Week 18 in Italy

Our theme for this transfer was "If miracles cease, it is because faith has ceased." This week is transfers, and this past transfer has honestly been FULL of miracles. I will be staying here in San Remo, and Sorella Van Alfen will be leaving for Verona to go and serve with my MTC companion, Sorella Quitnon. Crazy!! Can't believe it.

We have had a wonderful transfer serving together and we have really both learned so much. My new companion will be Sorella Bucco and she is just coming from being a sister training leader in another city. She will be dying this next transfer, so it will be cool to work with someone so experienced and who is at the very end!! Because of that, I think I will be staying here in San Remo for the next couple of transfers because I don't think President would take me out too next transfer and bring in two new sisters.. But it's all in God's hands!

[Our district]

This past week was crazy. We taught, we tried to do finding work, we sweat, we made cinnamon rolls, we laughed, we cried, we made pizza, we made no bakes, we had a woman run away from up plugging her ears, we set a baptismal date with a woman named Elvira (she showed up in church last sunday. she is AMAZING!!!) She will be baptized on july 26th, we walked all over San Remo this week. We helped an elderly woman pack up her house because she has to be out by the 30th. She is ill, and her daughter Sonya has mental disabilities. I love both of them sooooooo much. It was really just a super busy and fun week. I will truly miss Sorella Van Alfen. She has been such a wonderful example to me and to the people here in San Remo.

[Went to mass with them]

Random: We had a giant thunder and lightening and rain storm this morning. Super fun. Italy lost in the World Cup. Everyone was soooooooo depressed. They all sat out in Centro eating gelato not saying anything. It was actually really funny. 

We went to mass on sunday with two of our investigators. Father and daughter. Very catholic. They are two of my best friends.. We have eaten dinner with them a couple of times. They loved our church service and we had a great time in mass with them right after. They were so grateful that we were willing to go with them, and I think it really showed them that we love everyone. We aren't against any religion and we are willing to listen to other ideas. It was super cool to hear mass in italian. The crazy part was that I understood most of it because I'm already familiar with the prayers and how the service goes.

[Father & Son have baptismal dates]

We're just working with so many incredible people right now. We have 4 people with baptismal dates. We have about 8 investigators that we are working with regularly. One of them is from Poland! I just have this soul connection with her. She reminds me a lot of Grandma Helen. I feel like she's my family. She's awesome and we had two really powerful lessons with her this past week. I'm excited to see what will happen in these next couple of transfers.

I am just so grateful to be serving right now. I am so grateful to be here as a full time missionary. I just continue to feel blessed and grateful for all that I am learning here. I have learned a lot this past transfer. Sorella Van Alfen loves with her whole heart. The members are extremely sad to see her go. But I know that the work will continue to move forward and progress here. I plan to continue to work hard and do my best to let Heavenly Father work through me to bring His children back. I have really gained a testimony that anything good that happens while I'm here serving has nothing to do with my own efforts, but has everything to do with God working through me. I know that He can do so much more for these people than I ever will be able to through my own efforts.

Be good!! Make good choices. I love you all. 

love, 

Sorella Tokarski

Week 17 in Italy

So we started out this week by going to Genova last wednesday night to stay with the sister training leaders (3 hour train ride) because we had zone conference on thursday in alessandria. So we stayed with them, then woke up thursday morning, and took a 2 hour train to alessandria. It was a lot of train. Conference was AWESOME!!! So spiritual. We talked a lot about the importance of doing family history work and how we need to help our new converts do their own family history work so that they can prepare to go to the temple! We also talked a lot about being consecrated missionaries and really focusing on our purpose here and being obedient. It was awesome. Then at the end of conference, we took a 5 hour train ride back down to San remo. It was a gorgeous ride.

Then on Friday night as we were kneeling to say our bed time prayers, all of a sudden there's huge booming and popping sounds. We both halted our prayers and looked at each other. We went out onto our balcony, and there were giant fireworks exploding over the ocean. It was SO COOL! We stood outside for about 10 minutes and watched. Everyone was out on their balconies cheering and shouting. It was great! I love this small beach town.

