General Conference!

Ciao Tutti!
     Mamma mia!  Sono MOLTO contenta che c'è conferenza generale questo weekend!  Its just like christmas!  haha.  But seriously i love it.  Its going to be different because i think we are going to watch it in Italian because Giorgia is coming and i would feel so bad leaving her in the Italian room and going to watch it in English.  Im excited that she can come.  I dont know if she is going to be able to come to all of it but for sure some of it.  And that is going to be great.  She came to church on sunday and it was just so funny.  Like i said, she doesnt want anyone to know that she is a little softy.  So her eyes were just watering up all during sacrament meeting and it was so funny because then she would have to say something funny to keep herself from crying.  I can see her feeling the spirit more though and its awesome.  We also went with her to a baptism on saturday in rome and one of the speakers gets up and says, " I have prepared something else but i really feel prompted to share my conversion story (he was just baptized 2 months ago)."  Anyway, he needed to change it because it was exactly for Giorgia.  We talked to him after and he said that he knew that someone there needed that talk.  It was sweet!  Its awesome seeing how Heavenly Father works.
    Umberto update is on the recording that we made.  Also enriquetta.  Its just so much easier than typing!  I love that little guy plus its been way too long since i have made one!
     Big news this week!  I FINISHED THE BOOK OF MORMON IN ITALIAN FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!  it was such a great feeling.  Now im starting it over with Giorgia.  We are going to read the same chapters every day.  With sorella ivory too!  Its great!  I dont think i will finish it again in my mission but im glad that i at least did it once in italian and ill continue that at home.  I read 1 ne 1 today.  I love the last verse.  I have seen the tender mercies of the Lord so many times while i have been here and i know its true.  Right when i have needed it, Heavenly father has shown me he's there.  Me and sorella Ivory were talking about it this morning.  You really can see the lords hand in everything if you are looking for it!
     Other things that happened this week,  well, i did have a quasimodo eye.  Haha. I woke up in the middle of the night on thursday night and my eye was streaming water and i felt like there was sand in it.  Took out my contacts and tried to go back to sleep.  In the morning it was all swollen and we couldnt open the windows because the sun hurt my eye.  Haha.  I think i just scratched it a little bit.  Not a big deal cause it was all better by the next day.  Just kinda funny.  Everyone was making fun of me that day.  And i forgot to take a picture!  ITs the worst.  we really need sorella miles here for that!
     Well, i think thats it for us here this week.  Such a good week.  I love missionary work.  I know that our message can heal anything.  I have seen that so many times.  No matter what our problems are, the gospel of jesus christ can heal us.  I love in 3 ne 11 when christ is so willing to heal the people.  I know that is how he is with us.  I have seen it in my life in the last year and in the lives of these great italians.  We just have to come to him (Matt 11:28??)  Love you all so much.  I hope you enjoy conference!  I wont get to see the last session for awhile so let me know what happens!  Thanks for your love and support!  You are the best!!!!!  Love and miss you all!
Love,
Sorella Chelsea

Hello!!

