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Sciacca – Week 4
Transfer 15, Mission Week 93

December 12, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Ciao tutti!

I hope that everything is going well for everyone this week and that you are continuing to enjoy the holiday season. We had a great week and were able to really enjoy everything that we accomplished together. We had a some great moments and we hope that we can continue to be able to see a ton of miracles together and really see the work move forward at a quick rate!

We had a great lesson with one of our simps this week and he is doing super well! He has been reading the Book of Mormon and he is really sharp so he remembers a lot of what we teach him. It makes it really nice because he is super receptive and it’s great that he is always paying very close attention, as shown by his knowledge of being able to recollect, with detail, the lessons that we have together. He is a great kid and we both really feel that we are going to be able to accomplish a ton with him as we continue to help him draw close to the Lord.

We had an interesting lesson with the lady that was a referral. Having the first lesson going really well we expected to have extremely fast progress with this simp, but we unfortunately ran into some problems and issues that she had with the Book of Mormon. It was really sad because she really didn’t feel like the Book of Mormon was something that she could read. She was hung up on the fact that the Bible is not perfect standing alone.  We can see evidences that there are things that are missing, some having to do with the nature of scriptural translations and others being corrupted by people going down the ages. We explained, though, that this doesn’t degrade the divinity of the Holy Bible and the absolute importance that it plays in our testimonies of Christ and knowledge and wisdom that God has given us. At the end we aren’t able to change and alter the agency of others because we are all free to choose. It is just hard when you know that a book can work such great and marvelous miracles in the lives of others. That is our simple invitation to the world, to open the book and see how many blessings will pour into the life of the sincere reader. I am thankful for the Book of Mormon and the truth that it contains as well as verifying the very things that we read in the Holy Bible helping us to receive a stronger witness of Christ and know what our Heavenly Father would have us do.

It is interesting to see the two differences with someone that is so willing to try and attempt to read the Book of Mormon with the interest of coming out knowing if it contains the truth or not. For instance with a family that I was working with in Catania we were able to see that the girl (who is my age) at the beginning seemed a little skeptical you could say, or questioning whether this could be a blessing in her life  But through diligence and a desire she kept reading. I was able to witness the power of the Book of Mormon work in her life as she continued to grow spiritually, which spiritual growth is something that is really hard to see within ourselves, but something that I know happens as we continually strive to draw nearer to God and our Savior. I saw this in her life and she continues to see the blessings of living the gospel and its something that is amazing to see. I know that is how we can come to know whether the message we bring is true or now. It is through a study of the Book of Mormon and praying to our Heavenly Father in the name of Christ and asking if it is true or not.

We are continuing to share the Christmas video with all those around us and I am so thankful that this is helping me continue to reflect on the Savior’s earthly ministry and all the acts of service that he did for us. I really love the message it brings and how much good this initiative is bringing into the world. I hope that you all have been able to visit it and check out all the things that we can do each day to serve! We were sharing this video and we were having trouble finding people that were willing to watch it and after walking to one of the piazzas we met some guy that started talking to us and we ended up talking to him for a long time that evening. We were walking with him and he was just saying hello to everyone and he knew them all by name. I asked him how he knew everyone not really ever meeting that many people that know all these people by name. He said that he was a priest and it was a super cool conversation that we were able to have with him and we made great friends with him and were able to share a few things about our mission and he was able to very politely and kindly able to explain some things that we didn’t know either about the church and the city of Sciacca. It was a very amazing experience and we thoroughly enjoyed being able to have that experience.

I am thankful for the study that we are able to do each morning and so often, almost always, as we are ready we can receive that personal revelation that Heavenly Father needs for us to receive. I really enjoyed part of my study this morning in Philippians. Here is a verse that I really liked that goes with the #LIGHTtheWORLD initiative that we are doing this month!

15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

We can truly be these lights in the world that can shine forth to other to help them bring them to the Light of the World, our Savior Jesus Christ. I know that this season is perfect for us reflect on the spirit of Christmas that is to celebrate his birth, which we should do constantly, and really be able to remember it is better to give than to receive and we can truly give in so many ways! I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Anziano Garrett

Filed Under: Assignments, Missionary Work, Sciacca

Sciacca – Week 3
Transfer 15, Mission Week 92

December 5, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Ciao tutti!

I hope all is going well now that all the Christmas festivities are in full swing and you all need to enjoy this month of December! Things have been nice and busy as normal this past week and we are loving it!

So we had a busy week being able to see some people and then we were in Palermo a couple of days as well! It all has been going super well and we are doing a lot of great things down here in Sciacca!

We had a great lesson with one of our investigators last week and he has been doing really well. It was a super touching lesson and we were able to pass over the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and see what his testimony and remembrance was regarding that lesson. He remembered a lot in detail about the lesson so it was able to be a simple pass over with a great opportunity to go into some more detail with him. We look forward to being able to see him tomorrow night and talk about the plan of salvation with him. He is a great kid and I really feel like he will make it to baptism for sure if he keeps working hard to find his answers.

We had a referral that was given to us the other week from a member that lives in Bari that was passed to us through the Palermo 2 Anziani. This lady has been so prepared from God! She was so excited to hear from us and meet us the other day! She is really wanting to make sure that she is drawing closer to God and finding greater peace in life. You can tell and feel this sincere desire that she has. It is so cool and special to feel the spirit as she asks questions that you know she just needs the answer. We are excited to see where we will be able to go with her and how we are going to be able to help her and guide her down this path to finding greater happiness! We are excited at how prepared that she is. So a few weeks ago she had a moment to sit down and reflect on where she stands before God and felt like she just had to make some changes. She kind of went through her head and went over all the commandments that she needed to make sure that she was keeping and coming up in that was the word of wisdom. She was all of a sudden able to realized without evening having a knowledge of the word of wisdom to give up smoking and drinking alcohol! It was so cool to hear that testimony from her. She is great and we are excited to be able to see her again this week!

We had a rare occasion this week and I am sorry for putting this down all the way here! We had some emergency transfers this week and I got a new companion  who is Anziano Campbell! I will definitely miss Anziano Hughes and hope that he will keep finding success all along the way! We were only together for a short period of time, but it was really great! I am glad that we were able to share the experiences that we did and I was able to learn from him! He is great and will keep doing amazing things! Anziano Campbell is awesome though and he is from Layton, UT. We are getting along great and we are excited to see all the things that we will be able to do here together and accomplish with one another. We are going to do great things and we are already seeing a ton of miracles together. I hope that we will continue to be able to have a great time with one another and recognize all that the Lord can teach us and is blessing us with.

