New Year's Eve I was laying in bed reflecting where I was a year ago. Last New Years I went to a little party at the Doxeys house with some members of the church. Everyone else was members of the church, but older than me and most of them had served missions. And I was like yea, I want to serve a mission! And Scott was like, "okay, we're going to spin the globe and wherever your finger lands is where you're going to go." And my finger landed on Italy! I kid you not. And they were like, "no that's more on like that island Sicily, but pretty much". Anyways that was just a weird New Years thought to be here exactly a year later.
This morning we ran a bunch of errands, because it's pday, and we discovered a Chinese store! Chinese stores are kind of essential, but we only knew of one on the other side of the city which is inconvenient, but we found one just behind our palazzo. Chinese stores are like mini Merica, kind of like Walmart minus the food. Also way smaller than Walmart. And also the people that work there only speak Chinese and Italian. Anyways, we were there this morning buying stuff for the apartment, and we heard two people speaking English! This is rare. We turned the corner and it was our Danish friend we had met from the international food store, and this old lady trying on crazy hats. Turns out the lady is from California! She has been living in Ibla for 20 years. The Danish man also has a wife we met the other day. They are the most random hipster people I'm sure to even exist. It was really weird speaking to strangers in English. I haven't done that in a while now, and it was kind of awkward because me and my companion were both speaking really slow like they couldn't understand us but obviously they could, haha. We just laughed about it afterwards. Hopefully I break that habit after 18 months. We told her a little about who we are,and what we do, she told us where we can find her, and hopefully we can meet with her sometime this week!
Saturday I got to witness the baptism of a man who has been meeting with missionaries on and off for 5 years! After five years of prayers, of doubts, of family trials, he finally decided that it was right for him and that now was the time. There was really a special spirit there that night, and he bore his testimony afterwards, and it was really the coolest thing. It was just one of those things you just have to be there to experience.
I don't know how to end this or what to say, because I wrote a long email to my dad so I'm kind of worded out. But I feel like I need to say something about forgiveness. Being offended is pretty human, as well as saying or doing things that offend people. We can't change what other people say or do, but we have control over ourselves. In the scriptures we're told to forgive others.
In Matthew 18 it says:
21 ¶Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
God never asks us to do things, to just make our lives harder. But everything He asks of us, is because He knows in the end, if we do it, we will find more happiness. He truly loves us and wants us to be happy. We have to let go of things, and move on. We can't let others actions hold us back from our potential.
I love you lovely people! I hope you all made some bomb goals for 2016 and that you're able to reach them all!
Sorella Holiday
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