fruit- two bunches of grapes and a whole apple, and THEN a huge bowl of chocolate\cherry pudding! I was just willing my stomach to expand. Everything was BUONISSIMO, by the way. She just loves us so much and shows it by feeding us like her own daughters. :) I have so many moms here in Italy. She also told us about how she is so happy with the gospel now in her life. There are so many precious truths that we have that so many people haven't heard anything about before. It was a joy to teach her about things like the temple and geneology and tell her that she could do the work for her relatives and give them the opportunity to accept the gospel as well. She truly appreciates and understands everything. She told us that her whole life she had thrived on the word of God, but never did she feel like it was quite enough until she met us. Now all the puzzle pieces are connected and she has the power to cope with life's challenges. We notice it, she notices it, and her friends definitely notice it too. It is all the work and blessings of God! Che meraviglia, as she would say. We are expecting big turn out on Saturday for her baptism!

I would also like to talk about a funny little story that happened this Sunday. Our new convert who got baptized about two months ago now was finally scheduled to receive the Aaronic priesthood. So in honor of the event he went to a nice, Italian store, the rinascente, and got a beautiful tailored suit. After they had fit it to size he asked them how much it cost. "300 euro," they said. And he responded, "COME??!?!!" (Italian for "WHAT?!!) Knowing our dear new convert, he bit the bullet and payed the bill and needless to say he looked very snappy in his new suit on Sunday. The funniest part of the story is that he said the word "come" with almost a New York accent, and it makes me wonder where that accent actually comes from... I just love Italians.

Well those are just some highlights from this week. We are still working hard and trying to maintain the high number of lessons we've gotten for the past few weeks. This week has had a few more challenges that we couldn't really foresee- whereas the week when we got thirteen lessons with members everything just worked out perfectly with no kinks and miracles on the side. But we just keep plugging away and are just so excited for the baptism on Saturday. This is the work of the Lord and nothing can stop it from moving forward! I'm going to cry buckets when I have to leave Collegno. It is a city of miracles and a city of love.

Vi voglio TANTO bene e sono fiera di tutte le cose che fate. Siete bravissimi. Siate sempre allegri!

Love,

Sorella Lyman

P.S. Who's excited for CONFERENCE in just 10 days?!?!!!! 

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

Happy News from Milano

CIAO!!!!

Ok, I don't even know where to start this week. There have been so many amazing, mind-blowing things that have happened, it's gonna be hard fit it all into one email. First let me say that I love you all and I'm happy for all the wonderful things you all are doing with your lives.

Let me start by saying that just barely today, I found out that one of my dear investivators in Milano made the decision to be baptized after many many years of thinking about it. It was the most amazing news I have ever received in my mission. I love that family so much and to think of them now, all baptized and members of the church makes my heart "overflow with joy" and brings tears to my eyes. I have never felt so happy about anyone or anything. It is kind of indescribable how I feel right now. Let me just quote Ammon: 

"Therefore, let us ^aglory, yea, we will ^bglory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his ^cmercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel." Alma 26:16

That basically sums it up. Apart from that, we have seen so many amazing things in Collegno this week. Remember how in the month of August everyone goes away on vacation and everything just shuts down? Well, because of that we had a lot of people waiting on the back burner who would all be coming back in September. Now with the start of this month we are really seeing the fruits of our labors. The past two weeks we have gotten sixteen lessons and this week we're on track for twenty! Along with that we have gotten 14 new investigators this transfer and we're hopeful of getting more this week. It is amazing to see how the work has picked up in Collegno! Like Sorella Hoffman said at the beginning of the transfer, "Collegno is on fire!" I am so excited to stay here with her for the transfer to come!

It is amazing to see how the wave of new missionaries has affected the entire mission. Everywhere people are seeing success and the fire that is within these new missionaries is unquenchable. It is truly a force to be reckoned with! I'm so excited to be a part of it. There is nothing more exciting, exhilariting, and fulfilling that being a missionary of the Lord Jesus Christ and being so intricately involved in his work! And what is so beautiful is that the things I learn on my mission I will be able to keep with me for the rest of my life to help me remember where true happiness lies. It is in serving others, having true charity, and forgetting yourself! 

Vi voglio un sacco di bene!! Continuate con fede!!

Love,

Sorella Lyman