We had a great time in Palermo for Specialized Training and I was able to learn a lot that we can apply into our work here in Sciacca.

We are excited to see what we can apply from what we learned to make sure that we can get to where we need to go. President Pickerd went through all the baptisms from this past transfer and it was great to be able to see all the pictures and hear all the miracles that are happening in the mission! One was this new convert that was baptized a week or so ago! She was the sister of this new convert that was baptized a few months ago! So the new convert was in fact someone I spent a pday with in Segesta with the Palermo zone leaders and Anziano Spencer a long time ago! She was doing well when they were teaching her, but then the Anziani decided to rest her for a little and she was picked back up a few months ago and was so ready to learn again and made it all the way to baptism. I think it is super cool because last winter when I was on a scambio in Palermo Anziano Palazzo and I were doing street finding for a Christmas sondaggio and we stopped this new convert’s other sister (one that isn’t baptized yet) and that is how she met the Anziani. It is amazing how different everyone’s stories are and that she was able to finally make it to baptism. Super cool to see how it can all start with one simple conversation on the street and helps you know to just keep going and opening your mouth.

This week went really well and we are excited to see what next week has for us. We were able to walk forever yesterday all the way out to a less active’s house and I think that they were super excited to have us over and they were surprised that we walked that far to go and see them, but it went super well and we had a great little lesson with them last night. Hopefully we will be able to see some great things happen with them because the wife is the only member of the family and they have 3 boys. Would really be amazing! Everything is going great though! We had fast and testimony meeting yesterday and I am thankful that we have the opportunity as we serve God and do the acts that Jesus Christ would do for others to come to really know our Savior, not just know things about him.

This talk that Elder Bednar gave last general conference really touched me and I would invite you all to read it because he really helps us realize that is important to know the Savior and we can do so through the simple steps that he lays before us.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/10/if-ye-had-known-me?lang=eng

It is a great talk and don’t forget to keep checking Mormon.org on how we can do these acts of service daily this month! Love you all and hope that you have a great week!

Love,

Anziano Garrett

Palermo Zone, December, 2016

Palermo Zone, December, 2016

Palermo Zone Anziani, December, 2016. My new companion, Anziano Campbell, is on the far left. He is in his 4th transfer.

Palermo Zone Anziani, December, 2016. My new companion, Anziano Campbell, is on the far left. He is in his 4th transfer.

Filed Under: Assignments, Baptisms, Companions, Exchanges, Missionary Work, Sciacca, Transfers Tagged With: , , ,

Sciacca – Week 2
Transfer 15, Mission Week 91

November 28, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Ehi!!

I hope that everyone had a great week and that all went well back home with Thanksgiving and what not! It didn’t feel like a normal Thanksgiving this year, but everything went well and we had a nice hard day of work and then finished off the night with a pizza for dinner hahaha. Hope all the nice home cooking was a great treat for everyone and you all got to spend some great time with your family and friends.

So this was our first full week in Sciacca and it is going so well!

We are really loving it here and we are putting a lot of hard work. We are doing our best to make sure that we are doing all we can to help all the people we can come unto Christ. We didn’t have any new investigators per say this week, but we were able to pick up some of the people that the last missionaries had been working with and they are both awesome! We had some great lessons with both of them this past week and we were super happy with the way that they both went! We had one lesson with one of the guys set up for Tuesday and he didn’t come, which was a bummer. We rescheduled for Thursday and we thought he wasn’t coming again but he came just a little late. It was a little weird but we had a lesson with him and then there was a little kid form English group that sat in on the lesson too. The lesson was still going really well and then we had another English group member come in and he sat down too so it was a little weird, but all went well!  So it was a little strange lesson that we had, but then we scheduled another one for Saturday and we were able to have our Branch President there and the lesson went so well. We read 1 Nephi 1 with him and then extended commitments to read, pray, come to church, and be baptized!  He accepted all of them and the spirit was super strong in the lesson!

We were really excited and we really feel and believe that he will make it if he puts in all the hard work to look and seek for his answer. It will be super cool and he is such an awesome guy that is 20 so that will be really special! Hope that he keeps putting in all the work! We are also seeing a lot of progress out of the other friend we are working with! He started reading more this week and had an incredible recollection of all the things that he read! We are going to see a lot of wonderful things with him as well.

We were able to meet the members this past Sunday and it went really well. We had a great meeting with everyone and the branch is really small but super powerful in spirit! We are really able to see and feel the strength of their testimonies. It was a super special block and the time is a little stranger than other places I have been because we go from 10:00-12:30 in the same room all together and it is back to doing sacrament last which is a weird switch! It was awesome though and we had one of our sweet friends in church which was super awesome.  We were super happy and excited about that!

Everything is going so well here in Sciacca and we are loving it! The other cities in our district are Agrigento which has Anziano Jensen who is in my group and Anziano Bolton, and that is a branch over there! Then we have a group in Caltanisetta where we have Anziano Bowers and Anziano Lancaster. It is a nice and strong little district that we have and we are all seeing a ton of miracles. For instance this past Sunday in church Agrigento had 9 people in church excluding their members! They had 6 investigators, 3 potentials, and then also less active that haven’t come in a while! That was such a cool miracle to hear and to see all the blessings that the Lord is pouring out upon us all!

So this past week the new church Christmas initiative released and it is so awesome!! It is called Light The World. The video is super amazing and it is really powerful. It talks and shows about how we can be lights to everyone around us by living a life of service just like our Savior Jesus Christ did! It is awesome and I would invite each of you to watch it!

Better yet, though, it has a program that we can follow to these acts of service each day in many fun and creative ways! It is so amazing and I would also invite each of you to look into that and look at how you can be lights to the world. I know that He is the Light of the World and has done everything to save us. He put His love into actions by doing everything that God asked Him to do. I am thankful for the life and love of Jesus Christ in my life and the light that he brings and that shines into my life always. I pray that we will all see and feel that as we go about everything that we are doing at all times in life.

I know that He is there for each and everyone of us and He always is searching us out. Love you all and hope that you all have a fantastic week!

