Week 62: 'nother day another transfer (???)

I had a bit of a melt down this week when I realized I was coming into my 10th transfer. Sorella Brooks told me I was old and the new missionaries said they couldn't even wrap their brains around 14 months. I cried. BUT just like good wine, things get better with age. (Or so I'm told) and I can say that the mission just keeps getting better and better. I love every day out here and each moment I have to serve our Heavenly Father. 

This week was transfer week, which brought with it all the regular transfer stresses: new greenies, complex travel plans, and lost missionaries. At the beginning of the week, we got to take the new sisters around for a quick tour of Rome. It made me reflect on my first day in Italy, when I proudly gave away a single English course card and considered my work there to be done. I was thinking about how these poor new greenies were probably just as scared and ignorant as I was, and then they started literally stopping and holding conversations with EVERYONE. We were supposed to be there as language back up and encouragement, but we found out pretty quickly that they didn't need either of those things. I don't know what the MTC is doing differently, but the new missionaries were way more prepared than I ever was. After a good morning of finding, we ended by losing one sister on the metro and buying 5€ worth of cookies so a sister could use the bathroom. 

We've been doing a lot of finding in Rome lately, and after our mission conference with Elder De Feo, we were encouraged to be more natural about our finding. For example, be yourself instead of just asking every single person on the street if they want to learn more about the restoration. We've been putting it to the test, and we had a really cool experience with a guy on the metro. We were going back home after a lesson, and there was a university-aged guy looking at some super complicated sheet music. So we started a conversation about music, and then for the next 20 minutes as we walked from the metro to our house, we talked about the temple and the restoration. He said he wanted to bring his family and friends to the temple and learned more about the church. YSA in this country are amazing. 

Our last lesson of the week was actually a Skype lesson to America. Castlerock Colorado to be specific. Back in September, Sorella Brooks introduced one of her friends to the sister missionaries and this friend started taking the lessons. The sister messaged us last week and asked if we would participate in a Skype lesson, and Sorella Brooks was so excited. Being a part of that lesson was like watching an episode of the district. She asked all the right questions and gave all the perfect answers. My favorite part was that at the end of the lesson on the plan of salvation, she said "This has given me so much clarity." That's what the gospel of Jesus Christ does for us! That's what the scriptures do for us! That's what a living prophet does for us! It gives us clarity. Maybe not the whole eternal vision of the miniscule details of our lives, but it opens our minds to a perspectives that helps clear our vision in the dark times. 1 Corinthians 1:14 reads "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." Heavenly Father wants us to have peace and clarity of mind. That's what His plan provides us. I'm so grateful to Him and to His perfect plan that He prepared for us. 

I love you all!

Sorella Maxfield

Week 61: Doctor Kisses

This past week my companion has been dealing with some serious migraines, and so our mission nurse schedule us an appointment with Dr. Bacci. In English, his name translates roughly to "Dr. Kisses" so you can understand my concern thinking that I was taking my companion into a doctor who may have just stepped off a Disney channel set. Luckily, he ended up being a cute old man who, after asking my companion what was going on ("I've been dealing with some consistent and evere headaches and migraines"), gave us the perfect diagnosis ("It seems like you're dealing with migraines and severe headaches, consistently) and the perfect medication (side effects include nausea, stomach pain, drowsiness, severe headaches, and migraines). Thanks Dr. Bacci. He also recommended that we go in for an MRI, just in case. They didn't try to give us any whack medicine, but they did try to make me pay with cash right then and there instead of taking our insurance. Finally after all the mayhem and confusion of the MRI and doctors appointments, my companion confesses that before the headaches started she'd eaten a whole jar of nutella in just 2 days, and a slew of kinder buenos. The jury is still out as to whether or not the sugar over load caused the migraines, but at least now it's given her a reason to hold off on nutella consumption for a while.