Ciao!!
   Hello!  Man, Im so excited to be writing you right now.  I love you all and im grateful for you.  Thanks for all you do for me.  I just wanted to start off by telling you all how important you are to me.  its been a good week.  Im excited to tell you all about it.  Mostly about all the things i have been learning about my Savior and Heavenly father this week.
   I dont really know where to start.  I guess ill start with our lesson with Raffaella.  Man i wish i had my journal here to just copy it sometimes.  Ok, so Raffaella has been an investigator for almost a year now and seriously LOVES the book of mormon and the Church.  She is incredible and knows that she needs to be baptized but lives with her boyfriend and doesnt know what to do about it all.  She used to come to church every week but since christmas she has made some sort of excuse every time.  Anyway, we went to her house last week and she starts off by telling us that she doesnt want to come to church and stuff anymore.  So we asked her questions and tried to figure out why all the sudden it has been so weird.  She said that she had been questioning whether there even was a god and if so, then why he has abandoned her.  We then had one of the best lessons in the world.  Really speaking through the spirit and telling her lots of feeling we have had in our lives that really we would never share with others.  It really almost like i was teaching myself too though as i spoke to her.  I cant really explain it.  But I told her that she couldnt tell me that she didnt have a testimony because i have seen her love for the book of mormon and she had told me personally that she knows this is the right church and through prayer she knows that she needs to get baptized.  I was just thinking about all of the people, myself included, that when times get hard, we doubt what we know.  We forget that we have a loving heavenly father that is just so willing to help us but if we turn away and forget him, he cant help us.  In the end we all felt the spirit and Raffaella came to church with us Sunday:)  It was soooooo good to walk with her to church again.  I had really missed it!
    Little experience but it will all make sense in the end.  On saturday morning we went to civitavecchia to find a less active member.  It took us forever to get there and she wasnt home...  So we are standing and waiting for the bus pretty much in the middle of no where.  after 40 min i was getting a little frustrated.  Mostly probably because i was hungry and i just felt useless.  Anyway, while we are standing there the husband of one of our investigators rides past us on his bike and stops (husband of Roberta.  The family we had christmas lunch with.)  I had been trying to get a hold of Roberta and she never answered.  Her husband tells us she is at home and we needed to call her.  So we called her and she answered and we are going to have dinner with her on sunday!  ill finish this in a minute.
 Next experience.  Really the highlight of my mission so far...  I am going to try and explain but this is going to be hard.  Ok, i know i have told you all about Giorgia.  She is the one that is in my english course and i just love her so much.  Anyway, she really has interest in the gospel but we could tell that something was really holding her back and its been pretty hard talking about the gospel with her.  In a serious, lesson way.  Anyway, we were there monday and had the best lesson ever.  She refuses to pray and so i just started talking a little bit about the prayer and asking her why she doesnt pray.  She said she gets embarrassed so i asked her if she ever says personal prayers.  She said no and then started crying.  Keep in mind she is a tough girl.  At least she wants to play like she is a tough girl.  Anyway, she tells us that she has something that really hurts her inside but wouldnt tell us because she hates crying in front of people.  She told us that she knows that we came into her life right now to help her.  She also explained more of her religious background and it really helped us understand why she is going so slow.  so we go on and are talking and i felt SO promoted to tell her that I know i am here on a mission, in Ladispoli, so that i could meet and help her.  Me and her just have a different connection.  I know that Im here right now because she is here.  And i know that it is me that needs to be here.  SHe told me that she knew for years that the Mormons did a free english course but never had actually done anything about it even though she has really wanted to learn.  For some reason when she saw me and my smile with the english course sign she knew she needed to come.  A lot of times i have just thought that anyone could have done what i have done here in Italy but its just different this time.  I cant explain it well but it was so amazing and i felt the spirit so strong.  Knowing that I was there, at that moment, in the exact place i needed to be.  We still dont know all about her problems but its going so good.  She said a personal prayer that night!  That is HUGE for her.  Im soooo happy for her.  She needs a little time but i know the gospel is what she needs right now to heal her.  
    This week i feel like heavenly father has really been teaching me that he is putting me right where i need to be at the exact moment.  That He cares so much for me and everyone i meet and knows us so intimately.  My testimony has been strengthened so much.  I also am feeling the pressure of really making sure that i recognize that im where i am for a reason and not miss out on opportunities the Lord is giving me.  I know they are there and sometimes i just miss them.  All of us are in His hands and he is constantly there so remind us of that.  Im grateful to be here right now.  Im grateful for all the things I am able to learn here in Italy serving these great people.  I love them with all my heart.  That is one of the biggest blessing heavenly father gives us i think.  Being able to feel the love, in a very small part, that he has for his children as we are serving them.
   I have to go but i hope you all know that i love you and i miss you but im happy where i am.  Thanks for your love and all you do for me.  Dont forget how grateful i am for all of you!  have a great week and ill talk to you all soon!!!!!
Love,
Sorella Chelsea        

Spring is in the air!

