Sorella Sobeck in Rome: Transfers

Well, I guess you could say I got a little bit of a surprise during transfer calls this past Saturday. Sorella Ashman is leaving Bari (that is not the surprise haha) after 8 months here and is going to Rome 1 and is opening it to sisters!! She will be there for her remaining 2 transfers of her mission. That is a very exciting opportunity to open a city. She's opening with Sorella Miles who is in my group. Whoo hoo!!! I am staying in Bari (that is not the surprising part either!), and my companion will be Sorella Fliposki. Here's the surprise.............Sorella Fliposki is a greenie...yeah, I'm training. Hmmmm. I don't know WHAT Heavenly Father and President Kelly are thinking, but they must have some big vision or something. Yes, I know that they do and that Heavenly Father always sees and knows the big picture, because I certainly don't understand how in the world this is happening HAHA! It's a little different training situation than normal though. This sorella was born in Russia (or Ukraine, I've heard both), but has lived in La dispoli (a city near Rome) for 10 years. So she is basically Italian. Thank goodness she knows the Italian language. And hopefully she knows some English too...But the other things is that she is not called to the Rome mission. She is called to serve in Ukraine, but her visa is not ready, so they decided to set her apart as a full'time missionary and send her down to me in Bari for a little bit while she waits for her visa. So...she has not been to the MTC either. AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! So I'm getting a sorella who has no training in the ways of missionary life at all. Except that she did go out with the sorelle in La dispoli sometimes...thank goodness. So, thats my exciting news of transfers. Sorella Sobeck is getting a greenie in her 4th transfer. Please pray for me. ANd for Sorella Fliposki. Hahahaha. I'm excited, but understandably a little bit nervous about it all. I was highly surprised about this turn of events, but this is a big honor that President Kelly is giving me and for some reason Heavenly Father is really trusting me with this. This will put my faith to the test as we continue to work with our investigators and have the need to find lots of new people because we'll probably lose some as Sorella Ashman leaves. Transfers always create lots of changes in the work. Yep. Hahaha I still can't believe its happening. I am going to have to completely rely on Heavenly Father and figure out what he wants for these next 6 weeks. I'm sure my relationship with Him will become a lot closer during this time. Anyways...thats whats happening. I'm picking up my greenie tomorrow at the train station and saying goodbye to Sorella Ashman after 4 months together.

There have been lots of other exciting things this week! The first thing that comes to mind is Friday morning when we were locked out of our apartment for 4 hours!!! HAHA! So all 4 of us decided to go running in the morning for our exercise. When we came back at 7, the key wasn't working. Well, it didn't work because it wasn't the right key. Remember how we had all those door problems about a month ago? Well, the other sorelle still had the old key on the keyring and somehow that key got used, and it got jammed in the lock. We couldn't get it out. So its 7am, we're in our running clothes, without nametags, without ANYTHING except thank goodness our phone. Hahaha so we went to a members house who didn't live too far away and waiting in her living room for a couple hours and we did end up having a member from Bitonto able to come help us out at 11. Hahaha theres just been so much door drama this transfer!!! It was pretty funny that we felt extremely vulnerable as we were walking outside not in proselyting clothes and without nametags. Bo.

Saturday we had the ultimate lesson with Babbo Daniele. We saw him everyday that week without one good lesson because of time constraints or the people we brought chatting it uptoo much or something. We finally had a nice good lesson with him on Saturday. He has an issue of coming to church on Sunday becuase often he will go to Lecce to visit his wife's grave. It's difficult to argue against that without having him get offended. While we love Daniele, he can really be a girl sometimes haha becuase he's so moody. So we really got down to it and told him that he had to make a decision about going to church the next morning. We also started a fast with him, and he prayed to open it and he prayed for the strength to make a decision and so he could have a push to help him. So I was nervous that he wouldn't come to church, but had faith in the power of fasting and prayer. So at church on Sunday morning we were in the second hour about halfway in (Sunday School hour) and in walked Daniele. I cried. Yep, I never cry, but I cried a little when I saw him come in because I was so so so grateful. I have a testimony of fasting with a purpose. I have had a couple experiences so far with it on my mission where miracles have happened during my fast. And it was a huge miracle to me that Daniele came to church. We want him to set a new baptismal date too, so we're going to work on that.

Sunday School was also really good and the Anziani gave the lesson and talked about talents. It was a great lesson and I needed to hear a lot of the things they said. I really liked this point...When we want to know how something works we read the instruction manual. When we want to develop our talents that Heavenly Father gave us, we pray and ask HIm how they work because He has that manual and knows how it alllll works. So true.

Ok I don't have much time left. Transfers are stressful when someone is leaving, not gonna lie hahaha. These past few days have been full of goodbyes and lunch appointments. I'm getting fat here in Bari. I have been very humbled this past week as I have seen great miracles come to pass and have found out this news about training. I am grateful for the gospel and for faith and prayer and fasting and that when we do everything we can, the Lord takes care of the rest. Every human being is inadequate in some way, but Heavenly Father loves us anyways despite our weaknesses and imperfections. I know He loves me and is grateful for all of His missionaries. I hope everyone really talks to God everyday, because He truly should be our best friend. Also I hope everyone is reading the Book of Mormon, because that is where we can recieve so many answers to our questions if we're open to receiving them. Prayer and studying the scriptures brings miracles.

I love you all. I'm grateful for all your support. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter'day Saints is the true church on the earth, and we have this true church because Heavenly Father loves His children.

Love, Sorella Sobeck