    More than a year ago, Elder Ballard came to our mission and told us that if we each had 10 gospel conversations every day, our mission would see miracles. This week we pushed ourselves to open our mouths and hit our companionship goal of 20 a day. As promised, we saw miracles. While we were waiting to catch the metro on the way home from some rough finding, a woman carrying two huge bags and a suitcase comes up to us and starts asking for directions. Turns out she's from Lima Peru, and had met with the missionaries a couple times before moving to Italy. We helped her carry her bags to her apartment, and we're able to talk about the Book of Mormon and the restoration. She invited us to come over again and have some Peruvian food and talk more about our message! I was freaking out. It was like she fell from the sky right into our path.

     The second miracle we saw this week was getting a random call from someone saying, "Hi, I'm a less active member but today I felt like I need to start coming back to church. Will you come over today at 3 to share a message with me?" So we went over and talked with her about the Plan of Salvation. She's a 20 year old girl sho moved with her mom from Peru 10 years ago. She'd gone to church a couple times in those years, but her mom hadn't been back since they moved. We bore testimony of our purpose here on earth and what is going to come in the life after this one. We told her it was never too late for her or her mom to come back. She committed to come to church, but said her mom had no interest in coming back. Then on Sunday, we see BOTH of them walk through the doors! Again, I was freaking out. It made me think of something President Pickerd shared with us at MLC a few weeks ago; "Heavenly Father loves the discovery as much as he loves the recovery" 

    For a spiritual thought this week, I just want to invite you all to keep participating in Light the World and keep sharing your experiences. We can feel more fully Heavenly Father's love and share it through service. "When ye are in the service of your fellow being, ye are only in the service of your God"

I'm so grateful for this gospel and for this Christmas season we have to celebrate the birth of the Savior. 

I love you all!

Sorella Maxfield 

P.s  they lit up the rome temple this week 

Week 60: We Decorated for Christmas

I can't count how many times I've had Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" stuck in my head this week, which means it must be the Christmas season! We pulled out our box of random missionary decorations, and proceeded to put up a tilting Christmas tree (supported by old language study books and dictionaries), two strings of Christmas lights (held up with scotch tape) and a small "Buon Natale" sign. But even though the decorations are sparse, the Christmas spirit is bringing bright. 

You've probably all heard of the Light The World campaign by now, and I don't want to beat the dead horse, but you should all participate. It's an event completely focused on giving as the Savior did. No boxes or bows or ribbons or wrappings (that sounds like a line from the Grinch). Giving to others by serving them! Not convinced? Well my companion and I put it to the test this week by keeping service as a central part of our week. Here's how it went:

What : Lesson on Service. We taught a lesson to the cutest girl ever, who's expressed to us the difficulty she has showing appreciation for her parents. We talked about the life of Christ and how He spent His life in the service of others. We invited her to find ways to serve her parents this week in an effort to not only show her love for them, but to also increase her love for them. 

Result : The spirit was so strong. We all left feeling incredible, uplifted, and full of charity. Win.

What : Temple Service. We spent the first half of our Saturday clearing the path to the temple. I finally fulfilled my dream of using a garbage picker upper and it was actually not as great as Arthur made it look. But anyway, we cleared a ridiculous amount of trash and pulled a lot of weeds and we got to look at the temple the whole time we were doing it. 

Result : clean path, high spirits, and dreams accomplished. Win.  

What : Choir Service. We all ended up getting called in last minute to sing in and, in my case, accompany a spontaneous choir for a fireside. Did I drop the hymn book on the keys during the prelude and make a huge disruption? Yes. But, the choir miraculously came together and everything went smoothly for the fireside. 

Result : We made some great ward relationships, and also were able to participate in a fireside that got me so pumped for the temple. Win.

What : Ward Mission Leader Service. We prepared a surprise dinner for our ward mission leader. We put up Christmas lights, bought pizzas, and made him a giant card. He cried, we cried, everyone was crying and eating pizza, and it was good time. 

