A Year of Miracles

This week was the best! A lot of stuff happened so buckle your seatbelts because you're in for a good ride. 

Monday night we did a gesso with our district. It was fun to do finding in another city. It actually reminded me a lot of my first city, Cagliari. Cosenza is defintiely a bigger city than Crotone and the centro is very similar to Cagliari. We spent the night in the Cosenza sister's empty house because they were blown out last transfer. That was weird, it was like staying in a condo. We had district meeting in Cosenza on Tuesday morning. While we were in the church a member came in and grabbed Sorella Taylor and I and just started hugging us. She said "I've missed you soooo much!!" (meaning the sisters in general because they don't have them in their branch anymore.) She even took a picture with us haha. She was sweet and I feel bad that they don't have sisters there anymore.

We arrived in Crotone that afternoon and met with Precious before her baptismal interview. She skyped President Pickerd for the interview and it was really cool experience. He had a stay in there for the first part as we did a mini-lesson all together talking about the qualifications for baptism. Afterwards we left and were called back in at the end. She passed her interview and was determined worthy to be baptized!

Wednesday we had a branch party! Last Sunday after church our branch president came up to all of us and said, "We're having a branch activity on Wednesday, let's do a spaghettata! 

spaghettata: Gustosa mangiata di spaghetti in allegra compagnia (tasty eating of spaghetti in cheerful company)....only in Italy do these words exist hahaha

It was dsyfunctional and hectic, no one knew when it started or who was cooking or what was even going on but we eventually all got there and set up and organized everything, and in the end, it turned out to be my most favorite ward activity that I've ever been to. We all sat at a long table and ate our spaghetti together just laughing and talking. As I looked around the table at each of the members, the realization came to me that this city is my home, that all of these crazy unique people and my people, and together we are just one big dysfunctional family. I went home with a full and grateful heart. Sure we've got our problems down here, but so does every good family. In the end though, we're all just here, doing our best to follow Christ and love those around us. 

I don't know if you guys remember me talking about the ladies that we met at the jewerly shop that they own. We talked to them for forever and then asked if they wanted to hear about our message and they said they'd love to have us back to listen. Well this week we were finally able to go back and find them at a time when they could listen. We taught half of the restoration before one of them had to go. It went well, we hope to keep teaching them.

Friday, March 17- a year ago on this day, I landed on the beautiful island of Sardegna (my very first area.) I was picked up from the airport by my trainer, taught my very first lesson as a missionary, rode my first Italian bus, taught English course for the first time, ate my very first Italian pizza, and ran home that night because it was pouring rain. This would be the start of many lessons taught, much poor-quality public transportation taken, much patience tested while teaching English to Italians, many pizze eaten, and lots of running around Italian streets in the pouring rain. That first day I was excited to be a missionary, nervous to speak the language, happy to be there, and all in all pretty confused. I felt like I had no idea what was going on and all I could do was follow my trainer around and hope to pick up on a few of the words that she said as she conversed with people. 

Now that this year of being a missionary in Italy has come and gone, I can gratefully say that I am still excited to be a missionary, sometimes I still get nervous about my capability to do this work, I am happier than I ever though possible, and still even a little confused at times haha. This year has been the biggest blessing in my entire life that will last for my eternal life. 

Here in Crotone, IT in the year of 2017, we got to celebrate my year of work and growth by watching a beautiful soul enter the waters of baptism. 

The days was hectic (it seems to me like every baptism is) and definitely had its struggles:

• At lunch time we realized that we hadn't even thought about practicing the hymns on the piano that we were to sing for the baptism so we hurried over to the church so that I could figure them out. To my dismay, the opening song could not be found in the "hymns made easy" book that I play out of for church each week. There I was with less than an hour, trying to learn to play a hymn out of the regular hymnal for this baptism. I've never felt so unprepared in my life, but with the help of God, I was able to learn it well enough to play it as the opening number. 

