September 22, 2014 - Last full day of summer

Ciao tutti!!!! 

This morning we had an awesome lesson with Gesi, an incredible woman from Nigeria who is the most incredible example of strength and bravery and I just wish you all could meet her. She really is special. An older member came with us and at the end we were all crying and she invited Gesi over for pranzo next week, for anytime she wants to talk, for Christmas, basically she told her she was adopting her! Then, Gesi told us she had actually been praying for a mother figure, because she is just so alone here in Italy. I can't imagine coming here by yourself with no support system and then facing SO MANY tirals, molto brutte, and having to do it all alone. She is just incredible. PLEASE pray for her, visto che your prayers are working for everyone else. Thank you for your help with these people, you have no idea the lives you are all changing, including mine! I can't believe how blessed I am. I can't believe the mercy of God in letting me be a part of this and help His precious children. But I can't find them all by myself, we just can't as missionaries. Member finding is imperative. You HAVE to help the missionaries. You HAVE to. I know everyone wants to, everyone wants to tell someone about the gospel, so pray for opportunities to do it. Don't EVER be scared of any opportunity that comes your way, because it is coming from God with a promise that He will tell you what to say and do. You can do it now! 

Also, get ready for conference!!! I can't tell you how psyched I am!! In fact, I can honestly say that I have NEVER been this excited for General Conference. I literally cannot wait. It causes my physical and emotional pain knowing it is not here yet. If you get to watch it live, don't you dare miss a single session!! If you have to watch it after, make sure you have the same spirit of humility and worship and you are ready for anything they tell you. Listen to the twelve. They will always lead us to safety. I love you all and am praying for you. I hope you all have an awesome week and that you are all happy and well. 

Con amore,

Sorella Patterson

September 15, 2014 - Didn't make it to the Sistine Chapel!

Hey everyone!!

Celebrating Sorella Decker's birthday

Tomorrow, so many of my best mission friends are going back home to America!! I can hardly believe it. This thing goes by so fast and I just can't handle it! I am so not ready for this to be over. But, it is not, so no worries. Also, Sorella Viazzo just got transfered to Ostia which is in the Rome Zones so we will totally do a pday insieme and maybe go see the sistine chapel finally, since I still haven't seen it..... Yeah, we didn't get to see it yet, haha. Maybe I never will. That's okay, because Amède came to Church!!! I could hardly believe it!!! All of your prayers paid off and he came and seemed to have a good experience. He and Laban were both there which was pretty stressful, but awesome. Definitely worth the stress if it helps them prepare for their baptismal dates and helps them feel the spirit to get their answer. Our work is giong pretty well right now. We have a lot to be grateful for, and we can see the Lord blessing this area. I am grateful to all of you who are praying for Amède and Laban. It has helped them more than you can know. Opposition is hitting ALL of our investigators REALLY HARD right now. It is horrible, proprio horrible. I won't describe it, and it is different for each one, but it is really hard. I wish I could protect them from the world, you know? And from doubts and fear, and just from Satan in general. I have been having cool experiences though and I KNOW that no matter what, God is more powerful. The thing about darkness and light is that no matter how much darkness you have, one tiny little flame is enough to chase the darkness away. Darkness can NEVER overpower light, it just is not possible. In the end of it all, I already know who will win. I just want as many people to be on the winning team, cioè Christ's team, as possible.

I love each of you. Thank you for reading my emails, it makes me feel good, and that I am serving more people (assuming these emails ever help people ;) ). But really, thank you. Thank you for the emails I get back too, that is really nice. I love y'all,

Sorella Patterson

No, we didn't make it to the Sistine Chapel. It was the Vatican, but just the big church in front, the Basilica. I know, I know, I need to go and I REALLY want to. Next time I go to the Vatican will be for real!

Me, Alessandra, Sorella Decker

September 8, 2014 - Touring the Vatican Today!

Hello all!!

Just a quick update. The Training went super well. No tears, but that was not the goal that day. We did make them feel successful, and for that I am grateful. 

Zone Conference September 2014 - Rome East

I had a great interview with President Waddoups, and it turns out that it is okay to feel like a terrible trainer. And I know I am not, but ya know, sometimes you wonder if you are teaching them the right way or sometimes it is hard 

because she wants to do things the way I do them but then I wonder if that is best, and AAAGGGHHHHH. It is just a little stressful sometimes, but all is well. I am well enough off :) 

We met a man named Laban on friday from Uganda, and on Saturday he agreed to be baptized, and he came to church on Sunday (which is really half the battle) and said he loved it. I will keep you updated on him. He is SO HUMBLE. I love Africans. Sometimes I feel like I should have been sent to Nigeria or something, but I know it's not true. Next time ;)

Alright. That's all for now. I love you all. Our friend James is getting us into the Vatican today for free, from the exit. He is a security guard there, so I think it is legal. Just kidding, of course it is legal. ... It totally is. He is a good guy. 