Love,

Anziano Garrett

 

My new greenie, Anziano Hughes

My new greenie, Anziano Hughes

With Anziano Hughes on the steps of the theater in Palermo

With Anziano Hughes on the steps of the theater in Palermo

Palermo zone missionaries at the Palermo Teatro Massiomo, November 21, 2016

Palermo zone missionaries at the Palermo Teatro Massiomo, November 21, 2016

Some Gelato in Palermo

Some Gelato in Palermo

Filed Under: Assignments, Sciacca Tagged With: , , , , ,

Sciacca – Week 1
Transfer 15, Mission Week 90

November 21, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Ciao tutti!

This week has been crazy busy and has felt fast and slow at the same time due to everything that we have been doing! I will start with the good stuff so that way you can know where I am at right now! So I was transferred to Sciacca which is a small city on the southern end of Sicilia! I will be training a new missionary here and we are both new to the city and don’t have a clue about anything at all really. My new companion is Anziano Hughes and he is from West Valley, Utah. He is super awesome! He has so many different hobbies and interests and is very talented in a lot of things. Has a great character and is just super nice to everyone he meets and encounters. I am super excited to work with him and we have hit it off super well! We are excited to see what kind of work we will be able to start up together with the Lord in Sciacca! We are super ready and excited for all of that!

The last week in Catania flew by and we were busy with lessons and saying goodbye to the members that I have had such a great chance to know and love over the four transfers I was there. I really love that city a lot and have a deep love for the people there! It has been great to be able to serve there and be able to learn so much from all the experiences that I have had there. Anziano Ponce and I had some great last lessons and we were happy and really felt blessed for the things that happened this past week. It seemed like this has been one of the busiest transfers of my mission. We have always had something going on and have been all over the place! I am thankful though for all that we accomplished and hope that we can all yet accomplish more over the course of the time we find ourselves here in Italy serving the Lord. I was able to say bye to many families, investigators, members, and missionaries that have all become my dear friends.

It was really cool on the way down to Palermo there was this kid waiting to get on the train, and of course as I have explained in the past everyone confuses us for the Tren Italia workers. So we started a small little conversation before the train took off, but then we continued that with another girl he sat across from on the train. We all started talking and then this lady sitting behind me joined in and before you know it another lady came over too. Our whole cart was just chatting away and I was able to share the restoration and the Book of Mormon with the lady behind me. It was so awesome to be able to listen to each other and just apply the gospel to all of our lives. It was a very special experience and even though she didn’t agree to have the missionaries over just yet she accepted the Book of Mormon and was willing to read it. She promised that upon reading it if she really felt that she needs to go forward with it she will give the missionaries a call. Really hope that she will be able to recognize that spirit and then act accordingly.

We made it to Palermo and had to stay the night there and wait until the next morning to leave. We made it safe to Sciacca and our branch President was nice enough to help us out to get all our bags over to the house. We settled in and ate lunch and were able to do our weekly planning after having a lesson in fact that night with an investigator. It all went super well despite some small obstacles that we will have to overcome because our data in the new area book app isn’t there. [Note:  The area books are where missionaries record contact information, etc., for the next missionaries.  The area books have been on paper in the past, but were recently moved to an app on the iPads.  Apparently, they’ve had a problem with the app.]  It was somehow lost so hopefully this problem will be resolved.

We then started doing permesso things for Anziano Hughes Saturday before heading out to Palermo for Stake Conference. We had great stake conference meetings and I was able to see all the members that came from Trapani! That was such a sweet reunion to see them and know that they are all doing well! I was super happy and excited about that. We had great sessions where we talked about how trials help us grow spiritually. It was hard for us to hear the talks due to technical difficulty so that was a little bit of a bummer to miss some of the things said.

I had a meeting to go to Sunday night and we ended up not being able to make it back to Sciacca that night either so we stayed in Palermo again. So technically I have spent more time in Palermo since I have been here. We were able to take a tour of Teatro Massimo today though and it was cool to imagine what it must have been like back when that place first open to go and see an opera show or a concert of some sort. It was a great first pday for Anziano Hughes and I and we were able to eat some great food from Palermo!

I am super glad to be here in Sciacca and I am grateful to be here! This week we know that it is Thanksgiving and I am excited for you all back home to be able to eat your guts out and enjoy time with the family. I really love Thanksgiving and all that it entails. I think often we aren’t as grateful as we should be for all the many and wonderful blessings that we have. I love that Elder David A. Bednar invites us to give prayers of just thanks for the the things that we have! I love that we can truly just give thanks for the many wonderful blessings in our lives. I love this video that was done by the church entitled:

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving (4:48)

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving Random people on the streets of New York City share a variety of grateful responses to one simple question: What are you thankful for?

It is super cool and I would invite you all to watch it and then this week to write down everything that you are thankful for. I know that our blessings are so many I don’t think that we will be able to truly count them all! Then offer this prayer of thanks without asking for anything. Here in fact is an excerpt from his talk about prayer given in October 2008 entitled “Pray Always.”

       During our service at Brigham Young University–Idaho, Sister Bednar and I frequently hosted General Authorities in our home. Our family learned an important lesson about meaningful prayer as we knelt to pray one evening with a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

        Earlier in the day Sister Bednar and I had been informed about the unexpected death of a dear friend, and our immediate desire was to pray for the surviving spouse and children. As I invited my wife to offer the prayer, the member of the Twelve, unaware of the tragedy, graciously suggested that in the prayer Sister Bednar express only appreciation for blessings received and ask for nothing. His counsel was similar to Alma’s instruction to the members of the ancient Church “to pray without ceasing, and to give thanks in all things” (Mosiah 26:39). Given the unexpected tragedy, requesting blessings for our friends initially seemed to us more urgent than expressing thanks.

        Sister Bednar responded in faith to the direction she received. She thanked Heavenly Father for meaningful and memorable experiences with this dear friend. She communicated sincere gratitude for the Holy Ghost as the Comforter and for the gifts of the Spirit that enable us to face adversity and to serve others. Most importantly, she expressed appreciation for the plan of salvation, for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, for His Resurrection, and for the ordinances and covenants of the restored gospel which make it possible for families to be together forever.

        Our family learned from that experience a great lesson about the power of thankfulness in meaningful prayer. Because of and through that prayer, our family was blessed with inspiration about a number of issues that were pressing upon our minds and stirring in our hearts. We learned that our gratefulness for the plan of happiness and for the Savior’s mission of salvation provided needed reassurance and strengthened our confidence that all would be well with our dear friends. We also received insights concerning the things about which we should pray and appropriately ask in faith.

