Week 31 in Italy

So I picked up my new companion thursday in Milano! She is the coolest! I love her. Sorella Hibo and I get along great. She is such a gem. She is so smart and so wise.

Friday night, we had a great talent show! I sang, and Sorella Eghbert (who just finished her mission but also served here in sanremo) came with her parents. They had come to pick her up. They came to visit the cities she served in. They are from salt lake, but it turns out that they have a beach house right next to ours at roads end!!! Unreal!! Smallest world ever.

We also had a really great lesson with Alessandro and his family. They don't read the scriptures together and they don't come to church. There is always an excuse. So this week, we had a very honest and very intense lesson with them about how you can justify your way into Heaven and how God won't accept the excuses at the final moment. We taught a lot out of the scriptures, in specific Alma chapter 5. It was a lesson that the spirit guided completely, and it was awesome. We planned it out before, but the spirit gave us that extra boost duri

ng the lesson and we know they understood at the end.

Then on monday morning, i woke up feeling a little strange. My stomach didn't feel so good. Well, I ended up having a brutal case of influenza. I was in the bathroom more than twenty five times in the course of 6 hours. So yeah. I ended up losing 6 pounds that day. The poor mission presidents wife wanted to send me to the hospital to get re-hydrated

but instead, I couldn't leave the house so we called a doctor to come to us, and then one of the nurses from our branch came and ended up giving me some magic shot in my bum to make me stop throwing up. It was great! I'm still pretty dehydrated, but I'm doing a lot better. My companion is just a champ! She has just taken great care of me. So yeah! We started out the transfer a little rough, but we've been laughing the whole time. So that just means that it's going to get so much better from here! We have some great things lined up for the rest of the week! I look forward to getting back to work and continuing to serve here in Sanremo. I love this work so much. It is amazing.

I also have such a testimony of the priesthood. I am so grateful that God has given men just a little bit of His power to bless and serve the lives of everyone here on earth. I love it! 

Anyway. That's all for this week. Have a great one!!! Love you all. 

Love, 

Sorella Tokarski 

ps. when you're sick, the italians taught me that you have to only eat stuff that's white. hence the rice and potato mixture. that stuff works.

Week 30 in Italy

Well we got our transfer calls this week! It turns out that to my surprise and everyone eles's surprise, Sorella Bringas will be transferred away after just 6 short weeks and I will remain for my 4th transfer here in Sanremo! My new companion will be the sister that Sorella Bringas trained! She was born in Coast d'iviore, but she has lived in Rome for basically her whole life! Second native speaking companion! Here we go! (but she speaks english too, as well as arabic, german, french, and spanish, and a few others....) She will be going into her 4th transfer and I will be going into my 6th. So I will be senior companion for the first time. Weird! It will be a fun new adventure in a very familiar city and setting. We leave bright and early in the morning for Milano to make the trade! Transfers are great! I am so sad to be splitting with Sorella Bringas. She is an incredible missionary and she has taught me so much. I have really grown a lot this transfer with her. She exemplifies charity and is a pro at following the spirit. Plus we laugh together all the time. My Italian has improved a lot, and I have really learned a lot about how missionary work works. She was and is a great companion and will be a great sister training leader in Mestere. 

We had another week full of miracles! We started teaching a husband and wife that were ex investigators. They have already received their answer and want to be married in the temple so that they can have an eternal family. Baptism is a little bit scary for them. But we are going to just continue to pray for them and that their hearts can be at peace! Deborah and Daniele are truly so ready! 

Alessandro is working so hard! I know that he can be ready for his baptismal date of the 11th of october! Breaking the addiction of smoking cigarettes is one of the hardest things I'm sure he's had to do. But he is striving with all of his strength to break it. I am so proud of him and I know that the Lord is too. We had a great lesson and dinner with them in this past week. Alessandro made some sort of pastry thing and it was so yummy! I was really full after just a couple and they kept saying that I needed to eat more! My sweet companion said, "No she can't she has to prepare to get married after her mission!!" And Alessandro paused for a second and said, "Is there a date picked for your future wedding?" and I said "NO!! OF COURSE NOT!" And he and his wife both were like, "E ALLORA! MANGIA!!!!!!" (well okay then!!! EAT!!!) We were all just busting up laughing. And Nadia brought out her wedding dress that is now way too big for her. She has lost some weight since her wedding. She said, "Look. When it's time for you to get married, just come and get my dress! It will fit you for sure no matter how fat you get!!!" And we all just were dying. It was great. 

Roberto is doing well. He is starting to understand a little bit better the story of The Book of Mormon. We have found that teaching him through things that he can see and watch works really well! 

I just love this work so much. 

We have been running in the mornings! I've been getting up a few minutes early so that by 6:30 I'm ready to hit the pavement. I don't even know who I am anymore. 

I am also so grateful for the Atonement. It changes us. It makes us into who God wants us to be. I am so grateful for Christ and what he did for me. There is a line in a song that I really like that says, "Mistakes of the past don't define you, they refine you." It's through the power of the atonement that the refining process takes place. I love my Savior and I am so grateful for him and what he has done for me. 

Have a great week everyone!!!! I love you all!! 

