Called to Serve Together

I know Sarah would want me to share this great news with you all:

Elder Richard Braden Jacobson has been called to serve in the Baltimore, Maryland Mission.  He will preach the gospel in the English Language and depart for the MTC on Wednesday, August 31st. 

I know - from personal experience - that there is nothing quite as remarkable as serving with a sibling.  Sarah and Richard will be greatly blessed as they spread the gospel together on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean.  It's a bond that you can't ever quite break. 

And now, Sarah's good news report from the week:

I met Simonetta, an new investigator this week.  She sings in the choir for the opera house in Firenze, and her husband used to be one of the top pianists in all of Italy.  Two years ago he started tripping a lot, and then his leg became paralysed.  Now he is confined to a chair due to some disease similar to muscular dystrophy, and they cannot do anything to treat it.  Can you imagine?  It's like Beethoven when he lost his hearing!  After talking with Simonetta, she invited me to play their grand piano - a Steinway.  After a few simple arrangements theh husband let me borrow Moonlight Sonata to play, and then invited me back to play for him again.  Here I was, not having really practiced in years, performing for one of the most famous pianists in Italy, who asked me to come back.  Sorella Modugno almost cried when we left because he is usually OPPOSED to the missionaries and dislikes it when they come.  I am glad I had the chance to bear my testimony through music, no matter how amateur it may have been to him.  All those years and all that money wasn't wasted, mom!

In other news Erica continues to progress and came to church again.  She has already changed so much - there is a new light in her eyes that didn't used to be there before.  Also, yesterday she told me that the 'perchè' or 'why' isn't important to her anymore - why God would take away her children or husband - but she knows that she had this trial to strengthen her so she could help others.  I wanted to cry!  We have been working so hard to get her to this point and she did so in her own time.  Also, she always refuses to pray in front of us but told me that eventually she wants to do so - something she had said she would never do. 

 

So, things are going well in Firenze, minus the mosquitoes.  Seriously, they are the bane of my existence.  My legs look like they've been through a lawnmower.  Also, we are finally getting an exterminator to come and take care of the cockroaches in our apartment.  (After 9 weeks of calling) so that is happy news as well.  I feel certain that this transfer we will find new investigators to teach, and we're starting an English class with or without the Anziani (because we're sick of waiting for them.)

 

I love you all!  Thank you for your prayers!!

Miracles Do Happen!

MIRACLES DO HAPPEN!  This week Erica came to church for the first time.  It was so cool to see her pull up and crack a big, huge smile.  Also, it was a testimony to me of how important it is to work with the members.  In the past, I guess most investigators don't get a warm reception, but they were so good to Erica.  First of all, one of them went all the way across the city to pick her up (2 hours there and back to get her and take her afterwards), the German sisters who have come to 3 or 4 lessons with us always sat by her to help her understand, anyone who knew an inkling of German came up to her and tried to say something, and many people who have attended branch council and knew that she was coming came up and shook her hand.  I wanted to cry.  The only unfortunate thing is that her hearing aid didn't work, so she couldn't hear anything.  But she said she felt really good, loved the music and children, and just felt bad she couldn't understand.  When we visited her yesterday, we talked about it again and answered her questions.

Also, a less active family came too!  Well, the husband and the son came but the mom had to stay home.  Because it's socialized healthcare, there's this thing called 'control' who can come around and see if you are following doctor's orders.  If not, they don't pay.  She had just had an operation so she had to stay home in case they came.  But we went and visited her afterwards and had a great lesson about the family.  As we were leaving, she ran after us and asked us if we could come back next week to do a Family Home Evening and teach their friend who is not a member but accepted to hear about the gospel from us! 

Thinking about this, as well as the fact that Erica is a referral from the members, it just helped me realize that the Lord really is guiding us.  After much praying and discussion with leaders, we've felt that we really need to focus on the branch, the members, and the less actives.  Sure, maybe we're not doing as much 'finding work' but I think the Lord has allowed us to see that we are doing what He would have us do.  Plus, we still do 'finding' when we go to the houses of less actives and such by doing 'casa' or knocking doors in the area, or trying to talk to people on the bus.  (Although that one hasn't worked out too well for me.  They usually think I'm crazy.)  But I know that this is the Lord's work and that if we seek to do it in His way, He will bless our efforts.  Because heaven knows there is no way we could do it ourselves. 