Okay, yeah, love you guys. 

Sorella Patterson

Zone Conference September 2014 - Rome East

August 25, 2014 - Willing

This picture was a year ago or so. As Mom/Editor, I
had to add it because I found it again and love it so much!

Okay,

This week was good! Training is HARD. I am SO TIRED. Haha,I am not going to sit here and complain, but just know that sometimes I feel like that pioneer guy that said "We went west willingly because we had to." 

Her first gelato (and my fruit and
Silvanos, the gelato man who always
gives us freebies)

My companion is awesome. She is picking up on the language super fast, pretty much how I did except she never studied for 1.5 years before the mission! She is awesome. We are seeing so many miracles together it unbelievable but totally believable because it is His work. Expect Miracles! 

A day-mission with Alessandra.
She is finishing up her mission papers
and is the best. But she can't come inside
our apartment :) We study through the window :)

Random cool thing that is not significant to anyone but me: a member from Rome 3 (where I served earlier) just moved to Rome 5 (where I am now)!! He is so awesome, about 65 and the sweetest old man ever. His son (not a member, but has taken the lessons a ton) came with him and told me when they randomly showed up to English Course that he is quitting smoking and wants to get baptized. WHAT. That was incredible. They are such good people. We went to visit them this week to encourage them to share their love of the gospel with the new people they will be meeting in their new town. Dario, the son, introduced us to some friends with whom he had already spoken about the church. Incredible. I love these two. 

 My district of strippling warriors.
 (Smith, Pingree, Bee, Blair)

Okay, well, that will suffice for today. I love you all. I hope that you are doing wonderful things with everyday you have and that you can see the miracles all around. Have a great week!

Sorella Patterson

August 18, 2014 - Always short on time!

Aloha!!!

Sorry it is short, we had to come up to the office for more supplies today. Free internet, but less time! :)

Okay, no weekly email, no time. Tell everyone I am doing INCREDIBLY well and loving it all and so exhausted and wouldn't have it any other way. And tell them I love them all. Also, training is REALLY HARD but I have never seen so many miracles so consistently. It is great. And exhausting. And great. Aaaaaaaaaand, yeah. That is about it. I love this work. I love inactive members who find you on the street and tell you they are ready to come back to church, I love hours of knocking on doors to find the family at the last building that was practically waiting for you. I love watching my companion have a perfectly understandable conversation in Italian in her 2nd week in Italy. I love my Father in Heaven!!!!!!!! 

Love,

Sorella Patterson

August 11, 2014

Zero minutes left, so just want to say that all is well, I am alive, the food is still good, and it is still too HOT. Training is different... I will have more to comment on it next week I am sure.  I am just ready for bed at about 6.30 pm every day. It is great. :) Yeah, we played sand volleyball against Rome 1 and it was BOMB and now I am going to go print off like 5 talks to have for my personal arsenal. Sorry!! But I love you guys!!!

Sunshine is being scattered :) Love you all!!

Sorella Patterson

August 4, 2014 - When in Rome

Dear Family and Friends, 

I only have a couple minutes because we are going to Rome today to spend a pday with some other sisters. Tomorrow, about 8 sisters are finishing their missions, and it is so sad!! I will miss them so much!! So we are going up to see a couple and to explore the Coloseum and the Roman Forum. Woohoo!!

So, transfer calls happened on Saturday. Here's how mine went:

President(never a good sign when he makes the call personally): Hi Sister Patterson, how are you?

Me(lying): Great! How are you?

President(probs knows I'm lying, is also probably lying): I'm good. The Lord wants you to stay in Rome 5 and be their Sister Training Leader. Can you do that?

Me(bigger lie): If He wants me to, then yes! 

President then tells me the sisters that will be in my zone that I will serve.

President (snuck in before hanging up): Oh, also, the Lord wants you to train. Can you do that?

Me(not breathing): uh... If He REALLY wants me to... then yes...

President(probably laughing and/or second guessing himself): He does :) 

Well, I'm having a “baby” (meaning newbie)!! I have no idea who it will be and won't know till the day I pick her up at the mission home this week. Am I nervous? No. I am freaking out. But the Lord will help me. I hope :) Any parenting advice??

Other than that... yeah that is all I can think of right about now... Haha. I hope everything is well at home. I love you all! 

Random thought, I just listened to a talk by Hugh B. Brown. He is incredible. Feel free to send me anything by him. Ever. That is all.

Love,

Sorella Patterson