June 23, 2014 - Headed back to Rome!

Hello Friends and Family!! 

Me and Sara, the weirdest kids in town

Okay I know I have been horrible at writing AND sending pictures this transfer, but in my defense neither my companion nor I had a free memory card, nor wanted to buy one, nor did we really have time for anything. So it's been a good transfer, though somewhat pictureless. Succede. 

However, this transfer went by WAY too fast, and the end is bringing much change. I am leaving the perfect little island of Sardegna... and headed back to Rome!! Haha, I can't believe it! The last thing I expected, but what the Lord needs, so I am excited to go. I tried to get into Bitonto... but I guess the Lord and President Waddoups probably know that's not the place for me right now :)

Fratello Marras (Zio Angelo), me, and Pietro,
our investigator/best friend/dad

I will REALLY miss this place. Sassari has been one of the highlights of my life and mission and I can't even begin to explain what it is like to say goodbye to these islanders, knowing I probs won't be back for quite a while... (to-do list:start a return-to-Sardegna charity fund?) Vediamo. But I know that the Lord was able to use me to do some good here, and for that I will forever be grateful to Him. Also I am grateful because He let me come here and meet these incredible members of the church and incredible people and to be a teacher and a friend and a sister to them. He is so great. He is just incredible. I love Him!!

my branch mission leader and Andrea,
the newest Branch missionary!!! 

I also really just love all of you. You are all so special to me and I thank Heavenly Father quite often that I am blessed with friends and family like you. I couldn't possibly do all that He needs me to do without you. So thank you. 

MARIA CILLA CAME TO CHURCH... AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think she is almost active again! I cannot believe it. I don't feel like we did anything, but somehow our words and the Spirit are working in her and she is coming to church and making plans to keep coming. That is just the best. 

The fab 4/ the four departing missionaries. 

The one next to me, Anziano Jones, goes home.

I can't believe it! He finished a great mission!

Well, remember how Angela moved to Olbia and I couldn't see her anymore/teach her anymore? One of the best women in the world/one of my favorite members is DRIVING ME OUT TO OLBIA to see her today to say goodbye!! I cannot believe it. These people are the most selfless, caring, and amazing people EVER. AND I GET TO SEE/TEACH ANGELA AGAIN!!!!!!!! 

Well, this said member (Sorella Mastino) is arriving shortly to pick us up, so I must be brief. But I think I said everything I wanted to...

I will include some fotos this week!! These are my best friends and family besides you all. :)

this woman has my heart.
Fulvia Anardu, the Relief Society President--
my best friend besides Sorella Mastino

Okay, I love you all and vi auguro a great week and lots of love and service opportunities! I can see all your smiling faces, especially yours, little Jared. Love you all SO MUCH!!!!!!!!

Sorella Patterson

June 2, 2014 - Short Note

Okay this will be the shortest one yet. So friends and fam I am typing this email from our cute little smart phone b/c we are in church and there are not enough computers. Today we went to castlesardo, this awesome castle thing with some members and 5 investigators. This week was the best week of my life and mission. I have never seen so many miracles or worked so hard or prayed so much or talked with so many strangers. Being with Sorella Haynie again is so perfect. We just push each other and inspire each other and are learning to work so well together. I am happy :) I wish I had time to tell you all the miracles. Yesterday in church 3 investigators came and 2 less actives, one for the first time in years. And that was just for our companionship. This branch is filling up :) I am so proud to be a missionary in this branch. They are all working so hard for the Lord.

Okay well I am out of time. I love you all and wish you a wonderful week!

Sorella Patterson
Editor’s note here: These pictures are from a few weeks back, not their trip today!

May 26, 2014 - Rewarding Week in Sassari

Aloha famiglia!!

This week was... rewarding :) 

My "first companion" in the mission field:
Sorella Waddoups!!

Me and my new/old comp are doing WORK. It is going well. We are starting to work a lot with some less active members to help them regain their faith and come back and make this branch into the awesome ward that it needs to be. So far so good. I think we just need about 5 more Priesthood holders to be a ward! We got this!!!

Zone Conference - May 20, 2014

This week's letter will be a little short (do I say that every week? I think so...). But there are miracles happening out here. We had a movie night on Saturday night for everyone we know and are working with. It was quite the success! There were about 11 investigators there...!!!!! So awesome. Pietro came!!! He is this awesome guy we are working with, well he and his wife. We were supposed to have a lesson with them Saturday but then Paola, the wife, got sick, but then Pietro said he was coming to the movie night anyway!!! We showed the Testaments, the one about the Book of Mormon, and he just loved it, along with everyone else that came. They all want to see it again!! And it was really cool because most of them are just starting to read the Book of Mormon and get into it, so it was cool for them to get to see some of it (and the most important parts) in action. What a great night that was.

Sorella Mistura - my first companion when
I got to Pescara  :)
This is the last transfer of  Sorella
Mistura :(. She is going home soon!

