BUON-PASTA!!
Well, this week has been amazing! I am so thankful to be a missionary! I fall to my knees each night (mostly because I am exhausted, and kneeling more gently takes more effort ;) ), and thank the Lord for this wonderful opportunity and privilege to share the gospel with my precious brothers and sisters in Italy. There are so many wonderful people here, that deserve the peace and happiness that comes only from knowing our true purpose in life. I am thankful to be here, sharing this knowledge with as many as I can.
--These past few months, as I have met hundreds of different people from all walks of life and all kinds of situations, (I think the different nations from which I have taught people is up to like 23 or 24 now) I have come to realize just how blessed we are in the United States. And in the Church. There are so many people who work 12 hours a day just to get by, and even then, they still have problems paying the bills. (I won't go into it a lot, but let's just say the Italian government is a little...different. As in, people get paid basically whatever the employer feels like paying.). So a lot of people are having a really rough time, and my heart has been touched as I have looked into the eyes of so many people who have been through so much. We are so blessed to have what we have. Don't ever forget that.
--We had some AMAZING pizza today. Man. That was some of the best pizza I have ever had. Just thought I'd let you know :)
--So, the big news for this week. We got transfer calls last Saturday!! Let me paint a picture for you of what it was like...because it got intense, really quickly. So, we are sitting at our desks, doing companionship study, and we get a phone call...and it is just the other elders in the district calling to let us know something really quick. So we put the phone back down and go back to studying (we assumed that we would be staying the same, since we have only been together for 6 weeks, and that is like nothing). Then the phone rings. So, side story...we set a different ringtone for the mission president, President Dibb, so when he calls we will be sure to answer it. (But he hardly ever calls...like never.) So the phone rings, and it is the special, intense ringtone of President Dibb. I look at my companion, and I'm like "That's President. That is definitely President." And he was just like "Whatever, man, no way..." (Because President only calls if someone is getting called as a Trainer, space transfer, whitewashed, or Zone Leader.) So, long story short, I have been called to serve in Alessandria as a Zone Leader. From what President told me over the phone, Alessandria is one of the highest baptizing zones in Italy, and they "are doing a lot of things right, right now." He encouraged me, saying " Well, Elder Wilson, I'll let you in on a little secret...usually I don't like to call zone leaders until they have trained a missionary before...but you're the Elder for the job, and I know you'll do great." I am still in shock, and so humbled by this call to lead the missionaries there. I was not expecting that at all. And It didn't help that President's next sentence was "So, it looks like from your records that you have a drivers license..." WE HAVE A CAR IN ALESSANDRIA!! Ahh! I am so nervous to drive in Italy. Italians are really good, but really crazy drivers. And the roads are so small. But, anyways. I am so nervous, but grateful for this call to serve. I need your prayers, as I will try my very best to teach, testify to, and be the example for the valiant missionaries there. I am excited, but humbled for what awaits me in Alessandria. I take heart in knowing that the Lord will help me, despite my weaknesses, to become the missionary and leader that he expects me to be. (Ether 12:27)
--The greatest miracle about this transfer is that I WILL BE TEACHING GIULIANO AGAIN!! He is the man that we met in Morbegno about a month ago, on the street, who had lost everything and couldn't see his kids. Now he is in Alessandria being taught by the missionaries, and has turned his life around. He has a job, stays with his nephew, and has been coming to church each week. It will be such a wonderful blessing to meet with him again, and to again share my testimony with him! The Lord is so kind.
-- I had a great scambio (companion exhange) with Anziano Horne this week. He is in his 1st transfer! The greenie and I had a great scambio! :) We worked hard and saw some great success during our street contacting. He is a great new missionary, with a great spirit, and I was thankful for the opportunity I had to learn from him and to help him realize that this mission is a special place, with a need of special missionaries, with faith and love for the people.
Miracle: We have seen some wonderful miracles this past week. The one that sticks out to me in my mind happened on the scambio with Anziano Horne. As we were walking through centro, talking to everyone we could, we saw this young business man walking up the stairs from the metro. He was about halfway up the stairs by the time we got there, so it was a little awkward at first, but we talked with him and began a conversation by saying, simply, "Scusi, cosa si rende felice?" as we held up our whiteboard with a big smiley face drawn on it. He smiled and said that that was a great way to start off a conversation! He is a very active Catholic, with a lot of faith. And he is young! Probably not yet in his 30s. He was running to an appointment, but we quickly shared with him the importance of Christ in our individual lives, and the eternal nature of the family. After we ended a prayer for him and his family, he was elated, and excitedly gave us his contact information, asked us about where our church was, and invited us to call him later on in the week. As he walked away, Anziano Horne and I looked at each other, thinking "Wow. That guy is awesome!" And he is! I am excited about that wonderful find; I'm sure the missionaries here will do a great job teaching him. The Lord places such wonderful people in our path! My testimony of that has grown so much in these past months as I have tried to put aside my fear, and instead love the people, trusting that the Lord has gone before us; we just need to open our mouths and say whatever comes to mind!