Result : service and pizza. Double win. 

Basically, the extra opportunity we have to go out and serve is one we should all try to take! 

I'm so grateful for a Savior who served with a perfect and unimaginable love, to the extent that He paid the price for our sins. This gospel is amazing!!!

Love you all, 

Sorella Maxfield 

Week 59: Tanti Auguri per la mamma

Today I figured you deserved a nice, well thought out, written letter because its your birthday!! 49 years young, but who's counting? I wanted to take this letter to thank you for the lessons you taught me that have helped me on my mission. 

1. How to be diligent: You taught me the importance of being diligent. You pushed me to make sure that any work I did was my best work. That any project, any piano piece, any homework, yardwork, or life work got my full effort until it was complete. I learned the most from watching you put a diligent effort into everything you did.

2. How to be patient: you showed me through working in young women's, through raising 5 kids, and most importantly, through how patient you always have been with me. 

3. How to be forgiving: you forgave when I came home late, when we ate popcorn upstairs and didn't vacuum up after, when I didn't do all my chores, when I yelled at my sisters, and when I yelled at you. You showed me the importance of forgiving and forgetting and just moving on!

4. How to be faithful: You always got us to church, with church bags in hand, talks written, and smiles plastered on even when it was freezing cold. You served faithfully in all your callings and showed me the importance of studying and understanding doctrine.

5. How to have charity: Most importantly, you taught me how to love! You are so full of charity and love, and I appreciate that so much!

Sorry this letter is all over the place, but I love you so much and I hope you have an incredible birthday!!

Love, 

Figlia tua 

Poem: Will you forget me?

Yesterday during companionship study, my companion expressed a fear she's always had about being forgotten. She said growing up in a military family, she moved around a lot and always feared her friends from city to city would forget her. Then she recounted how she pictured her leaving Heaven probably went, with her asking Heavenly Father if He would forget her, and Him reassuring her that that was impossible. 

Then I was reading in Helaman 12 about how quickly the people forgot the Lord and fell back into their own ways, and I just got thinking about how He never forgets us but we forget Him so easily sometimes. 

Then I had one of the weirdest spiritual promptings ever, where the spirit told me to write a poem. I haven't written a poem since the 8th grade, so I tried to ignore it, but for some reason it just kept coming back. And then addiritura I felt prompted to send it home. So here's a copy! It was one of the stranger personal studies I've had, but it was probably one of the most spiritual. 

Will you forget me?

The plan is set, we're all lined up 

And through the veil we'll go

To live and learn and grow and love

On our new earth down below

Millions of brothers, millions of sisters

All watching patiently 

And then there's you, near the end of the line

Over infinite heads you can see

There goes Adam! There goes Eve!

Then Abraham, Moses, now Ruth! 

One by one, they're going so fast

Now the line's starting to move 

You see them all go, they're great and they're strong 

You realize that you're just one

One little child, so small and so scared

And really, you don't know a ton

But now it's too late, it's already your turn

The line is right down to the end

He's waiting for you, to send you on down

Your father, your dad, your friend 

You stop right there, your head hanging down

At the thought of your next great task 

So you stare at the ground and quietly say

"Dad, I just have to ask 

"Where will I go? And how will I find

The path that will bring me back home?

Who is my mom and who is my dad

And siblings, will I at least have some?"

"And what if I fall? What if I fail?

Who am I even supposed to be?

And Father, one question that scares me the most

Is will you forget about me?" 

His hands take your own and He looks in your eyes,

That way that Fathers do.

"My child," he says, "I've not left you alone

The way is prepared for you."

"You'll have scriptures and prophets, bishops and priests

All there to show you the way. 

Your mother and father are already there

Waiting to teach you to play"

"You'll stumble and fall, of that I am sure

But don't fret, I have a plan.

Your elder brother has already gone 

When you can't, I promise He can."

"He knows how you'll feel, the pains you may have 

Through Him, your wrongs can be right 

And at the end of it all, my arms will be here

Waiting to hold you tight."