So at Zone Conference we talked a lot about family history and how to use it as a finding tool. I decided to print off some family pics that I have, including one of my Great Gramma Maree, to tape onto the outside of my planner so that on the bus and stuff I can use it to start conversations. Italians LOVE Texas and anything to do with it, especially cowboys, and the picture of her is when she is in her cowgirl get-up. They just love it. She is so cool! And she is still doing missionary work, so many years after she's been gone. She is so cool. I bet she'd be happy to help me out! :)

Wellzzzzz, that's about all I got for today, plus I want to go play Foosball (how do you spell that??). I love all of you so much!! Look for awesome opportunities to use family history to share the gospel this week!! You are all so great!!

Love, 

Sorella Patterson

May 19, 2014 - Supreme Dream Team Reunited

I gave a talk in Sacrament this past week on sharing the gospel. It went okay I think. I think I would rather sing (with at least 2 others) in front of people then speak in front of them. It was better that it was in Italian though. I am SO much more confident when I speak italian than when I speak inglese. I don't know why. Maybe because I am called to serve and speak this language. Boh.

Supreme Dream Team together again!

So, yeah I am back with Sorella Haynie. It has already been some of the best days of my mission. I love her. She is so incredible. I am learning a ton AGAIN. Heavenly Father knows what I need.

 

I have been thinking a lot about unity lately, especially in terms of sharing the gospel. Obviously my thoughts are mostly about companions, but it goes for anything I bet. At first, everything is going good. You are happy together. The work is great. But then little things start coming  up, like normal. When those problems occur, our reactions are so important. We can see there are problems and think that it is just not supposed to be this way, or we aren't right together, or they or we did something wrong and needs to change. OR. We can realize that NO ONE is perfect, and thus we all will have problems, based on our natural fallen state as human beings. What we do with that realization is even more important. We can still decide we want something or someone new, OR we can put forth real effort to find all the good that Heavenly Father has put in that person, and then LOVE them for it. Satan will try EVERYthing and anything to stop this work from going forward and that in huge part means creating contention between all those responsible for carrying out its progression. We just can't let that happen and we can't accept any excuses for letting ourselves be a part of it. The greatest commandment is to love God, and then to love everyone else too, just as much as we love oursleves. Being the greatest, of course it is attacked so much!! Anyway, that's what I have been learning a lot about and trying to improve and put into practice.

Well, we are in Cagliari and it is so beautiful. I love it. I just love this whole Island!! And I love all of you. I hope you all have a great week!!

Sorella Patterson

May 12, 2014 - Mother's Day Skyping!

Love the look of surprise when Matthew came
 around the corner to join us in Skyping her.

All 3 wishing me Happy Mother's Day

Megan got to Skype me for Mother’s Day yesterday (only get to do that on Christmas and Mother’s Day). We surprised her with having Matthew there as well. There was a lot of laughing and joking and it was good to see her so happy and joyous! She said to tell everyone hello! I have some pictures of her that we took while skyping and a video I took of her reenacting our mother’s day debacle from last year where she made me breakfast in bed twice. The first time it ended up all over the hallway floor. She has a short note today because she is on her way to go fishing.

Elders Juhausz, Phillips, (Andrea!), Kiser and Jones

Andrea after church yesterday

Breakfast in bed for the sisters who were sick from last week
(Hopefully it didn't end up on the floor!)

Our branch in Sassari

The cake we made for my companion's 22nd b-day.
WooHoo! So much chocolate!!!

OKay, zero time, but I love you all  so much with my whole heart!! I am so grateful for my family and for the chance to be here and to serve!! 

MISSIONS ARE THE BEST!!!

I am staying here in Sassari, but my companion is leaving and going to Battipaglia. Sorella Haynie will be taking her place, which is CRAZY because we were companions in Rome 3 as well. So crazy, but I am so excited!!! YAY for Sassari!!!

Okay, I have to go, we are going fishing today in Alghero!! :) 

Have a great week everyone!!

Sorella Patterson

May 5, 2014 - Time flies

Dear Fam,

It literally seems like I was just writing you guys yesterday!! Time is starting to go by really fast. Well, sort of. The weeks go by fast but the days sometimes take a while, haha. Maybe that is because we are just doing a lot of tracting lately. Our investigators are dropping off one by one... all for different reasons, but it is still kinda hard. Angela, who has been making a TON of progress latley, is moving to Olbia today for the summer for work. I don't know if I'll ever get to see her again... I guess it just depends on how long I stay here. The blessing in all of this is that Olbia is one of the 4 cities on this island that has missionaries! She'll be in the good hands of Anziani Bethke and Alvey. They are in our district, so we'll get updates every week which is nice. It is just sad though, you know? We did everything we possibly could to help her and now we don't get to see her progress anymore. But God knows what she needs and He will make sure she gets it.

Sandra, another investigator, bore her testimony yesterday in Sacrament meeting! CRAZY!! She comes to church almost every week but this was the first time she'd done that. Everyone always asks us why she is not baptized yet... well unfortunately it is not our choice. She is pretty much ready, but she still smokes... However, she got down to one a day once! Little miracles :)

Alessia's birthday

Alessia's bday was this week. We had a little surprise party :) I love that girl. She is awesome. I wish she'd read the Book of Mormon more though, it would make her so happy!!! She is just so adorable!