Everything has been going really well; we are taking care of all of the things that need to be done, people to be met, and places to go before I depart for Alessandria. We have been seeing miracles in that aspect, as well. I love you all very much, and am thankful for the love and support you continue to show me. I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Love,
Anziano Wilson
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
OCTOBER 22, 2014
Buongiorno!!!! Oggi è una bellissima giornata!!
Wow. This week has been so wonderful, I can't even put it into words! We have seen so many miracles in this special little town, and my faith and love for my Savior and his glorious gospel, and particularly the peace and hope that it provides to the human heart, has grown so much. We are so very blessed to have this knowledge.
--Let's begin with the exchange I did, back in my old area of Lecco. The same companionship that I served in one year ago! We had the privilege of going to visit the Huamacto family (from Perù). Nelly, the wife, is a recent convert to the church, who I taught as an investigator while I was here! They are having a really difficult time right now, and I was so thankful for the opportunity to visit with them. We talked about patience and faith, and the true peace and blessings that come from trusting in the Lord and particularly His timing. He hears our prayers. He is not unaware of the trials we face, and of the tears we shed. We shared with them Alma 34:40-41, which says something to the effect of "...have patience, and bear with your afflictions with a firm hope that one day ye shall rest from all your afflictions." The Spirit was so strong as we testified to them that even though the days seem very dark..the Lord knows. He loves us. We were all in tears as we remembered the great blessings each of us has had, and how we have all been led through the dark tunnel of trials, only to immerge into the bright light of growth and peace. What a blessing it was!
--It is getting freezing cold these days! Good thing I have a nice, warm coat! (Thanks mom :) )
--We had the wonderful opportunity to visit our new convert, Ruggero, in prison last week. As we showed up and said that we were "priests from his church" (you basically get whatever you want in Italy if you can prove you are a priest from a church), I was praying so hard that the Lord would soften their hearts and that they would let us in, because Ruggero has been requesting it for about a month now. They looked down at the list of all the people that can get into the prison without authorization, for religious purposes, and President Dibb was the only one on there that wasn't Italian. After about 20 minutes of discussion amongst themselves, the head guard (who, you can tell from the accent, is from the south--I love southern Italians!) turned to us and was like, "look, I know you guys aren't technically on the list, but I can see your nametags, and it's pretty obvious that you guys are missionaries, and I just would feel too bad sending you home for nothing...we will make an exception this time!" What a miracle! We entered in, got searched and whatnot, and had a wonderful lesson with Ruggero. We talked with him about the importance of trials, and the peace and comfort that comes from remembering the life of the Savior. It was a wonderful experience for me, and the Spirit was there...even in a prison cell.
--I have been noticing recently the great and wonderful blessings that the Lord has been blessing with me. As I have learned to trust in the Lord and in His promise that if we are faithful and diligent, we "shall not be confounded before men" and that he will give us the words to say "in the very hour" that we need them, I have noticed that I just feel so confident in answering any question that is asked to us. I find that even if I don't know the answer, I open my mouth and begin to speak, and I somehow find the perfect answer. I have learned so much, from the answers to questions that have been given to me. I am now so excited when people say "I have a question for you." because I learn something each time. We were meeting this week with an investigator named Lucky, and after asking us some difficult questions, he paused and said, "I know that what you say is true, you know why? Because when you speak, I just know. Somehow I know that it is truth. The way you say the words...it is different than the other missionaries (he has met with many other missionaries from other churchs). I was touched and humbled by that realization this week.
--Our English class that we teach in Sondrio is so hilarious. We brought a bunch of random objects for the class to describe, to help them learn adjectives. The best word was "folkloreistic." ha! Italians. :D
--We had a wonderful experience with the Vasquez family--a less active family from Bolivia. They fed us dinner, and we had a wonderful discussion about the importance and role of the church in our earthly life, and our eternity. Brother Vasquez has served a mission as well, and he bore a powerful testimony about the importance of staying true and faithful to the knowledge that you have, and trust in the Lord. He talked about how life after the mission is different, but that we should never forget the wonderful experiences we have, and the spirit we feel while out on our mission. They are amazing! It was a great meeting!
--Miracle: This week has been full of miracles! The one I would like to share is about a man named Cletus. He is a Nigerian man, who has been in Italy for 6 months. We met him on the street in Sondrio walking with a few other people we had met before. As we introduced ourselves he asked what church we were from--missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He responded with, "That is my church! The Latter-Day Saints! I have been searching for you for a long time!" At first we were kind of hesitant, thinking that he probably thought we were from a different church, but then we talked for a few more minutes about his story. All of his family are members of the church. His older brother is a second counselor in the bishopric in his hometown, and his little brother is currently serving a mission in Ghana!! He showed us all these pictures of him and his family. He left Nigeria 2 years ago and has been searching for the Church ever since! We exchanged information and contacted him the next day to help him come to church. Even though he lives 2 hours from the church in a small town by Tirano, he came to church! He was so excited, and it was such a miracle. As he partook of the sacrament, I was filled with the spirit so strongly, and I was so thankful that he was able to come to the church and renew his baptism covenant. What a miracle!
