1/29/14

Hey everyone! Did y'all have a good week? I sure did!

Bergamo's been getting a bit chilly, although nothing compared to Ohio from what I've been hearing! We're supposed to get snow today, but I doubt it. I've still only ever seen snow once in Italy! I figured there would be some since I'm in the mountains, but alas, I remain snowless.

This week at church was one of the best Sundays I've had in the mission. We had two investigators come and they loved the whole thing. The talks that were given were very inspired and well delivered. The topics went along directly with what we had been teaching one of our investigators, so I think he was especially excited to hear some additional testimony about the principles he had been learning. The Sunday School class was just as exciting. We were a bit concerned at first because the lesson that day was on something we hadn't taught yet to either investigator. The sisters taught a great lesson though and both investigators accepted it like it was yesterday's news. By the end, they were both bearing testimony about something they didn't even know about an hour before.

Speaking of testimonies, I've been thinking about this topic a lot lately. We've been teaching several people who are having trouble gaining testimonies. Some aren't yet members and some are. I had an example come to my mind. I took a Book of Mormon and said, "Let's pretend this represents our testimony." Then I held up three fingers and said, "These represent the three things that are vital to us receiving a testimony: Reading our scriptures, praying to our Father in Heaven, and attending church." I balanced the book on top of my three fingers. "When all three of these things are being put into practice, our testimony is balanced and able to grow" I said. "If one of them is missing [I removed a finger and the book fell] then so is our testimony. Our testimony needs all three to be able to function."

Ether, a Book of Mormon prophet, wrote, "Ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith" (Ether 12:27). If we don't take steps to grow our faith, we will never have it! God can only do for us what we can't do for ourselves.

That's my weekly update for now. Have a great week I love y'all! Love, Anziano Simcox