Joy in Tuscany!

Ciao Tutti!! 

What a great week!! Heavenly Father sure does look out for me I cannot deny that. 

I have a great experience that I want to share this week! 

On Thursday we decided to travel out to ghivizanno....it's a small town outside of Lucca. It's about an hour away by train. We had a referral from the mission office for an African named Joy who wanted a visit from the missionaries. She gave us her address and told us she lived a 20 minute walk from the train station but we decided to go for it. So we got to the station and I look down at my google maps on my iPad and kind of freak. It looks nothing like it. So we go to a gelateria called "Casa del Gelato"...which means house of ice cream...guess what they didn't have....gelato. But anyways....we asked the direction of this area where Joy lived. They basically just said oh down this road. The road let's say was pretty busy and no sidewalk....I could hear my mom yelling at me all the way from Rexburg. But I was praying aloud and we made it. We walked for like ten minutes and saw the sign for that area. We still didn't know where to go so we wonder and are like asking ourselves what are we doing. We pray on the side of the street. We find ourselves at a Catholic Church and we call Joy. She says "oh you passed it. I'm sending my husband to get you." So her husband shows up on a motorcycle. Don't worry my friends. We didn't. It's a mission rule no motorcycles and no cars without a woman inside. I said no...I said trust me we want to (I forgot to mention we were wondering for about 45 minutes...so we were tired) but we can't. I looked at Sorella smith thinking...maybe we can and then this obedient angel Sorella smith said no. Haha we followed behind Roberto (joys husband) and made it there!! Joy wow how her name describes her. She is so happy all the time. She showed us her big house up in the mountains of Tuscany and laughed at our lunch we had been eating on the train...it was bread, salami, cheese, and apples. We talked to her about why we were in Italy and she loved and wanted to hear about our prophet. So we asked to start the lesson. 

So she left to go get Roberto and we start the lesson. They were so receptive to the spirit to the role of prophets and that it makes sense that God doesn't change! Roberto was so interested and wants to read the Book of Mormon. He then asked me something I was not expecting. He asked me how I decided to search for God in my life and do this mission. I told him that there comes a time in our lives when we just want to know..you can't depend on others thoughts and experiences and testimonies but you sincerely want to know. I told him I wanted this confirmation for myself and I came to that as I acted and prayed about the Book of Mormon. It's not like it happened all at once for me. My conversion is still taking place. The spirit was so powerful and he and joy decided they will read it. 

They do live far from the church but I hope they will be able to come. Their open hearts were surely a miracle. It was amazing to see how exciting this message is to other people when their hearts are ready. 

I know that God loves us today and has provided us with his church today on the earth. I love that I can invite people to pray to find an answer for themselves. I know that God answers his children when we sincerely search. 

Sorry this story was super long but it was a neat experience that I hope y'all enjoy. 

Oh and also Sorella smith and I made it safely back home. And Joy fed us pasta because she said she wants to make me fat. 

Have a swell week. God loves you.

Sorella skinner