Things are going really well here. We are having some wonderful experiences, and working hard! I am doing really well, and have been so thankful as I take time each night to record and think about the miracles and the Lord's hand in our lives each day. This is a special place. I love you all very much, and thank you for the support and love that you all give me. I consider it one of the greatest blessings of my life to have a family that loves me and wants the best for me. You are all the best! I remember you all in my prayers each day! Have a great week!
Love,
Anziano Wilson
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
OCTOBER 15, 2014
Buongiorno!!!!
Well, it has been another wonderful week in the neighborhood! Today has been a little hectic because we were supposed to go visit one of our new converts, that is currently in prison, on charges for something that he did back in 2011 (apparently that is normal for the Italian justice system--they punish people years after they actually committed the crime. There is one person in there with him that did something in 2009, and now has a wife and a kid, has changed his life around, and now he is in prison for 6 months....We are so lucky to live in America.
But anyways, he cancelled, because they aren't allowing visitors on different days than Saturday now. So we are going on Saturday!
--We had a wonderful little miracle a few days ago. We were out doing door-to-door contacting, which in Italy consists of ringing the doorbell, getting answers through the...citofono (don't know the word in English), and saying one sentence before getting cut off by them hanging up. I have been let in to a house five times my entire time here. But we felt like doing it, so we were there, across from the hospital where we had just visited a friend. I had rung about 15, and so it was my companion's turn. The FIRST one he rings, the lady is just like "Who is it?" "We are missionaries, from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and we bring a message about him". "Come in! Second floor!" And so we got in! We went upstairs and it was this sweet old, 80-year-old widow, Luisa, who let us in and we talked for about 20 minutes about her family (she has 4 sons...2 engineers, a lawyer, and a doctor), and about her husband who she lost 7 years ago. He had been the mayor of the city for 25 years (there house was pretty fancy...), and sounded like a great man. She misses him a lot. I shared with her my testimony that families are forever--that we will see our loved ones again, and live with them forever if we follow the Plan that our Heavenly Father has prepared for us. She agreed whole-heartedly with all that we said, and said that even though her priests had never agreed with her when she said that (she is Catholic), she has always believed it in her heart. She said she still feels that he is there, in her heart. As we shared with her the glorious truths that have been made known to us through the Plan of Salvation, she was in tears. She accepted a pamphlet we left with her, and we set up an appointment to return this Friday to talk some more! She said that all of her family is really religious, and that her son (lawyer) eats lunch with her every day! So we will try to set something up with both of them together! She is such a sweet old woman, and you can tell that she really raised her children right. They all sound so kind and sincere. We are expecting great things from that! :)
--Our English class in Sondrio is hilarious! There are like 10 other kids, all our age, who are all just hilarious! We just talk in English and make jokes all the time. It is the best! AND...Gabriele, one of the kids in the class--who is an investigator--raised his hand and was just like "I have a question. Why are you guys here? Like, why are you missionaries?" And we had a wonderful opportunity to bear our testimonies of the difference that the gospel has made in our lives, and how we want to share the happiness and joy we have found, with everyone! It was a great experience. Quote of the day from English class came from a guy named Vasco. "So vasco..what are your favorite kinds of movies?" "Nature. I love to watch the trees!" haha!
--Today we met with Giuliano again! The man that we met on the street about a month ago--that was crying and distraught because he hasn't seen his children in a year because his ex-wife won't let him. He didn't have a house or a job, or anything really. All he had was a backpack full of clothes. But since then, he has moved to Allessandria to live with his nephew,. who owns a business and gave him some work to do. And he has been meeting with the missionaries in Allessandria! He went to General Conference and has been to church several times. He called us today to say that he was in Morbegno because he was able to schedule an appointment for this afternoon to see his children!!! He was so happy he was in tears. He called us to ask if we were in town, and so we took a break from baking cookies and lunch, and went to talk with him for a few minutes! He is such a wonderful man. As we ended with a prayer, he was in tears and thanked us again for everything. "Ever since we met on that cold, dark night, things have been getting better; little by little",he said. What a blessing! He is special!
--I went on a companionship exchange this week with the zone leaders...and they have a car!! Man, I am glad we don't have a car. I would get FAT! We drove everywhere! It was really convenient, especially since it was pouring outside, all day long. It was a really great experience, though! Italians are scary drivers! And the roads make no sense whatsoever! Thank goodness every mission vehicle has a GPS!
--My companion's mom sent him a step counter about a week ago. So that has been fun! We have been averaging about 15,000 steps each day, which is something like 2 hours of walking, and 7 miles. We hit the streets around here in Italy!