So yesterday the other Sorelle came home from a lunch appt with American Reeses Peanut Butter Cups! We haven't seen those in quite a while. They divided them up and enjoyed the little taste of home, all except me because luckily I don't like Reeses (crazy, I know). Well, last night, my comp started shaking a little and complaining that it was cold (it was NOT cold) so we got a ride home from the fireside and she put on tons of clothes and went right to bed a little before 9. When the other Sorelle came home about 9.30, they both were very cold and complaining of the same things: back pain, shivers, stomach ache, ect... the same my comp had had. CRAZY. They all went to bed right away. I don't know what was in those Reeses... but I'm sure glad I don't like them! This morning they still weren't doing super well, and still not this evening, so keep them in your prayers please. They all got Priesthood blessings so I am sure everything will be okay.

One of my favorite stories as of late to share with people is the account of the liberation of the people of Alma found in Mosiah 24. It's a most incredible story and I learn something new from it everytime! It so applies to us all though, because how often do we find ourselves in "bondage" to something: spiritually (doubt, fear), physically (work, life, friends), emotionally (depression, anger, stress), and we can't see the light at the end of the tunnel? Like the righteous covenant keeping people of Alma, I know that if we call on the Lord with faith and patience, He'll help us out. He loves all of us so much, no matter who or where we are! He just loves everyone so much!

And I love you all so much! :) Have a great week and be careful the next time someone offers you Reeses!

Sorella Patterson

April 28, 2014 - Lot's of Learning

Most of Megan’s letter this week was excerpts of what she wrote to her mission president.

An excerpt from my letter to President this week:

"I am just learning so much right now. I am finding little bits of hidden treasures and knowledge, just like we are promised we will find if are faithful. The funny thing is that they are coming from places I wouldn't always expect, which is teaching me something too. I used to think that if I wanted to learn anything about the gospel, it would have to happen from 8 to 9 in the morning but now I am seeing how that is just the start to a full day of learning! So much of what I am learning is coming from the example of and study with my companion, from the insights of members and investigators, and from my mom's weekly updates on her garden. I'll be honest, I used to hate those updates, but man gardening is the best analogy for missionary work! She loves those little plants so much and does everything she possibly can that they may grow and give forth fruit, and if they don't grow, if they aren't strong enough, she doesn't get mad at them, she just keeps trying. She rests them for a bit and tries again in the next season. She is happy with whatever little fruit or vegetable they give, even if it is not very big. I guess that is how I should be with my investigators: I should be so proud of every little progress they make and not try to force them to do anything, even if it is for their good. At the same time, that is how God is with me I am learning. He is happy with whatever good fruit I produce, no matter how big or small. He just loves me and loves that I am trying."

Mom, thank you for your garden updates. Keep them comin! Turns out that is what I need each week, well with the other stuff you write me of course. Yeah, just don't change.

Another excerpt (yes I am just being lazy):
"I have been trying to put this whole thing into practice and just focus on God's will and not my fears, concerns, or doubts. So when we were thinking about Lucia and what to do for her lesson this weekend, I had a weird thought to invite this one member. I thought it was a little crazy, and so did Sorella Knudsen, but we called her up and she was miraculously free. She came and we had our first member present lesson with Lucia and we taught the restoration for about the third time, and you know what? We found out Lucia didn't know what apostasy meant! Wow, that was a shock. And it wasn't just that. There were other questions we had never heard and with the help of this member we were able to clear up some of her fears and worries, and she said she would read and pray to know if this message is true. It was such a miracle. God really is happy if we just try and forget about our silly selves and problems and just get lost in His work. I am feeling the Spirit working in me more this week and I love it! And it is happening to Angela too! She finally said the prayer at the end of our last lesson, and actually prayed right there in front of us for a change of heart. Last night she called with this awesome miracle of how she got this really important phone call from her son-in-law who they haven't heard from in 11 years. She said it was such a miracle that after she hung up she was just so happy and the only thing she could think to do was to pray to thank the Lord for this blessing. Presidente, Angela doesn't pray! She always tells us she has nothing to be grateful for... CHANGE OF HEART!!! It is so happening right before our eyes, and I am just so grateful the Lord let me be here to see it!"

This week has been lots of learning and it has been awesome. It sure is hard to learn lots of new stuff at the same time, but I really wouldn't trade it for anything else. It would be way easier to be at home and just worry about school and stuff and not peoples' salvation, but I can't say that I would want to trade it. People's lives are changing because they read this Book of Mormon that I give them. They are becoming happier than they ever thought possible because they are repenting and exercising faith in God. That just isn't something you can give up! Yeah, it is hard to get them there and to keep doing it day after day, but it's so AWESOME. I just have to keep working and keep going, even when I REALLY don't want to :) ESPECIALLY when I really don't want to.

I love you all and I hope this week is awesome and that you smile and make someone's day!

Shout out to Tia Dali for her awesome letters that make me laugh and cry and want to be so much better!! I love you/thank you so much!!!!!!!


Sorella Patterson