We also had an interesting experience doing finding work in Imperia this week. We went for a branch activity to the city that the Anziani live in. They really need more people to teach and we really want to be able to form a branch in Imperia. So. We took a bus out to Imperia, and two of the sisters of our branch showed up for the activity. So we did a split. I went with one and Van alfen went with the other. I was nervous to be completely alone with an Italian.. I still can't understand everything people say to me. But it ended up being fine. I just responded to what I could and did my best to really listen and understand. Anyway. The point of this story was that the entire time, everyone we talked to would just laugh and mock us. They pointed and just looked at us in disgust. It broke my heart. And I realized that it hurt so bad not because they were mocking me, but because they were mocking my Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ, and everything that He has done for me and for them. His name makes up the two most important words on my name tag. And it was just really sad to feel so utterly rejected in His place. If that makes sense... Missionary work. It's hard. But it is the most incredible and important work in the entire world.

Miracle! We had a woman show up in church this past sunday. Her name is Elvira. She apparently saw the

Anziani at a gelateria a week ago and they didn't have time to talk to her, so they invited her to church. She noticed a light about them that she really liked. So she actually came! We were able to sit with her throughout the three hours of church, and she was loving it! She had a lot of questions. We will be meeting with her again tonight! She is awesome!

Overall, It was a good week. Our investigators aren't coming to church though. We feel that we are doing our part in striving to help them understand the importance of coming to church and we always invite them. But for the past few weeks, they just won't come! It's heartbreaking. We will continue to invite and pray for inspiration as to how we can better help them understand the importance and necessity of coming to church. I am so grateful to be serving here and to have the opportunity to work with these people. I really do love being a missionary!

Also, this past week, the temperature cooled off quite a bit. Thank Heavens! I was super dehydrated on Monday and we didn't get very much done. But anyway. The past couple of days have been much cooler and we even got some rain. Heavenly Father answers prayers!

And we got to hold really cute puppies last week because two of our investigators own a pet supply shop so they brought their puppies in that day so that people could see them and buy them... ahhhhh. So cute.

I love you all! Be good! Do missionary work! GO TO CHURCH! It is SERIOUSLY crucial. 

love, 

sorella tokarski

Week 16 in Italy

Well, it's about that time when our hair is permanently in buns so that it's not touching our necks, our makeup sweats off by 11am, and we wear sunscreen or die. Holler at that touristy smell of sunscreen in the afternoons. Literally. It is so hot. It's high 90s if not 100s yet. AC doesn't exist here. We don't have a nice cool car to get us out of the sun as we travel. Our house is on the 5th floor and we all know heat rises. We are just being cooked alive. We can't escape the heat! It's insane. It got crazy this past week. We sleep with fans blowing on us as close as they can get to our beds. We study with fans blowing on us. We just bring the fans everywhere we go in our house. We jump in cold showers during lunch time and before bed. It's wonderful. I've never loved cold showers, but now I can't get enough! The only place with ac is our church. So when we have the excuse to go in, we stop for a second and just bask in the cold air.

As sticky and gross as we feel like every single hour of the day, we're just laughing and enjoying every second of it. It's a little crazy. But we really are just making the most of it and accepting the fact that this is how it will be for the next 3 months.

Despite the delirious heat and almost passing out a couple of times, (yes mom we are drinking LOTS of water), I learned a lot this past week. On Sunday, we had a broadcast for parts of Europe. President Uchtdorf and Elder Anderson spoke. It was beautiful. Unfortunately, there were a couple of members and particularly a couple of youth (which we don't have very many to begin with) that were glued to their phones. Editing pictures, checking their Facebook, sending text messages. I. Was. MAD! I realized in that moment how destructive technology can be to the spirit. Not only were they distracting themselves from feeling the spirit and receiving personal revelation, but I was in turn being distracted as well. I was so upset and frustrated about this situation. Then a couple nights ago, we were at this same persons house for dinner, and her poor mother just wanted her to put down her phone during dinner, and she couldn't. She physically could not be separated from her phone. Then I got even more mad because I KNOW I was totally guilty of doing the exact same thing for a looooong time. I made myself a promise that I would not use my phone during church after the mission, and that I won't allow it to become an addiction. Call it what you want, but when you can't go 5 minutes without checking for a notification, or a message, or whatever other stupid social media sites there are now, it's an addiction. It's destructive to personal relationships, and it can take away ones ability to be receptive to the spirit. IT IS NOT WORTH IT. I know that I had a problem with this in the past. But never again! I encourage you all to evaluate the influence that your technology use has on your time, your relationships with others, and your church experience every Sunday.

