Happy New Year from Italy!

Ciao Tutti

Well we had a great Christmas. Santa came...he found us. I knew he
would he always does. ;) my companion made me crepes for Christmas and
I made her hot chocolate. We then made a big fort where we talked
about life. The Christmas spirit was there. We opened presents our
families sent us and then after a few hours decided to get ready for
our cute family we would spend Christmas with. The Perez family. This
family I love so much. They let us skype our families which was
awesome. And we had a great dinner. We then came home and me and my
comp watched Tangled. I was so tired and full of he Christmas spirit
that I pretty much fell asleep. But yeah...my only movie outside of
church approved movies for the year 2015... Tangled.
Comunque....
Remember simonetta? She invited us over for dinner on Monday night.
She also said she would be having some friends over. :) We met this
beautiful family at her house. They are so cute. The mom is Italian
the dad is from Congo. They have a three year old cute boy named
Gabrielle. It turned out that the dad years ago in Congo was meeting
with the missionaries and even was going to get baptized. They also
are friends with a family in our ward!!! Another big miracle. We
watched È Nato un Salvatore...a savior is born. We bore our
testimonies of Christ. I felt the spirit fill the room.

I love being a representative of Jesus Christ as I listen to people
and their worries and feelings I try to look at them in Christs eyes.
I try to speak to them with fullest intent. Weird to say it like that.
Well I'm grateful to be a missionary. So grateful. I know that Gods
work is being fulfilled and that he works miracles even today. I feel
so blessed to have had the chance to see some of them. I know the
gospel of Jesus Christ blesses lives. I've seen this with members
here, new converts, investigators, and myself.

Love you all. Hope you had a merry Christmas and that you have a happy
new year. See you next year! Haha

Love Sorella skinner

Merry Christmas from Italy

Ciao Tutti!!

This week was busy. We are so happy to be exhausted for the Lord!! We are trying to share his love with all these people in Pisa. I'm so blessed to have his love in my life. Well we all have it we just need to scoprirlo! ;) figure out that Word!

Dc 88

33 For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift. 

James Wallingford penned these lines:

Christmas is not a day or a season, but a condition of heart and mind.

If we love our neighbors as ourselves;

if in our riches we are poor in spirit and in our poverty we are rich in grace;

if our charity vaunteth not itself, but suffereth long and is kind;

if when our brother asks for a loaf, we give ourselves instead;

if each day dawns in opportunity and sets in achievement, however small--

then every day is Christ’s day and Christmas is always near. 

I just want to leave you with my testimony of my savior this week. I know he lives. He is our key to eternal life. I know that I am not perfect and therefore I need his strength. I am grateful for my faults and weaknesses because it gives me a chance to come unto Christ and feel comforted and healed. With knowing Christ is my savior I try to become better and take his example and apply his example in my life. 

I love my savior. He is why I am out here in Italy this Christmas...without him I could not do it. 

Do you believe Christ is your savior? If so....why and what do you do to share that? 

I believe we all need to be saved...we all need the healing power of his atonement.

I hope you feel that peace this Christmas from the only one who can give us real lasting peace. 

Merry Christmas!!! Buon Natale!!! 

Love Sorella skinner

 

Christmas Miracles

Ciao Tutti!


I've been praying to see Christmas miracles during this beautiful
season. I have loved the energy of my new companion Sorella
Visconti...this girl means business. She is French from Pau close to
Spain. She is so funny! She makes me laugh all the time and shares her
French perfume with me. We also tried to play a joke on the elders
that she didn't speak English. But really I'm excited this transfer is
longer...8 weeks...and that I will continue to learn from this cute
Sorella.

