Letter #44 - 7/15/14

Ciao Famiglia! :) Come State??

This week has been so crazy and so good! We have seen soooo many miracles. First of all, Ravenna has been having some crazy weather issues lately. One day its wicked hot and we are sweating and dying and then the next day (or even later that night) there will be a crazy random full-on rain storm and we just get drenched on the bikes, haha, it’s hilarious.

One of the worst ones this week happened on our bike ride to the church; just out of nowhere this huge storm started and the rain was coming down so hard we like could barely see the road in front of us, haha. We finally make it to the church, just laughing the entire way because we are ridiculously wet, and we get to the top of the hill before you go down the drive way to the church door and..the Anziani come rolling in, in their nice dry car, and they see us and just start laughing, haha. We got down and parked our bikes under the little covering and I just start ringing out my skirt and it’s like a waterfall, haha. They felt so bad, it was hilarious. I wish I had a picture of how wet we were, sooo funny.

We had a really awesome Young Women’s activity last week! We learned how to sew! Hah,a it was so fun. We love being the Young Women's leaders and teaching the lessons and planning the activities and everything, it’s really fun. And our two young women are just so sweet. One of them came up to us this Sunday after church and just told us how much she liked our lesson that day. It was so cute. Remember how I just barely graduated from Young Women’s like 2 years ago and now I’m the second counselor? Weird, haha, but I love it.

And we did some really good Family Home evenings with some members this week and it was such an amazing experience. One of them was with a family from Nigeria and their aunt and cousins that were there visiting for the week. So we were teaching a room full of like 15 people from Africa. It was crazy. Teaching in English is so weird, but it went so well and they loved it! We even did a game, brought a treat and everything. None of the extended family are members of the church so it was a really cool way to introduce them to the Gospel and teach the little kids. We loved it, all the little kids were just giving us hugs the whole night; I love our Nigerians.

Oh funny story, so last night we were eating dinner at a less actives house and guess what I ate.... ANCHOVIES. I thought I was going to die, haha. The lady was teaching us how to eat them and she took the smallest ones and put it on her toast. So because I love my companion cosi tanto (so much), I took the big papa anchovy and slapped it on my toast. It literally had hair on it and everything, ew. And then I took a big old bite, haha, so nasty. The taste was so strong; luckily she didn’t make us eat all of it but I brushed my teeth so well afterwards, barf, haha!

But guess what? One of our less actives we are teaching came to church again for a third time! AND she got a priesthood blessing and LOVED it, miracle. And our investigator with a baptismal date finally moved out of her apartment with her ex-boyfriend so now that’s not stopping her from being baptized! Whoooo! Only thing is now she doesn’t live in our proselyting area anymore so a different set of missionaries will be teaching her but that’s okay, we are just sooooo beyond happy she finally moved out! The Lord really does change people's hearts, so many miracles.

Well I think that is all for this week! I hope Abbi and dad are having a good time in London! I can’t believe how close they are to me right now! Same time zone and everything, right? :) I’m so thankful I am a missionary right now here in Ravenna, Italia. I love it so much and I know it’s exactly where I need to be, with exactly the people with whom I need to be.

The Lord’s plan for us is really so much better than our own. I am so grateful for that. The Gospel is so true and I am so eternally grateful for my Heavenly Father and for this opportunity he has given me to share that happiness with others. love and miss you! have a great week! :)

Sorella Yost

Letter #43 - 7/8/14

Ciao Famiglia!

Okay, where do I even start? SPACE TRANSFERS. So a sister in our mission had to go home for medical reasons this week so turns out we got a phone call from our Mission President on Saturday morning telling us that Sorella Gillette was getting space transferred! Ahhhh.  We were so sad; we all three are like best friends and turns out we only had two short weeks together and now Sorella Gillette is now (as of yesterday) in her 7th city for her last 4 weeks of the mission. How crazy is that? So we have been running around like chickens with our heads cut off basically for the past few days and then yesterday we were travelling all day because she went to a city called Lodi which is right outside of Milano and President gave us permission to travel with her so that she didn’t have to travel so far alone with all her bags and everything on the trains (we had like 5 train switches haha), so crazy! We are so tired – last night we went to bed as soon as we were done with nightly planning, we just kind of collapsed on our beds, haha, so funny. But the trio lives on in our hearts forever, haha!