Funny story of the week:  This less active family really wants to watch a short film with us about the sculpter who walked 35 km to the temple every week to sculpt, even after he lost a leg.  I thought they kept talking about 'scarpe' or shoes, which I thought was a bit strange but maybe it was refering to the leg he made out of wood or something.  Anyway, when we were planning I said, °Okay, we'll go to this house and watch the film about the shoes with them and sunday.° Sorella Modugno said, °Shoes, what do you mean?  Oh about the 'scalperino!'  Scalperino, Sorella, not Scarperino° and I said °Well, he doesn't have a leg, so I guess that means he doesn't have a shoe, either.°  It's much more funny in Italian °Ma lui e senze una gamba è significa senza scarpe° 

I love you all!

A City To Pray For

Well the big news is that on Sunday night, we found out at 10:30 PM that we had an exchange the next day, even though we've been asking for weeks now.  We found out from the sisters, not even our zone leaders.  I think it was the first time I have ever seen Sorella Modugno mad.  So we had to stay up late getting ready so switch after zone conference.  It was interesting to be given the reins of Firenze and be the one who had to know which bus to take, where to go, who to call, etc.  It all worked out pretty nicely, though.  Sink or swim type of mentality.  In fact, Sorella Willey is still with me.  She's been out for about 5 months.  I think's always good to have a bit of a change.  I learned some new things about contacting that really helped me.  The downside is having to spend 8 hours in a train between monday and today, but so ist das Leben or in other words, così è la vita. 

Yesterday we went and taught Erica together.  It was a really special lesson as I talked about Joseph Smith and bore my testimony about how I knew he was a prophet of God.  For the first time, I gave the baptismal invite...in German.  It's hard to explain how scary but amazing that is.  It's a good thing they encourage us to give the invite sooner, because we found out she was baptized at 16!  No wonder she was golden!  But she was never really active so we'll keep working with her.  She's been trying to pray for a while but has some personal problems that are preventing her.  However, she is slowly making progress and yesterday asked us to keep praying for her and with her because it really helps her.  Prayer seems like such a small thing to us, but if you really think about how critical it is, it's astounding.  The fact that we can talk with Heavenly Father and receive personal answers is incomprehensible.  The first thing we do when we have a problem is pray, but very few people have a knowledge of that lifeline.  

It's hard to know what else to write.  Now that we found out Erica is a member, we don't have any progressing investigtors.  It would be easy to say that we're wasting our time or that Firenze just needs to be closed.  Even the members tell us that the soil in this city is too hard to plant, let alone even reap.  And the seeds that were planted wither and die, as shown by the number of less actives.  But in spite of it all, I am full of hope.  I know we are here for a reason, whether it's to build up the branch, bring one person back to church, or baptize 10 people.  To be honest, it doesn't really matter to me what I do, as long as I am doing what the Lord wants me to do.  I'm glad I'm in Firenze which is known as a 'missionary killer.'  

Because it is my first city, I've never heard of the nicknames or reputation it has.  But it is breaking me down. It's breaking me down in a good way though, grinding out all of my imperfections and weaknesses.  If I had started out with tons of baptisms or investigators like the other cities, I would not have to completely and totally rely on the Lord like I do know.  I would think that my best is good enough, when it is far from being the best.  I will give every ounce of strength to this city, crawling on my knees if I have to.  And if I don't see one single baptism, or one single reactivation, it will be worth it.  It will be worth it because I will be polished until the Savior's image can shine in my countenance instead of mine.

I hope you do not think I am carried away unto boasting.  Instead I feel more like Ammon, if I do boast it is because I praise my God.  There are no words to relate the gratitude I feel for being in this city at this time with this companion.  I learn so much every day.  I see those we are working with who have had abortions, whose husbands have left them, who don't know how they will feed or clothe their child, or who have all the money in the world but are impoverished spiritually and I realize just how much I have.  I realize just how much I take forgranted.  We are so blessed.  We are so rich spiritually.  Please don't lose sight of that.

 

Love you all.  Keep the faith.  Continue to pray for me and this city, and I'll do the same for you.  

Vi voglio benissimo!

The Rains in Spain - Or Italy!