You look in His eyes and to your surprise 

Out comes one little tear. 

How could He cry, so perfect and great

What does he have to fear?

"What I fear, my love," knowing your thoughts,

"Is that during your new journey

You may lose track of my perfect plan 

And that YOU will forget about ME"

"With all the distractions, the news and the noise 

Your thoughts may be in disarray,

But please little one, don't forget to look up 

And please don't forget to pray."

"I'm always here waiting to help you along 

To know who you're supposed to be.

I remember you always, my precious child

Please don't forget about me"

Week 58: Mission Conference

This week we had mission conference, which was absolutely incredible. (More on lessons learned later) Almost all do the missionaries came up to Rome, so I got to see most of my old districts and companions! I realized how much like family they are to me. I'm so grateful for the friendships I've made in the mission, both with the Italians and the people I've served with. Another thing I learned is that being and STL in the center of Rome makes you the hotel for any sisters that need to come through. So this week we had 8 sisters in our apartment. And it was a mad house. On top of that, Sorella Decker and I were gone for Mission Leadership Conference, leaving behind two brand new missionaries to take care of 6 sisters. We were very proud of how well they seemed to be handling it, until about halfway through our lunch we got a call saying that they'd lost a sister at the biggest train station in Rome, and after an hour and a half they still couldn't find her. We found the sister and everything turned out ok, but I felt like a mom who kept getting phone calls from the babysitter to tell her that there was absolute chaos in the house. 

After Mission Conference both Sorella Brooks and I felt like we should give our house to house find one more try before referring her to the temple sisters in April. We found her a couple weeks ago, but she lives far enoug away that going to her house is a big time investment. So we fasted and prayed throughout the week in hopes that she would be home. And she was!! And better than that, she let us in and we got to teach her the restoration! She's watched the temple construction for 10 years and was so curious to know what it was about. We're so excited to go back and continue teaching her!!

I feel so blessed to be serving in a place where there's a new temple. I have never had easier finding! People are so curious about the temple and so interested to know why we're building one. These past weeks have been filled with finding where we bear our testimonies about eternal families and all the blessings we recieve when we follow Heavenly Father's plan. The temple brings such an incredible spirit to this whole city, and I can't wait to be able to go inside again. 

On Thursday we got to hear from Elder Massimo De Feo!! Our ITALIAN general authority! We were feeling pretty blessed because we heard from someone who served in our mission, then lived in our mission as a stake president. His comments and trainings were so helpful. He first talked about the Mantle of a Missionary. He said the worst thing we can do is try to cut and paste the Mantle to make it fit us. Instead we have to improve, find a higher plane of thought, and use the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to try and grow to fit the mantle. So it's never about "What more can I do?" It's about "What more can I become?" This is so applicable to everything we do in this life! Our purpose here is to prepare to meet Heavenly Father and become as much like Jesus Christ as we can. So it's really not about cramming our schedules full of every possible activity so we can be busy and therefore successful. It's more about focusing on how we can grow and who we can become! I know that the way we can become happier, more hopeful, and generally better people is by following the example of Jesus Christ. I'm so grateful for His life and His example. 

I love you all! 

Sorella Maxfield

Week 57: Italian travel tips from the heart of Rome

Italian Travel Tip #1: Never Eat Your Pasta on the Go. We learned that the hard way this week. My companion had made a pasta that could have served a battalion of missionaries, but unfortunately we had to run a sister to the train station halfway through our pranzo time. So we did what any sane and hungry person would do, and we put our pasta in a Tupperware and just kept eating as we traveled. We were on the metro, enjoying our pasta, when all of a sudden the man across from us just starts screaming at us. He was saying things like "I can't believe how disgusting you are" and "This is disrespecting my culture, go back to America" and "you didn't even bring bread to eat the rest of the sauce, this is disgraceful." I considered offering him a little, but decided it was better to just keep eating and ignore it. Then a train official starts yelling back at him and telling him that she had the authority to arrest him if he kept harassing us. And what does this angry little Italian man do? He gets up in her face now and starts yelling until the metro doors open and he sprints off. 

