Week 64: Buon Anno

Buon anno a tutti!! We started a the new year off with a bang. A lot of them. Right outside our window. From the hours of 10pm to 2am. Though not as intense as the New Year I had near Napoli last year (there, they throw random household items and all safety rules, out the window) it was a good thing we were in our house before the chaos began. 

This week has been a week of both miracles and meal appointments. Some of those miracles included the fact that our stomachs were able to hold all the food we were given at said meal appointments. I know that I have absolutely no room to complain; Italian food is amazing. But, picture this: Three sister missionaries sitting at a table completely covered in food with the hosts telling us they prepared it all for us and even already eaten so as to not take away from our joy, while sister number for is throwing up in the bathroom because of the amount of food she'd eaten. Suffice to say, we all made resolutions to work out a little bit harder this year. 

Besides making it through mountains of food, we were blessed to see some really cool miracles, all of which I contribute to the opening of the temple here in Rome. In 2017, we were promised as a mission from Elder Ballard that we would have a "pentecostal experience" here in Rome with the new temple. In just these past couple weeks, I've seen so many miracles in people wanting to learn more about the church and I know that it can be attributed to this promise with the temple. 

Yesterday, as we were going to do our grocery shopping for the week, we met one of our old english course students on the bus. As we were talking with him in english, a 20-something year old girl, interrupts us and says in english, "Where are you guys from?". We told her we were American and her next question was, "Are you Christian?". and just like that, we were talking about the Restoration and exchanging numbers. Later that day, as we were walking to an appointment in church, another 20-something year old girl, stopped us on the street and told us she was a member from Peru who had been here for 2 months and was looking for the church. We exchanged numbers and she said she and her non-member boyfriend would come on sunday. THEN in that same day, Sorella Brooks practiced a little bit of her high school french on a group of three fabulous french woman, who not only promised to come to church, but also gave us their number AND the address of one's father and sister who are currently looking for a church to join. 

I'm so grateful for the things happening here in Rome. This new year in Italy is going to be unforgettable. With the opening of the temple and the huge increase in missionary work that is happening, I thank Heavenly Father every day for calling me to this mission at this time. I love this gospel and that chance that I have to share with the Italian people the teachings that have brought me so much peace and joy. 

I love you all!!

Sorella Maxfield