Well, after spending most of the week thoroughly and deeply
sanitizing every inch of our large apartment and ourselves, we think we're
finally lice free!
We got special permission from President Dibb to get on the
internet and do some research about lice because the information we were
getting from the mission nurse (who is very sweet and really wants to be able
to help but can't always help) was not helpful at all unfortunately.. So we did
some searching. After the research we did, based off of the over 200 eggs we
found and the varying sizes of the 25 plus bugs I had, we realized that I had
had it for probably about a month... That's a sickening thought... It was an
absolute miracle that Sorella Gunnerson did not get it. And then we were told
by the mission nurse that we would need to wash AND DRY every single fabric
like material in our home (clothes, curtains, pillows, bedding, towels,
everything). Dryers don't really exist in Italy... Very few people have them.
So of course we don't have one. We just have a drying rack which works just
fine, except when you're trying to kill lice! The mission nurse recommended
putting them in the oven.. But we didn't want to burn our house down. So we
filled 11 large black trash bags with all of those things and our zone leaders
kindly and very nervously assisted us in driving our bags to the laundromat
while we walked several blocks. It was just too much to carry... It was funny
and also humiliating (for me) to watch them vigorously brushing off their hands
and pants and shirts. They were so worried about getting the lice (but
everything was in big bags... So it wasn't likely.) We were so grateful for
their service and sacrifice. I felt bad for them, but was so grateful. They
were trying so hard to not seem worried or nervous at all. It was really funny.
Anyway. We spent over 70 euro at the laundromat... It was
not cheap... But it was necessary. We are really hoping that the mission office
will reimburse us for these funds. They technically should. But we aren't
certain yet if they will or not..
We miraculously managed to teach 8 lessons last week in the
midst of the lice stress, and we were really grateful for the people that we
were able to see. It's hard to be on a mission, know your purpose, and know
that you can't actually go out and work. But we did the best that we could last
week, and Heavenly Father made up the difference. He always does.
We said many a prayer in the 10 days. (We pray all the time
anyway, but there were more this past week!) I am confident that if God was not
helping my companion and me through this, we would still be infested. I know
that we were able to take care of the issue only with the help of a loving
Heavenly Father who knew that we needed to learn a little bit of humility.
We will continue to pick through each others hair every
night after daily planning for the next two weeks. I can't wait until we can
actually go to bed at 10:30 again.
God answers prayers! I know He does. He also gives us
blessings and tender mercies in the midst of opposition to help us move forward
or find some relief. This week, my tender mercies were the brief glimpses of
the towering and still partially snow covered Swiss alps off in the distance
between buildings. We don't see them very often because of smog and because
Torino is basically all buildings and apartments, which sometimes makes it hard
to see. But I caught several glances this past week and every time I did, I
just took a moment to thank God for the beautiful earth that we have. It is
truly a blessing.
And, we are so excited for one of our investigators Hui. She is awesome!!! She's getting baptized on May 9th. :) We love her.
I am looking forward to having a more normally scheduled
week and being able to work hard! We have several appointments lined up and we
are looking forward to being able to just work like missionaries are supposed
to.
Something that I am really grateful for is that we can gain a
sure knowledge of the truthfulness of the gospel. One of the women that we
teach has a tremendously difficult time understanding that she can truly
receive an answer and a knowledge of the truthfulness of the gospel. She has
hope, and she thinks that's as far as she can go. But I am so grateful to KNOW.
I am grateful that we CAN know. I am grateful that we have a formula for knowing.
Read the Book of Mormon, ponder the things that are read and understood, and
then pray with real intent (meaning that you intend on acting on the answer
that you get) and ask to know if it is true. Heavenly Father wants all of His
children to come home to Him. The message that we as missionaries share is
either true or not true. And these three steps are the way to know. If you
don't do them, you will never receive the answer that God is waiting patiently
and lovingly to give.
As a missionary, it is heartbreaking to see people tell us
they want to know but they think they can't, and it's always because they
aren't doing one of those steps. Just do them, and you will receive an answer!
If you want to know, you will know.
I love Italy. I love these people. The language is slowly
slowly coming. But I am improving thanks to answered prayers.
For pday today, we went to the cinema museum inside of the
Mole. It was awesome. So many cool pictures and things to see and look at.
One of the rooms had toilets as the seats.. It was pretty crazy.
There is no where else I'd rather be at this point in my
life. I think about the vision and the plan that I had for myself and I can't
help but feel silly. The plan that Heavenly Father has for each of us is VASTLY
better and more brilliant than anything that we can possibly think up for
ourselves. We think we're so smart sometimes.. But I know that as we turn to
Heavenly Father and seek to do and understand His will for us and live the plan
that He has specifically designed for us, we will be so much happier. Life will
be so much richer and so much better. I am grateful to be here learning,
growing, and just living lice. I mean life.. ;)
Hope everyone is doing well!!!!!
Love,
Sorella Tokarski
PS shout out to my awesome momma for her birthday this week!
Hittin 25... again. Love you ;)