--Fast sunday was so wonderful! I loved being able to go back to Lecco. 4 of our African investigators (named, Prince, Odion, Andy, and Innocent) came with us, and we introduced them to Samuel and Martha. Martha was the one that was baptized while I was here serving in Lecco! Her husband, who was baptized a few months earlier, baptized her! They both come from Nigeria, and have amazing faith. What a blessing it was to see them again! I just feel so much love for them; what great people!
Miracle: This week we had many wonderful miracles! But the miracle that I would especially like to share happened while I was on scambio with Anziano Horrocks! We went to a Brasilian member's house for a lesson with one of their investigators, Eugenia. She is a 23 year-old newly-wed from Napoli (Italians from the south are always awesome!), and has such a sincere desire to learn and find answers to her questions. Questions that she couldn't find answers to in the Catholic church. The Brasilian sister shared a powerful testimony about how she was Catholic before as well, and had a lot of the same questions--where did we come from? Why are we here? Where do we go after death?. She shared how she found the answers in the Book of Mormon, and that it changed her life. The Spirit was so strong, and both the sister and Eugenia started to cry. I was blessed to be able to bear my testimony to her that it was the same thing with me. That I had questions and I wanted answers. I testified with all my heart that our Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers, and that He loves his children. That the Book of Mormon has changed my life. And then Anziano Horrocks boldly testified of the same thing, and told her that if she wants answers, she has to work for it. She has to ask. She was in tears, and told us that each time we spoke, she felt a "force" in her heart. That she knew it was true. We invited her to bring her husband, who works in Milan, to the next lesson, so that they can joy in the blessings of the gospel together. She agreed to do so! I feel very blessed to have been a part of that wonderful lesson! There are people that are so prepared!
Everything else is going well in Morbegno. We have been seeing so many littles miracles everywhere, that has confirmed to me that the Lord is mindful of us, and as we try our best, even when we don't see a lot of direct success, He will lead us to those that are searching. He certainly has done that this past week! I love you all very much, and pray for you always! Thank you so much for your support and prayers! Buenos dias!
--Anziano Wilson
Well, it has been another wonderful week in the neighborhood! Today has been a little hectic because we were supposed to go visit one of our new converts, that is currently in prison, on charges for something that he did back in 2011 (apparently that is normal for the Italian justice system--they punish people years after they actually committed the crime. There is one person in there with him that did something in 2009, and now has a wife and a kid, has changed his life around, and now he is in prison for 6 months....We are so lucky to live in America.
But anyways, he cancelled, because they aren't allowing visitors on different days than Saturday now. So we are going on Saturday!
--We had a wonderful little miracle a few days ago. We were out doing door-to-door contacting, which in Italy consists of ringing the doorbell, getting answers through the...citofono (don't know the word in English), and saying one sentence before getting cut off by them hanging up. I have been let in to a house five times my entire time here. But we felt like doing it, so we were there, across from the hospital where we had just visited a friend. I had rung about 15, and so it was my companion's turn. The FIRST one he rings, the lady is just like "Who is it?" "We are missionaries, from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and we bring a message about him". "Come in! Second floor!" And so we got in! We went upstairs and it was this sweet old, 80-year-old widow, Luisa, who let us in and we talked for about 20 minutes about her family (she has 4 sons...2 engineers, a lawyer, and a doctor), and about her husband who she lost 7 years ago. He had been the mayor of the city for 25 years (there house was pretty fancy...), and sounded like a great man. She misses him a lot. I shared with her my testimony that families are forever--that we will see our loved ones again, and live with them forever if we follow the Plan that our Heavenly Father has prepared for us. She agreed whole-heartedly with all that we said, and said that even though her priests had never agreed with her when she said that (she is Catholic), she has always believed it in her heart. She said she still feels that he is there, in her heart. As we shared with her the glorious truths that have been made known to us through the Plan of Salvation, she was in tears. She accepted a pamphlet we left with her, and we set up an appointment to return this Friday to talk some more! She said that all of her family is really religious, and that her son (lawyer) eats lunch with her every day! So we will try to set something up with both of them together! She is such a sweet old woman, and you can tell that she really raised her children right. They all sound so kind and sincere. We are expecting great things from that! :)
--Our English class in Sondrio is hilarious! There are like 10 other kids, all our age, who are all just hilarious! We just talk in English and make jokes all the time. It is the best! AND...Gabriele, one of the kids in the class--who is an investigator--raised his hand and was just like "I have a question. Why are you guys here? Like, why are you missionaries?" And we had a wonderful opportunity to bear our testimonies of the difference that the gospel has made in our lives, and how we want to share the happiness and joy we have found, with everyone! It was a great experience. Quote of the day from English class came from a guy named Vasco. "So vasco..what are your favorite kinds of movies?" "Nature. I love to watch the trees!" haha!