        The most meaningful and spiritual prayers I have experienced contained many expressions of thanks and few, if any, requests. As I am blessed now to pray with apostles and prophets, I find among these modern-day leaders of the Savior’s Church the same characteristic that describes Captain Moroni in the Book of Mormon: these are men whose hearts swell with thanksgiving to God for the many privileges and blessings which He bestows upon His people (see Alma 48:12). Also, they do not multiply many words, for it is given unto them what they should pray, and they are filled with desire (see 3 Nephi 19:24). The prayers of prophets are childlike in their simplicity and powerful because of their sincerity.

        As we strive to make our prayers more meaningful, we should remember that “in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments” (D&C 59:21). Let me recommend that periodically you and I offer a prayer in which we only give thanks and express gratitude. Ask for nothing; simply let our souls rejoice and strive to communicate appreciation with all the energy of our hearts.

I am thankful for all the wonderful blessings that Heavenly Father has given me our Savior Jesus Christ, opportunity for eternal life, my family, my friends, my mission, my talents, my abilities, nature, the scriptures, power of prayer, guidance, love, and so much more! I know there is so much to be thankful for! Love you all and thanks for all the support!

Love,

Anziano Garrett

Apple-picking service in Catania, Italy

Apple-picking service in Catania, Italy

Apple-picking service in Catania, Italy

Apple-picking service in Catania, Italy

Apple-picking service in Catania, Italy

Apple-picking service in Catania, Italy

Apple-picking service in Catania, Italy

Apple-picking service in Catania, Italy

Apple-picking service in Catania, Italy

Apple-picking service in Catania, Italy

Anziano Ponce teaching

Anziano Ponce teaching

Catania District soccer studs

Catania District soccer studs

Catania District anziani, November, 2016

Catania District anziani, November, 2016

Catania District sorelle, November, 2016

Catania District sorelle, November, 2016

Catania District, November, 2016

Catania District, November, 2016

Gospel Essentials

Gospel Essentials

SCIACCA, ITALY - FEBRUARY 22, 2014: panoramic view of coastline with downtown in Sciacca, Italy. Sciacca is known as the city of thermal baths since Greek domination in the 3rd and 4th centuries BC (Licensed stock photo from Adobe Stock)

SCIACCA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 22, 2014: panoramic view of coastline with downtown in Sciacca, Italy. Sciacca is known as the city of thermal baths since Greek domination in the 3rd and 4th centuries BC (Licensed stock photo from Adobe Stock)

SCIACCA, ITALY - FEBRUARY 22, 2014: panoramic view of coastline with dramatic sky in Sciacca, Italy. Sciacca is known as the city of thermal baths since Greek domination in the 3rd and 4th centuries BC (licensed stock photo from Adobe Stock)

SCIACCA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 22, 2014: panoramic view of coastline with dramatic sky in Sciacca, Italy. Sciacca is known as the city of thermal baths since Greek domination in the 3rd and 4th centuries BC (licensed stock photo from Adobe Stock)

Filed Under: Assignments, Companions, Italy, Missionary Work, Sciacca, Tourist Sites, Transfers Tagged With: ,

Transfer Day
Next to last transfer begins today

November 17, 2016 By Leave a Comment

[This is a photo of all of the incoming missionaries this transfer, so Taylor will have one of these Elders as his new companion.  We’ll update more later.]

MTC group that arrived in Rome on Tuesday, November 17th. I'll be training one of them. Can't wait to find out who it is.

MTC group that arrived in Rome on Tuesday, November 17th. I’ll be training one of them. Can’t wait to find out who it is.

Filed Under: Assignments, Missionary Work, Sciacca, Transfers

Catania – Week 24
Transfer 14, Mission Week 89

November 14, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Ciao Tutti!

I hope that everyone had a great week and that you are all enjoying life! Don’t know what the weather is like back home but it feels like the fall here. It is really nice during the daytime and is a good temperature. It cools off at night enough to throw a sweater on.  People here though have been wearing pants, coats, scarves and what not for months it seems like though. So it definitely feels like the fall! We had a great week this week and we were super busy once again!

This week we had two awesome lessons with our part member family again and we are doing our best to help them out in any way that we can.  It’s amazing to see their progress and all that they have learned and are putting into practice. We really feel the spirit strongly when we are all together and we know that they are really making a lot of progress spiritually. They have been keeping their commitments and we are just really trying to find a way for them to arrive in church.

That is the big struggle right now for all of us to try and figure out. We hope that we will find a solution and we are positive that Heavenly Father will bless them as they continue to do all they can to obey His commandments and continue to grow their testimony. I feel very privileged to have been able to know them and be able to work with them. They have such a big faith and are really doing what they can to change their lives through the gospel and working hard at it.

We had the opportunity to do two scambi this week that both went really well. For one of them we were here in Catania again and I was able to go and work with Anziano Parkinson in his work which went really well. We had a great time and were super busy the whole day with lessons and some other errands that were necessary to do. We had a great time teaching together and I felt like we did a great job clicking in the short time we were together. It was super fun and we had some really cool lessons. Anziano Parkinson is awesome though! He has a great fire about him and is willing to work super hard. He has been fun to be around in the house and he is a great kid. We are always messing around with each other like brothers so we always have a very supportive and fun atmosphere.

Traveling to Siracusa was nice this past Saturday to get down there for a scambio with the Anziani. It was a great time and they did a great job planning it out so we had some great lessons all together.

It is so cool how many youth they are meeting with and are helping down there. It is awesome to see these youth accept the gospel and commit themselves to such change. We have been able to feel a great spirit with them and we are all really hopping they will continue to move forward with all that they are learning and putting into practice. I love how excited and happy Anziano Andersen is and how he is always sharing the great miracles that they are seeing down there.

We had a cool P-day today and what we thought was a service project. We went to go and help pick apples off trees up on the mountain so it was really great to be able to go up with the these members. We felt bad thinking that it was a service project that we were headed to. We were able to get some Catania Jerseys that are throw back from the late 50s early 60s which is super awesome. It has been a great day and we are looking forward to a nice family home evening tonight and hope that the lesson on eternal families goes well. We have been super busy this whole transfer and I can’t believe how fast it has gone past. I would love to stay here and keep working here in Catania so I am really nervous about the transfer calls tonight.

This past Sunday I was able to give another talk, but this one ended up being a little different than normal. We were invited by our wonderful senior couple, the Edgels, to come and join them for church in Sigonella on the military base and we each gave talks. It was super weird to be around so many Americans and hear English in such abundance. I was able to talk on the importance of faith and it was a really good learning experience to be able to write and give the talk.