• We had announced for the baptism to start at 4:30...but when that time rolled around, we still found ourselves alone in the church (along with the other missionaries.) By 4:45 two students from the free English class that we teach had arrived. We were so surprised and happy that they'd actually come! We had to explain to them though, that we'd be doing this baptism in English because Precious does not speak Italian. We had all of the Italians take a translator machine and asked an elder to translate everything from English to Italian. We also printed programs in both languages and had to have the other elder conduct because our branch president doesn't speak English. It was really different and pretty awkward to do everything in English. Precious asked me to give a talk on the Holy Ghost which I was happy to do and wrote easily, but when I got up there to give it, it felt so foreign standing at a pulpit speaking my own language, especially when I knew that half of the people there couldn't understand me and had to wait for the translation. 

• So yes, Precious was the last one there, but she did finally arrive around 5. All of our African members sadly missed the entire ceremony and got only got there when we got back to the church to eat treats because Juliet made rice and meat for the occasion, but her gas went out while she was cooking so she had to replace it and continue cooking. 

The best part though, was definitely when we all squished into 3 cars and drove down to a little bungalow owned by a member that sits on a secluded part of the beach. The sun was setting making the sky a mix of beautiful purples and yellows and blues. The water was pretty cold I was told, but the 3 elders that got in were just happy to say that they got to stand in the Mediterranean Sea on their mission, and Precious was filled with so much joy that it didn't even fase her. We sang some favorite hymns while we waited for her to change, I translated the "welcome to the branch" from the branch president, then we closed with a musical number "I Stand All Amazed" sung by the 4 of us missionaries in Crotone. As I mingled and spoke with everyone while we ate desserts after the baptism, everyone told me about the wonderful feelings that they felt during the baptism. We had 4 nonmembers there, and they all commented on the "beautiful atmosphere," one even told me that she got emotional while watching it. 

Sorella Taylor and I ended this happy day by doing something daring...we both chopped off all of our hair! (Well we chopped off each other's hair.) It's the most hair I've ever cut off (we're guessing it was around 8 inches.) It's definitely different but a fun change! 

Sunday we had stake conference. Calabria was just made part of the Puglia stake so it was broadcast to us from Bari. The conference was really good. We have some awesome stake leaders, but it was also REALLY exhausting because we had to translate all of it into english for Precious. I made the other missionaries help me translate, we switched off every talk so none of us would get too exhausted. But then it fell on me to translate the last talk given by the stake president which lasted around 25 minutes. I don't know if any of you understand how much thinking it takes to translate, but it's really difficult. At the same time that you're repeating what you just heard in english, you're listening for what they are continuing to say in Italian, and while you're doing that you're looking up in english the scriptures that they are reading in Italian. mamma mia! I was distrutta after the conference. But hey, we do the best we can to help other people as missionaries. 

We taught Rina last night as well. We decided that this week we are going to go full out with trying to help her to quit smoking which is one of her biggest blocks for baptism. We gave her some stuff to help her quit like mouthwash and grapefruit juice and we decided to sacrifice something with her. We told her that we have no idea how hard it is to give up smoking because neither of us has ever smoked before. We decided that in order to do this together and help her feel our complete and total support, we would give up eating sugar. We started last night with her and will continue to do so until she gets baptized. This way, when we call her every night to follow up on her progress, we will also be accountable to her for our sugar intake. We are praying really hard for her to make her new baptismal date that we prayed about together and she picked out herself. She ended up picking the very same day that we had prayed about and thought of, April 15th which means that she would be confirmed on the 16th which is Easter Sunday as well as her birthday. 

Other random funny fact of the week, we somehow managed to break all 5 of our glass cups in this week alone...don't ask me how. We had broken 4/5 yesterday then sorell taylor goes to open our bedroom door and drops the last one! I guess it's all or nothing right?

Also today I wore my colorful skirt and we got a bunch of random free stuff from men that were a little too friendly including a head of garlic and a bracelet that he insisted on tying on our wrists and trimming them for us right then and there, coinsednce? I think not. 

Vi voglio beneeeee!

<3 Sorella Bonzo

Spaghettata 

Hair cut 

"Non si va in cielo in a minigonna perché c'è la Madonna"

Good morning! I hope it's warming up and spring is springing wherever
you're at. It's still really cold here in Crotone and it's been super
windy the past few days to the point where no one will leave their
houses, but hopefully this week we'll see some warmer weather.

This week my companion and I got the privilege to do the addestramento
(training) for our district during district meeting. We talked about
the need that our cities have for miracles and how through our faith
and diligence, we can see those miracles.