--Today we met with Giuliano again! The man that we met on the street about a month ago--that was crying and distraught because he hasn't seen his children in a year because his ex-wife won't let him. He didn't have a house or a job, or anything really. All he had was a backpack full of clothes. But since then, he has moved to Allessandria to live with his nephew,. who owns a business and gave him some work to do. And he has been meeting with the missionaries in Allessandria! He went to General Conference and has been to church several times. He called us today to say that he was in Morbegno because he was able to schedule an appointment for this afternoon to see his children!!! He was so happy he was in tears. He called us to ask if we were in town, and so we took a break from baking cookies and lunch, and went to talk with him for a few minutes! He is such a wonderful man. As we ended with a prayer, he was in tears and thanked us again for everything. "Ever since we met on that cold, dark night, things have been getting better; little by little",he said. What a blessing! He is special!
--I went on a companionship exchange this week with the zone leaders...and they have a car!! Man, I am glad we don't have a car. I would get FAT! We drove everywhere! It was really convenient, especially since it was pouring outside, all day long. It was a really great experience, though! Italians are scary drivers! And the roads make no sense whatsoever! Thank goodness every mission vehicle has a GPS!
--My companion's mom sent him a step counter about a week ago. So that has been fun! We have been averaging about 15,000 steps each day, which is something like 2 hours of walking, and 7 miles. We hit the streets around here in Italy!
--Fast sunday was so wonderful! I loved being able to go back to Lecco. 4 of our African investigators (named, Prince, Odion, Andy, and Innocent) came with us, and we introduced them to Samuel and Martha. Martha was the one that was baptized while I was here serving in Lecco! Her husband, who was baptized a few months earlier, baptized her! They both come from Nigeria, and have amazing faith. What a blessing it was to see them again! I just feel so much love for them; what great people!
Miracle: This week we had many wonderful miracles! But the miracle that I would especially like to share happened while I was on scambio with Anziano Horrocks! We went to a Brasilian member's house for a lesson with one of their investigators, Eugenia. She is a 23 year-old newly-wed from Napoli (Italians from the south are always awesome!), and has such a sincere desire to learn and find answers to her questions. Questions that she couldn't find answers to in the Catholic church. The Brasilian sister shared a powerful testimony about how she was Catholic before as well, and had a lot of the same questions--where did we come from? Why are we here? Where do we go after death?. She shared how she found the answers in the Book of Mormon, and that it changed her life. The Spirit was so strong, and both the sister and Eugenia started to cry. I was blessed to be able to bear my testimony to her that it was the same thing with me. That I had questions and I wanted answers. I testified with all my heart that our Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers, and that He loves his children. That the Book of Mormon has changed my life. And then Anziano Horrocks boldly testified of the same thing, and told her that if she wants answers, she has to work for it. She has to ask. She was in tears, and told us that each time we spoke, she felt a "force" in her heart. That she knew it was true. We invited her to bring her husband, who works in Milan, to the next lesson, so that they can joy in the blessings of the gospel together. She agreed to do so! I feel very blessed to have been a part of that wonderful lesson! There are people that are so prepared!
Everything else is going well in Morbegno. We have been seeing so many littles miracles everywhere, that has confirmed to me that the Lord is mindful of us, and as we try our best, even when we don't see a lot of direct success, He will lead us to those that are searching. He certainly has done that this past week! I love you all very much, and pray for you always! Thank you so much for your support and prayers! Buenos dias!
--Anziano Wilson
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
OCTOBER 8, 2014
Buongiorno!! :)
Wow! What a great week! I feel so blessed to be where I am--surrounded by beautiful mountains and wonderful people! I have felt like these past few days, I have just been so...happy! Which is strange because I am SO exhausted! All. the. time. I was riding on the train back from a zone conference in Milano the other day, and I put my head down and closed my eyes to recite a few things in Italian I am trying to memorize...and I wake up to the phone ringing like 25 minutes later. I was like "oh man. I am so tired!" I looked over at my companion and he was laughing like "yeah you were totally out. Mouth hanging open and everything. I was like 'Should I wake him....nah' " heh. Whoops! But I just feel so much joy! It reminded me of a scripture I read recently in Alma chapter 36, versees 25 and 26. They read, "Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors; For because of the word which he has imparted unto me,behold, many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of God."
What a wonderful reminder to all of us that we find such great joy in bringing our brothers and sisters back to the knowledge and joy they once knew. I am so thankful to be where I am!
--Each zone conference we have something called "dying testimonies" from all the missionaries that are "dying" (going home). This week there was one of my good friends here in the mission, Anziano Garcia, from Perù. He is the current assistant to the President, and he is in our zone, so we got to hear his final testimony. What a blessing. He is a good man, and talked about the fact that we are here to be changed. "Just let the mission change you", he said. I know that I have been changed already in every good way, and continue to change and grow as the Great Blacksmith molds and shapes me into the instrument He needs me to become. I have really learned what the phrase in my setting-apart blessing meant when he said, "The Lord is not just sending you on a mission for the benefit of those you serve, but so that he can bless you more." That is so true. The mission isn't just for the investigators.
--Conference was AMAZING! What a great session! I still need to watch the Sunday evening, because it is at like 10:00 p.m. here, so we don't get to watch it. We had an investigator from Nigeria named Lucky come with us to Lecco. He loved it! After Anziano Holland's talk, he was like "that man has much power!" haha!