Something that came into my head in a lesson this week while teaching on faith was to ask an inspired question where I learned something really neat. I asked this guy what the fruits of faith are. I was really intrigued by this and was able to reflect on all the blessings that come because of our faith. I was intrigued to see and study about all the things that come because of our faith. These are just a few:

Hope, Charity, Repentance, Knowledge, Miracles, Answers to prayers, Guidance, increase of faith, etc. I really enjoyed speaking on the subject and learning much on faith and how important it is in our lives. I had some quotes that I shared and I want to share this one with you all. This is a quote from Anziano Neil L. Andersen.

My dear friends, your faith did not begin at birth, and it will not end at death. Faith is a choice. Strengthen your faith, and live to be deserving of the Savior’s approving words: “Great is thy faith.” As you do, I promise you that your faith, through the grace of Jesus Christ, will one day allow you to stand with those you love, clean and pure in the presence of God, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I know that we can all have the choice to act on and grow our faith now, see, and reap the blessings the Lord is so ready and willing to give us. I am thankful for the gift of faith that we can all obtain in this life and cultivate as we go through our mortal journey. Thanks for all the messages this week and I will talk to you all soon!

Anziano Garrett

Catania Zone Soccer, Nov. 2016

Catania Zone Soccer, Nov. 2016

Enjoying some Sicilian pizza

Enjoying some Sicilian pizza

sicilian-pizza sicialian-pasta

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016. Playing musical chairs.

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016. Playing musical chairs.

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016. Playing musical chairs.

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016. Playing musical chairs.

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016. Playing musical chairs.

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016. Playing musical chairs.

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016. Playing musical chairs.

Catania Ward Halloween Party, October, 2016. Playing musical chairs.

Filed Under: Assignments, Catania, Exchanges, Missionary Work, Transfers Tagged With: , ,

Catania – Week 23
Transfer 14, Mission Week 88

November 7, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Ciao tutti!

I hope that everyone is doing well and you had a great week! This week flew by for us and we were super busy once again! We had some really special lessons with people this week and look forward to being able to teach some more lessons this week! One lesson that sticks out to me in particular was last Monday night we talked about recognizing answers from the Lord and seeing the Lord’s hand in all that we are doing. It was super cool and special to be able to discuss how we feel the spirit when the Lord is trying to speak to us. It is something that is very interesting since I feel personally it comes in different layers of levels. It is not always the same feeling. I am so very thankful though to practice the opportunity to feel the spirit more.

It definitely took some time for me to recognize how I felt it at times. I have learned so much in how he speaks to me and I realize that this will also be a life long feat to accomplish fully.

We learned a lot this week in the moments that we were able to have with all the other missionaries of the zone. We did a scambio in Messina Wednesday to Thursday and then in Reggio Calabria from Thursday to Friday. It was super fun and we were able to have a great time learning and doing missionary work with them. Some of the lessons that I learned that I loved was precisely on love towards others. I was able to observe the great love that Anziano Brandon has for everyone and that was something that I was super touched by in observing that with everyone that he interacts with especially his companion Anziano Moscon. It was something that shows his love for the Lord in the way that he treats others. I loved being able to work with Anziano Jackson in Reggio and seeing his intuitiveness and all the time he spends looking for small ways to improve and adjust so he can be the most effective missionary that he can be. We had a great week on the scambi and had to use some money to buy food while on the road, but we definitely ate well which was really nice hahaha. I love being able to spend time with the other missionaries and learn all that we can from one another, seeing and observing the different styles of work and how to things is great for all of us.

We had some other great lessons with some less actives at the end of the week that we are working with. It was super cool that we were able to see one of the less active families in church yesterday along with two of our investigators and one of their husbands who is a less active. It was super cool and a big miracle/blessing for us. I really enjoyed church this past Sunday and had the opportunity to bear my testimony there. I was super happy in being able to listen and feel the great spirit that we can always feel when people share their testimonies. I love how testimonies work and how they are so different, but yet so the same each time we bear it. I love that we can think of so many things that we want to share when in the process of bearing testimony. I love the fact that the spirit can just give us the words that we need to say each time whether for the benefit of others or ourselves. It is so special to be able to listen to and bear testimony. I know that as we bear testimony that is when we can gain a stronger testimony as well. I love this quote from President Boyd K. Packer.

“Oh, if I could teach you this one principle. A testimony is to be found in the bearing of it! Somewhere in your quest for spiritual knowledge, there is that ‘leap of faith,’ as the philosophers call it.

It is the moment when you have gone to the edge of the light and stepped into the darkness to discover that the way is lighted ahead for just a footstep or two. ‘The spirit of man,’ as the scripture says, indeed ‘is the candle of the Lord’ (Proverbs 20:27).

“It is one thing to receive a witness from what you have read or what another has said; and that is a necessary beginning. It is quite another to have the Spirit confirm to you in your bosom that what you have testified is true. Can you not see that it will be supplied as you share it? As you give that which you have, there is a replacement, with increase!”

I know that we can really come to find a great testimony as we bear witness of the things that we know and the things that the Holy Ghost has taught us and will yet teach us in those many moments. Our testimonies should be living and continuing to thrive with the nourishment that we give it by reading, praying, learning, having experiences, obeying gods commandments, etc., and simply also bearing that testimony and sharing it with others. I am grateful for my testimony and I hold it dear to my heart, and I hope to always make it thrive and grow consistently throughout my life. Hope you all have a great week and a wonderful time with everything that you have going on! Go Cubs!!

Love,

Anziano Garrett

Mission conference with Elder Russell M. Nelson, October, 2016, Rome, Italy

Mission conference with Elder Russell M. Nelson, October, 2016, Rome, Italy

Filed Under: Assignments, Catania, Exchanges, Missionary Work Tagged With: , , , ,

Catania – Week 22
Transfer 14, Mission Week 87

October 31, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Ciao Tutti!!

We had a great week and it flew by once again with how busy we have been! We are loving it and it has been a lot of fun for sure! We had a family home evening last week at the part member’s family and we were able to bring our new convert to the lesson who is a ward missionary and we think a super nice fit to our investigator who is around the same age. It was a great lesson and we were able to teach about obedience, the 10 commandments and following the prophet. It was a really good lesson and I am so thankful for the fact that Jesus Christ leads and guides his church through a living prophet today and helps us along our journey through mortality. We are very blessed to live in such a time where we have aide along the way through this life.