We had a Fourth of July BBQ with our Branch Mission Leader and his wife on the fourth of July for lunch! It was so cute; they even had the American flag up in our honor – they are so cute. Our little Italian nonni (Grandparents).

It looks like the family reunion was a huge success! Looks so fun! Thanks for all the pictures :) it really helped me feel like I was there. When do Paige and Harvey go through the temple? I’m so excited for them! and please tell Abbi “good luck” in London this week ;) haha, she will love it.

Ready for a miracle story? So yesterday in the midst of our travels we stopped at Burger King in the Milano train station to quickly get some food before our next train.  There were tons of people in there and the lady at the cash register ran my card – and then forgot to give it back to me.  I didn’t realize this at all until later after we had dropped off Sorella Gillette and were about to start our journey back home. So we called the mission office and told them what happened and they said they would cancel my card and I would have to go file a police report – a huge crazy process! So we got back on a train and headed back to Milano Centrale – our way we decided to go back to that Burger King and ask to see if they still had my card before we filed the police report and... they did! Ahhhh - (insert tears of joy here)!! So I called back to the Mission Office right before they were about to cancel my card and so all is well, all is well. MIRACLE.

This week has been crazy but we have seen so many cool miracles. We have found 4 new investigators and have visited almost every member in the branch and have taught a lot of people. It’s been so busy, I love it. We miss our trio but we know that Sorella Gillette is needed in Lodi right now and Sorella carter and I are needed in Ravenna and we are just so grateful we got to all serve together for two short weeks :)

I think that’s everything for this week!

I hope all is well! Tell everyone hi for me! love and miss you! :)

Sorella Yost

Letter #42 - 7/1/14

Ciao Famiglia!

Ah, I'm so jealous you are all at Cannon Beach this week! Enjoy it for me :) I miss it! But thank you so much for the emails! I loved hearing from everyone! Cali congrats on getting married! I’m sad I’m missing the wedding but I can’t wait to see the pics and to play beach soccer with Caleb next year ;)

Haha, so this week has been crazy! I LOVE TRIOS. I’m all about it. So fun. And soooo many miracles. We have talked to some really amazing people while out doing finding and haven’t had an appointment cancelled these past few days, which has been a huge tender mercy. In fact, we met a girl waiting for a bus yesterday in one of our little paesino's (village) we go to and we actually have an appointment with her in about 30 minutes. She is super nice and we are really excited about her! So pray she doesn’t cancel, I know we will be praying for her.

We 5 missionaries (us three and the anziani) actually taught in church on Sunday about missionary work! It was one of the coolest lessons ever. We showed the video "grazia lui" which I believe is called "because of Him" in English and talked about how missionary work is really just being a good disciple of Jesus Christ. It was really amazing as we were preparing for the lesson to see really how everything we do as missionaries really just revolves around our love for God which is the basis of discipleship.  Discipleship is a process and it is something that we have to work on throughout our entire lives. It was really incredible.

I am learning so much each day out here. I am so grateful. Also, this week I am learning how to make homemade pasta! We made it at a member’s house on Tuesday for lunch and it was so easy! The little 5 year old in fact was helping us cook, haha, it was so cute. So yeah, get excited for that when I get home Abbi ;) haha.

Well, everything is good here! I love Ravenna and being in a Trio is so fun. We all love each other already and are having a blast. Today we went on a bike ride to see the ocean and it was so fun.

Thanks for all the prayers, I love and miss you! Talk to you soon! :)

Sorella Yost

 

 

 

 

Letter #41 - 6/24/14

Ciao Famiglia!

Well, guess what? This week is transfers! And Sorella Carter and I are staying together! YEAHHHHH!!! But...wait for it....we are getting another companion! Haha, we are going to be in a trio with Sorella Gillette! Haha, we are so excited! She is in the same group as Sorella Lopez, my trainer, so this is her last transfer in the mission so we are all in for an exciting 6 weeks :) haha, Sorella carter and I are so excited! It’s going to be so great.

