New Miracles

New miracles? Yep!  Janet.  She came to church a few weeks ago, and the lesson was on the word of wisdom, which really touched her.  I was surprised because the word of wisdom isn't what you usually think of when you think of spiritual.  I talked with her for a minute afterwards, and she started crying, asking how you help someone who drinks.  I told her that you continue to love the person, just not what they're doing.  I was way surprised when I called a few days later, and she said she wasn't interested.  But two days ago, one of the young single adults set up an appt with us and his friend...who ended up being Janet.  When the Lord is involved, you usually can't escape.  We've had two really neat lessons now, with her telling us how she wants to change her life and come closer to the Savior.  The Atonement is so real and brings so much hope.  It's never too late, and there's no wound that cannot be healed thanks to the atonement. 

 

 There are so many little miracles that happen every day that it's hard to write them all to you.  The Lord blessed us with another 31 lesson week, so we are exhausted but happy. 

 

The other day on the bus, this woman kept looking at me, like she knew me.  I went over to talk with her, and she asked me who Jesus Christ was for me.  I told her that He is the Son of God, and our Saviour.  I don't know how to describe it, but I felt as if we already knew each other.  As if we were distant relatives or something.  She said, ''I'm so proud of you.  You are beautiful, and have chosen well in following Jesus Christ.  It is so refreshing to see young people demonstrate their faith, without shame or reservation.''  I wish you could have seen the look in her eye, as if it were someone familiar.  It's one of those things that happens every once in a while.  We have their phone number, so hopefully we can teach her, her husband, and three year old son.  

 

That's it for now.  I love you all!

~Sorella Jacobson

You're Invited...

Homecoming for Sorella Sarah Jacobson
Sunday, August 26th
11:00 am
Church on 4060 South and Camille Drive
(right behind Olympus HS)

Luncheon to follow at the Jacobson Home

The Fourth Quarter

Wow, we are seeing miracle after miracle here in Milan!  For example, on saturday we were knocking doors and found Eugenia.  She is about 28, from Romania, and let us in.  She was smoking and drinking coffee, and to be honest I didn't think anything was going to come out of it.  She ended up being super open, though, talking about how she believes in God but has lost faith in the priests.  She said, ''They're not like they once were.  Before you went to confess and you had to do at least a few 'Hail Marys' and actually repent.  Now you go and they say, 'Don't worry, you're forgiven.'  That's just not right!''  She also has a view that most of the people here have adopted - I like to call it the ''all roads lead to Rome'' point of view - where it's good enough just to believe because there's only one God anyway. We talked a little about the restoration and left her a Book of Mormon.

Yesterday, we went to see her again.  One of our members came with her 4 year-old daughter.  I was thinking ''Oh no, poor little Selena (the daughter) is going to comment on the cigarettes, this is going to be a disaster, Sorella Astudillo is going to hate us for introducing her daughter to this kind of environment'' etc.  But, the opposite happened.  Selena sat right next to Eugenia on the couch and asked her questions.  I don't know how, but it just opened Eugenia right up.  Her heart was somehow softened.  We read 3 Nefi 11 together, emphasizing the doctrine of Christ.  Plus, she had actually read before the appointment!  She accepted to keep reading and praying, is going with the Astudillo family to church, and when I invited her to baptism, she said, ''Va bene!'' or ''Sounds good!''  My companion and I were looking at each other like, did we just hear that right?  It was the cutest thing when she then gave Selena a few stuffed animals and Selena said, ''Ciao Uuugenia.''  It showed me that God is preparing ALL of His children, not just those we think are prepared.

Another miracle is Ann, whom we met with Sunday.  Two weeks ago I was talking with a mother and daughter on the bus, when Ann comes out of the blue, interrupts, and starts asking me all of these questions.  She then says, ''I have to get off here, but can I give you my number?''  The absolute reverse of what usually happens.  We set up an appt, but she didn't show so I was almost ready to write her off.  However, on Sunday we had an appt cancel, so I decided to give her a call.  She answered and said, ''Sorella JACOBSON!  (No one ever remembers my name.)  Allora, when can we meet?''  We met with her and asked her expections, established our purpose, and she also accepted to be baptized.  I had chills when she said to my companion, pointing to me, ''When I saw here on the bus, I just knew that I needed to talk with her.  I don't think it's a coincidence that the elderly man I usually am home with was in the hospital that day at that time, so that we could meet.''  I have never seen the spirit work so strongly with someone like that before, and see someone act on His promptings, without having received the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Remeber that one family that I told you about recently?  Full of new converts, less actives, and investigators who gave me birthday presents?  The mom has officially left cigarettes behind, and is going through the challenge of overcoming her addiction so she can be rebaptized with Dylan, our 14 year-old investigator.  It's amazing how in a few short weeks, they've already become like a second, or third, or fourth family to me.  Noemi, the 9 year-old new convert got up to share her testimony in church.  She talked about how reading the Book of Mormon every night as a family has helped them grow closer together and prepare to go to the temple to be sealed.  She related that her mom is quitting smoking, and how they are fasting and praying together to help her.  It was a tender moment.  It reminded me again of the true reason we're here...not just to bring people the blessings of baptism, but help everyone become eternal families.  That is the greatest goal, the true fruit of the tree, which is desirable above all that is desirable to make one happy.