We had a good time Tuesday where we had a lesson after English group where we picked up a new investigator. He is super nice and was really open to listen to us so we will see where that will go. Wednesday we were able to go on scambi with the other Anziani here in Catania and I had the opportunity to be able to go on a scambio with Anziano LaPray again. We had a good scambio for everything that happened on it. We essentially got 3 bidones and were able to prepare for the Halloween activity while waiting on the people that never arrived at the lessons. We were really hoping have all those lessons, but we had different plans put before us though. Ended up being really cool and we were able to see little small miracles in running into some people on the street and had some good finding at a piazza. It was great to work with Anziano LaPray again and be able to observe his work ethic and his missionary characteristics that are so unique to each one of us.

Thursday we were given the chance to go and do some service on the military branch of Sigonella near to Catania with all the missionaries. We cleaned the chapel and that was a great moment for us to be able to serve those around us. We met some great people there and had a great time rendering that service in cleaning up the chapel.

It was interesting to have some American pizza there for lunch and then some Taco Bell as well. It was super weird. I enjoyed being able to see all the different religious faiths there and see the unity that we can still have as Christians and event others of other faiths. I am thankful for the fact that we have religious freedom where we live and that our founding fathers saw such a need to establish a land where we can each practice our religious beliefs as we see fit.

Friday we had another lesson with our part member family and then headed to the church for the Halloween activity that we were throwing in church. It ended up being super awesome and it was the best turn out I have seen here at any activity thrown. We were a little worried that not many people would be there at the beginning, but we were able to see a lot of people come and we had some really great activities for everyone to participate it. We had about 100 people there and a good majority of them were non members, almost half of them. We had pumpkin carving, candy fishing, cookie decorating, the guess how many jar game (where some guy started eating out of the candy hahaha), and then that game where you stick your hand into a box to feel brains and eyeballs. We had a last box labeled worms where it was empty and when they stuck their hand in there it was grabbed by my hand since I was hiding under the table where no one could see me. It was super funny to hear people’s reactions hahaha. The activity was awesome though and we had a great time putting it all together. We had a great spiritual thought on the Atonement and we hope that all the people that came were able to feel a beautiful spirit with us.

We had a great Saturday and had a scambio in Ragusa that went super well. I had a great chance to be able to go with a new missionary named Anziano Wright who comes from Long Island, New York. He is a great missionary and I was able to learn a lot from him! He did a great job in leading off on the lessons and taking the lead in his city. It was a great opportunity for him to grow and be able see that he is capable of doing what he needs to do. He is super focused and really working towards that standard of excellence to have a baptism per transfer. He is great at getting to the chase with people and I love that. It was super great working with him and I look forward to seeing how much he will continue to grow.

We had a wacky Sunday where we had to take one of our sisters to the hospital because she wasn’t feeling well. She is ok though and we were able to figure out that it wasn’t anything to grave, but they also didn’t give a solid diagnosis at all though. We were with them for the morning though and had the opportunity to bless the sacrament later that night for us and all the sisters that weren’t able to partake of it. I was thankful for that opportunity to partake of it and bless the sacrament. I am thankful for the wonderful ordinance of the sacrament and all the blessing that we gain from partaking it and renewing our covenants with our Heavenly Father. It was very special to see how personal that the Atoement is and as well as the sacrament. I am thankful for the chance to change and be better through our Savior Jesus Christ. I love this quote from the apostle Elder Dale G. Renlund last general conference talking about repentance.

Instead of making excuses, let us choose repentance. Through repentance, we can come to ourselves, like the prodigal in the parable, and reflect on the eternal import of our actions. When we understand how our sins can affect our eternal happiness, we not only become truly penitent but we also strive to become better. When faced with temptation, we are more likely to ask ourselves, in the words of William Shakespeare:

What win I, if I gain the thing I seek?

A dream, a breath, a froth of fleeting joy.

Who buys a minute’s mirth to wail a week, Or sells eternity to get a toy?

The fact that we can repent is the good news of the gospel! Guilt can be “swept away.” We can be filled with joy, receive a remission of our sins, and have “peace of conscience.” We can be freed from feelings of despair and the bondage of sin. We can be filled with the marvelous light of God and be “pained no more.” Repentance is not only possible but also joyful because of our Savior. I still remember the feelings that washed over me in the branch president’s office after the firecracker episode. I knew I had been forgiven. My feelings of guilt vanished, my gloomy mood lifted, and my heart felt light.

Brothers and sisters, as we conclude this conference, I invite you to feel more joy in your life: joy in the knowledge that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real; joy in the Savior’s ability, willingness, and desire to forgive; and joy in choosing to repent. Let us follow the instruction to “with joy … draw water out of the wells of salvation.”

May we choose to repent, forsake our sins, and turn our hearts and wills around to follow our Savior. I testify of His living reality. I am a witness and repeated recipient of His incomparable compassion, mercy, and love. I pray that the redeeming blessings of His Atonement may be yours now–and again and again and again throughout your lives, as they have been in mine. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I really love that part of the talk and the fact that it is truly joyful that we can repent and forsake our sins. Change is real and possible only through our savior Jesus Christ. I have felt that change and am thankful for the utmost divine love I have felt that my Heavenly Father and redeemer Jesus Christ have for me. They have the same for you as well. I love you all and am thankful for all your support and help while I am out here! Talk to you guys again next week!

Vi voglio bene!

Anziano Garrett

Filed Under: Assignments, Catania, Exchanges, Food, Italy, Missionary Work Tagged With: , ,

Catania – Week 21
Transfer 14, Mission Week 86

October 24, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Ciao tutti!

This week was really awesome, but man it passed by super duper fast!

We were able to accomplish a lot of things that we needed to do and got it all done in a manageable amount of time. We had a family home evening last Monday evening that went really well with our part member family. We were able to address the questions that they all had and still teach what we felt was right for them in that moment. That is something that is so amazing about the gospel that it can be tailored, then taught, and applied to everyone initially. I really enjoy that we can be able to bring to the table exactly what the Lord knows will make people happy and live with joy in their lives.

We were able to visit a less active family at their house for lunch which also went really well. We had an interesting conversation about a dish of food found here in Sicily called parmigiana which is made with eggplant, tomatoes, cheese, and some other things that I am forgetting. It was interesting for the fact of the name and how we started talking about how much of a melting pot it is here in Sicily.