This week we had an experience I will never forget:

After church on sunday, we went and ate and then went to the train station because we had to go to Signa to visit a family.  While we were waiting for the bus to go to the station, we saw some storm clouds and thunder but thought it would just rain ten minutes and stop like it did the day before.  We got to the station, missed our train by 30 seconds, and started to debate what to do for the next hour when all hail broke loose (pun!)  I do not think I have ever seen it rain so hard for a very, very long time.  The rain then turned into hail.  I group of us were gathered under this awning which amplified the sound, making it seem like it was ten times worse than it really was.  We waited for about 20 minutes, and then with no sign of letting up, my companion said she felt like we should go home because it was not safe to go to Signa.  We walked down the stairs to find the entire station flooded!  There was a river of 2 inches of water flowing through the station, and it was quite diverting to watch businessmen in suits take off their shoes and role up their pant suits to wade through the water.  We trudged through ourselves only to realize that neither of us had brought an umbrella!  A street vendor tried to sell us one but either out of sheer stupidity or because our subconsciousness was more obedient about not buying anything on sunday, we said no.  And so we lived one of my childhood dreams of walking in the rain, fully dressed, for the 15 minutes it took to get home.  We arrived as drowned rats but had so much fun...I even jumped in a few puddles with my skirt.  Our zone leaders called us and told us to stay in because the streets were flooded, no one was about, and there were too many accidents.  So we made tiramisu and torte for the sisters who came to stay with us that night to get fingerprinted the next day.  I will never forget that experience!

On a more spiritual note, we've had two more lessons with Erica, whom we are teaching in German (well, my companion can only really say Auf Wiedersehen but it works :) ).  This past time, two members came with us who grew up in Germany, so it was nice to have their added testimonies.  At the end, Erica promised that she would pray for the first time since her son died many years ago.  She told me that with his death, it was like she hung up the telephone and never picked it up again.  Also, the time before, she said she wanted to come to church with us, without us even saying anything!  It will have to wait for a bit, though, because she had a fall and her balance is not quite where it would be safe.  Her friend, Giuseppe, listened in the last time and wants to hear more.  He's an Evangelist, so has a very different perspective, but is open to new things. 

Two of our other investigators also made progress this week, and one of them is coming to church on Sunday!  It's interesting how in the mission, the smallest things make you so happy.  Watching people take small and simple steps to change their lives is unlike anything I've ever experienced before.  You feel like a parent, but also like a friend and teacher all rolled into one.

I don't know if I've mentioned this, but Italy has a ton of immigrants from Perù.  There are quite a few Peruvians in the branch, and I absolutely love them!  It's interesting to see the mixture of culture, the mixture of peruvian-spanish-italian. The wonderful thing is that the gospel remains the same, no matter where you are.

I think the most important thing I am learning right now, is to work with my heart.  It's not about numbers and figures, although those help us to stay on track.  But seeing someone look you in the eye and smile with pure joy because of that small bit of light the gospel has brought into their life, is one of the most rewarding things.  And you can only truly understand it heart to heart, spirit to spirit, person to person.  It is also the heart that the Lord looks at, as in picking David to be king.  We are told that we will be judged by the thoughts and intents of our hearts.  Just something to think about. 

***If you would like to send a letter to Sarah's apartment in Florence, here's the address.  Keep in mind that transfers are every six weeks and although she expects to be there for a few transfers, it is probably safer to send things to the mission office, which are forwarded to her twice a month:

Sorella Sarah Jacobson

Via Delle Medaglie D'Oro 19/12

50141 Firenze (FI)

Italia



Sarah and her companion in front of the Duomo



Buon Giorno from Firenze (Florence)!

Sarah has safely arrived in Florence, Italy and shares the following stories: (as a note, the keyboards there are a bit different; I haven't fixed all her spelling errors so don't laugh too hard.)  She also had a lot to say so I've divided it up into paragraphs...

Arrival in Italy
My birthday was both the best and worst birthday ever.  They made us stay up until 930 pm so we were going on 36 hours without sleep.  I felt so sick and couldn't even enjoy the pizza because all I wanted to do was sleep.  Sister Wolfgramm was so nice, though, and did this big thing for my birthday.  Over 50 % of the mission has been here for less than 3 months and they've only been here a year so we are definitely a young mission! 

