Sorella Sobeck in Rome: Our purpose‏

Ciao a tutti. Last week was from Palermo, this week I'm writing from Catania. It's so hot here. I've been so lucky to be in Mistretta for the summer where it is milder. Anyways, This week has been a pretty good one.

My favorite thing about this week is that we now have 2 baptismal dates :) :) You always pray super hard that they will actually go through, but I'm so excited about making our purpose as missionaries more known to everyone. President always tells us that with every baptismal date comes someones agency if they will actually be baptized or not. Yep, people's personal agency is one of the hardest things I've had to learn on my mission I think...something that I've always realized was a great gift from God but didn't realize how much one person's agency can make a difference - for the good or the bad. But baptism is a bit step...and its not super common in Italy. So please pray for Giuseppe and Jonatan to receive the testimony through the Spirit that they need to make this choice. Both are scheduled for September, adn I can't wait!!!

We had Zone Conference, and so much training focus has been on telling people EXACTLY why we're here as missionaries and asking people to be baptized right at the very beginning. It seems difficult because we sometimes get scared that after we do tons of finding, we finally get new investigators, and then we ask them to baptized we'll scare them away, or they won't want to see us anymore...but its a part of the process. I'm grateful to be doing this and ask people to join the Church of Jesus Christ and be baptized the way Jesus was baptized!!! I LOVE ZONE CONFERENCE!!!

The coolest thing every...Elder Holland came to Italy (on his way back from Jerusalem...my 2 favorite places in the world besides home!!) with his family for a personal vacation, and they ended up staying at the mission home in Rome. No one knew they were coming hahah. Surprise! Anziano Holland is coming! But he left an apostolic blessing/prayer for our mission. How stinkin cool is that???? And he gave some advice to President to tell the missionaries. Learn to love being rejected :) Something we all need to work on...becuase we get rejected more than anything else haha. But the cool thing is, that when you get rejected it means you are working and doing something and letting people exercise their agency. People can't choose something if you don't give them the choice. Like getting baptized...people can't decide to you get baptized if you don't invite them in the first place. I'm so pumped about all these things I've been hearing lately, becuase I really feel pumped and more of a desire to invite everyone to do anything even if they say no!!!

We had a sad moment when a member got SUPER offended in our branch. She made a big scene when she left church during the 2nd hour on Sunday and took 3 other people with her (because everyone carpools) - I was not happy. And then she asked us to come over later to her house to talk so she could tell us that she's never coming back to church. It drives me nuts. We do not go to church for other people, we go for ourselves and becuase we know its right and becuase the church is TRUE. Nothing else should matter. Unfortunately because we are human we get offended. And frequently it will be by members of the church. But being on my mission I have realized that there really shouldn't be any reason/excuse to not go to church. And no one is perfect. Especially members of the Church of Jesus Christ. It really made me sad and frustrated to have her tell us, as MISSIONARIES, that she plans to not come back. And then not listen to anything we said. Mamma mia. Anyways, I pray that our testimonies can be stronger than that, to withstand when we get offended so we can continue on the straight and narrow path that Jesus Christ showed us the way.

I realized that car problems are everywhere in the world! And getting ripped off really stinks...jeez. Having a car in the mission is a great blessing but also a stress. Hahaha ah man.

Ok I have no time to write more. I want everyone to know how much of a TESTIMONY I have of this church. I would by no means be here (getting rejected) a million times over if I didn't know it with all my heart. Conversion takes time, and everyone is different, but I know we all need to personally work on being converted and do the things to grow our faith. I'm so grateful for the things I'm learning and the experiences I'm having. My mission is going to be a HUGE prep for the rest of my life. I KNOW IT'S TRUE!!! I love you all. I hope everyone is reading the Book of Mormon. It really is magic. I love it so much. And the Bible too...I learn so much from the Bible and am currently reading in Luke and I love Jesus Christ so much.

Love you all!!! Happy week!!!

Love, Sorella Sobeck