Italian Travel Tip #2: Avoid Italian Hospitals When Possible. This week I decided to be an adult and try to fix what I thought was an ear infection. So the nurse told me to go get it checked out at the pronto soccorso. I could be wrong, but I'm almost positive that the word "waiting room" has an Italian derivative because we did a fair share of waiting there. Four hours of it, to be exact. Fortunately we found out that I don't have an ear infection. But they also told me they weren't sure what was wrong, and I should take 6 different medications in an attempt to figure it out. 

But, the best parts of our week were not that yelling Italian man and the crazy hospital, but were the times we got to teach and hear from Elder Brent H. Nielson. 

We met with a great family this week and played the game about having a testimony of Christ. The way it works is every round you have to eliminate something you could live with out. So it starts out with things like nature and movies and clothes, but by the end the options left are scriptures and churches and family and a testimony of Jesus Christ. Everytime I've played the game, the only thing left is a testimony of Jesus Christ. It's the most important thing we can have. After sharing this game with the cute Columbian family, the mom said in her broken Italian, "Jesus Christ is our joy and our hope. How could we live without him?" I know that that's true. Our testimonies of Jesus Christ are the most important things we can have with us in this life and the one to come. 

We also had the chance to hear from Elder Brent H Nielson this week, head of the missionary department. He shared a message about using the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He said we use this power when we "Submit cheerfully and with patience" to the trials that Heavenly Father allows us to face. That phrase is all throughout all the scriptures and is our key to finding strength through Jesus Christ. After explaining that he said, "So. If we came to this earth to learn through our trials, why is it that everytime we get one we freak out?" That hit me so hard! Why do we freak out everytime we get a trial? Why do we ask why me? We literally agreed to so this! And through those trials we have the chance to grow closer to our Savior through the enabling power of His Atonement. I know it's a lot easier to say that than to apply it during trials, but I loved how he helped me to really change my mentality about trials. 

I know this church is true and I'm so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and His Atoning Sacrifice. 

I love you all!!

Sorella Maxfield 

Week 56: I love to see the temple

As many of you know, we eat our fair share of pasta, pizza, and gelato in this mission. As a consequence, we should be counteracting that with a lot of physical exercise. This has been a constant struggle for me as a girl who really likes the food and really hates the cardio. In these past weeks though, Sorella Brooks has written up an exercise plan to get the Sorelle of Rome 2 back into shape. I think she's trying to turn our house into her own mini battalion of air force cadets. Our poor neighbors probably wake up to the scene of Sorella Brooks barking exercise orders at three wheezing sisters. Has this strict regimen convinced me to cut down any of my pasta, pizza, or gelato intake? Absolutely not, sir. 

Outside of just health benefits, Sorella Brook's military background has made our finding improve so much! She says good morning, good afternoon, and good evening to everyone. Everyone. And we've really had some cool conversations come from her friendliness. Our coolest experience this week was on Thursday. We were out finding, and as we walked out of our apartment, I had a weird instinct to walk the opposite way that we usually go. So we walked down, and I felt another instinct to walk into what looked like a very sketchy and very empty looking park. We walked in, and sure enough, it was very sketchy and very empty. We walked to the other end, and I saw two teenage boys facing away from us smoking. And I felt the strongest impression to go over to them. But I absolutely did not want to. So I turned to Sorella Brooks and said "the spirit is telling me to go over and talk to those boys in the middle of this sketchy park but I am so scared to walk over there. " And she said "sorella. You can't ever deny the spirit." And so we just marched right over to them, and I was dying of fear. But as we got closer we saw they were with two girls. We started to introduce ourselves, and immediately one of the girls interrupted us and said we had stopped her a couple days prior and invited her to see the temple. Just like that, we got to talk with four teenagers about the temple and the chance they have to go see it in the winter, and the blessings that come from the temples. It was so cool to see how the spirit really was guiding us and what blessings come when we follow those promptings. (Even when the prompting seems completely insane)