Anyway. We went over to a new convert's home to make french toast and pancakes for them! The Italians love them some pancakes and french toast! They usually have never had it before so it's like a new special delicacy! Same with brownies.. It's awesome.

Another thing I learned is the importance of Charity. Was it charitable of me to be angry about this whole phone in church situation? no. But I really studied charity a lot this week. I realized that as a missionary, I can't get anything done without having charity in my heart. Sure I can try to teach a lesson. Sure I can stop someone on the street and try to talk to them. But nothing that I do will matter if I don't do it with the right intentions, meaning with the pure love of Christ in my heart for others. Having charity isn't easy. But I have found that as I continue to pray for charity, and as I continue to try to serve others because I love them and I love my Savior, the charity in my heart grows a little bit more. Christ is such a perfect example. I have a lot to improve on and I have a lot more to learn. But I am so grateful for the things that I am learning every day here and for the things that God continues to improve about myself as I turn myself over to him.

We've really been struggling to get our investigators to church. It kills us each week when we show up, and we wait and wait and wait anxiously for our people to come, and then they just don't. There's always a reason why. It's really hard to want soooo much good for someone, to know exactly what will bring them blessings and help them improve their lives, and then to watch them choose against it. I can't imagine how our Heavenly Father feels watching me every day. I don't pretend to be perfect. I know that I make mistakes every day, and i'm sure He feels this exact same way about me.

Free agency is such a blessing. It's also such a curse. But I am grateful for the lessons that I am learning from this mission. I really don't want it to ever end. I cant imagine ever having just a normal life again. 

I love my mission. I love being here. I love continuing to learn and grow and I am so grateful for this opportunity.

I love you guys. 

Love, 

Sorella Tokarski

Week 15 in Italy

Well, things are starting to heat up here in San Remo.  The worst part is that most people are still rocking the long sleaves. Everyone except me. Let the sister missionary tan lines begin! I'm from Oregon, where we're in shorts when it's 65! Anyway. I'm getting nervous for the  summer. It'll be in the 100s for most of june, july, and august.

It was another great week though. We're working really hard. We're teaching a young mother. She has faced a lot of adversity. But she is progressing very quickly. She has recognized the power and influence and love of God in her life and wants to make a big change. It's incredible to see the affect that this gospel has on each of us.

This week I realized how big of an influence the gospel has had on my life. It is a really huge blessing to know 1. I am a child of God. 2. He has a plan for me and my family. 3. No matter what happens or what we go through, Christ knows it and we can find comfort a

nd peace through His atonement.

Truly. I don't know what I would be without these knowledges. I don't see suffering and feel angry at God. I don't have challenges and blame God for them. I have such a different perspective than most of the rest of the world, as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am truly grateful that I have this different perspective. Anyway. Just very grateful for these things.

Random: I speak Italian in my sleep. It wakes sorella Van Alfen up sometimes.

We biked about 16 miles for p-day today along the Italian coast line... Gorgeous.

We do finding work with members sometimes, and it's awesome when the members just go up to someone and say "VIENI! VIENI CON NOI IN CHIESA!" "Come come with us to church!!" It makes us laugh, and then we end up teaching them that when we ask a simple question, bear a simple testimony, and give a simple invite, things work much better! I love Italians.

We had a scambio this last week. It was awesome. I learned so much from Sorella Astel. She served in

Torino a while ago, so we've taught most of the same people. It was so fun to share stories and experiences with her and learn from each other.

Also. A random man came up to us as we were eating our gelato, bent his face down towards Sorella Van Alfen's cone, and just took a huge bite. We just sat there in shock, and he calmly walked away. His wife's jaw dropped, and she just stared at him in disbelief. She looked at us, we burst out laughing, and then she ran off to catch up to her crazy husband.

Anyway. I love being a missionary. It is changing my soul. I will never be the same because of this experience.

The gospel is true! Christ lives and loves us! Heavenly Father has a perfect and personal plan for each of us! 

Be good. 

Love, 

Sorella Tokarski