Buona sera a tutti! :)
Well, another week is in the books! It is just such a great blessing to be a missionary! I know I say that every week, but it's the first thing that comes to mind when I think about what I want to say to you all. We are working hard, and have found a lot of great success.
It has been freezing cold these past few days...whew! No, it actually hasn't been that cold. Well, everyone else is cold but for some reason I can still go out in a short sleeved shirt and a coat...as opposed to also a sweater and scarf and thermals and earmuffs...I think that I might be a superhuman. I mean, I always kind of guessed that I was, I just never put it to the test... Just don't tell my mission president, because then I'll have to relocate again...and that's just a hassle for the government and everyone involved! haha just kidding! :)
But our investigators are doing great! We are still working with Ivan and Claudio to help them to stop smoking (mamma mia you would not believe how many people smoke here...and how much!). But they are doing really well. The Lord truly gives strength to those who sincerely ask for it and work for it. I know that in my mission I have seen this strength so many times." Every morning I hear the alarm and am just like "Oh goodness, it has GOT to be 4:30!" ha. but then we flip on the lights and just get up, and somehow the tiredness leaves. It is so wonderful. Thank you all so much for your prayers in my behalf.
Let's see...I need to write down things more. Well, we have seen some great miracles, and also I wanted to share with you all a great miracle of last week also!
This week miracle: We had a wonderful miracle this week. It was about 7 o clock on a Monday night, and we had been trying to fix some appointments, but all the calls had fell through. It was raining hard, we had just finished about an hour and a half of door to door with noone letting us in, and we didn't have our umbrellas, so we were really kind of down, unsure what to do. We both had an extra bus ticket and so we decided to try out a new finding technique-riding the bus for as long as we could and talking to everyone who got on. It turned out to be a really successful night, we got a lot of numbers from promising potentials, and even taught a man the entire Restoration right there on the bus. His name is Allejandro, and came here to Italy from Mexico (first Mexican I've met here) to teach guitar at the university. He was eating two slices of pizza when he got on the bus, and so, being hungry, we decided to talk to him (haha just kidding), but we had a really great conversation with him, learned that he had met with the Elders in Mexico over 5 years ago, recieved a Book of Mormon, and had played basketball with them a few times. But then he never heard from them again for some reason. He had fond memories of the missionaries, and was so nice to us. (He even gave me a HUGE full slice of his pizza to eat! That's a mission first!) We got his number and we are excited to contact him and set up an appointment to meet again! One thing that I have learned out here in the mission field is it is so important to be ready to bear your testimony at any time, because the Lord puts the elect in our paths when we least expect it.
Last weeks miracle: We had the chance to spend a few hours in San Remo and Imperia last week, and so we stopped by a new convert named Uche. My companion and I taught Uche my entire first transfer, and he was baptized a week or so after we left for Lecco. But he has just such a burning testimony of the gospel now, and he is living in an apartment, listening to church music, reading and praying, and even going to driving school so he can qualify for a job offer! It is so amazing to me the progress of this valiant son of God. From a man found on the street begging, to a man starting a new life, and really making a way for himself. He talked to us about how he is so happy to have found the church, that it has been the only way after so many attempts to help him stop smoking, and make huge changes in his life. He said "I thought to myself, if this church can help me be a better person that I have always been trying to be, then it must be true." And he proudly tells all his friends that he is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. What a blessing it is to be a missionary!
Everything is going really well here in Udine. We are working hard and just having a great time serving the Lord. Anziano Ramey has helped me a lot with the language, and with how to study effectively, and how to work hard! I am very happy to be serving here. Thank you all so much for your strength and prayers and help. I love you all!
-Anziano Wilson
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