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