To finish off my email, I just want to bear my testimony about the power of temples. I am so grateful for all the work that happens in His temples. We can participate in the most important work that there is! We can be sealed to our families for eternity! And we can sit and think and ponder in the house of our Heavenly Father! I am so grateful to finally be serving in an area with a (almost dedicated) temple. The outer beauty is just a small reflection of what beautiful promises we can make inside. I love the temple and I love my Heavenly Father. 

Lots of love,

Sorella Maxfield

Week 55: It's getting so rainy here that even the dogs are wearing jackets....

This week I counted 17 dogs wearing rain jackets, and as I'm writing this another 2 just walked by. If that doesn't sum up this week's events in Italian culture and weather, I don't know what could. 

We've been caught in the most rainy season as a new companionship still trying to figure out our way around this giant city. Unfortunately, this week was filled with a lot of errand running and logistical things, because I learned that as a trainer you're responsible for a lot more than just helping your companion learn the language. Other necessary responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 1) teaching your new missionary that, no, you can't only live off of gelato and nutella, 2) translating any medicines needed into italian and hoping your new missionary doesn't ends up with their prescription and not some laxative, 3) filling out piles of paperwork so that the new missionary doesn't get deported. 

Some other fun Sorella Brooks quotes this week:

"In ROTC training I had to have 40 grams of protein every meal so I could get gains"

"Why does my memory just go to the chop shop in the morning?"

"I'm really digging this whole pranzo thing"

I just adore her. 

In the time we did have for normal missionary work, we were on an exchange! So Sorella Chadbolt from Canada came here and we went finding. But here's what I love about finding in Rome: We were able to go finding in the homes right by the temple! Typically house to house isn't terribly effective in this mission, but I had had the feeling this whole week, that there would be people living near the temple who would be ready to hear about our church. And sure enough, thanks to the longgg construction process of the Rome Temple, many people knew who we were and had some interest! One woman in particular started asking us question after question and we ended up teaching parts of several of the lessons. Finally she just said that all this probably requires a series of lessons or something, and that it might just be better if we came back to visit her at her house the next week. So we're looking forward to that! 

This week I saw God's hand in my life everyday, but the most prominent was yesterday. Being in a ward with another set of sisters is hard. Being in a ward with 10 missionaries is even harder. And being the only set that is a completely new companionship in the area was very overwhelming for me. We didn't know what classes to go to, which members we needed to set up meetings with, or even where to find the relief society. So I spent most of Sunday school praying that we would find a way to integrate ourselves into the ward, even though the members already habe relationships with all the other missionaries. After we finished third hour, we decided to hang around and say goodbye to people as they left. Two separate families came up to us as they left and told us to come over in the next week because they had referrals for us. I was floored. Heavenly Father answers prayers. It was an amazing testimony that He is aware of our individual situations and that He is really waiting to reach out to us. 

I know this gospel is true and I know we have a Heavenly Father who loves us. And I love being His missionary!

Sorella Maxfield

Week 54: All in a day's work

Maren Irene Maxfield	10:40 AM (9 hours ago)
to me

For the second time in my mission, I blew out of a city in Napoli, to go train in Rome opening up a new companionship. Though the first time was with an italian who left me a week later, I was feeling some real dejà vù as I headed up on the train. This time however, when I got off the train there was not a single missionary. I stepped out into the huge Termini station with my bright red suitcases and I was completely alone. Sometimes all I've wanted was just a couple minutes to myself, but this time I was actually pretty stressed. I felt like the guy from The Other Side of Heaven who just gets dropped off some place and hangs out until someone comes to find him. So I just dragged my luggage around Termini until I finally spotted those white shirts and ties. For anyone who's a missionary right now let me just tell you: we're incredibly easy to spot. 

