Week 27 in Italy

Well, I have like no time to write an email unfortunately. It was a good week. 

High- We set a baptismal date with Roberto's dad! 

Low.- Some lady yesterday walked by us and looked at her daughters and said oohhhh look at what they're wearing... Oops. 

Anyway. Just working hard. I'm exhausted. But I love where I am. I love this city. I love these people. 

God is mindful of each of us. He knows our weaknesses. He gives us those little tender mercies in our weakest moments that give us enough strength to go on. I am grateful for all that I am learning. I wouldn't trade a second of this time. 

Thank you for your support and love. 

Love, 

Sorella Tokarski 

(also we didn't take any pictures this week. so sorry.) 

Week 26 in Italy

This past week, I've reflected a lot about weaknesses. We all have them. We all struggle with something or another. Why are weaknesses a necessary part of life?

If we don't have weakness, we don't need to change or learn anything, and this life on earth becomes pointless. We have to have weaknesses so that we can fulfill our purpose here on earth; to have a deep and meaningful relationship with God our Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ our Savior, to learn, to grow, and to become more like Christ.

It's very true that some weeks in the field are harder than others. This week was a particularly heavy week. But there wasn't a single moment that Christ wasn't by my side helping me to carry the load that I couldn't bear. We attended two funerals this week, one for Carla, whom I have come to love dearly, and the other for the wife of a member in our branch. We also faced some other adversity throughout the week, and by today we are exhausted. But, I am so grateful for the things that I am learning and being faced with. It allows me to more fully rely on The Savior and apply His atonement in my life.

I'm currently reading in Alma. There are the Alma chapter 18 and 19 moments. We find people that God has prepared, and they accept the gospel! But other times it feels more like Alma chapter 21 verses 1-13. Obviously I am not in NEARLY as bad of conditions. Per niente. Meno male.

No matter what kind of week it is, I am always learning something new or learning something for the millionth time. I am grateful for Heavenly Father's patience with me.

On a brighter note, a wonderful couple from Napoli showed up in church sunday during the third hour. They're here for vacation  (meaning they've been here for like a month at least and will be here for another couple of weeks), and they asked us how much we would charge them for a bible. We told them that we wouldn't charge them anything and President Bignami handed over his bible in that very moment. It was awesome. We all gathered together in his office for a moment to explain the restoration and the Book Of Mormon. They have an evangelist background and have a lot of faith. They said "amen" after every sentence we said. It made it really easy to know what they agreed with and what they weren't so sure about! They were really interested in hearing more and set another appointment with us for the next night. Unfortunately, they came a little bit too late. So we set another appointment for the next night. We went to their home and taught them, their daughter, her fiance, and a few other friends that were over. The spirit was so strong and I know they felt it too! The fiance was really riled up and was spitting lots of questions at us. But God really does give us the words that we need in the moments that we need them. I was really grateful for the Heavenly help that we received.

I am exhausted. My feet are swollen, my knees are callussed, I'm starting to get wrinkles. But mama mia I wouldn't have it any other way. I love being a missionary and I am so grateful for this beautiful opportunity to grow and become purified through the atonement of Christ.

Enjoy your week. Keep Christ at the center. Read the scriptures! Accept your weaknesses and allow the Savior to turn them into strengths. 

I love you all.

Week 25 in Itlay

And another new transfer begins! It's hard to believe how quickly time is flying by.

Sorella Bringas and I have been working non stop. We have seen so many miracles already. When we met in Milano, we began to talk to people as we were waiting for our train. She stopped a woman and began to talk to her. We discovered that this woman was from Mexico. We then discovered that she knew who we were. We then discovered that she had been to church a few times. We THEN discovered that she was BAPTIZED years ago and hasn't been to church in a really long time. We took down her information and got it sent in to the office. (phone number, address, and when she is normally at home so that the missionaries in mexico can go find her) She agreed to meet with the missionaries again at home and said that she would go to church when she got home. It was truly incredible. 

My companion is incredible. I am learning so much from her. Sorella Bringas is a phenomenal missionary and I am so grateful for her example of love and obedience. We only speak in Italian together. We try to speak a little bit of English in the home because she needs to learn it. But I'm basically her teacher. And she's mine. So about 97 percent of my life is completely in Italian now.. Weird. It's really pushing me to expand my vocabulary and become more knowledgeable in the grammer. The work is continuing to move forward here. We are seeking to find new people to get in that cold water! :) I know that there are people here in this city that are being prepared and are ready to hear the gospel. We are talking to everyone and we are doing our best to do our part. I love the people here that I have the privilege to work with.

We had a wonderful scambio on monday and tuesday. My mission mamma is now my sister training leader! I about died when I found that out. I am so grateful that we get to stay in close contact for this next transfer. Sorella Gunnerson and I worked on asking for referrals at every appointment, and really having a spirit guided lesson. It was wonderful! We also talked about the importance of having patience with ourselves and recognizing that we will improve step by step, not all at one time. 