--I bought some sweet Italian shoes in Milan for like 70% off! Only 30 euro for real italian leather. Needless to say, they look *Christmas vacation: *click* real nice." I am going to try to not wear them during the winter though, I want them to stay nice for when I return. I heard they are good for returned missionaries, too. To help find "investigators". Whatever that means. :)
--"Just love every day" Quote of the week for me, given by a sister in her dying testimony.
--Miracle: This week's miracle for me was the zone conference! I left feeling so inspired! Something that touched me especially was the role play. We did a role play about contacting someone in a form of public transportation, in this case a bus. I have really been trying my best to talk to everyone wherever I go, but sometimes it is just hard! Because it was...strange. But I came to the realization that it just doesn't have to be weird at all! I feel like a lot of times I catch myself thinking "Okay, right now I'm going to go talk to that person over there about the gospel, and it will probably be a little weird, but it is the right thing to do, and so it will all work out." And then I just do it. But this time I realized something: It doesn't have to be like that! Something that Anziano Holland said a few conferences ago came to mind...about how when we truly love the people and want them to have what we have, "the gospel will just tumble out!" Like when a grandmother talks about her grandchildren, he says. That struck me. We don't have to worry about going up and saying some incredibly powerful statement that will change their life right away. We just have to try. Just talk to them and show them that we are different; happy. That we have something that they need; and then invite them to learn about it! We had some wonderful success on the train rides home, talking with people. We met a wonderful Bolivian woman on the metro, who asked us to give her a pass-along card and write the website on it. And we met a man from Ghana who had met with the missionaries many years ago in Africa. He knew all about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon! There are wonderful people all around us, we just need to talk with them!
Things are going well. We are working hard to have faith and the obedience that this area needs from it's missionaries. I know there are people prepared; we will find them! Thank you all so much for your love and prayers and support. I love you all and pray for you each night! Have a fantastic week full of gumdrops and peppermint and scented pre-halloween candles!
Love,
Anziano Wilson
Wow! What a great week! I feel so blessed to be where I am--surrounded by beautiful mountains and wonderful people! I have felt like these past few days, I have just been so...happy! Which is strange because I am SO exhausted! All. the. time. I was riding on the train back from a zone conference in Milano the other day, and I put my head down and closed my eyes to recite a few things in Italian I am trying to memorize...and I wake up to the phone ringing like 25 minutes later. I was like "oh man. I am so tired!" I looked over at my companion and he was laughing like "yeah you were totally out. Mouth hanging open and everything. I was like 'Should I wake him....nah' " heh. Whoops! But I just feel so much joy! It reminded me of a scripture I read recently in Alma chapter 36, versees 25 and 26. They read, "Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors; For because of the word which he has imparted unto me,behold, many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of God."
What a wonderful reminder to all of us that we find such great joy in bringing our brothers and sisters back to the knowledge and joy they once knew. I am so thankful to be where I am!
--Each zone conference we have something called "dying testimonies" from all the missionaries that are "dying" (going home). This week there was one of my good friends here in the mission, Anziano Garcia, from Perù. He is the current assistant to the President, and he is in our zone, so we got to hear his final testimony. What a blessing. He is a good man, and talked about the fact that we are here to be changed. "Just let the mission change you", he said. I know that I have been changed already in every good way, and continue to change and grow as the Great Blacksmith molds and shapes me into the instrument He needs me to become. I have really learned what the phrase in my setting-apart blessing meant when he said, "The Lord is not just sending you on a mission for the benefit of those you serve, but so that he can bless you more." That is so true. The mission isn't just for the investigators.
--Conference was AMAZING! What a great session! I still need to watch the Sunday evening, because it is at like 10:00 p.m. here, so we don't get to watch it. We had an investigator from Nigeria named Lucky come with us to Lecco. He loved it! After Anziano Holland's talk, he was like "that man has much power!" haha!
--I bought some sweet Italian shoes in Milan for like 70% off! Only 30 euro for real italian leather. Needless to say, they look *Christmas vacation: *click* real nice." I am going to try to not wear them during the winter though, I want them to stay nice for when I return. I heard they are good for returned missionaries, too. To help find "investigators". Whatever that means. :)
--"Just love every day" Quote of the week for me, given by a sister in her dying testimony.
