June 21, 2011

Well, I have to apologize right now how, I honestly am just feeling super lazy and don't feel like writing too much - so this will be short!

So At Consiglio we talked about a promise that Elder Ballard gave to the European missions that if we teach 20 lessons each week, we will double our results. So we talked with our zone about it and really encouraged everyone to do so, and this week, companionships that have been teaching like 9 lessons a week on average and weren't doing super great, hit the 20 lesson mark, and every single one that did realized the blessings that come! Every single companionship that hit at least 20 lessons this last week picked up at least 1 baptismal date!! How cool is that?? We got to go to Mantova to do a baptismal interview for a whole family that's getting baptized on Saturday, that is so cool! This city has had like 5 baptisms in the last 4 years and they have this family of 4, and they set 3 more dates because they hit 22 lessons this last week! It's just incredible how true this gospel is! When an apostle promises something, it's gonna happen haha that's super cool.

So we already have transfer calls next week! Nuts! I don't think anything is going to happen but it'll be fun doing it with the zone haha.

Well I should probably get going, I'll get more for next week - sorry I'm just super tired today! everything is going great tho!!

Abbiate una buona settimana!

ciaody

Transfer 10, Week 3

transfer 10, week 3!

Well this was one of those trial weeks for sure -haha. It seemed like every possible thing that could have gone wrong did.Bikes were breaking, it was raining, our new convert was running into old men on the streets with his bike...it was just great!

So I got to go to my first consiglio, all the zone leaders met up at the mission home for a whole day meeting, and Sorella Wolfgramm made us breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and it was soo good! It was probably the best meal I have eaten in Italy. And it was all American :) haha. Just kidding but it was really good and it was a really fun and neat experience! When we got back to Verona at night, we were holding our order box that we took from the office and we had like 5 BOMs in twi (the language they speak in Ghana) just randomly, and as we were walking out of the station, there was this Ghanaian guy that we stopped to talk to and gave him a BOM and then this other Ghana guy saw and was interested and came over to see, so we started talking with him too, and gave him another one, and while we were talking, 3 more guys from Ghana all show up (gotta love Verona) and want to know more as well, it was super random but awesome! Then after we got done talking to all the different people we started talking to this Italian guy who had been watching us and trying to listen in as well, and he was super legit! He was super happy that we talked to him because he is in a crisis right now and needs help and everything so we got an appointment with him too, it was way cool! So within like 10 minutes, we handed out about 3 BOMs, and got like 6 new investigators or something- ha it was way cool!

Tomorrow we have zone conference, and then afterward we are going to Bolzano for an exchange, which will be way sweet too! I'm excited. It's our last Scambio for the transfer, too, so that will be nice ha, we'll have a whole week to work in our city haha.That will be nice!

Well I gotta get going, but that's about the coolest part of the week! Sorry I've been short on time! There's just way too much to write about too ha, but oh well! Have a great week everyone!

No rest for the weary!

Well, to be honest it hasn't been the most eventful week! We went up to Trento for a district meeting the other day which was pretty cool! This week in church we had like 40 American students who are doing a study abroad come, it's so weird to talk to Americans again, I kind of forgot what it's like haha.

From the weekend on, we've had constant rain...Sunday night we were about 20 minutes away from our house for an appointment, and after we finished we walked outside and it was pouring like crazy! And of course we had our bikes, so we prepared for the ride of our lives! We quickly went to the train station to check some things and every one that was waiting inside looked at us like we were insane haha -it literally looked like we were pushed into a pool (we were soaked). It was a lot of fun though. It was definitely one of those memorable mission moments.

Well, I am honestly still just drained ha, every night I hit my pillow and it feels like I wake up 5 minutes later, there is just no rest- but I love it! And I know it's because we're doing a great thing! I'm so grateful that i can be here right now, its building me and helping me out so much, and I'm learning so much about who the Savior is for me personally and my own individual relationship with him. These past couple weeks I've done a lot of self reflecting and meditation, and I really feel like I've come to know myself a lot more. Things I am doing well, things I need to change. And most of all, it helped me to remember again the great satisfaction that this gospel brings, and the huge impact is has on changing lives. I may be dead tired every day, but I am constantly happy! I don't care what problems arose that day, whether it's battling through the rain, having doors slammed in your face, whatever it is, I am just completely content. Because that's what this gospel does! Twenty years from now most people are going to be looking back on the things that they didn't do, disappointments, or regrets. So why wait until tomorrow to laugh about it, when you can just laugh right now and move on? You need to throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. That's what its all about. This experience has truly changed my life, and I'm sad that it's winding down! I know this is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it's reality. It's not just something we do, something we read, it's something we live. Something that pushes us, and teaches us. It heals us and brings us joy. You can never live it up too much!!

Well I'd better get going now! We got some Verona sight seeing to do haha. I hope everyone has a great week! a presto!
Brian

Torino Photos

Pictures: (from Torino)
1.Samuel who is also getting baptized pretty soon
2.Me and Anziano Glowa in front of the mole (epic pic)
3.Giusy and her family who are getting baptized
4.Cristina (little girl that is getting baptized, mom is less active)

Veronaaaaa Week 2!

Photos:
Good Italian Ads
Verona
Culture Run Spot
Anziano Wilkins and me at Centrale





So this city is super awesome! Unfortunately I don't have too much to
write this week because we haven't even really been in our city long.
We had a leadership training on Thursday which was kinda crazy, we had
to order 50 pizzas and set everything up in the church and stuff for
all the missionaries in the area. And we also had to give a training
which was kinda cool ha. It was awesome tho I really enjoyed it.

Then Friday night we did an exchange with the assistants, but we had
an activity in church so it wasn't much of an exchange haha but we did
a cool culture run of Verona in the morning and i got some pretty
pics. Then we went to breakfast (all four of us) with this Peruvian
family who were really cool. Then after we went back to the house and
had our studies, and I got to be with Anziano Mangrum who's a stud. We
had probably the best study of my whole mission we had a really good
discussion it was awesome!

Then I finally got to go to church on Sunday and meet some members! I
was soo tired tho ha I was super out of it. Then Monday We went back
to Bergamo! it was so cool to be back! We went to that district's
district meeting and it was so sweet to be there again ha, it was a
good district meeting also. Then we went back with the other Anziani
to Brescia to do another exchange and it was pretty fun!

I have just been absolutely drained these past couple days tho ha
luckily its p-day today and I'm just gonna take a nap haha.

That's about the jist of everything going down here for this week!
Everything is going great and I'm lovin' Verona, my comp, and
everything else! Its awesome!

I hope you all have a great week! Ciaowdy!