Good News and (Really) Bad News

 So I literally have NO time today, but I have some really, really good news and some really, really bad news. Lets start with the good news:

Rome-ing

I'M IN ROME! Surprised?! Yeah me too. 

President is having a conference for the leaders in the mission so they flew me and the other two Zone Leaders on the island to Rome for Pday.  We have the meeting tomorrow and then fly back to Sardegna on Friday.  

It has been SO much fun. I wish I had time to send photos. I've gotten to see all the sights that I've been dying to see. We really have the coolest mission. 

Who else gets to say "Oh yeah, I'm just going to fly to Rome for a couple days for a meeting with the mission president."?  Not very many people. 

Island Girl

I realized how "small town" or "small island" I've become serving in Sardegna for 4 1\2 months.. The Assistants were laughing at me because I just kept commenting on how big everything was, how many people there are and how many doors there are to knock.  

I realized the other day that I know so many people in Cagliari that I notice changes of the people on the bus, like who gets a haircut or who gets pregnant or who bought a new pair of shoes. It's perfect timing because I had a really hard past couple of days and this trip to Rome has really helped me to put my mission in perspective and remember that it's not the end of the world when bad things happen... 

the Bad News...

Okay I'll just tell you. I've been trying to work around it because it makes me so sad.  But Marie Rita and Giuseppina dropped us. Out of the blue. So weird. 

We set a baptismal date with them on Tuesday and then we met with Maria Rita on Thursday and she was all hyped.  She was asking us all the things she needs to do to get prepared, and we talked a lot about the covenants of baptism and how to know we have a testimony.  She even told us she has been trying to quit coffee (before we have even taught the Word of Wisdom).

Sunday she came to church 30 min early! She was literally the first person there. She read the talk for Relief Society ahead of time, and she said she cried through it all because it touched her so deeply (These Things I Know).   

She asked for the RS manual and got numbers from a couple members.  We got home that night and Sorella Nef and I were SO happy.  

Giuseppina has been a lot slower but Maria Rita seemed so ready and so excited (she made several comments of finding a Mormon boy to marry who has the same standards).  Then out of no where she called Monday morning and canceled our appointment and said she doesn't think she can accept the religion.  

I was so shocked!  All I could do was tell her how much I loved her and how I understand if she needs time to think.  So she said she is going to call in a couple days.  Sorella Nef and I were on the way to the church, so when we got there we knelt and said a prayer.  It's really hard for us because we have literally no other investigators. 

It's summer, so everyone is gone.  Our ward mission leader is on vacation, English Course in canceled, and Sorella Nef's training is over so we have an additional hour of work time in the 42 degree (107 Fahrenheit) weather.  This was just heartbreaking to add on... but amidst all of that, I felt a huge sense of peace that it's not over with her.  I don't know why.   Even if it's not me that sees her baptized, I know that Heavenly Father is still working with her and teaching with her. 

a Bad Breakup

Even with that peace and reassurance, I still reacted like a teenager who had just gone through a difficult breakup.  That night I laid on our tile floor crying, "Where did I go wrong?" "I gave her everything I had to give!" "I would do ANYTHING to have her back."  Rough. 

Anyways, I am out of time.  Please pray for her. 

Hopefully I'll have more time next week. 

LOVE YOU

WITH LOVE FROM ROME (really this time) 

Sorella O'Connor

(Email Sent - July 31, 2013)