6 Months already...

[Letter from 12/7/11]

Ciao!!

Yes, tomorrow is my 6 month mark exactly...how crazy is that. Part of me feels like I just started, but part of me feels like it has been the span of a whole lifetime.

Some great news!! We set a baptismal date with Dora (Who is one of our new investigators and the aunt of our bishop) for January 7, 2012. She has met with missionaries already, but dropped them a few months ago. We have been meeting with her at the house of her sister in law and she even came to church. When we talk about baptism, she gets really happy and smiles and wants it really bad. She is just recovering from depression and a hard life and so she is timid to do make big steps
but by loving her and making her feel confident about what she is doing, then she will enter into the waters of baptism on 7 Jan.

We also have begun teaching an investigator of the anziani, Carmella. Her husband doesn't like her letting any missionaries in their home so we meet with her in front of her door. We are going to try to see if she will meet with us in the church so we can really start progressing with her. When we saw her on Monday, we talked about prayer and then at the end, asked if she had any questions. So she says that she always asks herself why there are so many churches if there is only one God. And we both smiled and looked at each other and told her that we had the answer but it needed more time to share it so we gave her the Restoration Pamphlet and are going to teach her about the Restoration on Monday.

And then...Thursday evening. We were given the assignment to make Christmas Jello for Zone Conference which was in 3 layers. We only had an hour before we had to get back home to add the next layer and so we said, let's find a new investigator before zone conference. So we went out to do finding and the third door we knocked on was opened and we were warmly welcomed into the home of MariLu. We taught her about the Book of Mormon. She said she loves learning about religions and would love for us to come back. We went back and brought her a copy of the book of mormon and read 3 Nephi 11 with her. She believes it, but kind of openly accepts anything, so we are going to teach her the Restoration next and help her see how this is the only true church on the earth. She also wants her 22 year old daughter to meet with us.

Zone Conference was awesome...we acted out the Nativity Scene in Italian and I got to be the Angel/Star. We also got stockings delivered to us from "Santa" who was just President with a Santa hat on. But it was really fun. Oh and about the Jello we made for Zone Conference. It was a green layer, then white, then red. And we had the first two layers done and were about to layer the red one after it had set up a little in the fridge and we were in a hurry. So I grab the bowl of jello and put it on the table and grab a bag of rolls that was in the way and knocked the jello bowl over and it fell to the floor. I almost started crying. But then we kind of "saved" the jello and layered it on. I scanned that jello for anything gross for like 10 minutes and it cleared. We told some of the Anziani the next day and they were not happy. But oh well. We had to save it because you can't get jello here. Haha it was funny. Don't tell Sorella Kelly.

So I have been reading the Gospels in the New Testament along with Jesus the Christ. I am really learning and understanding the life of Jesus Christ. Oh man...it makes me so excited to see him again. And many times, I just wish I could have been alive when he was on the earth, but then I realize that I am so blessed to be here now in the latter days with his church fully restored and I get to be part of the movement of spreading this message to everyone. THe message of Peace on Earth from the angels concerning the birth of Christ is our same message today as missionaries. That through Jesus Christ and his restored Gospel the Earth will have complete Peace once again. It's totally
awesome!

Well gotta go, love you all and thanks for the prayers and support.

Sorella Heiner

P.S. Mom, I have no received that package you sent to Ladispoli with the Reece's cups. I would have assumed it would have come and Sorella Buma would have brought it to the office and they would have brought it down at zone conference, but it didn't some. I am really sad because I was expecting that for awhile. Do you know if it got lost
somewhere? WHat was in it?

ALSO...when would be good for me to call (or skype) home for Christmas? I have CHristmas day and the 26th to call. Are Parker and Brit coming home? Let me know a day and a time gap when would would for you all when everyone will be at home. Love you all and can't wait to talk to you! And does someone have a skype account that we can talk on? THat would be fun. If so, let me know all the details. If not, let me know how I can call without spending a ton of money.