 

The next day we had a meeting to get our areas and trainers.  Pres. Wolfgramm had mentioned that one of the trainers had only been out for 6 weeks and had said something to me like, "Oh, you speak German.  I remember I made a note about how you like difficult language situations because of that program you did." so when I heard about the trainer, I thought it would be me. 

 

I was right!  My trainer is Sorella Modugno who is a native Italian from Rome.  She is so awesome!  I don't think there's any way I could be any more immersed.  We speak English maybe 5 to 10 minutes a day, and the rest is completely in Italian.  She totally amazes me.  As we talk, I realize how hard it must be to be a member in Italy.  She has so much faith to be out here right now.  I am relieved that communication really isn't that big of a deal, and we even joke around in Italian all the time.  I actually really wanted to be companions with a native to force me to learn the language. 

 

Life in Florence

Florence is another story!  I really wanted to serve here at some point.  It is already swealtering hot!  Currently we are sitting across the street from the duomo and baptistry (which ironically has a font for baptisms by immersion) and after we email we're going to see Michelangelo's David, as in the statue I've only ever seen in textbooks!  It definitely is sort of like a fairy tale.

 

Actually, there are tons of people from Peru in Florence.  On sunday we ate lunch we 3 members (ladies) and a less active.  We ate this awesome peruvian rice.  I had to try hard to not envy their apartment.  It is picturesque Italian with green wooden shutters and flowers on the balcony, with laundry hanging on the line.  It was so cool to just sit there and chat in Italian (even though I only caught about 50 %) and laugh and then do the whole kiss on both cheeks as we were leaving.  I sometimes have to pinch myself to make sure it is not a dream. 

 

Today we went to Ufizzi, one of the most famous museums in the world.  It was so strange but I almost started crying at times because I simply could not believe what I was seeing.  It was no longer just something from a textbook, but the real live thing.  My favorite was Botticelli's Allegory of Abundance or Autumn.  It's the one with the woman standing on the seashell with the gods blowing her to shore.  I probably stood there for a good 15 minutes.  Second best was Bandinelli's Lacconte and his children which is the statue of him and his sons being  taken by the serpent.  If you look it up you'll know what it is.  Also Lukas Cranach's painting of Martin Luther and his wife, Madonna and the long neck, Leda and the Swan, Rembrandt's self portrait, etc.  We waited over and 1 1-2 to get in but it was worth it. Afterwards, we ate the best pizza in the entire world.  I am not lying.  It was Napoli pizza and I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  I finally know what real Italian pizza is!  Also, my companion made pasta twice this week and it is better than anything you can imagine.  Thankfully we only have breakfast and one other meal so I am watching my weight.

 

Missionary Work

The days can get long, knocking door after door or trying to talk to people and getting rejected again and again...and again.  It definitely is Europe and there is not much interest in God.  Right now I'm trying to focus on what I can change in order to become a better missionary, because I know sucess only follows our efforts to change ourselves first.  So I'm trying to talk to a few more people each day, because it's difficult for me to open my mouth in a language I don't know and start a conversation about the gospel.   

 

But miracles are everywhere.  One day, we were on the bus and my comp wasn't feeling well so she was dozing.  This woman walked on and I felt I should talk with her.  I didn't want to, the bus was pretty crowded, and there was a group waiting to get on.  I promised the Lord that if someone in the group didn't sit in the only seat available across from her, I'd talk to her (because I expected someone would). Lo and behold no one did, so I grudgingly walked down the bus.  She had on a peculiar necklace engraved with the images of three people.  I asked her about it and we ended up talking about the Plan of Salvation for quite a while because it was her parents and sister, all of whom had died.  It was crazy how the Lord provided the way and the words for me to communicate with her. 

 

Two days ago we went to find a referral from two sisters in the branch.  We met Erica who is 87 years old from Switzerland.  I started talking with her in German and quickly discovered that the vocabulary of the gospel is vastly different than every day German, but she kept on talking to me in German.  She told me her husband and children had died, that she was all alone, and had given her German Bible away.  I told her we had brought her a present (Das Buch Mormon) only to discover that she had already read half of it and was really interested in Joseph Smith!  One of the workers at the assisted living facility had already presented her with one and she remembered the missionaries meeting with her father years ago so she decided to start reading it!  The Lord really is preparing people, even in Italy, of any age.  Thankfully she is very nice and patient, and when I tried to bear my testimony the Lord stepped in.  