As you know, I love you all.  Thank you for your prayers, letters, pictures, and emails.  I've received so many letters from family and friends that I know I will have support and angels surrounding me until the end.  It's the fourth quarter, and you can bet your money I'm leaving it all on the court.  I didn't come out here to play a good three quarters and then give up the game at the end.  I've been conditioning my whole life, and thank you to all my fans cheering me on from the sidelines.  Without you, I wouldn't be here.

Love,

Sorella Jacobson

Milano

Hanging on the Metro

 

Visiting Torino

Shakin' Things up in Milan!

You might have heard about the earthquakes in Northern Italy over the past few weeks.  Thus, our emails from Sarah have been short, but thankfully, she is fine and actually hasn't felt many of them.  Here is her latest email:

Thankfully we were able to find other new investigators this week.  We met up with Benedicta and her two sons, John and Marvin, and we have a return appt with them tomorrow.  We found them in the old area book, and they have a deep desire to come closer to Christ, especially Marvin who is 20.  I had to laugh, though, because on the phone she kept calling me ''nun.''  When we got there, my comp played Marvin's guitar and sung a hymn, so they either understand that we're sister missionaries, or have met the first guitar-playing nuns they know.  

We also had lessons with Olga - a referral from the elders - and Mary, whom we talked with on the bus.  Mary had the craziest story about a girl in a park who gave her a baby because she didn't want it and how she had to lie to the agency in order to adopt her.  Maybe it wasn't the most honest thing in the world, but a woman who adopts a fourth child when she already has her hands full, is a single mom, and has no money is a pretty Christian thing to do.  The baby is now 12 years old, and part of the family.  Olga is awesome and told us about how she had frequented the church in the past, and always felt good while she was there.  She just has such an innocence and honesty about her.  So we'll see where things go with them.

I don't know if I've told you all much about Giovanna.  She works with an elderly lady full time, so she cannot leave to go to church on sunday.  She's in Mormon, thus almost finished with the Book of Mormon.  It just breaks my heart every time we go over there, because she talks as if she is already a member.  She says things like, ''I cannot wait until I am baptized because then I can put in my papers to serve a mission and knock the doors, sharing the restored gospel.''  She's been taught all of the lessons, except tithing, which we taught on Monday.  She not only accepted it, but asked me to leave the tithing slip so she could pay her tithing.  When we explained to her that she had to be a member in order to pay tithing, her eyes filled with tears.  ''I just have to go to church two more times...'' she always says, ''...then I can be baptized.''  She asked her boss, the daughter of the Senora, if she could go to church and she responded, ''Sure, and I'll look for someone to take your place.''  This is very common all over Italy, and it makes me so sad, because it's almost like indentured servitude.  But when I talked with President about it, he said that if she remains as faithful as she can, something will happen so that she can be baptized in the Lord's time.   

Speaking of Miracles, The other day on the bus, I initiated my first contact---in Spanish.  My companion is helping me get a little bit better every day.  The Lord truly blesses us with the gift of tongues when we are going about His business.  

I was talking with some tourists from Michigan, living in Germany, and they made an interesting comment about how Milan is like New York.  That's one of the best descriptions...Milan is like the New York of Europe, and I love it!  There are so many people from so many different places, and you have differences as bit as Brooklyn Brothers and the Bronx, but notwithstanding the differences, EVERYONE benefits from the gospel.  Rich or poor, bound (like Giovanna) or free, the Lord's invitation is to ALL men.  He heals hearts, unites families, and strengthens feeble knees.  What a privilege and blessing it is to be serving here at this time!

Love you all!

Sarah   

Miracles in Milan

The miracle of the week, well there are two.  First was Johnny and Karen accepting the 10 of June as a baptismal date!  We are so excited.  We practiced the invite in the morning during companionship study.  They still have their reservations, but because of our practice we had already anticipated what they might say and were ready to help them see it as a goal...something to push them and catalyze an answer.  They were mainly worried about how close it is, they wanted to wait a couple years.  :)  It's actually good when the investigators realize the importance and magnitude of baptism, and that it's not a thing to take lightly.  Today we are having a southern american birthday party with them and the Astudillo family...my companion is making empanadas, yum!

 

Beny is our second miracle.  Last week when my companion was running to the bathroom every half hour and I finally forced her to stay inside, I was looking through our old area book and found a record of an 18 year old girl.  It seemed like everything was going well; she was reading, came to church, etc, but then there was no explanation for why the missionaries stopped.  I called her two different times but she didn't answer.  Then on saturday my companion felt like we needed to look at the area book from 3 to 3:30 and I ran across her teaching record again.  There were tons of potentials, but for some reason hers wouldn't leave me.  I tried again but still no answer, so I jotted down her address in the off-chance that we had some time free on sunday between appointments.  Sunday rolls around, and we have about 1 hour.  We find the address and there are about 50 doorbells...we had no idea which one was hers.  Luckily someone let us in so we decide to knock ALL the doors.  After 20 minutes there was no luck, and then we knock on this door and a young woman answers.  My companion has already started to explain who we are, ''Salve, siamo sorelle missionarie della chiesa di Gesù Cristo...'' when I interrupt and ask ''Comè si chiama?''  (What's your name?)  She says, ''Beny.''  I respond animately ''Beny!  Just the person we were looking for!''  She replies, ''I know.  Come on in!''  Turns out she had lost her phone and then went to San Salvador for a few months, and had lost contact with the missionaries.  She had tons of questions like ''I made a promise to God that I wouldn't drink anymore.  But how can you make promises to God and still keep your friends?''  It was AWESOME!  She wants to see us, and read and pray about the Book of Mormon.  MIRACLE!

