Anziano Parker

Anziano Parker just returned from the Milan Mission.  He was Ben's zone leader and went on scambios (exchanges) with Ben.  He is from Mesa and Hailey and I got to meet him and attend his missionary homecoming.  He is a wonderful missionary and had such sweet things to say about Ben!

Ben at a Zone Conference (I think) he is 5th from the left

Tough Times

Cara famiglia,

This week has been bitter sweet. I have to say the start of the week was tough. As you all know our baptism date with Carolina, it was tough but she dropped us. The problem she had was her mother in law who studies with Johova's witness had convinced her that she is waisting our time. Also she stopped having the desire to know for herself if these things were true. It was tough but in the end it comes down to everyone has the freedom to choose and she chose not to find out. We were disappointed and also it was tough because Rogelio dropped us as well because in the end he as well didn't want to change.

So the day after Carolina dropped us we had an appointment with Natacha. Natacha is a mother from the Ivory Coast (so she speaks French but has been in Italy for 10 years so she also speaks Italian) that we met through casa. Super great woman and has a family of six! This was our second lesson and we taught her Il piano di Salvezza (The plan of salvation) it went great and before she had read everything we asked her too. We gave her a baptismal date for the 25 of August and at first she was like noooo wayy that is way to early. We explained look, we are glad you know that this is a big decision but this date will be goal for you to prepare yourself for this date! We told her if we feel she is not ready we will not baptize her. It just clicked for her and she accepted the baptismal invite!!! We were so excited because before this week we were down that our other investigators dropped us! Right after she gave the closing prayer and it was perfect! She then told us how when we pray she gets goosebumps and we explained that it's the Holy Ghost confirming that what we are saying is true. She told us next time we come, she will have her whole family come listen to us because this Sunday she's making her family come!! It was funny also because right after we walked outside Carolina passed us in her car. I thought it was ironic how yesterday she passed up the blessings she could have and the day after we give a baptismal date to someone who really wants to know the truth!! We're super excited here in Bergamo, now in my area we are focusing on 2 cities Dalmine and Ponte San Pietro. I love Ponte San Pietro. It reminds me alot of Ravenna being small and lots of the people that are friendly and will hear us out. This Thursday we went to Verona, still beautiful, for zone conference. We got some great instruction on how to find more investigators. Presidente Wolfgramm has changed our approach from instead of walking up to someone and introducing ourselves, "Salve, sono Anziano Thomas della chiesa di Gesù Cristo ed abbiamo un messagio in marito lui". We don't intruduce ourselves anymore we just walk up to someone and give a "power statement" meaning I'll walk up and say "Salve, Abbiamo la famiglia per la felicità," then follow up with a question, "per lei, perché la famiglia rende la felicità?" We call in "awkward finding" because it just feels strange to not introduce yourself and walk up and say something like "In this life we have many obstacles, how do you overcome these obstacles?" Presidente Wolfgramm explained it like this, when we introduce ourselves the spirit doesn't testify of who were are, but when we give an eternal truth the spirit is able to work in that way. It was a good conference I really enjoyed it and also learned alot I can apply into my work.

Tomorrow I will probably go to Milano to get my toe worked on. I have an ingrown toe nail and it kills. I will go to an American doctor in Milano and he will cut a piece on my toe nail off so I'm looking forward to that! haha. This week has gone by great, I got some great Gelato as well as some pizzas. Anziano Treadway and I are getting along great he's hilarious and love working with him. He as well played baseball in high school. Today I'm going to play a little ping pong and then we'll play basketball with a Sud Americano member and so looking forward to basketball for the first time in 6 months! Next p'day we're planning to go to Cremona, I've heard that it's beautiful and also has the world's oldest violin!! Yeah!! No but things are going great loving every moment. I was thinking how lucky I am to be in Italy this morning, p'day moring we take a culture run. And every p'day I go running up città alta. Reminds me of toro hill haha but we run up it and explore a little bit every morning of città alta. So old and beautiful also I love it because no one is out that early in the morning. Anziano Treadway and I go running every morning and the rest of the day I feel great! Thanks everyone for the support again loving life here in Italy and love being a missionary. Grazie a mille!