Roberto is wonderful! We taught him this week about the my family booklet. He is really excited to start working on it with his family. His parents were also very excited! He prayed in the lesson that his dad would choose to get baptized soon and that his mom would be able to stop crying every time she talked about her mother who recently passed away. He really has so much faith and has a testimony of the power of prayer! 

On our scambio, we went to go and visit our incredible friend Carla. She has continued to digress. Her daughter was incredibly down and just beside herself. In that moment, I had another one of those this is why i'm serving a mission moments. There are men and women that are suffering because they don't know the truth. They don't know about God's plan for them and for their family members. My heart ached for her, but it joyed in knowing that one day, she will again be in the arms of her loving mother, when she is lucid, aware, and capable of communicating. This life is not the end. It really is just the beginning of eternity. I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have. I am grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ. It's incredible that on the mission, we are with a companion literally 24/7. I have not been alone for more than just using the restroom for 7 months now. But I have never had moments of feeling so alone in my entire life than I have in these few months. It truly is the most perfect way to learn how to be self reliant and how to rely 100% on Christ and on Heavenly Father. 

I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve. I love the gospel. I love sharing the gospel. Thank you all for your love and support.

I invite you all to write down in a journal or somewhere that you can see frequently, one way that the gospel has changed your life. If you don't have the gospel in your life, find someone that does and ask them how it has changed them. 

I want to hear your answers!! 

Will you do it? ;) (The answer should be yes.) 

Have a great week!!! 

love, 

Sorella Tokarski 

Week 24 in Italy

Ci vedrem is is the name of the hymn God Be With You Til We Meet Again in our Italian Hymn books. We've sang that a few times this past week. With Sorella Buccos final days, we have had tears, laughs, and just continued crazy times. I am grateful for all that I have learned from her and I know that she will go home and continue to be an incredible missionary as a member.

This past week was great. We helped Marisa and Sonya (members) move homes all day on friday, and then ROBERTO GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!  we had SO many members show up! It was incredible how much support there was. The wa
ter was freezing cold, as always. So the member that would be performing the baptism gets into the font and is just really trying to handle it like a man. Roberto tries to get into the font and he can't do it. He is shaking and trying not to cry and is sitting on the ladder with his toes barely touching the chilly water. Steve (the member) is doing his best to gently coax Roberto into the water. But he just won't go. After about ten minutes of silence from everyone, and soft whispers from Steve to Roberto, he gently suggests that Roberto offer a prayer in his heart that he will be able to enter the water. Roberto does so and is finally able to get in! He did it! It was wonderful and his testimony of prayer is so wonderfully strong.

It was just so great!!

On Sunday we taught two young girls named Roberta and Lisa. They are so cool! I just love them. They have such real desire to find the truth. One of them comes from an atheist background and the other comes from a family of Catholics that aren't practicing. So they both aren't really sure who they are or what this life really is about. They are excited to start reading the book of mormon and we will be seeing them again later on in the week.

We went to see our crazy carla in hospice on tuesday and what we found was a bit of a shock. When we were there last week she was still flying around her room, yelling at the nurses, and flipping through her book of mormon showing us all of her notes and her questions and everything. Instead, this time we showed up to her crying daughter and one of her nieces and sister in law. She was there just lying in bed with not much life in her. Her eyes were barely open. Her face was pale, and our Carla who we have come to love so much was just not the same. She said a few words to us and her daughter welcomed us gladly. In these past few weeks, Carla has been throwing referral after referral at us. Her two children, and some of her other friends. She wants them to all meet with us and she has told them about how wonderful we are and how great our church is. She didn't want to be baptized, but she knew that our church brought happiness and light to others and she wanted that for her children and for her friends. Although she doesn't have very much time left now, we will continue to visit her and love her. She is probably one of my favorite people in all of Sanremo.

We also had a celebration for Sorella Bucco as a farewell and for Anziano Pinnnock who will be transferred to Milano tomorrow. The branch here loves its missionaries a lot. Both of them will be greatly missed.

I am grateful for the gospel in my life. I am grateful for the power of prayer. I am grateful to have a God and Father in Heaven that knows me perfectly. He knows my desires and the intentions of my heart. I am not perfect. But He is and so is His son.I am grateful for the example of my older brother Jesus Christ. I am grateful to be a part of an eternal family. I am grateful for the trials that I am given to help me learn and grow. I know that when we have trials, the best thing we can do is immediately just turn to Christ. He will be there. He will soften the blow. He will lighten the burden. I love Him and I am grateful to be a representative of Him. 

I love you all. 

Love, 

Sorella Tokarski