We went to do Casa...which I have no idea what it is called in
English...door to door knocking haha don't know. But it's hard here in
Italy because they are mostly apartments. This is what happened.....
I was scared but Sorella Visconti makes me want to be a better
missionary. We went and chose apartments close to our home and we rang
all the bells. The last one we rang it opened up. This lady came out
and told us she didn't want to here it...Sorella Visconti boldly told
her who we were and we were intensely discussing how we are not
Catholics. More she was yelling at us. Then we bore our testimonies of
knowing things through prayer. We asked her if we could pray with her.
She then invited us in where we saw she was creating in her living
room a huge nativity village. It is incredible. She said she was busy
making this and had to finish by the 18th. We asked her if we could
help her and she was amazed. We told her we would love to help her.
She said she had been praying for someone to come help her with it. We
then prayed with her and told her we could come the next day. We did
and it was fun talking to her. She is from Sicily. She wanted to argue
and told us we were in the wrong way. It was hard to get the chance to
actually teach but there were moments when we bore testimony and tried
to calm her jumpy heart. She fed us like any Sicilian would and told
us she loved us. She said she would love to have us over again.
Speriamo bene! Her name is simonetta!

I invite you to do something you know will help others and yourself
even if you are afraid. I know if you do with faith you will see
miracles.

Happy Christmas.

Sorella Snickers(what Sorella Visconti calls me)

Isaiah 29
19 The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor
among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
Mormon 6:17 Jesus has open arms

 

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells

Ciao tutti!!! 

This week was a mix of emotions. My cute sister smith is leaving me and going to Collegno. Where? We didn't know either but now we do...it's near Torino. Smith is from Vegas and Torino is cold and snowy. I'm going to miss this sister. I am however excited I'm getting a companion from her group that she loves...her name is Sorella Visconti and she is French!!! I was seriously wanting to learn French after the mission...looks like I won't have to wait!! 

We got to see many people this week because of Sorella smith leaving. We saw our favorite Italian grandma who is feeling a little better...Sorella Sarti. She has called us everyday now answering the phone...jingle bells jingle bells. It's so cute. 

Ersi and enida we have seen a few times. We taught them the plan of salvation which was very neat. They loved it. Had so many great questions for us. 

I know Heavenly Father has a plan for us because he loves us. I think of Mitchel skinner who every night before going to bed would ask my parents what the plan was for tomorrow. I know we can do the same with our Father in heaven. I know Jesus Christ is the center of his plan and that if we follow he will can be saved. I know he has a seat saved in heaven for every child of his. 

Happy holidays!!! Enjoy the snow in Idaho. Non c'è qui! 

Love Sorella skinner

 

Rice Cake??

Ciao Tutti!!!

Last night we went to a less actives house. She is going through chemotherapy right now. We were starving and had only a light lunch. I don't know if she could hear our tummies grumbling but she offered us a rice cake. Sister smith and I were talking about how small a thing that was to eat but how much it meant to us that she would share. What can you give this week to be a blessing to others? A rice cake? 

Anyways....

 

Thanksgiving I spent it with a cute American family. 

We went caroling in downtown. We had a man come up and talk to us. Really he just wanted to argue. He told us that Jesus was a fake and that there wasn't an explanation for all these things. He told us to go look on the Internet and we would find the truth. Hahaha he wouldn't allow me to talk every time I said we believe...he shut me down. We ended the conversation when he said that I needed to open my eyes and I said "they are open." 

Helaman 8:24

24 And now, seeing ye know these things and cannot deny them except ye shall lie, therefore in this ye have sinned, for ye have rejected all these things, notwithstanding so many evidences which ye have received; yea, even ye have received all things, both things in heaven, and all things which are in the earth, as a witness that they are true.

That situation was hard but I know my savior lives. I know that he was born in Bethlehem and that through him we find peace. I know my eyes are opened and so is my heart! 

President Thomas S Monson said and quoted this scripture...

He who was burdened with sorrow and acquainted with grief speaks to every troubled heart and bestows the gift of peace. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid’ [John 14:27].”

Also we had these cute gypsy girls come to church and saw joy and Roberto again. Happy days!!! 

I hope you all have a great week and can find rice cakes to share and help people feel the love of their savior. 

Love Sorella Skinner