There is such a mix of cultures which makes it such an interesting and unique place. The food is a mix of certain dishes which causes even the cities in Sicily to have different dishes that are specially made in those places. For example when I was in Trapani they are famous for their cous-cous which comes from the country very close on the northern tip of Africa called Tunisia. Here in Catania there is a special dish called pasta alla’norma which is a ragu based pasta with melanzane and ricotta salata. It is super cool to me and I enjoy learning about all these things and being around it all. That is a little culture story for everyone! The lesson went really well though and we were able to talk about family councils which is something that Elder M. Russell Ballard talked about last April in general conference. It is where we can meet as a family and discuss situations and make goals as a family to continue to grow and progress in this life together. He explains how their are four different types of family councils and it is something I can’t wait to apply in my future family. Really something I want to do because it is something that is so special for the family. Here is the link if you are interested in reading more about it.

We had to wake up at 3:30 on Wednesday morning to make our way up to Rome. We got started nice and early and we made our way to Messina where you have to take the ferry across the strait with the car. It was a nice long drive and we were making good time and of course we had some stops for the restroom, gas and lunch. We stopped in Napoli on the way up for lunch and it was amazing to finally eat a pizza from Napoli. I will say expectations were high, but the pizza definitely lived up to what it was. I will put a picture in there. It was the best pizza I have definitely had. Not to say there isn’t good pizza out there, but it was awesome. We made it up to Rome and parked the car up at the mission office. Got on the Metro and headed down to the station to meet all the other Anzinai in the zone that had to travel up on the train. Unfortunately the train arrived late, and this caused us not to be able to make it to our Geso spot in Piazza Spagna. We were however able to make the best of our time and get down to a different spot where Anziano LaPray and I went finding for the brief 30 minutes that we had. The First Lady we saw ended up being a great conversation and we got her number which we really hope turns out to be a cool opportunity for the missionaries to teach her up in Rome.

We had another early morning in order to prepare for the conference and make our way down to the Rome 1 church. The conference was so amazing. Once they were all in the building we were able to go down the line and shake all their hands and meet them all. We had such a spiritually strong few hours with all the general authorities and their wives. We were able to here from every single one of them there.

It was super special and amazing to be able to hear and see some overall themes among them, but how they all each had some different things to take away form each individual talk/testimony. They all had so many great things said I don’t even know where to start. Time was a big theme that was talked about as well as just remembering how great and wonderful this calling is as missionaries. I will definitely keep close the things that the talked about and do my best to apply the things that I learned through the spirit. I loved that we were able to hear from them for so long. Sorella Nelson talked about a lot of great things and one thing that I really liked was if we were able to see a short 10 minute clip of who we were at any point in the pre mortal life that it would change the trajectory completely of our life on earth. We would know what are true purpose is and without a doubt would work with all our might, mind, and strength to accomplish what we know we need to accomplish. She also told a cool story about how once in Russia with members of the church she addressed a group and said she wanted to get to know them all a little better. She then asked the whole group to stand when she called out one of the 12 tribes of Israel. She found 11 different tribes that day! Every one except the tribe of Levi was there, but then the next day in their travels they were able to meet a missionary that was a Levite. Pretty cool stories.

President Russell M. Nelson was able to address us for about 45 or 50 minutes and his topic was very interesting, but applied so well to missionary work and who we are. One of the first things that he does though is the asks the whole room who had their paper scriptures with them. Most people didn’t since traveling with the iPad is more convenient and what not. He said that he likes and uses both, but said there is just something about the paper scriptures. He then told us how he just recently got that copy that he was holding. He then turned it in the inside where the date was written, May. He decided that he would read every word of the entire quad, in which he finished 2 weeks later. He talked about the 12 tribes of Israel and the Gathering of Israel which was amazing to see. We were so blessed to have him there and instruct us on something that we maybe didn’t know everything about, but something that was able to stick with us in such a way to open us up with a drive to find more. I am thankful that we were able to talk about this great gathering of Israel that is taking place and the Abrahamic covenant. We are able to participate in this great gathering in helping Heavenly Father’s children find the truth. I really loved all that we were able to learn from the conference and hope to retain the feelings and apply the knowledge that I have now.

It was nice to see and catch up with some people after the conference and talk to everyone I haven’t seen in a long time. It was definitely just an all around amazing conference and interesting how it differed from the last mission conference when it comes to the aspect of knowing a lot more people in the mission now. We had to switch out our car after the conference and made our back home, but since we weren’t going to make it all the way we had to stop in Cosenza and stay the night. That was weird to be back in that city as well. Was able to get a nice run in Cosenza that next morning which was awesome. We made our way back after that and have had some awesome few days back here in Catania. We were able to go and have another lesson with our part member family, have a special broadcasted conference to our stake, and found 3 new investigators this past Sunday.

One of the new investigators we were supposed to go over and teach a lesson to our investigator that came to church, but at the end she wasn’t able to come down for the lesson. We had a meal, which was super good by the way, with a less active daughter of the family. She made this pasta with a sauce that uses the inc sac of a squid. It was super good! Sorry those are my food rants, but we were able to teach her boyfriend the whole restoration and we will be headed back there next Sunday to teach them. That was a super cool miracle! The other two were found at the Geso while Anziano Parkinson and Anziano Ponce went off to make sure there weren’t too many missionaries concentrated a small area when we were stopping people. They both sounds awesome too!

It was a crazy past week with lots of fun, spiritual, and instructive moments. I am so happy to be here serving in Italy with all the fellow missionaries and laborers around me as well. This past week I was able to be in 3 of my 4 cities, which is something super strange. I have had a ton of thoughts and memories flooding back to my head about many different experiences over my mission so far. I am so thankful for the cities I have served in, the people I have been able to meet and serve to the best of my ability, the people I have served with, the miracles, the lessons, all the experiences, lessons learned, etc. It has been such an amazing experience and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I can’t wait for the lessons and all the things I will do today and the rest of my time here in Italy as a full time missionary of the Lord. This makes me think of a few scriptures in Alma 29.

10 And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me.

11 Yea, and I also remember the captivity of my fathers; for I surely do know that the Lord did deliver them out of bondage, and by this did establish his church; yea, the Lord God, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, did deliver them out of bondage.

12 Yea, I have always remembered the captivity of my fathers; and that same God who delivered them out of the hands of the Egyptians did deliver them out of bondage.