When I made it over there, I finally met my new companion, Sorella Brooks! She's from Colorado, but comes from a military family that moved around a lot. The best part is that she wants to be in the Air Force. So that means "Six months to Healthy Living" [trademark President Pickerd] is off to a killer start. Former cadet Brooks is kicking us all into high gear over here in the Rome 2 house. And by all of us, I mean my companionship and the other Rome 2 sister, because I finally got my mission dream of living in a four sister house! It's a "all that and a bag of rats" as my companion said. 

Our fee days here in Rome have been busy, interesting, and adventurous all at the same time. On Saturday, we were planning on meeting a potential of the other sisters in the church so we got everything set up and headed over. Once we got there, we realized that the Rome 5 ward was already using the church for a baptism that evening. So we just decided to surprise attack this potential by having her first lesson be at a baptism. Then, about 20 minutes before the baptism started, another one of the other sisters potentials walked into wanting to see the baptism. So on Sorella Brooks first day we took two women who we had never met before to the baptism of someone we didn't know from a ward that wasn't even our own. Then we walked home in the pouring rain, and Sorella Brooks said "well, I don't know what I thought the mission was when I signed up, but it definitely wasn't that. Are things always that unorganized and last minute?" Yep. Pretty much. 

My spiritual thought this week comes from a part of preach my gospel that I was reading the other day. It says “When conversion takes place, it is through the power of the Spirit. In order to succeed in missionary work, these three things must occur:“We must understand what [a person] must feel in order to receive conversion.We must understand how a missionary must feel in order to teach with the converting power of the Spirit.And then we must understand how a member must feel to succeed in participating in the conversion experience”

The spirit is the only thing that can convert someone. We are not here as missionaries, or as members, to push or pull or drag people into the church. It is something totally guided by the spirit. We are the tools thst can bring the spirit, and present our beliefs in a way that will help people better understand our message, but the converting process is not a process that we can force by our own strengths. Missionaries can't "convert" anyone, in the same way a mother can't force her testimony onto any one of her children. I love the fact that Heavenly Father already has the perfect method of converting people through the Spirit, and that we are here as the instruments to help in that effort. I'm so grateful to Him! I love my mission, and I love the chance I have to serve the Italian people. 

I love you all!

Sorella Maxfield

Week 53: Siete Gemelle?

Every single day this week we have had at least one person ask us if we were twins. Every. Single. Week. And on Saturday we both wore our hair in braids and people called us Heidi. Good times.

For those of you who just read the first lines of missionary emails, I'll give you a brief update of the events of this week: We had incredible pizza, Julianne got baptized, and I'm being transferred to Rome 2, training. For more information, see below. 

Incredible Pizza: the incredible couple that we're teaching invited us over to a great pranzo. We went over and Gianluca was just finishing up the pizza. Obviously, I asked for the recipe but after finding out that it was a 6 hour process I decided that making a Napoli pizza as a missionary probably wouldn't be a possibility. So we ate and talked and had a great old time. After the pranzo, we talked with them about the Plan of Salvation. They loved it and then told us that they had read the Family Proclamation to their son the night before. Then. Michela told us, almost in passing, that they had a friend from work who was interested in learning about our church who they would bring to meet us next week! They're amazing. 

Transfers: this morning we recieved our transfer calls, and Sorella Pickerd told me I was going to be asked to do two things; first, continue as STL, and second, train a new sister. I was so stoked. Then she said "actually wait... three new things. We also want you to come to Rome... wait is that right? PRESIDENT PICKERD I can't read Sorella Maxfield's sheet, is she staying or leaving?" And the conversation continued like this for a couple minutes until President Pickerd finally confirmed that I was being transfered to Rome 2. SO: in the end, I did a 5 week transfer in Caserta and now I'm headed up to Rome 2! AND THE TEMPLE IS IN MY AREA. 