--Miracle: This week's miracle for me was the zone conference! I left feeling so inspired! Something that touched me especially was the role play. We did a role play about contacting someone in a form of public transportation, in this case a bus. I have really been trying my best to talk to everyone wherever I go, but sometimes it is just hard! Because it was...strange. But I came to the realization that it just doesn't have to be weird at all! I feel like a lot of times I catch myself thinking "Okay, right now I'm going to go talk to that person over there about the gospel, and it will probably be a little weird, but it is the right thing to do, and so it will all work out." And then I just do it. But this time I realized something: It doesn't have to be like that! Something that Anziano Holland said a few conferences ago came to mind...about how when we truly love the people and want them to have what we have, "the gospel will just tumble out!" Like when a grandmother talks about her grandchildren, he says. That struck me. We don't have to worry about going up and saying some incredibly powerful statement that will change their life right away. We just have to try. Just talk to them and show them that we are different; happy. That we have something that they need; and then invite them to learn about it! We had some wonderful success on the train rides home, talking with people. We met a wonderful Bolivian woman on the metro, who asked us to give her a pass-along card and write the website on it. And we met a man from Ghana who had met with the missionaries many years ago in Africa. He knew all about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon! There are wonderful people all around us, we just need to talk with them!
Things are going well. We are working hard to have faith and the obedience that this area needs from it's missionaries. I know there are people prepared; we will find them! Thank you all so much for your love and prayers and support. I love you all and pray for you each night! Have a fantastic week full of gumdrops and peppermint and scented pre-halloween candles!
Love,
Anziano Wilson
Friday, October 3, 2014
OCTOBER 1, 2014
Buongiorno a tutti i miei cari amici e famiglia! Spaghetti, fusili, tortolloni!
This week has been such a wonderful week for me. Man, it flew by though! Where did September go?!
I am so very blessed, and thankful to be a missionary for our Savior. I have been really trying recently to forget myself and just go to work. Rely on the Lord and trust that as long as I am doing my very best, the Lord will do the rest. We have seen some amazing miracles in this special place.
--We held district meeting entirely in Italian this week!! woohoo! President Dibb wants the missionaries to improve dramatically in Italian (which I completely agree with. There are a lot of missionaries that unfortunately don't put a whole lot of effort into really mastering the language. They just learn enough to kind of get by. Don't do that!!) so we are supposed to hold meetings and stuff once a month entirely in Italian. I feel bad for the two new missionaries in our district, though! They looked so scared when I asked them what it means to pray with real intent. (In Italian). And so I just said it in English too, and then they gave great responses! :)
--We did shopping for the entire next month, today! That was a project! The closest grocery store (that has good prices...missionary prices) is like 10 miles away, but luckily we had a member volunteer to drive us there and back! That was a blessing! So we now have full shelves!! :)
--This last week I finally finished reading the entire Book of Mormon, cover to cover, in Italian!!!!! What a wonderful experience. It took me a little bit of time, but it was worth it! 630 pages of masterful teaching! (It's a little longer in Italian). I have grown so much closer to my Savior, and have improved dramatically not only my capacity to speak and read the Italian language, but also my knowledge and understanding of the Savior's teachings. It is funny, because at the beginning, like the entire book of first Nephi, you can tell how much I understood...(nothing!)...there isn't a single thing marked except the scripture masteries I found when I was in the MTC. :) But it was such a blessing to read it! Reading the testimonies of those ancient prophets in a different language for some reason just made so many things click. It is so much more clear; the things that they were saying make more sense! As I was about to leave, I will admit that one of my greatest fears was that I just didn't know very many things at all, doctrinally! I am so thankful for the knowledge and understanding that the Lord has given me as I have studied and prayed to understand. I consider it one of the greatest blessings of my mission.
--We had a dinner the other day...actually yesterday, with three investigators from English Class. What a great time that was! I have finally arrived at the point where I can make jokes in Italian!! FINALLY!!! I have been anxiously awaiting this day!!
--
Miracle: This week we had a wonderful miracle after church services on Sunday! We had about an hour between the end of church and the start of lunch, and so we decided to go to centro and hand out these things called "Sorriso del Giorno" that Anziano Strang and I came up with in Rimini. They are little pieces of paper with a quote from an Apostle or Prophet and a big smiley face next to it. They are great, especially in little towns like Morbegno! We handed out one to a middle aged man named Gianluca walking a little out of the way, just in passing, and didn't really think much of it...and then about 10 minutes later we crossed paths again, and he walked up to us all excited and said that he had read the back of the paper (where we had stamped it) and saw our church's address, and wanted to know where it is. We began a conversation about how much God loves us and how we are his children, and he gives us a church to help us get back to him. Then we tied that into the Restoration through Joseph Smith. As I said "Joseph Smith had great faith, but he just didn't know which church was true. He was searching for a long time for the church that would bring him closest to God..." and he interrupted me by saying, "Oh, kind of like me!..." What a golden comment! I was taken back by his preparation and faith, and his sincere desire to learn! He works all day 6 days a week, but we agreed on meeting him again this next Sunday, to watch some of the General Conference together. (We also made little hand-outs for general conference, so that made it really easy to tie that into the conversation.) He was so excited. As we finished praying together he looked up with the biggest smile. He will be a future leader of the church someday here in Italy, I am sure of it! We will meet him again on Sunday, and I am planning on giving him a call Friday just to see how things are going and everything. It was a special miracle. The Lord places people in our path, we just need to be available to him!
