Change of Heart

Dear Family and Friends,

Wow what a week! There's too much to talk about as always. First things first, I love the people! I focused my week on love and I found a lot of it here in Siracusa every day. 

The week started with Zone Conference in Catania. We spent two days there, helping the missionaries there and receiving training from our great mission president and his wife, President and Sister Pickerd, and the assistants. It was awesome! I always feel so united seeing all the missionaries there and I really learned a lot of things that I want to apply to our work. There was a lot of motivation to remember our purpose as missionaries which really helped me for the rest of the week and I hope the rest of the transfer. Oh and I finally got to play my violin with Sorella Gochnour on violin and Anziano Cox on piano which was really fun! 

Later during the week we had some more funny incidents like Anziano Moscon trying to make a ragu for the first time. Sad to say it was also one of the first times we didn't finish the whole pot or really half of it, it wasn't good at all! But we had to eat it since we were starting a fast for our investigators that day! Don't worry, we now know from other members and I have written it down in my new recipe book. Also, we taught Concetto how to use Duolingo on his phone to learn English and he's obsessed with it now! Also, we had a huge rainstorm last night and we got soaked on our way home. Fortunately, it seems less cold with the rain than without it. 

But really I want to talk about Daniele. If you followed along my time here in Siracusa, you know who Daniele is but I can repeat. He is a college student that comes to English Course and came to us desiring a closer relationship to God. He loves to sing karaoke, read, and also hang out with us on P-day. He also has been reading the Book of Mormon and is soo close to an answer. Last Saturday, we had an amazing lesson with him where we talked about recognizing his answers and he opened up about every spiritual prompting he had to continue with the lessons, to immediately live the Word of Wisdom, and that this church is true. He wants to be baptized, he just doensn't feel ready so we are doing everything we can to help him continue to progress and feel more sure. Daniele is awesome, that's all I can say!

For the past week, I have felt promptings from the Spirit that I should show my love more in my missionary work. Someone asked rhetorically, "Do you really love your investigators?"  When I heard those words, I felt the need to change my heart and my actions to become more Christlike, and the results have been amazing! Now it's not so much worrying about what this person does or what's wrong, but rather how can I help this person feel God's love more? How can I be their friend in this? Someone said "We don't convince people to come into the church. We love them into it!" and it's so true! I'm definitely less stressed and the miracles are so much easier to see. No the work is not easier, but there is no burden with our vision on Christ and not on how things should and shouldn't be in my opinion. 

Also, President Pickerd really encouaged us to make this a time we will always remember in our lives and for me it is already is, there just seems to be too much to remember. Like our visits with the Zombra Family or the Amaldi Family (who thankfully love to feed the missionaries the best food ever!) or really any member family, our times walking the streets to invite anyone and everyone to come to English Course and Anziano Moscon's first time doing door to door finding. Also the moments playing my violin in a duet with Sorella Gochnour for a gesso in Catania, our many visits with Bronzo (who is always enthusiastic to do missionary work), and all the other wonderful people we meet everyday! 

I love it here in Siracusa and I don't want to leave! There's really nothing else I would rather be doing! I know this is the Lord's work and this church is true! I am so grateful to be a part of this church and continue to experience the blessings of the Atonement and God's love every day. God lives and loves you all! Thank you for all your support and emails! Keep up the great work!

Vi voglio bene!

Anziano Price