Email from Sara 10/7/09

Low Key

It sounds like it's been a pretty low key week for everyone, and I guess to some extent it has also been that way here.
First things first, I will be staying here in Livorno with Sorella Cheesman so we will have at least 6 more weeks to learn and grow together. I'm excited. We've recently started working with Gil, Josy's brother and he came to conference on Sunday with us and Josy. It was good. He's softening, but right now he really doesn't understand why people need to believe. We've only had one appointment so far, so hopefully we can help him truly understand why the savior is so important in our lives now and eternally.

I also had some great news the other day. Michael Itala will be getting baptized this coming Saturday. I'm so excited for him and for the branch in Pistoia. Also, the Tuesday after I left, Francesca had their baby. Sorella Stephenson showed me some pictures at Zone conference and they are such a beautiful family. I might have already mentioned that but, it's still true. :)

There are some former investigators who were on vacation who have come back, so hopefully they will have a renewed desire to learn and we can help them come closer to Christ.

Conference was great. It was great to have Josy and Gil there. Josy actually came on Saturday and Sunday and even saw the Relief Society session on Saturday with us. She's great. We just have to be patient. When she want's to be baptized and pushes her parents a little more, it will happen. I think it might be a good thing for her to wait if it will help Gil, but I also think that her getting baptized might help him more... or they could just get baptized together. We'll just have to see. It's all in the hands of the Lord.

Yesterday was Sorella Cheesman's birthday. It is so tricky to try to do things for your companion without them knowing... being together 24/7 just presents some complications. Anyhow, I slid a cakemix (purchased at the base weeks and weeks ago) to the elders during DDM, and then I was hoping to use the cell phone to wake me up at some point during the night so I could blow up some balloons and such. No luck, sorella Cheesman uses the cell phone as an alarm clock so I actually prayed that I would wake up during the night so I could make a little sign and such. It worked! I woke up around 2 and made a little poster and blew up balloons, etc. It wasn't much, but options are a little limited in the mission. We had cake a couple times and when Sorella Cheesman was praying last night for dinner she said "... Ci dispiace che abbiamo mangiato tropo torte, per favore aiutarci." Directly translated: "... We're sorry we ate so much cake, please help us." It was really really funny but, oh, so true. It was a little out of hand. Not ridiculously, but a bit much.

Today we're having a pretty low-key p-day. We're gonna go have lunch here pretty soon with our district and some of the youth from the branch. It should be fun. One of the elders is getting transfered and the youth wanted to do something all together, so we're gonna do that.

Other than all those things, we're just keepin on keepin on. There are lots of other things that we do, lots of other people we talk with and work with, but to tell you about all of them would take way too long and my fingers are tired, so I'm going to sign off now with best wishes for everyone to have a wonderful week and keep the faith. Put in practice those things that we learned in conference from the apostles and prophets of God. What a blessing to have that direct guidance today.

Love you all so much!!

Sorella Leckie

Sorry no pictures this week. The computer is being stupid. There weren't really a whole lot anyway. Next week...