Things are going really, really well. We are working hard to find investigators to teach...and get them to church!! We made some outstanding (If I may say so myself) pass-along cards for General Conference this next week! AHHH!! General Conference!!! I almost forgot that it is in like THREE DAYS!!! I love General Conference! (I just hope they don't change around the members of the seventy and everything too much...that would mess up my general authority game ;) ) What a blessing to hear the voice our Father in Heaven through his chosen servants in these latter-days.
I love you guys a ton! I remember you always in my prayers and thank you so much for yours! I can feel the strength that comes from your prayers. I need them! Have a wonderful, fun-filled week! :)
Love,
Anziano Wilson
This week has been such a wonderful week for me. Man, it flew by though! Where did September go?!
I am so very blessed, and thankful to be a missionary for our Savior. I have been really trying recently to forget myself and just go to work. Rely on the Lord and trust that as long as I am doing my very best, the Lord will do the rest. We have seen some amazing miracles in this special place.
--We held district meeting entirely in Italian this week!! woohoo! President Dibb wants the missionaries to improve dramatically in Italian (which I completely agree with. There are a lot of missionaries that unfortunately don't put a whole lot of effort into really mastering the language. They just learn enough to kind of get by. Don't do that!!) so we are supposed to hold meetings and stuff once a month entirely in Italian. I feel bad for the two new missionaries in our district, though! They looked so scared when I asked them what it means to pray with real intent. (In Italian). And so I just said it in English too, and then they gave great responses! :)
--We did shopping for the entire next month, today! That was a project! The closest grocery store (that has good prices...missionary prices) is like 10 miles away, but luckily we had a member volunteer to drive us there and back! That was a blessing! So we now have full shelves!! :)
--This last week I finally finished reading the entire Book of Mormon, cover to cover, in Italian!!!!! What a wonderful experience. It took me a little bit of time, but it was worth it! 630 pages of masterful teaching! (It's a little longer in Italian). I have grown so much closer to my Savior, and have improved dramatically not only my capacity to speak and read the Italian language, but also my knowledge and understanding of the Savior's teachings. It is funny, because at the beginning, like the entire book of first Nephi, you can tell how much I understood...(nothing!)...there isn't a single thing marked except the scripture masteries I found when I was in the MTC. :) But it was such a blessing to read it! Reading the testimonies of those ancient prophets in a different language for some reason just made so many things click. It is so much more clear; the things that they were saying make more sense! As I was about to leave, I will admit that one of my greatest fears was that I just didn't know very many things at all, doctrinally! I am so thankful for the knowledge and understanding that the Lord has given me as I have studied and prayed to understand. I consider it one of the greatest blessings of my mission.
--We had a dinner the other day...actually yesterday, with three investigators from English Class. What a great time that was! I have finally arrived at the point where I can make jokes in Italian!! FINALLY!!! I have been anxiously awaiting this day!!
--
Miracle: This week we had a wonderful miracle after church services on Sunday! We had about an hour between the end of church and the start of lunch, and so we decided to go to centro and hand out these things called "Sorriso del Giorno" that Anziano Strang and I came up with in Rimini. They are little pieces of paper with a quote from an Apostle or Prophet and a big smiley face next to it. They are great, especially in little towns like Morbegno! We handed out one to a middle aged man named Gianluca walking a little out of the way, just in passing, and didn't really think much of it...and then about 10 minutes later we crossed paths again, and he walked up to us all excited and said that he had read the back of the paper (where we had stamped it) and saw our church's address, and wanted to know where it is. We began a conversation about how much God loves us and how we are his children, and he gives us a church to help us get back to him. Then we tied that into the Restoration through Joseph Smith. As I said "Joseph Smith had great faith, but he just didn't know which church was true. He was searching for a long time for the church that would bring him closest to God..." and he interrupted me by saying, "Oh, kind of like me!..." What a golden comment! I was taken back by his preparation and faith, and his sincere desire to learn! He works all day 6 days a week, but we agreed on meeting him again this next Sunday, to watch some of the General Conference together. (We also made little hand-outs for general conference, so that made it really easy to tie that into the conversation.) He was so excited. As we finished praying together he looked up with the biggest smile. He will be a future leader of the church someday here in Italy, I am sure of it! We will meet him again on Sunday, and I am planning on giving him a call Friday just to see how things are going and everything. It was a special miracle. The Lord places people in our path, we just need to be available to him!
Things are going really, really well. We are working hard to find investigators to teach...and get them to church!! We made some outstanding (If I may say so myself) pass-along cards for General Conference this next week! AHHH!! General Conference!!! I almost forgot that it is in like THREE DAYS!!! I love General Conference! (I just hope they don't change around the members of the seventy and everything too much...that would mess up my general authority game ;) ) What a blessing to hear the voice our Father in Heaven through his chosen servants in these latter-days.
I love you guys a ton! I remember you always in my prayers and thank you so much for yours! I can feel the strength that comes from your prayers. I need them! Have a wonderful, fun-filled week! :)
Love,
Anziano Wilson
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