Sunday, October 30, 2016

2016-10-26 Lots of Stairs

Jill did not send much of a blog, but because of the earthquakes in Italy she was able to send a couple of short emails.  So I am posting parts of those, and some pictures this time.  Earthquakes did not affect her area.

I RAN OUT OF TIME! You can say we're teaching two great investigators and a few part-member families. We have lots of good stuff lined up, it just needs to get rolling. Halloween is way cooler in the states. Genova is still gorgeous even if it rains a lot. Hoping to see a baptism with my greenie, maybe Sorella Surace. We have faith! And a great ward!

The mission let us email home because there was an earthquake or something. I'm fine and I haven't received any panicked emails from you guys.


See where the CARS are at down there? Yes, that's how many stairs we walked all at once. This is "what makes Genova special" summed up in one picture. My legs are smashed.

Hah!! We get to send you guys an email AGAIN!! I had to buy hydrogen peroxide for my companion whose head I let a feral cat scratch. I'm not a great "mother." Anyways, I didn't get killed in an earthquake. Happy Sunday:)

Sorellas of Genova

Sorellas di Genova & di Savona

Posing with hergreenie

Ocean in the background

Rocean (family joke)

Genova

Sunday, October 23, 2016

2016-10-19 First Week in Genova

Ciao, tutti! This is for my first full week in Genova! 

So I love Genova. I had heard really good things about it before I even got here but then I got here and I was like, "oh my gosh, I didn't know." The members are so nice and there's seriously so much work...admittedly it was a rough start because I'm training and neither of us have been to this city before, so we had to ask other missionaries a billion questions and wait for ward councils to roll around and stuff like that, so it was slow but now we have TOO MUCH work so I guess you can't really win. The mission isn't perfect, surprise!

Anyways, I wanted to talk about a couple ✨miracles✨ today.....cioè actual miracles.

We actually had to read a talk for zone training and there was a part in it that I really loved, it said: "Consider this: What of Jesus’ ministry if He had performed additional miracles but without the transcending miracle of Gethsemane and Calvary? His other miracles brought blessed extensions of life and lessened suffering--for some. But how could these miracles possibly compare with the greatest miracle of the universal Resurrection? (see 1 Cor. 15:22). The multiplying of the loaves and fishes fed a hungry multitude. Even so, recipients were soon hungry again, while those who partake of the Bread of Life will never hunger again (see John 6:51, 58)." - Maxwell, Consecrate thy Performance

So the idea is that consecrating/sacrificing is great, but up to a certain point, it's fairly doable. Just like in sports, the real champions are the ones who keep going,  AFTER it hurts. It's easy to warm up your muscles, get your heart racing, and even work up a sweat. But what about when it hurts? When you push through the hurt is what elevates you from the average athletes to an elite.

It's like that in the gospel. We see the perfect example, of course, in Jesus Christ's life. Just like the quote said, his life was spectacular but the miracles are empty in comparison to his eternal atonement. When we push ourselves to the next step, we find that God blesses us exponentially more than we had been previously. For example, this week we have had so many days that were long and frankly kind of sad and then because we decided to stay out even though we were tired and had basically nothing to do, God threw a new potential or the chance to teach a lesson to us. So, so blessed. I know that personal sacrifice verso Dio ci aiuterà a diventare le persone che vuole Dio che diventiamo. Vi voglio bene! A presto!

Jill and Sorella Smedley.  Don't know who the third one is..

The Zone

Appointment got canceled.

The girl in the hat knows a missionary on Temple Square that Jill knows also.  Lessons to come.

Enjoying the fine Italian leathers.

Saturday, October 15, 2016

2016-10-12 Genova!

Wow, so I am so happy! I have the best companion in the world and the best city in the world! 

Genova is one of the most gorgeous cities in Italy, so historic, and on the bay. It's really cold right now but during mid-day it's just the best thing ever. My greenie is from Canada! Canadese! She is so good, straight from the MTC so she's here to remind me about all the things I've gotten lazy about and I'm here to tell her that she doesn't have to wait for pday to do her laundry, and that focaccia is amazing.

We started this week with a fast because we wanted to find three new investigators, which is our "standard of excellence," but like, never happens. Well, due to an extraordinary series of events, we got already one new simp!! He's a young boy, friend of a member. We're going to read the Book of Mormon with him next week. We are really pushing ourselves and having fun while we're doing it. It makes me so happy to do missionary work like this, with all the pieces come together :)

Map showing where Jill is now

Genova

St. Lawrence Cathedral

Dinner

Jill in Genova

Which one is her greenie?  I have no idea.

Saturday, October 1, 2016

2016-09-28 Mary's Baptism

Mary has been baptized! It was a beautiful ceremony! Me and my companion talked, all us four missionaries sang, our president was there, and we got her husband to come to church!! It was a beautiful baptism.

(Martha's note:  Jill did not write much this week, but sent pictures.  She is being transferred next week!)

Jill's favorite American family
Mary's Baptism 
Mary's Baptism with Anziani that baptized, Jill, and Sorella Barlow
Sorella Barlow, Mary, Jill
They all went shopping and "dressed" each other.
Anziani Green and Sorella Barlow
Jill and Anziani Young
Wow, these American (and British) youth are sooo cool.
Lake Barcis area
Lake Barcis
Lake Barcis
Lake Barcis


Playing on swings
And falling down