Ciao ciao!

[Email from 10/12/11]

Hello everyone.

So it is now cold. One day it was extremely hot, and the next it was
freezing. I am not sure which I like better, but it is nice to not
come home super wet. Today is very humid. I think it is going to rain
soon.

Okay, so Thursday was the most crazy day on my mission I have had yet.
The morning was normal, but then after lunch, we were walking to visit
a less-active and ran into this man who we have talked to before and
missionaries used to teach his daughter. His name is Salvatore. So we
started talking to him and he told us how he isn't doing well because
he might have to go to Jail again. I guess he did a crime, went to
jail for two years and was then released, but there is a new judge
person now who said he has to go back for that same crime and he just
has to wait for the verdict. So he is struggling. But he kept telling
us how he feels like his heart is black and he sometimes has bad
thougts and asked how he counters that. We told him he needs to pray
AND read the scriptures.The scriptures part was new to him. And we
invited him to church. He agreed but said he won't get baptized. Haha
we just laughed and said okay. (He ended up coming to half of
sacrament meeting but liked it and wants to meet with us sometime.)

So then we went to Cira's-the grandma of Eleonora. We brought her the
quit smoking program and took away her pack of cigarettes. She seemed
very excited. So ya, I took away my first pack of cigarettes. It was
fun! Ha.

Then we went to visit Matthew and Patience. Only Matthew was home, so
he came outside and we sat on the steps to teach him. He was super
down and sad because he think Patience has another boyfriend in Rome.
Then Patience comes home and Matthew throws the keys at her and walks
away. Patience invites us in and Matthew follows. We sit and talk for
a little then they start yelling at eachother. Patience was egging
Matthew on to slap her, so he did. Then patience went crazy and they
were just fighting eachother. We jumped up and tried to talk to them.
After a little they separated and tried to explain their sides of the
story to us and get us to play judge. We told them they need to calm
down and we have to leave. Matthew wanted us to stay and read
scriptures with him. We said we couldn't. Patience wanted to leave and
stay the night at her friends house, but Matthew wouldn't let her at
all. We opened the door but made sure Patience left with us to make
sure Matthew couldn't beat her. But when we separated, we saw Matthew
following Patience and that's the last we saw. We checked back the
next day and it was only Patience. She said they are "better" but she
wants to leave Matthew when she has enough money to move out. So sad
and absolutely scary. I was shaken up the rest of the night and I
think I had a nightmare that night about something like that.

Rosaria also said she is doubting getting baptized because she still
doesn't understand having to get baptized again. We think her mom and
boyfriend are not super fond of the baptism part. But we don't know
for sure. We only saw her THursday night and she came to church on
Sunday. She's still super busy. Oh and we found out she smokes too!
Only one cigarette a day, but it is still not good. And that was the
craziest day of the mission for me so far!

Raffaela is SO ready to be baptized except she lives with her
boyfriend. And we taught her and she said she wants to be baptized,
but her boyfriend doesn't nor is he ready for marriage. She flat out
told us that she doesn't like going to the catholic church, she likes
ours because it feels like 'her church'. She feels at home and loves
going and loves the BOM. She said it has changed her life and she's
never felt more free. She also called her boyfriend her only
'obstacle' for baptism. And she loves praying and even prays for
little things. But it makes her sad when she asks her boyfriend if
they can say a prayer on the food before eating and he says no because
he's hungry. But he loves meeting with us and stuff but doesn't have
interest in the church. AHH patience is so hard to have!! I jsut wish
she's get rid of him because she will be even more happy. Actually, i
wouldl ove if he was interested.

Speaking of patience...we taugth this lady Regina who is from Nigeria.
She is GREAT!! loves the bible and is so in tune with the spirit, but
hasn't read the BOM yet because she was writing a book. It's now being
printed and is available on amazon.com. (Arise and Shine, for the time
has come, or soemthing like that). It's a religious kind of book. ANd
we talk with her for awhile about gospel things and everything she
says is in the BOM. And she is starting another book on FAITH and so
we assigned her ALMA 32 and MORONI 7 to read to 'help give her ideas
for her book'. If she would just read the BOM with an open mind, she
would be converted. Because she pretty much is a mormon, and doesn't
know it.