Love, 

sorella tokarski

Week 29 in Italy

Well famiglia mia e cari miei,

It has been an incredible week. Truly miraculous. First I will start out with the brief version of the story of Evalina and Claudio that I promised last week. These two are truly the elect of the elect. It all started one sunday morning when claudio felt the need for a bible. He and his wife were here on vacation for a month and a half with their children. They felt the need to read some good old fashined bible! So they went to a couple of churches and asked, but no one had the bible. So as they were about to give up and go to Conad to do some grocery shopping, they saw our little church sign that says La Chiesa Di Gesù Cristo dei santi degli ultimi giorni. Claudio saw the name Gesù and felt that they needed to go inside. They entered and president Bignami scooped them up, sat them in his office and came running to the relief society room to snag us. We were a little bit confused, but we went to go and meet these strangers. They asked us for a bible, and instead we gave them a Book of Mormon! (We didn't have a bible to give out.) President Bignami willingly gave Claudio his own personal copy of the bible after our brief meeting. We explained a little bit about the Book of Mormon and the restoration. They were really intrigued and wanted to know more. We planned a date for our next meeting. Over the course of two weeks, we ended up teaching them about the restoration, the plan of salvation, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and read parts of the Book of Mormon with them. They felt the spirit so strongly in every single lesson. Their faith was incredible. We talked to them about baptism and they both knew that they wanted to be baptized. They asked God in prayer if the Book of Mormon was true and if Joseph Smith was a prophet. They both received priesthood blessings and wept with joy and happiness. They knew that they had found what they were searching for. Their vacation ended and they had to return back to Naples. We sent in all of their information to the office so that they could send missionaries in naples immediately. We received a text from the office last night saying that THEY BOTH ACCEPTED BAPTISMAL DATES FOR THE 27TH OF SEPTEMBER! My heart is just so full of joy for them. I am so excited for them. I will never forget the two of them and the incredible peace and spirit that we felt with them. They truly are one of the biggest miracles that I have seen on my mission. 

Next miracle. We are working with the semerraro family. I love them more than my words can describe. Roberto is freshly baptized, Nadia is trying to come back, and Alessandro is progressing beautifully towards baptism. Both parents are working really hard to stop smoking. We taught a lesson about the word of wisdom this past week. President Bignami accompanied us. The lesson was powerful and at the end, both Nadia and Alessandro recieved priesthood blessings for help. They are both so determined and committed to obey the word of wisdom. They truly inspire me. My heart is so full of gratitude that Heavenly Father has given me the opportunity to work with them and feel a small portion of His love for them.

Next miracle. A couple of weeks ago, we taught a couple. The woman was really interested. They went on vacation the day after our lesson, but while she was on vacation, she read over 300 pages of the Book of Mormon! She really likes it. She is just incredible and her desire to learn is amazing. We look forward to working with her more in the future.

Basically I'm just feeling so much gratitude and joy. It's incredible how at our moments of difficulty and trial, there are always miracles that are about to explode! I know that God loves us and that He has a perfect plan for us. I know that this is the church of Jesus Christ. It's not just a religion. It's not something new. It is the church of Christ exactly how He established it when He was on  the earth. I am so grateful to know that we have a living prophet and that we are lead and guided by him and by the 12 apostles. It is so incredible to me that we have 12 apostles of Jesus Christ in these days. It is just so cool to think about. God is real. Priesthood power is real.

I also know that although we can't always choose our circumstances, we can always choose our attitudes! Choose wisely!

I just love the gospel so much. I love being a missionary so much. It is the best thing that I have ever done in my life.

Today for p-day, we're going to try to get to the border of France! Wish us luck! I love you all. Be good. Don't be lazy. Have good attitudes! God is a God of miracles and He can do all things! 

Love, 

Sorella Tokarski 

the picture is of us with a sweet sister and her daughter who moved out of the branch this past week to spain! I will miss them tons!

Week 28 in Italy

Wow. What a week. We had a good weekend and then left monday night for Savonna. We stayed the night in Savonna with the sisters there, and then headed up to Alessandria yesterday morning bright and early for zone conference. It was great! It was our zone and the Torino zone combined. We talked a lot about discipleship and about how we can better apply the principles of the gospel to our investigators needs. It was great! I love conferences. I love being with all of the missionaries. There is such a special spirit with all of them.

Roberto gave me like an entire bagful of little stuffed animal presents... He was like "Sorella Tokarski, Mi mancherai!!!!!!!" which means I will miss you. 

I'M NOT LEAVING YET NOOO! 

It's strange to have the occasional reminder that life goes on at home even while I'm gone. The time flies and I'm so caught up in the work. (That's how it should be.) People get engaged, people get mission calls, siblings change and change and change some more, things happen without you. But that's the beautiful thing about life. There is a time and a place for all things. I know with all of my heart that this is my time and my place right now here in Sanremo, Italy serving the Lord. I am grateful to know that God has personalized plans for each and every one of us, and as we live out those plans, we have so much joy and happiness. 

Studying on the train to zone conference

It's hard to watch laziness get in the way. Laziness is one of the biggest problems that I have seen on my mission. People come up with excuses saying that they don't have time, or they're just too busy and had too much going on to read their scriptures, or to say their prayers. I repeat the words that my ever so wise father always said to me: If you have time to send your text messages, update your facebook, and whatever else you're doing with technology, you have time to read your scriptures and say your prayers.

Missionaries in my zone

IT'S NOT THAT HARD. It is an absolute necessity for our souls. I think about all of the time that I have wasted in my life. I regret a lot of it. How much stronger would I be right now if I had taken more time to study the gospel, to do service, or to participate in church related activities? Doing the basic things and not allowing laziness to get in the way is VITAL in our lives. Please. Just do it. The blessings will come.

I love being a missionary and I love having the opportunity to repent every single day. I am not perfect. I am not any better than any other person with whom I serve or with whom I find or teach. I know with my whole heart that daily repentance is necessary. We need it. God expects it.

We all have weaknesses and challenges. They are necessary for our progression. That's what we have the atonement for. Use it. 

I love you all. Thank you for your support and prayers. 

love, 

Sorella Tokarski 

The story of Evalina and Claudio will come next week. MIRACLES. They are the couple that we are with in this picture.