Anziano Thomas

Ben's area just outside of Bergamo

African food

African cooks Destiny & Daniel

Crazy African Party!

San Pietro where Ben works everyday

San Pietro duomo

July 18, 2012

Ciao tutti!

This week has been great! I got a new companion because my other companion has been here in Bergamo for about 4 months and it was time for him to go, but my new companion is Anziano Treadway who is from Sacramento, California. His dad is a stake president there and Anziano Treadway is a super great missionary and is hilarious! This week was great because we had an "African Party!" Which was all the members/investigators who were members all came to the GANS center and we had two new African members make us all food! I have to say African food is spicey. We had this wheat mixed with water and it was like bread dough then a soup we would dip it in. The texture was super wierd and it tasted awful but I can gladly say I ate all of it!! It was a great turn out and we brought our less active african and he really had a great time! Work here has been picking up, we are finding new investigators everyday in Ponte San Pietro! This Sunday was pretty funny we had a lunch appointment with the Guidetti couple who are both about 72 years old. The husband was hilarious he was such a grump while his wife was making pasta he yells "Jolanda are you going to make any good pasta today?" (all irritated) then his wife says "when have I not made good pasta??" and he just mumbles angrily. After there was flies in the house so he goes and grabs his flyswater and smacks it right on the plate of bread. Everything goes flying everywhere! It was crazy. But I ate way to much and I felt so sick for the rest of the day but it was worth it because the food was sooo good! This last week we met in ward council and they know it's been hard for us these last few months with all the new changes so they are really getting everyone excited about missionary work! Tomorrow we are going to Verona again for another zone meeting. Things here are going great and my new companion Anziano Treadway is great everyday is hilarious! Well thanks for everything I love Italy, the people, and my mission! Thanks for all the prayers I know God answers them!

Anziano Thomas

Pictures from back in January when Ben first arrived

A batch of new missionaries

Duomo di Milano

Finally in Italia!

New companion

Ciao tutti!!

This week has been another great week here in Italy!! This Sunday was interesting because I gave a talk in Church about missionary work! I think it went well and the members told me that they enjoyed it so hopefully they help us with the work!! But things have gone well this week it was tough though because we had to give up our investigator Rogelio to the sister missionaries because he lives in Bergamo and it's just too hard for us to be working in the city and then having to go to our working zone. But we are praying that everything with him will turn out alright! Yesterday we got news that Anziano Stromsdorfer is going to get transfered and my new companion is Anziano Treadway!!! He was in the group under me at the MTC and I'm seriously so excited he's going to be my new companion we got along great! Yesterday was also funny because it rained and somehow started Hailing but it was really hott. The 4th of July was great too we had a ton of food and before we all ate we got to say one thing why we were grateful for the USA! It was so fun! Today we have a lesson with our new baptismal date and we're looking forward to that! Sorry this is short we are in a hurry today keep me in your prayers these next few weeks!

4th of July

Happy 4th of July!!!!!

Unfortunatly the Italians do not celebrate the day of Amerca's Independence but today we are celebrating with the senior couple The Pertersons here at the GANS (young single adults) center! We have A&W rootbeer and also Hamburgers and Hotdogs!! We are just going to hang out have lunch and also play some ping-pong so I am looking forward to that. This week has gone by great and we've have seen some miracles! One is we have another baptism date for the 4 of augosto! With a woman named Carolina from Boliva who studied with Jehova's witness for a year but wasn't baptized because she didn't believe in their life after death! So we are excited and looking forward to helping her towards baptism! Rogelio went to church for the first time this Sunday and he really loved it. It was fast and testimony meeting and he really liked how the members shared their testimony how they knew that the church is true! We are still doing alot of work outside Bergamo especially in a Piazzino called Ponte San Pietro (Saint Peter's river). It is very beautiful with a river that goes in between it. Also this last week we have been meeting with alot of members to try to get them excited about doing missionary work!! Thursday was pretty tough though. We left our bikes at the train station and our helmet got ripped off our bikes so we had to go to another city to buy new helmets. And we got lost and it was sooo hott I was so frustrated but it all worked out because I bought the coolest helmet. Bergamo is great and I am loving it here it's really fun having 4 missionaries in one appartment! Thanks for all the support! Vi voglio bene!!

Anziano Thomas