Ciao!  Benvenuta alla primavera!!!
     We have been soooooo spoiled by the weather in these days.  Oh man.  I know me saying that is going to change everything but i love it.  Its been warm and clear blue skies and i love being outside.  Its a lot warmer than inside our apartment... haha.  Not quite warm enough to not wear tights but i will really be excited for the day when i can take these babies off.  Im a little sick of wearing tights every day.  But the day is coming!  I can feel it!
     Everything is going great here in Ladispoli!  I love it.  So many miracles and i just feel so blessed with all the tender mercies Heavenly Father gives us.  Lets start with the first.  Umberto accepted a baptismal date!!!  April 14th!  I talked to his girlfriend at church without him there and she said he got in the car after as was like "April 14th, ya that sounds good!"  Man he is so ready to go. I dont know if i told you all this but he is sharing everything with his family and stuff.  They dont start eating dinner till he is home now so he can say a prayer for the food.  He is so great.  Reading the BOM every day and coming to church and praying.  Oh and also, March 8th is a holiday here for women and so he brought us flowers.  It was the cutest thing!  Haha. So nice.  Pictures will be coming.  Our ward also gave us Roses.  That is a tradition im bringing back with me! :)
     Next, there is a less-active in our ward named Enriquetta.  We randomly found her before christmas when we were going around and asking everyone if we could sing for them.  Anyway, she let us in and told us she was a member but hadnt seen the missionaries in a little bit.  We have been going to see her pretty regularly since then because she really wants to be ready for the temple to go for the first time.  Since december we have told her that even though its hard (her daughter has back problems and she has a 1 and a half year old granddaughter with downs syndrome or something) so she has a lot on her plate because she has to take care of everything at home.  But she promised us in the next couple weeks she would organize herself and get herself to church.  And sunday in relief society i heard someone come in so i looked back and it was her!!!  I was SOOOOOOOOOOO happy to see her there.  Those are moments of just pure joy.  The ward was so happy to have her there too.  Then we went to her house yesterday and her daughter (like 30 or something with 2 grils.  one of them is the one with some handicaps) accepted a book of mormon.  I dont know what will come of it but she promised us she would at least read some!
     I cant really think of anything else huge that happened this week.  We have some other investigators but nothing to report on them yet.  The work is going and we are searching for a family.  They are here we just really need to find them.  Our best bet for a family is going to be through member referals so that is what we are trying to do.  I have never taught a whole family and i think it would be the most incredible thing.
     Well, sorry its not as great this week but i dont have much else to say.  Oh, we did made a cheesecake this week!  Apparently cooking goes a lot better with Sorella Ivory because it was so good and seriously the easiest thing i have ever done.  We thought for sure it would take for ever and then we found a recipe and it was so simple.  Finally a success!  Things are going well here.  Im learning so much about myself, the kind of person i want to be, the kind of family i want to have and most importantly, how much our heavenly father loves us individually.  Sometimes its hard but the knowledge that my heavenly father loves me and is happy that im here in italy serving a mission brings me comfort.  He knows im not perfect and he is ok with it.  I love sharing the You are Special book with people.  Thats what i have really come to know.  Heavenly father knows us individually and by name.  Dont ever forget that!  I am grateful that He knows me enough to have given me the perfect family i needed on the earth.  me and sorella ivory were talking about that the other day.  that everything has just been so tailor made for each of us.  Thanks for all your love and prayers and emails and everything.  ILl talk to you next week!
Love,
Sorella Chelsea

I Battesimi!

Ciao!!!
Mamma mia!  Questo weekend (and yes thats how you say it in italian) è stato bellissimo!  When we were sitting last night on the bus i was thinking about people i needed to call and stuff to do to get ready for today and then i realized that it is pday today!  HOw did that come so fast?  We were doing so much this week I just lost track of time.  Seriously a good week though.  Its not very often in this mission that 3 baptisms happen in the same weekend.  We are tired from our travelling because we dont have a font so we have to go to rome for baptisms but it was all worth it.

Ill start with Jessenia.  So her baptism was saturday.  We get to Rome at like 11 in the morning.  First i want to say that Giorgia from english course was with us all day and saw the baptism.  It was incredible!  I was shocked at her willingness to give up her saturday to come and see a baptism. She doesnt want to show it but she is so curious about the church.  We are just taking it slow with her and its going to be great.  Anyway, we get to the church and the Anziani had already been filling up the font for an hour and there was NOTHING in there hardly.  The font is huge and i dont think either of them had ever seen a baptism there so they werent aware of how long it would take.  So that was our first freak out.  THe baptism was at 3:30 and at 3 there still wasnt enough water.  These 3 random young guys from Norway show up (they are hear visiting or something and found out about the baptism and came.  So random.  Members and spoke PERFECT english.  We are now thinking they were the 3 nephites).  They figure everything out and find some hose and hook it up and solved the whole water problem and were the heros of the baptism.  As for jessenia, she was glowing. I have never seen that many people at a baptism. SHe had such a great turn out because everyone loves her.  Even president and sorella kelly were there!  It was amazing.  SHe looked like and angel and was so happy to be there.  I love her!  It was just such a reminder about how important that step into the gospel is.  I think for us as members we forget that so much.  What actually or baptism meant for us in our lives.  She is so ready for it and has had to wait for so long for that day.  NOw she is a baptized and confirmed member della Chiesa di gesù cristo dei santi degli ultimi giorni!  There were so many people in our sacrament for her confirmation that people had to sit in chairs in the hall because there wasnt space in the chapel.  SO GREAT!

