Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Brave



Good to hear things are looking up for Daddy. Also good to know that he still loves Mom...ALOT...even though she drags him all over creation for triathlons and other exciting races

I have not received my package yet. But I imagine it has something to do with the fact that before I got packages in 2 weeks because I went to the office every Tuesday. Now I probably wont be getting the package until October haha. The blessing of being here in San Miguel.

I cant believe Zach is getting so big and...mature...what? Will I even recognize him when I get home? Im sure Mom's happy about the Culinary Arts situation, now he can help with dinner. And maybe he can give me so cosmetology tips, I'm gonna need 'em.

This week went well here. We are working really hard and starting to see results. The members in this ward are amazing. I have felt more loved here than in any of my other areas. Yesterday we left with a member...He's really shy but he brought us to the houses of like 5 of his friends just to introduce us. And he even taught parts of the lesson with us. It was so cool. He was so excited to share his testimony with his friends and talk about the blessings he has received.

Also, I drank root beer. I haven't had root beer in a YEAR! I don't know if I have mentioned it but every Sunday we eat lunch with a ward family. Basically they are famous here in San Miguel and have a ton of money. And they treat us like royalty in their house. And yesterday they surprised us with ROOTBEER...I couldn't believe it...it was SO good! Really though the family is amazing. I am convinced that the reason they are so blessed is because they do so much to help others. The are currently helping us with a couple that we need to get married here. On Tuesday we received a phone call from them informing us that they would like to help with all the legal stuff necessary for the wedding so that the couple can be baptized if they so desire. It was the miracle we had been praying for.
How blessed are we to live in an age of miracles. And how amazing is it to know that we can be part of miracles in other peoples lives. I think of the woman who puts of the triathlon Mom did. She is the means of blessings the lives of so many other families. She provides them with small miracles.

I was reading this week the talk that President Uchtdorf gave to the young women in the April conference. He talked a lot about the plan of Salvation and how important we are to Heavenly Father. He said something that really impacted me. He mentioned that in the pre-mortal life "we had faith". I had never really thought about that before. Even when we lived in the presence of our Heavenly Father and we didn't need faith to know He existed we needed faith. Faith is an eternal principle. We had to have faith in His plan. We needed faith to come here to this earth, trusting that our Father would provide a way for us to return home again. He also encouraged us all to look around...all the people you see are valiant children of our Heavenly Father. Not only are they children of God, our brothers and sisters...but they were BRAVE. Brave enough to come here by faith, hoping that someday they would receive the gospel. As  those who know this gospel we have a great responsibility to share it. I know that ths gospel is true. I know that it is only through living gospel principles and participating in saving ordinances that we can return home again. I love my Savior and I know that He lives. I love this work and I know that it is the Great Work of the Lord. 

Love you and Pray for you always. 
Hermana Victoria Giossi
Photo: In the house...content with my rootbeer :)




Servicios Sanitarios (Sanitary Services)

First, I will definitely praying for Daddy...although he's probably out of the surgery by now.
Second, President has asked that we no longer use facebook even if our families are running it for us. So if you could just stop posting but make sure that they don't shut it down on me that would be great. Thanks. Also, I just received like 4 letters from Sister Sherrard (she asked if I was receiving them...yes)

I laughed really hard hearing about you in the Spanish Sunday School class, just trying to imagine your face as everyone was speaking Spanish.. Our ability to fulfill our callings or assignments has nothing to do with our gifts and talents and has everything to do with the faith we have in the Lord to be our strength.

Its kinda weird that people are reading the blog...sometimes I forget that I have that and that people can read it. Its cool to hear the stories though. When people mention the blog to you, you could totally use it as an opportunity to invite them to the house and listen to the missionaries. Just an idea ;)
Well, we had changes this week. Basically the whole Zone had changes but I'm still here...the only area for Hermanas. Hermana Sosa went to San Salvador and I am finishing the training of another sister, Hermana Anaya, and Hermana Fuentes.

Change meeting meant another day of waking up at 3:00 to travel to San Salvador. We 3 hermanas and about 20 elders in a bus. Here's a pretty good story for you. I don't know exactly what happened but somewhere around 6am we pulled over in the middle-of-nowhere for a half hour. Well all the elders took advantage of the break to get of the bus and take care of business. They're guys, they just hopped off went behind a conveniently placed brick wall and did their thing. But I REALLY had to go to bathroom. If I wasn't with a group of missionaries I might of just went behind the wall to but it just wasn't really an option. Well, I started dancing and all that and one of the elders noticed and he and his companion went to find us sisters a bathroom...no luck. So they told us to just go knock on the door of one of the houses and ask to use their bathroom...AT 6AM! I didn't want to but there wasn't another choice. We asked one woman and she informed us that a little up the road their was a "public restroom", I had my doubts but I had to go so off we went. Well, we're sisters and the elders pretty much think they are our big brothers and they couldn't have us walking around alone (for our safety) so they followed. We found the bathroom (a toilet on the side of a house-see attached photo) and paid 30 cents a piece...and the elders waited for us right outside...what a party. Man, I love the mission. Definitely, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Sorry this email wasn't super spiritual. I love you. I miss you. I pray for you.
Love, 

Hermana Giossi

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Humility in the Work

Woah! 

You guys won! That's amazing! I am so proud! I almost cried a little bit...yeah that's embarrassing in front of my whole district. How fast did you all complete in individually? I'm sure it was amazing! Seriously I want to do a triathlon when I get home. Its a life goal of mine now. 

I got an email from Nana this week...I decided I wouldn't send her her own email just a shout out...I don't want her to cry too much. I LOVE YOU!

Things are going well here...I am learning so much. Training is hard...I understand now why we always joke and call the people you train your Daughters and the trainer the Mom. I've been praying to know how I can help these girls become the amazing servants of the Lord I know they can be and I have been using lot of conference talks about parenting as inspiration haha.

This week was exciting...I traveled to San Salvador twice...that's a 3 hour bus ride each way...blekkk. But I have changes with Hermana Hale again. We talked lot and I learned lot about the importance of humility before God in this work. We talked about how lot of times when things in the mission are really hard for us it is because we are depending too much in our own abilities and not trusting enough in the Lord. Its true. When we have faith in Him we can always do what he requires of us. Trials our tests. Tests of faith and tests of humility. 

I also had a first time experience. When Hermana Hale and I were together we taught a 17 year old atheist. Kind of. Mostly I just felt sad for him because he is so confused. I realized that the simple fact that there is a God that loves us is something he doesn't understand. He comes to church with us though, he says he likes how it feels in the church and how loving the people are. Yeah, it was a new experience for both Hermana Hale and I. 

I have also been learning more about the civil war here...I plan on studying it more when I get home. Apparently it was really bad here in San Miguel. We taught a woman this week who lost her 18 year old son and her mother when a bomb exploded in their back yard. I cant even imagine. It's still a different world down here. I think I will probably have culture shock when I get home haha. 

For example I got an email from Brother Metro this week. Dan is going to Chicago but he is in the Mexico MTC... Dan mentioned in his letter that in Mexico there are just people walking down the street selling stuff and that is weird for him. I read about that and realized how used to that sort of thing I have become.That is how I buy all my stuff down here. It was so awesome to hear from him.

Well, my time is about up. I love you. I know that Heavenly Father loves you. Nothing makes me happier than to hear of the blessings you are receiving from Him.

All my love 

Hermana Victoria Giossi