My Testimony

I've learned quite a bit about faith this week.  I've learned that just as it says in Ether, miracles only follow faith.  In timothy I learned that we demonstrate our faith through our actions...belief is not enough.  As I acted and went out of my comfort zone, the Lord blessed me.  "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.  Be not though therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord." 2 Timonùthy 1: 7 and 8.  Faith and fear cannot coexist, nor can any of us do anything on our own.  It is only once we let go of that fear, let go of the edge of the swimming pool, that we can really learn how to swim.  And just as mom or dad was always in the pool with us to catch us when we faltered, we have a Heavenly Father awaiting with open arms and a Brother who has already swam in deep waters.  The gospel is true.  It is the law and life of eternal happiness.  By using our faith to apply the doctrine of Christ every day, we will have joy.

 

Sarah also sent some pictures that I'll post soon.  As this point, the best way to reach her is to send mail to the mission home where it will then be forwarded to her directly. 

Off to Italy!

A quick note:
This is the last email we'll get from Sarah before she departs for Milan.  If you are sending her any mail, please make sure it arrives at the MTC by next Monday.  Sarah flies out early Tuesday morning for Milan, actually arriving there the next day - her birthday!

As soon as we receive her mission address in Milan, we'll forward it on.  In the meantime, send all mail to the mission home.

There's really not much to report from this front, besides all of us getting anxious to head out.  It's weird to think that it's been almost two months.  We're all planning on what type of food we want to eat at the airports and such.  I'd love 5 Guys but I don't think that will happen.  ha ha ha

 

Last night Elder Neal L. Andersen came.  Apparently having 3 apostles is a pretty big deal.  It's been awesome, though.  He had some really interesting thoughts on the Atonement.  He talked about the merits, mercy, and grace that saves us.  The merits of the Atonement is the fact that we will overcome death and be resurrected, no matter our works.  Because Christ rose from the grave and broke the bonds of death, He did so for all men.  The mercy refers to our sins and the opportunity to be purified in order to reenter the presence of our father in heaven.  He talked about how our sins our lifted from us as we apply the atoning power and that the Lord will remember them no more.  He related the relief in knowing that we have been forgiven for those things that we wish we had not done.  I want to add my testimony of the power of repentance and how it leads us to be born again in Christ, to becoming pure and clean so that we can have eternal happiness and joy instead of sorrow and regret.  My favorite part was when he talked about the grace of the Atonement.  This is the strengthening and enabling power that helps us become someone we are incapable of being ourselves, of reaching higher planes that are out of our reach.  The Atonement can not only lift our sins, but lift our lives.  We can become more righteous and good than we ever thought possible if we will allow it to work in our lives. 

 

Everything in the gospel centers on Christ because it is His gospel.  Elder Andersen said that at the last day, the missionary badges we now wear will be badges of honor because we were special witnesses of Christ.  That is our purpose.  Our service as missionaries is perhaps the most important thing we will ever do, both for those we serve and ourselves.  It honestly becomes a part of you and just as Jesus Christ is written right next to your name, you come closer to him than ever before.  Elder Andersen also said we were just like the apostles (which left me incredulous) because we are dedicating all of our talents, time, and ability to the Lord.  I am grateful for the opportunity to wear this tag not because it means I am any better than someone else or somehow "elite" but because I can focus completely on Christ, bearing testimony of Him, and bringing others unto Him.  He truly is the only way that salvation comes.  It reminds me of 2 Nephi 25:26 "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ...that our children may know where to look for a remission of their sins."  (not exact translation)  We have a loving Heavenly Father whose sole purpose is us.  To bring us happiness and eternal joy which is obtained by living according to the doctrine of Christ so we may return to live with Him. 

 

I know now more than I've ever known before that our Savior lives.  I know it with my entire heart and soul.  He lived, He died, and most important He rose again so that through Him we may live again in every way imaginable.  His way is the only way that we can ever have the peace and happiness our Heavenly Father yearns for us to have.  He waits with open arms to receive us if we will but come to Him.

 

~Sorella Jacobson