After visiting with Rina from what I understood, she doesn't feel like
she can come to church because she smokes. She didn't come say it to
us directly like that, but that is how it seems. She did not read
everyday from the Book of Mormon but she did read a little. We want to
try to help her quit smoking because she wants to, but does not have
enough will power to do so. I think that we'll try this one last time
to invite her to let us help her quit smoking by first of all
receiving a priesthood blessing. If she continues to not progress
though, I also think it will be best to let her rest for some time.

As I told you last week, Precious came back to Crotone to stay! So if
everything goes well with her interview tomorrow, she will be baptized
on Friday! We don't have a baptismal font here since our church is
just in an apartment, so we can either set up this different
tub-looking thing, or do the baptism in the ocean. The beach is really
close to our church so she decided to do that! Our members got on
board and one offered to let us use her bungalow on the beach so that
she can dry off and change. We have been seeing her almost every day
to finish up the lessons with her. She is doing great! Our branch
President asked her to bear her testimony in sacrament meeting and she
shared an experience that helped her to come to know that this church
is true. She also shared this with us early in the week during a
lesson. We had asked her to sincerely pray to know that this is the
only true church of God on the earth today. When we followed up on her
prayer she said what she usually does, "I felt good, I know it's
true." Then she paused and said, "do you want to know how I know
that?" She proceeded to tell us that she had a really bad pain in her
stomach the night before and so she prayed to God, asking him to
relieve this pain if the church was true, and if her baptism was
right. She said that after that, the pain was gone, and she never felt
it again. We were able to testify to her that she received that answer
because she had put in the work by reading The Book of Mormon that
night, and by asking with faith. We are excited for you to meet her
tomorrow.

We visited a member who hasn't been able to make it to church for a
few weeks. At the end of our spiritual thought her 50 year old
daughter comes running in to show us this song about the Holy Ghost
that some catholic Italian group made. Then they proceeded to saw us
probably every song on YouTube about Jesus until we were finally able
to get out of there. One of my personal favorites was a song that goes
like this "non si va in cielo, in a minigonna, perché se vai in cielo,
c'è la Madonna." (One does not go to heaven, in a mini-skirt, because
if you go to heaven, there's mother Mary.)

I got to do an exchange with sorella Rhoades this week which was super
fun even though it was kind of a rough day... haha we had to drop the
queen and our finding was a little hard because no one wanted to talk
to us, but we ended the day with teaching Precious & Vittoria. It was
super fun and they loved sorella Rhoades. They stayed for English
course then we went and ate gelato together afterwards.

On Sunday we went over to each lunch with one of our English course
students named Rosa. She is the sweetest lady and she absolutely loves
us. She has the most perfect family, it was a really enjoyable pranzo.
They are very catholic and not very interested but they were still so
nice. She said that she wanted to invite us over so we felt like we
were at home in a family for a day because she knows we don't get
those family dinners anymore. How sweet is that?!

Today we went to a city in Calabria called Tropea as a district. It's
a cute tourist city. I got tons of cool pictures but they're all on my
camera because my iPad decided not to work while we were there. But
maybe next week I'll send you a few!

Sister Taylor and I are doing great. We love Crotone and have loved
these past two transfers together. I really am grateful for the time
that we have spent together. I know that we will be lifelong friends.

I love you guys!

Exchange with sister Rhoades + vittoria & precious

On the train this morning

This is a church

Works = Diligence

Happy Monday! This week was filled with tons of appointments. We got to see so many people which was a miracle in and of itself. 

Our miracle this week was yesterday when Precious (a 19 year old African refugee that we have been teaching) called us and told us that she is back in Crotone. She left last week to move to Holland, but yesterday she said that she decided to come back and is staying. She has already been to church probably over 8 times (she comes every week) and has had all of the major lessons and expressed her desire to be baptized. So if all goes well, she'll be baptized in a few weeks! 

This week I was able to further my studies and pondering to truly understand the concept of faith without works being dead (James 2:17-18.) I have come to understand and know that miracles are given, not earned. But if we work diligently in every moment, we become more converted, we earn the Lord's trust in us as his servants, and the miracles that we do see become so much sweeter. In the end I have come to recognize that the Lord's work will go forward with or without us, but we never want to be the ones who impede miracles because of our lack of diligence.  