Also, last Thursday I got to go back to Firenze for a double zone conference! We had to take a train at 6:28 in the morning and got back to Ravenna at 9:30 at night so we are still recovering from the trip. Haha, it was so weird being back. I remembered everything, it was like I had never left. I took Sorella Carter to get a leather bag by the Duomo before we had to catch our bus, and I got to see Sorella Jarvis again! She is still in Montevarchi :)

It was so great and it was an amazing conference. We talked a lot about our desires and how the only thing we can really give to the Lord in the end of it all is the desires of our hearts and our will to follow Him. Everything else we could possibly give him, he has already given us. Anziano Lee shared a talk by Neil A. Maxwell called "swallowed up in the will of the Father" and it was AMAZING. You all need to read it.

This week I have learned so much and I feel like I keep learning so many things I can improve. Not only in missionary work but just in life in general. We can all be so much better than we already are if we just focus our lives on the Savior instead of only thinking of ourselves. It’s something I am committed to improving.

Also, this week we are mourning the loss of our bikes: Davide and Isabella. They were stolen on Friday night :( i know, It’s so sad. We had them locked up outside of our apartment building and then when we went out on Saturday morning they were gone. So sad. Luckily, the Anziani felt really bad for us and let us borrow their bikes for a couple days until we bought new ones. Bless them. It was pretty hilarious, though, to watch Sorella Carter and I try and ride boy bikes in our skirts, hahaha classic.

And then by some miracle we were able to find new bikes on Monday. My new bike is a BEAST, haha.  I named her Helga, she is ancient. The bike store said as soon as they get another bike brought in we can come back and exchange her for free. Haha but it’s okay, she just has a lot of character. I am already getting attached to her. Sorella Carter’s new bike is named Irene. We really miss Isabella and Davide, but it’s okay, we are just grateful we have new bikes. Unfortunately, we now have to go out and find a third bike since we are going to be in a trio now, haha, we are going to look like a small army, the three of us riding alongside each other down these little tiny Italian streets. I’m so excited haha.

I hope Anna loves EFY! My new converts, Carolin and Alice are going to EFY here in Italy in august! :) I am so excited for them too. And Mom and Dad!, i got your packages! Thank you sooooo much!, from both me and my companion :) haha we loved it! :)

Well I think that is all for this week! I love and miss you! have a great week! :)

Sorella Yost

p.s. Hey Dad, in honor of the world cup, don’t forget "just get the ball to the Italians!"

name that movie :)

Letter #40 - 6/17/14

Ciao Famiglia!

Come state?? (how are you)?

HAPPY FATHERS DAY DAD!!!!! I hope you had a great day! Wish I could’ve celebrated with you, but in your honor I gave a talk in church, haha! It went alright, talking in Italian is becoming a little more natural and I was able to give like a 10 minute talk so I am improving little by little.

Thanks for all the family history info! I really needed it, haha. Oh and also, guess what? The other day, I must have messed with my alarm clock during the night because we woke up when my alarm went off (6:30, we thought) and then got ready and everything like we always do.  Then I was sitting at my desk right before we were about to get ready to walk out the door for church and I looked over at the clock on our wall and it said 7:15. I was like, what the heck...why is our wall clock wrong. So I went into our room and checked my watch. It said 7:15, checked the phone – it said 7:15 too. We were like...oh no. I think we woke up and hour early.... but just to be sure we called the Anziani (Elders) and were like "hey...can you guys tell us what time it is?" haha they were like 7:16... yep. We accidentally woke up at 5:30 on Sunday. and were dead tired the rest of the day, haha. Gosh. my poor companion, luckily she still likes me, haha.

This week has kind of been a rough week for us, just one of those weeks where it feels like no one will stop and listen. But we have definitely seen the hand of the Lord in our work and he has given us so many tender mercies to help us keep going.  We know that there are those who are willing to listen and who are searching for the truth. We just have to keep looking for them.

We are definitely learning a lot, that’s for sure :) It’s not meant to be easy.

I hope all is well back home! I love and miss you! thanks for all the pictures! I loved them! have a great first week of summer! :)

Sorella Alli Yost