Highlight Reel! - Torino, Italy

Hi folks! Here's a highlight reel of this week in Torino: 

1. Tasting guava and coconut gelato. 

2. Teaching a first and second lesson to the most darling girl named Liz who is from Peru! Such a sweetheart and was a member referral. We are meeting with her again tomorrow and are going to extend a baptismal invite. She is 26 and seriously darling and already had such faith in the concept of God as our loving heavenly father.

3. Seeing my trainer! Sorella Tullis finished her mission right after training me, and I haven't seen her since November. She came on a trip back with her family and I got to go to lunch with her. It was so fun to talk and catch up and get some wonderful life advice from this girl that I look up to and love so much. 

4. Scambio in Genova (look up some photos) and getting to do contacting by the ocean. 

5. Zone Conference! President and Sorella Allen have been focusing a lot on finding and companion unity. I think that they realize that these can often be some of the hardest things in the mission and they are things I could definitely improve upon. Also our trio matched which was fun. 

6. Rereading a quote by Elder Holland that I love and shared as a spiritual thought for zone conference that says: 

"Even if you cannot always see that silver lining on your clouds, God can, for He is the very source of the light you seek. He does love you, and He knows your fears. He hears your prayers. He is your Heavenly Father, and surely He matches with His own the tears His children shed."

I've loved this quote for a while, but how sweet is it to imagine God himself honouring the covenant we make at baptism. To "mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort." And in Italian it says to "cry with those that cry." I'm so grateful for God and the times when he has mourned with and comforted me when life is hard. This mission stretches me more than I thought possible, but having him here with me makes it easier and I'm so grateful for that. 

Vi voglio bene! 

Con amore, 

Sorella McConkie