Week 2 in Little Bull! (Torino)

This was a pretty sweet week. We found a couple of new investigators that are pretty cool! We had a really cool lesson with this guy named Jose and our Ward Mission leader. This ward works so well with the missionaries that it's amazing! We also set our first Baptismal date. Lucky! We had a lesson and talked about the Book of Mormon and he said he knows without a doubt that it is true and accepted to being Baptized. So, his date for now the May 14. Hopefully, everything goes well. We have a bunch of really cool people we're working with as well, so I'll give you another update once there is more progress.
In church this last week, we did a "missionary sacrament" where all the missionaries and the ward mission leader talked. We also talked about Christ. The sisters talked about his birth, the zone leaders did atonement. It was very cool. I'm stoked for Easter! They get pretty intense here in Italy, with huge chocolate eggs and colombo cakes- it's a big holiday. Then they have an Easter Monday where everyone goes out for picnics and BBQs and such. I can't believe I was in the MTC for last Easter! Time goes by so fast!

Sunday the night, the assistants (Anzianoa Gray and Mangrum) came to do an exchange and then on Monday morning we did a culture run. It was cool, but I was dead! We were running fast from our apartment to centro area and saw all the big things like the huge palace and castles and the duomo. We also saw the mole, which is a huge building in Torino: an icon. It's like France's Eiffel Tower.
We then drove up to Alessandria for interviews with the President- that was sweet, too.
Anyway, there isn't too much else to write about. I love the city! My comp is doing real well--he's a stud! We're all going to go play soccer or frisbee today, which is going to be so much fun. Anyway, spero che tutto vada bene per tutti voi!! Vi voglio bene e mi mancate tutti! Spero di sentirvi presto!

Brian

Photos: The Duomo, The Castle, The Bull-Symbol of Torino, The Mole

Torino!

Hello from Torino!

I'm sorry but I have to be quick today!

Torino is awesome!! It is HUGE! My companion and I have been getting lost a lot! It's so much fun! We have been doing so much work these last couple days. I am super exhausted haha. My comp is Anziano Wilkins from Idaho and he's a baller! He speaks pretty well already and has a super strong testimony! We taught this guy named Lucky (cool name right?) and he just tore it up it was a sweet lesson though!

So, we're in an apartment with 4 others-- the zone leaders and us: Anziano Kober from Austria, and Anziano Jenson from Texas. They're both way cool too! We have a lot of fun. In my district it's the four of us and 2 companionships of sisters as well so its pretty big! It's awesome though.

So Domingo from Pavia was supposed to be baptized last Sunday, but unfortunately that didn't happen. Why you might ask? Well, it was definitely not from his part. The ward mission leader is supposed to set everything up for baptisms: the font, program and what not. The baptism was supposed to be at 830 on Sunday before church. The anziani they were supposed to get there with Domingo at 8:20-ish. There was not a single person there: no font, no program, nothing. The ward mission leader completely just dropped the ball. So Domingo has to wait until next week to be baptized, the poor guy. That's a pretty big error on his part! But the important thing is that he's still getting baptized so that's good!
Anyway, I should probably get going now. I want you all to know that I love you and thank you for all your support! I hope you have a great week and I'll write back next week! Ciao tutti!

Anziano Bolnick

Transferrrrrrs.....where is anziano bolnick going???

Well, I will be going to...WAIT FOR IT...WAIT FOR IT... Torino! I'll be opening a companionship, training, and I will be the district leader! It's going to be awesome! I've had a couple of companions that have served in Torino (Anziano Neff started there) and they all have loved it. The pictures look awesome- so I'm stoked! It'll be pretty hard because we're starting at absolutely 0 for work and I'll be training at the same time -ha- so it'll be interesting- but we'll just light up the city like we've been doing here at Pavia! Since I'm training I don't know who my companion is yet, or anything about him. I will pick him up and head over to Torino tomorrow, so I'll let you know everything next week!

So this past week was great! Last p-day we were in Milano. It was Anziano Neff's first time, so we went to see some things. We went out with Anziano Poulson and Cluff (Milano 3 Missionaries) and Anziano Poulson is going home tomorrow, so he's pretty trunky haha -it was funny. It was a sweet day though, and just beautiful weather. At the duomo there are many Africans that put bracelets on your wrist and then ask you for money. There are also Arabs that try to put bird seed in your hands so thousands of pigeons come and chill on your arm and eat the seeds (gross). We all got out alive, but poor Anziano Neff got caught behind -haha- they sucked him in he and had hundreds of pigeons on him -haha- he was freaking out! We got some pictures!It was a relaxing day, too.

And then there was conference as well! It was soo cool! I'm going to have to say the best part was President Monson's shout out for the Rome temple! haha we were all going crazy as he was speaking it was soo cool! I am so stoked for that temple!! Conference was great tho, we didn't get to see the last session on Sunday because of the time change but I'm sure that was awesome, too! I was kind of upset to miss Anziano Holland speak, but it's ok- we'll get the liahona soon!

In other news, Domingo passed the baptismal interview and will be getting baptized on Sunday! He wanted me to baptize him, but since I wont be there, Anziano Neff is going to do it again! It'll probably be a little easier this time for him tho haha Domingo isn't as big as Gianluca- haha. We're way stoked for him too! Something else cool that happened was with Lourdes. She has had problems coming to church because she's a nurse and works all the time, but she said she wants to come and have Sundays free, but it's impossible because they never get Sundays off. So we talked about fasting with her and fasted together so she could have Sundays free (or at least freer) and she got her schedule a few days later and guess what, 3 out of 4 Sundays were completely free! That's just how God works -haha- it was so awesome. We're way stoked for her, too.

Well I'm kind of sad to have to leave Pavia. I really fell in love with this city. I said bye to a bunch of members last night and it was kind of hard! There are so many people I love here and I'll definitely miss them! I worked hard though and we helped the city so I'm glad I'm leaving on a good note! Now it's time to bring the heat to Torino! We're going to have about 5 baptisms this next transfer- I know it. Even if we have to find all the people, meet the ward, get to know the city, and do everything else in between haha it's going to be so much fun! I hope you all know that I love this gospel and I know that it's true with all my heart! There is so much joy and satisfaction that each and everyone of us can experience and it's amazing to see the influence of the gospel in the lives of others. All can be healed through the atonement of Christ. I love you all and am so thankful for all your help and support!! Vi voglio tanto bene!

Until next week,

Anziano Bolnick