Hello friends, family, and everyone else my mom forwards my emails out to! This week flew by and I survived my first transfer! The mission time warp is real!
I'm inviting everyone who is reading this to read 2 Nephi 31 today. It is a short, clear chapter about baptism and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which I read during personal study this week.
Monday evening we did some blitzkrieg (solid chunk of finding with forces aka missionaries from other areas) we were joined by the Rimini zone leaders, Rimini Sorelle, and the Ravenna Anziani. It was super nice of them to come and help us find people to teach in our area. We did it mostly at the bunny park. It has an actual name but there are like more bunnies there than people in Forlì, hence the name. Literally thousands of bunnies, I even tried to offer one some eternal salvation (see pics below). We had fasted the day before for this to be a successful finding day. We got some good conversations going and a few phone numbers, so that's exciting!
We made chocolate salami one day. If anyone is looking to obtain diabetes, you can do so by mixing: crushed chocolate cookies, cocoa, sugar, butter, and an egg. Then roll it into a salami shape and refrigerate and enjoy. Our cooking is getting better (better tasting, that is).
Now for the good stuff! We had our first and 2nd lessons with J this week and he's committed to be baptized on Aug. 26th. Like wow the Lord prepares people. He's super sincere and told us about the spiritual gifts he read about in the Book of Moroni. His only problem is getting to church because he lives out in the boonies, a 45 min bus ride to Forlì and the busses there don't run on Sundays. We are thinking and praying for a solution there because this guy wants to and needs to be in church!
We finally set a date with C after Gospel Principles on Sunday. This was his 4th week at church! It's for the 26th of Aug. too! C is awesome. He'd been forgetting to read the BOM a lot so we would text him a chapter to read every night at 8pm. He told us that he had a question but then found the answer in the chapter we sent him that night. It was 2 Ne 30, what I had read for personal study that day. I love that he is already learning how and where to find his own answers.
When I get home I might as well tell people that I served in Nigeria. That's where our only two progressing investigators are both from! I have never met a Nigerian who doesn't have super strong faith and a love of Christ. They're just amazing!!!
We had combined district meeting with the zone to say goodbye to the dying and transferring missionaries. Our transfer predictions were correct! Anziano G is training (his greenie will be my brother!) and C is moving far away out into the boonies. Ravenna will also get Sorelle, which means we will be getting booted out of our nice Tuesday night summer home in Ravenna.
I love this gospel, I love my mission, I love my tiny branch, and I love this work. If we're not eating or laughing our heads off we're teaching someone something they need to hear and it's just hard to remember the tough, painful parts when we're focusing on the happiest message ever.
Thank you all for your prayers and emails.
Sorella Riley
Pics:
Even that bunny couldn't resist the power of The Book of Mormon
English Class / The sky right after ANOTHER crazy storm in Ravenna.
The typical meal for us when it's not pasta and pesto
Sushi with Rimini and Ravenna!
A panorama of Forlì, thanks Anz. Anderson
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