Because our district is the entire district of Calabria now, we have started switching off cities to travel to each week. This week we were in Catanzaro. As we were riding the pulic transpertation through the city afterwards it was full of young people getting out of school. We were all squeezed up right next to them. As missionaries around the world, our leaders have charged us to specifically search out these young people, whose minds' are more open to recieve our message, and who will be the future of the church. So it was really fun to be there as a district of 8 missionaries and have the opportunity to talk to tons of young people about why we're here without even having to go and seek them out, because we were standing inches away from them for a good amount of time. 

We taught a 9 year old new convert about the Gospel of Jesus Christ this week which was fun because we got to play a game where we wrote "celestial kingdom" on the whiteboard and told her that the ground was lava. Then as we taught the principles of the gospel we set down pieces of papers with those words written on them like stepping stones to get her there. I love teaching children, it defintiely helps us think outside the box as well as helping us remember to always keep things simple. 

Our queen Silvana told us that she would get baptized if she recieves an answer so we'll see where that goes. Now we just need to get her to start reading the best book in the world!

Thursday we set up an appointment with a really sweet potential. We went out to her little city and walked around trying to find her house. She told us which street it was and then said that she'd be stading outside of her gate to watch for us. While on the street we saw a really old lady standing by her gate and no one else was out so we figured it was her. We walked back to her and she started speaking gibrish. When we tried to ask her name she just laughed. After having about a 3 minute conversation where neither of us understood each other we figured it wasn't her haha. Then we ended up finding the real Maria (our potential) and everything was too good to be true. She lived in a nice house, had her life together, and was interested to hear our message. We explained the entire restoration lesson to her but at the end, she just kind of gave us the "well that's nice" response. When we invited her to read the Book of Mormon she said that she doesn't have time and wasn't even going to accept it. We bore testimony of the book and she said that she would keep it just as a remebrance of us, and she said, "who knows, when I'm 80 and have nothing else to do, maybe I'll pick it up and read." It was kind of heart breaking for us because it all seemed so perfect. We asked if she would like to hear what else we had to offer and she said, "no, I was interested to know what you guys beileved, but now I understand so I'm good, but thanks." It was just so sad! I felt like the situation was perfect and we had so much to offer her but she just decided that she didn't want to accept it. But hey, maybe one day someone will find the Book that we left her and something will happen from that! You never know! Everyone has thier own time and way to come into the fold, and the Lord's time to harvest each soul is definitely different than our own. 

We had a great lesson with Rina on Saturday about faith and action. She has had a lot of particular questions lately regarding our Heavenly Mother and the pre-mortal existence and has asked where she can find these things written in the Bible. We did a lot of studying for her, but in the end, we told her that in this life we will never be able to have a full understanding of things, and that is why we have to live by faith. We also talked about truths and knowledge that we have thanks to the restoration of Christ's church. In the end, we talked about acting on the faith that we have, in order to obtain more knowledge just like the prophet Joseph Smith did. We promised her that she will be able to gain more understand of the truths that we have taught her as she comes to church and learns from other Italian members. She told us that it's not that she doesn't feel ready, she basically just doesn't want to promise us anything. She said, "it could be that I come tomorrow or the next week, who knows?" It's a little frustrating for us because we know that she is stuck right now, and will not progress further until she comes to church, but we cannot figure out how to get her there. She wouldn't commit to anything when it came to church. She did commit though, to reading from the Book of Mormon every day. We are hoping that this will help the spirit to work in her and give her more desire to attend on Sunday. 

Last week I learned a lot about faith. I learned how to set goals for this area and to have the faith that miracles will happen because in the end, miracles are always brought to pass by faith. 

Diligence is one of those things that's a lot easier said than done. Like President Kearon said, "we have to work at this, but we're not afraid of work." I have been striving every day to be more diligent in all of my efforts as a missionary and I hope that each of you will strive to be more diligent in your efforts as members (and of course missionaries as well.) 

I love you guys, my prayers are with you.

-Sorella Bonzo

Xixy dressed up for carnevale 

Crotone is a medieval city that held the olympics at some point 

Our potential lived on a street called "United States"

We always find the cutest parts of town Tracking down inactive members

x