Cosenza

Buongiorno tutti: so transfer calls came last Monday night... and I have been transferred to the mountainous città di Cosenza!! I AM IN LOVE. It is gorgeous here with greenery-shrouded hills and two large rivers that converge under a rustic old bridge. Seriously I already love it so much and we haven't even been here a full week yet. And here comes the best part: I got transferred WITH SORELLA MCKENZIE FROM CATANIA. That never happens but Sorella McKenzie is such a fantastic companion and we keep telling each other how excited we are to be blown in together and how much fun we are going to have working together! The biggest blessing with this transfer is that we both want to work hard and are praying insieme con forza to find that one person who is ready to accept the gospel and be baptized since that is our mission meta.

Our biggest challenge, however, is time. We have a ton of special conferences to go to even aside from the Rome one, she is going home in five weeks, and we have to travel to Crotone and Taranto to do all the scambi we need to do for her as Sister Training Leader, so we are really stretching to fit in all the things we need to do. But, that being said, it is only motivating us to search and pray harder and rely more on the Lord, having that sense of urgency and knowing that we need to really lay everything on the table this transfer with faith to experience the miracles.

The branch here is great- in our first 24 hours we had already met at least 5 really strong members and they have loved us so much and fed us twice. We really just need to help love the less actives back and get teaching the gospel to the many English group students to help the branch grow. We are hopeful and working toward miracles! They are awesome and I really feel so at home in Cosenza.

Spiritual thoughts of this week- post conference I have been pondering what talks and themes stuck out to me and I have been returning to President Nelson's talk quite a bit. I kept thinking about it this morning as I was reading in the 27th chapter of Mosiah where it talks about the experience and conversion of Alma the Younger and the Sons of Mosiah. Perhaps my favorite aspect of this chapter is that after describing this massive life-changing conversion from an "abyss" of sin to relief and joy, the final verse begins by saying,

" How blessed are they! For they did publish peace; they did publish good tidings of good; and they did declare unto the people that the Lord reigneth."

It reminded me so much of President Nelson's talk because he describes how joy in essence is using the Atonement, and that our relief from sin and guilt enables us to fully access the joy of life, then share it with others. It was a beautiful reminder to me that in order to be the message and radiate that joy of the gospel, it is vital to embrace the Atonement everyday, seeking the Spirit's guidance in our repentance and teaching of it, and utilizing prayer as a workshop with our Heavenly Father where he helps us fix things we need to change and gives us inspiration as we move forward. I am so looking forward to this conference on the 20th and can't wait!

The Lords Hand

Obviously the biggest miracle has just been meshing so quickly with this amazing little city. I just feel so excited about this transfer and all we will be doing, and the Rome conference will be amazing. That being said it was hard to leave people in Catania- S. had watery eyes and it was so weird saying goodbye to the members and our amazing district of missionaries, but leaving the work there in Sorella Muce's capable hands was a blessing because I know everyone we were working with needs her. I have seen the Lord helping me step up in a big way to embrace the work here because there isn't much, and we have a lot to create. He has helped me have the confidence to make the phone calls, plan the lessons, learn the city, and look at missionary work with fresh eyes trying to find new ways to help people here progress. I feel so filled with hope that through our immense love already, our creativity in finding and teaching lessons, our diligent study and very personal pleadings with the Lord, Sorella McKenzie and I can help this branch bud.

I have a renewed gratitude to our Father in Heaven for his beautiful, perfect plan for us and I see him shaping me to fit mine. I love this gospel so much and I pray that especially this transfer, I won't let a minute pass by forgetting what simplicity and joy it brings to my life!

I love you all so much and happiest of birthdays to dear Grandma Preece coming up this week!!!

Xox Sorella Gleave