Julianne's Baptism: It went so well. We went into the chapel on base, and started getting everything ready. (Side note: there was no piano for our musical number, so I had to learn how to play the organ and figure out how to change the settings so it didn't sound like I was the phantom of the opera.) Her whole family came, and the spirit was so strong. The best part was hearing the testimony of her father, who hadn't come to church for a long time before we started teaching Julianne. He just bore a very simple testimony on the importance of baptism, and you could see how proud he was of his daughter for making that choice. I'm so grateful that our Heavenly Father restored His priesthood to the earth so that we have the opportunity to make these promises with Him.

 

To sum up this week, it was incredible. I love Heavenly Father and I'm grateful for His guidance and care for each one of His children. I'm so excited to continue serving Him as a missionary! 

I love you all!

Sorella Maxfield

Week 52: 525,600 minutes later

And I still feel like I'm a new missionary. I have no idea how a year has passed already. This week I had to hide our calendar because I got so stressed seeing it in our study room. But, more on those reflections later. 

Here in Caserta we rely heavily on trains and member's cars to get us around to various appointments. Which is great, because it means we have members present at many of our lessons, but is the pits when you can't find anyone to give you a ride. It happened this week that we had to figure out a way to get to an appointment with Julianne, and all of our ride options fell through. So we had the great idea to call up the Elders and borrow their bikes. And it. Was. Amazing. We pinned our skirts, through our purses behind our backs, and got going. It was the first time I've ridden a bike in a year and I loved it. We made it to the lesson, and just as the cherry on top, Julianne had an incredible mock baptismal interview. We're so excited for her and it's been amazing to watch not only her progression and excitement, but also the progression and excitement of her family. It was so good, we decided to take a victory loop around La Reggia di Caserta on our bikes before English course while it was all lit up. Probably my favorite mission memory thus far. 

We miraculously ran into the cute couple that we're teaching while they were stopped in a traffic jam. They just yelled out their window for us, and we had a great conversation that ended in them inviting us over for lunch on Tuesday. First time I've ever been thankful for Italian traffic jams. 

Other than that, our week was filled with some finding, member work, potential appointments, planning, and for me in particular, a lot of reflecting. Specifically on the question: How in the world has it already been a year? I swear I was just barely getting dressed up to "go downtown" even though the only stop was cheesecake factory. And wasn't I just barely talking with my grandma about how red suitcases would ward off anyone trying to steal my luggage? Didn't I just barely graduate?? 

But then the more I think about it, the more I realize how much this year has changed me, though it's been the fastest of my life. I've realized how much growth has taken place. 

I can hold a conversation comfortably in Italian, when last year I knew how to say "bungiorno", "dov'è il bagno", and "dammi un baccio" (thanks mom for teaching me such valuable missionary phrases)

I've gained an embarrassing amount of weight in just pizza and gelato, when last year I was telling myself "I'll be walking all day, I can't gain THAT much"

I've learned how to be disciplined and commit myself to a schedule, when last year waking up any earlier than 8.50 was a huge burden. 

I read from the scriptures daily and I see the effect they have on how I perceive the world and myself, when last year I just knew in theory the effect it could have. 

I understand the importance of the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ and what that means for us today, when last year I could hardly explain what a restoration was. 

I know my Savior, Jesus Christ, and feel closer to Him than I ever have in my life. I know He lives. I know that he suffered for my sins, my pains, my shortcomings, just as He did for all of you. I know that He has a such a perfect empathy for us that we will never be able to fully comprehend just how much He can support us through our difficulties. 

And I know all this because I've spent the last year trying my hardest to put His Atonement into effect in my life. And I'm completely convinced that that is why it has been the most rewarding, the most satisfying, the most uplifting year of my life. 

I love this gospel and I love our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. 

Vi voglio tantissimo bene 

Sorella Maxfield