Mom, we found Emma. It was the most miraculous experience that I've ever had in my life. There was so much divine help in us finding her.
Sorella Taylor first randomly stumbled across her information in Area Book. She said that she just accidentally clicked on a woman "Emma Cantana" or something, and then noticed that her email was emmruss. So through that we were able to find her address and a phone number. We tried the phone number several times, but there was no answer.
So we followed the address and it led us to this huge military base. We were so bummed. But we went and talked with the guards stationed at the gate, and they were so helpful. They gave us perfect directions. We followed their directions further down the street and we found Parco Le Arcate. It's one of those fancy piazza's where you have to get in the front gate first, and then inside the separate Scalas. So we ran up to the citofono at the front gate, and right there was E. Russo. I was beyond excited, I couldn't believe we had actually found her! So we rang three times, and nothing. My heart sunk. We'd come out so far and it seemed like everything was lining up for us to meet her. Then Sorella Taylor tried the gate again, and it swung open. IT WAS CRAZY! We were beyond excited. We ran into the Palazzo and past scala A and then when we got to scala B, the door was just propped open. THAT NEVER HAPPENS. So we ran up and started knocking doors trying to find her. A woman told us that she was on the top floor on the left, so we ran up and starting knocking, and nothing. Then, her neighbor came out, and asked if she could help and then gave us Emma's new phone number!! HALLELUJAH. So we called and asked if we could come by the next morning and she agreed.
Mom I was so pumped up. Sorella Taylor and I couldn't believe what had happened to get us there! The next morning we went over to see her and the meeting was really short, she didn't let us pray or say anything spiritual, but I know we were supposed to be there.
I'll send more details later, I just wanted to let you know!
I love you
FROM LAUREN:
The second miracle we had this week was during a scambio with my childhood friend and wardie, Sorella Maxfield. On top of having an extremely fun time together we had such an amazing experience. Her mom, my young women's president, served her mission here in Italy in Caserta! How cool is that?! And she found, taught, and baptized a 25 year old girl named Emma Russo and she was an amazing member but has sadly gone less active. She had emailed us saying that we should try and see her so I had been trying to find her contact information all week to try to organize to see her and could not find it. She wasn't in my records and her phone number was wrong...I was so bummed. One day I was looking for the daughter of one of our ward members who also happened to be named Emma. And found that she had a different last name...and found an address. This is a huge miracle because we have such and long list of less actives so I knew this was completely guided. So when Sorella Maxfield arrived we were on the hunt for this address and walked to where it said and arrived at a military base. Like the persistent missionaries we are we asked the guards to help us. They were very nice and said that we need to keep going and at this point we were out in the boonies. So like they said we kept walking and turned right and we arrived at this park where she lives but the numbers didn't match up. I now can see that all of this was so guided because we went up to the doorbells on the outside gate and sure enough it said, "E Russo". So we rang it and no response. We were so bummed but then decided to bump the gate and it was open! Then we went to the apartment building and sure enough that one was left open also!! So we hop on the elevator and make our way to her door only to find that she is not there. Such a bummer because finding her house was such a miracle...BUT then her neighbor comes out and we ask her if she knows when Emma will be home and she said no but offered us her number which she had to call someone to get!!! At this point I was in awe. She got it within 20 seconds and I called her and explained, "I am with Sorella Frazier's daughter and we wanted to see you" and she said we could come back in the morning!!!! We were so excited!!! We saw her and it was WONDERFUL! Her heart is a little bit closed right now but I know without a shadow of a doubt that seeing Sorella Maxfield took her back to the time when she found the truth through the restored gospel. And the Lord prepares a way for people and then we just have to give them their agency.
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