I will always remember the wonderful things that the Lord has done and hope to always cling to those feelings and memories so they will always stay close to me. I am thankful for the great times and the difficult ones as well. It all is for our benefit and helps us to draw closer the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you all again for all the prayers and help that you all offer me. I love you all and am so grateful to know that we all as missionaries have so many people supporting us.

Have a great week!

Vi voglio bene!

Anziano Garrett

With Anziano Spencer, my companion from Trapani, at the Mission Conference in Rome, October, 2016

With Anziano Spencer, my companion from Trapani, at the Mission Conference in Rome, October, 2016

With friends at the Mission Conference in Rome, October, 2016

With friends at the Mission Conference in Rome, October, 2016

Some friends at the Mission Conference in Rome, October, 2016

Some friends at the Mission Conference in Rome, October, 2016

We stopped in Napoli to enjoy world-class pizza on our journey to Rome for the Mission Conference, October, 2016

We stopped in Napoli to enjoy world-class pizza on our journey to Rome for the Mission Conference, October, 2016

Napoli pizza - pizza doesn't get any better than this

Napoli pizza – pizza doesn’t get any better than this

Filed Under: Assignments, Catania, Conferences, Cosenza, Culture, Food, Italy, Missionary Work, Roma 1, Trapani Tagged With: , , , ,

Catania – Week 20
Transfer 14, Mission Week 85

October 17, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Ciao Tutti!

Hope that everyone is doing well and that you all had a great week!

This week was another busy one for us and we had a lot that we were able to accomplish this week. We had DDM this week on Tuesday and that went super well and we were able to have another really spiritual addestramento together about service and rendering service to others. We read some great things and something that touched me was reflecting on this verse.

8 And now my sons, behold I have somewhat more to desire of you, which desire is, that ye may not do these things that ye may boast, but that ye may do these things to lay up for yourselves a treasure in heaven, yea, which is eternal, and which fadeth not away; yea, that ye may have that precious gift of eternal life, which we have reason to suppose hath been given to our fathers.

We are laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven as we serve our fellow man and those around us with our full heart and for the welfare of them. I am so thankful that God offers all of us the opportunities to serve those around us. It is always a blessing to be able to help those in need around us. I know that service is such a wonderful thing that we can render towards others.

We were able to have a great evening making sure that things were ready for the zone conference in the church and gave a ride to the church to President and Sorella Pickerd. It all went well and we finished off the night with a scambio with the Assistants to the Presdient. It was a great scambio and I was able to work with Anziano Rosenberg and I learned a lot from his boldness and his excitement that he has about the work. It is amazing to see his dedication and love to the Lord. We had a good lesson together and were able to give one of our former investigators a baptismal date. It went super well! We shuffled some people around after their interviews to finish off the night and we were all able to get settled down in order to be ready for the zone conference.

Zone conference went super well and we were able to learn from so many wonderful leaders. Sorella Pickerd talked to us a lot about attacking the day and I enjoyed talking about improvements on prayer and study which is something that I have been trying to put into practice continually. I know that working on and adjusting the little things help so much to see the big miracles in the work that we are doing.

The assistants talked about two things that I really enjoyed about studying and taking strength form the Atonement. The other was about being the message and being those Angels for others. We can present the message to them with joy and happiness showing truly that this is something that does work for us as we put it into practice. I am thankful for that blessed opportunity to be one to present that message to others. We then talked about the successes and the stories of the past baptisms in the mission. They were truly amazing and inspiring to hear about and it was really neat to talk about them and get us all excited about having our own stories.

This week we had a service project at our part member family’s house and it was super awesome. We helped gather the olives from their vineyard. It was super cool to work out there with them all together with all the other missionaries. We had a good time with the family and we really feel that we helped them with the little things that we could do for them in gathering the olives. We had lunch out there together. They had us break the piñata that she was so kind to make for my birthday a few weeks ago and we got back to work. It was a long day and it takes a lot more time to accomplish than we had anticipated. It was super interesting work and I was shocked to think that it takes 25 kili [kilos] to make 1 liter of olive oil. We shared a message at the end of the night before heading home and closing the night out.

We had a good rest of the weekend with other various lessons and a great three hour block at church along with a wonderful Geso Sunday evening. The service that we were able to render though of course made me reflect on Jacob 5 in the Book of Mormon that talks about the allegory of the olive trees. It is something that made me think much about laboring in his vineyard over here in the Italy Rome Mission. I love these three verses that conclude the chapter.

75 And it came to pass that when the Lord of the vineyard saw that his fruit was good, and that his vineyard was no more corrupt, he called up his servants, and said unto them: Behold, for this last time have we nourished my vineyard; and thou beholdest that I have done according to my will; and I have preserved the natural fruit, that it is good, even like as it was in the beginning. And blessed art thou; for because ye have been diligent in laboring with me in my vineyard, and have kept my commandments, and have brought unto me again the natural fruit, that my vineyard is no more corrupted, and the bad is cast away, behold ye shall have joy with me because of the fruit of my vineyard.

76 For behold, for a long time will I lay up of the fruit of my vineyard unto mine own self against the season, which speedily cometh; and for the last time have I nourished my vineyard, and pruned it, and dug about it, and dunged it; wherefore I will lay up unto mine own self of the fruit, for a long time, according to that which I have spoken.

77 And when the time cometh that evil fruit shall again come into my vineyard, then will I cause the good and the bad to be gathered; and the good will I preserve unto myself, and the bad will I cast away into its own place. And then cometh the season and the end; and my vineyard will I cause to be burned with fire.

The Lord truly works and does his best to bring all his children to the truth to immensely bless their lives here and in the life to come.

I am thankful for this final hour that he has been working since the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ about 200 years ago. This work is truly a great and marvelous work. We all can partake of the blessing and be counted among his good fruit as we do all we can to learn of him, follow him, and then help by laboring beside him in this great work. It takes time and a lot of work and that is what he is willing to with each of us as it describes all the necessary steps stated in verse 77 for example. I am thankful to have found this gospel to be true and that it has truly changed me and who I am. I know it can do the same for all of you as well. I love you all very much and hope that you have a great week!

Vi voglio bene!

Anziano Garrett

Catania Zone Conference, October, 2016

Catania Zone Conference, October, 2016

The birthday pinata

The birthday pinata

Hitting the Pinata

Hitting the Pinata

The birthday pinata

The birthday pinata

Working Catania

Working Catania

Anziano Parkinson

Anziano Parkinson

Filed Under: Assignments, Catania, Conferences, Culture, Exchanges, Italy, Missionary Work Tagged With: , ,
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