 

~Sorella Jacobson

More from Milan...

The work in Milan is just crazy!  There are so many people...every time we go to a park or knock on doors, we seem to have a lesson.  The only problem is that no one here really wants to commit because the gospel and its blessings means making changes.  We are constantly talking to people because you have to jump from bus to train to subway to get anywhere.  Hardly anyone is acutally Milanese, but from other cities or other countries.  But it gives the city a pretty cool metropolitan feel.  It's actually almost fun to talk to people, so that makes it easier to get a lot of contacts. 

 

For example this week:

1- Someone told me that my face was similar to the face of Jesus on the pass-along card I gave her...and that my companion's was more like Maria's.

2- We prayed with a Buddhist in her house, and she wants us to talk with her Buddhist group about our religion.

3- One man told us we were going to hell because we completely missed the message in the Bible, and that Christ's church has been in function for thousands of years.

4- We met a man who is starting his own religion, and as we prayed his wife saw a white light over my companion's head, which signifies purity and that she brings a message from God.

5- Last night we were ringing doorbells outside of a building, and when we said we had a message about Jesus Christ that we know is true and can bless her, she said, ''I believe you.  I don't think that you would lie.''  So she let us in and we taught the Restoration.

 

As you can see, every day is an adventure.  Thank heavens I have my companion, Sorella Padula.  She is indefatiguable.  But we also laugh a lot, too.  We already have a reputation for music because her voice is AMAZING.  President came to our sacrament meeting sunday to bring the new senior couple, and Sorella Wolfgramm said, ''Don't have too much fun.''  I told her we already broke that rule, so President said he would have to transfer us.  We turned to each other and said, ''Oh no, we absolutely despise each other, we cannot get along at all.'' He laughed and said he would have to keep us together until we get along.

 

There is an awesome family in the ward, the Astudillos.  They are from Ecquador.  The kids are so cute, always running to give us hugs and drawing pictures for us.  We had a lesson with their friends, Johnny and Karen and their six year old Gerald.  We taught the Restoration.  The next week, we met with them for another FHE and they had a million questions about the Book of Mormon.  We spent over an hour just answering questions like, ''Why do they call you mormons if you're Christian?'' and other really good questions.  At the end, they said, ''Now we are that much more interested to read and find out more.''  We were bummed because they said they couldn't come to church, but on sunday during sunday school, the door opens and they walk in with Fratello Astudillo!  They liked church and seem to be coming along really well.  It was a really neat blessing.

 

Yesterday was yet another holiday, and we went up to the Boy Scout camp to meet with the members and have a barbeque lunch.  It seems like the missionaries haven't worked much with members in the past, because everyone was so excited to have us there.  We were swamped the whole time talking to everyone, including some non-member friends.  We sang and shared a message along with the two elders in our ward.  We really feel that working with the members is key.  There is already a new excitement about missionary work in the air, and as we go and meet a few members every week, they tell us things like ''The missionaries haven't been here in over a year!'' and many and trying to invite friends over for an FHE.  It truly is the better way.  In fact, of every 1000 investigators, only 1 person will be baptized that is found by the missionaries.  But over 650 are baptized if they are friends and are taught in a members home. 

 

The other day I was reading in 3 Nefi 11 for the first time in a long time.  I read about becoming the sons and daughters of God, which has been on my mind a lot lately.  If we are already all children of our Heavenly Father, what does it mean to become sons and daughters of God?  As I kept looking, I found a cross-reference I had written in my English scriptures, in Moroni 10:33.  Because in order to become sons and daughters, we need to become more like Him.  Or as he commands, Be ye therefore perfect, even as I, or my Father in Heaven, is perfect.  This is what Moroni says,

 

And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye ^asanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the ^bblood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your ^csins, that ye become ^dholy, without spot. 

 

It is only through the Atonement that we truly become sons and daughters of God.  We can apply the redeeming power, cancelling our sins and errors.  But the sactifying power of the Atonement applies His grace and allows us to overcome our faults and character flaws, becoming a bit more Christlike each and every day.  I know that this is not only true, but I have experienced it daily out here in the mission field.  We are the only ones that can deny us access to the sanctification and purification of the Atonement of our Lord and Savior.  It is difficult and often painful to look at our weaknesses, but if we will but humble ourselves enough, they can become strengths as we prayerfully make the necessary changes to come closer to our Redeemer.  

I love you all!

 

Love,

Sarah