That is all for now. Thanks for actually writing me everyone. It makes
the weeks go much better when I get to hear from home. This last week
was tough to be happy because I really did feel forgotten. So I am so
grateful for any communication from home.

Love always,
Sorella Heiner

Email from 10/5/11

Ciao!

Thanks for the e-mails family...love you too. Now I really feet
forgotten out here. Not to mention that it is super hot again. I feel
forgotten, deserted to dry up in the heat. Kidding...but
really...where are you all and why didn't a single one of you e-mail
me!?!

Since no one e-mailed me, I have nothing to respond to, so here is my week.

Elisa is still planning on being baptized, but she was sick for a
whole week so we need to talk to her about moving the date back a
little bit. She has had a really hard life and has had 40 years of
struggling alot. But she has had direct guidance from God to lead her
to the church. She says that happiness is impossible for her to have
in her life, but maybe she can find peace. But as we continue teaching
her, I notice her becoming more happy. She may not notice it yet, but
I can see it. This last time we met with her, she gave us bacci...that
is a big difference from just a handshake. It is great teaching her to
really learn and see firsthand how the gospel and especially the
Atonement can free people from their sins and afflictions. It makes me
even more grateful for what Christ has done for all of us and it only
becomes a more powerful thing as I see all the things Christ really
had to feel because I haven't had to suffer much in my own life. I
feel like I have lived a very easy, simple life.

We haven't been able to see Rosaria at all this last week. Once we set
the baptismal date with her, she just got super busy. But we will not
give up on her. We keep stopping by and seeing her sisters and mom.
She isn't avoiding us, just got really busy randomly with school and
work. It's crazy how good Satan is at keeping people from the waters
of baptism...but don't worry, God is better. So Rosaria will get
baptized.

Francesca is still dying in the hospital of cancer. But when we come
and talk to her about the gospel, she seems more happy and content
aobut the idea of dying. She really finds comfort and peace in the
hymns, so we sing hymns together and she is really becoming more like
Christ as this disease is eating at her. She even brags to her other
visitors about our church and he she is a member of it and that it is
a great church with such wonderful people. There is almost always at
least one person with Francesca at all times (except in the night).

So Thursday we went back to this man at his barber shop to bring him a
Book of Mormon and before we could talk about it, he got distracted
with our eyes and then our eyebrows and explained how we needed help
with our eyebrows. He sat us down in the chairs and did our eyebrows
(i let sorella foote go first in case he shaved them all off...haha).
He did them with the old school razors like at a barber shop. He
actually did them really well and told us to not touch them but to
come back each week and he will touch them up. He said he'd do it all
for free. Haha. But then we talked a little about the Book of Mormon.
He was grateful and we are going back tomorrow.

Our investigator Andreina was a little bothered by the fact that the
spirit told Nephi to kill Laban. But we talked to her about it for
awhile an explained it and she seems to feel a little better about it.
We told her to just ask God about it and see how she feels. She also
said she has felt the spirit tell her this is true TWICE!! Once with
us when we were teaching her and once when she was reading the BOM.
But she still isn't sure 100% if this is the true church. AHH! SHe
knows it's true and still hasn't come to church or agreed to get
baptized! Definitely takes alot of patience...

Conference was AMAZING!!! We only got to watch the first three
sessions and the relief society broadcast. The Sunday afternoon one
was too late for us. And I heard Elder Holland in Priesthood session
was just tearing apart the priesthood. I can't wait to read that. We
now have to wait til we get a copy of the Liahona to know what was
talked about in those two sessions. But Elder Callister's talk was
like perfect for us. Every missionary here was saying how we want to
just have copies of that and pass it out to teach everyone. It was all
the points that people bring up around here. And my favorite talk was
Sister Dalton's about how to raise a daughter for the Dads. It made me
tear up. It made me really miss you, Dad. I definitely have been sooo
blessed with a great life. I have a strong, priesthood worthy father
who has taught me so much about the importance of this Gospel. THanks
dad! and mom! You both are incredible people. And the family is so
important for a strong church member and satan knows that...so he goes
right to the core. He is attacking families in every direction with
every weapon he has. But He still can't stop this work, or slow it
down...not a chance.

GOtta go, thanks for everything. I expect some e-mails next week.

Love you all,
Sorella Heiner

P.S. I got the package with my cord in it mom. But I don't have time
to send pictures home right now. Next week. Love you!!! Thanks!