Sunday was the baptism of Giorgia and Edoardo.  Another great day.  ANd the font was filled this time without any problems:)  Our ward was so happy to be there because they have watched these little kids have such a desire to be baptized but not been able to because the dad said no.  They were so excited!  THere dad came and actually was really pleasant.  I think it was so good for him because until this point he has thought everything in our church is just a mystery that we dont want people to know. So his wife just told him to come and see for himself was a baptism is.  Its not a mystery and anyone can come and see.  We are hopeful that this has struck something in him.  A curiousity to really know what it is.  THat would be great!  I just can see them being an eternal family.  I know their dad needs more time but i also know that he will come around.  His kids were sent to him because they are the perfect example.

Another miracle is Umberto.  He is the boyfriend of Jessica in our ward.  Jessica is INCREDIBLE!  Such a good strong member.  SHe is like 26 just great!  Anyway, she has been dating this guy for a month i think and has come to church 3 times.  This last week jessica told us we could start the lessons with him.  So we met with him Friday.  Oh i cant even tell you how great he is.  Another person that is sooooo ready for baptism.  He has already read the first 16 chapters of the bom.  When we asked what he thought about it he said that it has already changed the way he is seeing his life and the lives of his family members.  That things that didnt used to bug him, bug him now because he knows how it should be now.  He also has already done a fast to gain a testimony and came to all the baptisms this weekend.  He knows about the word of wisdom know and has already stopped drinking coffee!  ANd the best part is that you can tell its really coming from him.  THat its just how he is.  Not just because he is dating Jessica.  He has a real desire to do the right thing and find out if this is all really the truth.  So we are going to invite him to be baptized tomorrow!!!  WAHOOOOO!!!!  Miracles are happening in Ladispoli!!!
 
Which reminds me, i dont think i said anything about transfers yet!  IM STAYING!!!  Im soooooo happy.  Me and sorella Ivory are going to be here in ladispoli.  ANd the best part is that sorella miles is going to Rome 1 so she is still going to be in our district and we will see her all the time.  It all worked out perfectly!

I wanted to share a part of a scripture that anziano and sorella krueger shared with us yesterday.  We had lunch with them in Rome so they could finish explaining the atonement lesson they had started with us.  ONe scripture we read was 1 ne. 21:16.  I love it.  I love the part that says, "they walls are continually before me."  Too often i think of the atonement as something in the past.  That the savior already suffered for me. But i really understood yesterday that its not like that.  The savior is suffering for me now.  The atonement is continual.  That when i have a wall in front of me, the savior is standing in front of that same wall.  It helped me understand the saviors intimate relationship with me everyday.  One thing im really learning is how much i dont know about the atonement but how grateful i am for it.  Im so grateful for the book of  mormon that really explain more what the atonement is and what it means for us.  I love the book of mormon!  We learned yesterday how it really is the key to using and applying the atonement in our lives.  SOmething i really need to continue to study.  Sorella Krueger also answered my prayers.  She said "Heavenly father is happy with your progress that you are making today."  That is something i have been struggling with recently.  Just feeling like im not learning and growing like i need to be.  I was so touched by the spirit in that moment and could feel my heavenly fathers love.  A good reassurance that yes i have a long way to do but he is pleased with where i am.

Thats all for this week.  I love wednesday and getting to write you all about whats happening here in italy!  I love it here.  Its getting to be springtime and things are looking good.  We are really seeing miracles here.  Im going to miss Sorella Miles but me and sorella Ivory are going to do great!  Its going to be good.  I can just feel it.  THanks for all your emails this week.  Its just what i need, some good advice from home.  Vi voglio un mondo di bene. Sono multo grata per tutti voi!  Per il vostro sostegno per me.  So che non c'è un altro posto dove vorrei essere in questo momento anche se mi mancate!  Buona settimana!  Vi penso ogni giorno!  Grazie per tutto!
Ciao!
Sorella Chelsea