Ciao tutti!
I hope that everyone had an amazing week! So this week was pretty different and a little wackier than the past. Tuesday we were able to do some good finding in the morning. We have been doing a survey that has been really helping us find success in getting numbers this past week. We have a lot of potential investigators that we are going to start buckling down to get ahold of for lessons. I am really excited for the fact that we have been seeing a lot of success with it.
We were able to stay for English course that night and then headed to Palermo afterwards in order to be there in the morning for Specialized Training. It was really awesome. The Sister Training Leader, Sorella Hansen, did a really good addestramento (training or something like that) on faith. It was really good talking about how faith is a power that really helps us move and as we apply faith in all we do we will see the miracles that will so often come with missionary work as we do all we can to make them happen with that faith. The Zone Leaders (love them) Anziano Kennedy and Anziano Trejo gave excellent discussion on unity within the a companionship so that we are able to better counsel with the lord and invite a stronger spirit with us. It was really nice and something that I was really happy to hear and can look to how we can do our best to have this between us and the Lord. We then had an interesting activity with Sorella Waddoups that taught about temptation and how hard Satan works with investigators to try to get them to stop meeting with us, not believe it, etc.. It was really a cool activity and just taught well about the competing voices that are investigators face but the spirt works by a still small voice. This is something that will help us for sure. President Waddoups gave an excellent addestramento on revelation.
We then had a good day and a half back in Tràpani and then Friday morning we went into scambio. I was able to go to Palermo with Anziano Kennedy. He is in his last transfer and will be going home shortly. He is so awesome and it was great to be able to learn so much from him. We had really good finding and were able to find success with that. We then had a really nice new convert lesson about Jesus Christ that went super duper well and we could feel the spirit as we talked about our Savior. Then to finish up the night there was an organized activity to watch Meet the Mormons in Italian for anybody that wanted to come. It went really well and was a really good thing to be able to show everybody that came.
We then had stake conference the next day which went really well and really focused on keeping the sabbath day holy and how we can find this great and wonderful spirit as we go prepared and ready to church. It was really awesome and I gained a lot of interesting insights. One was that we don’t just go to to church to receive but also to give. I thought that was a really interesting aspect. The Sunday session was on the same topic and went really well. Were able to hear from President and Sorella Waddoups as well. We then had a zone blitz that went really well and I was able to do finding with Anziano DaPonte who was Anziano Rasband’s greenie before he got stuck with me. Then had an amazing lesson with Anziano Kennedy. It was super awesome. It was a really successful weekend and week. Something that we have been sharing with our members these past two weeks is a thanksgiving message. I really love it. We have so many blessings in the this life from our loving Heavenly Father and it is so good to give thanks for the things that we have. I love this story from Elder Bednar.
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 really love this message and would invite you to give thanks for the things we have and offer a prayer solely of thanks this week. Also as a second invite to watch this Mormon message entitled In the Spirit of Thanksgiving. I hope that you all enjoy your week and especially Thanksgiving. I will miss the food but that is ok! We will be getting a Thanksgiving classic…..PIZZA!!! It will be fun! I love you and all and hope to hear from you soon. Sorry I did not have a ton of time to email this week! Love you all!
Love,
Anziano Garrett
[The photos of zone conference are courtesy of Sis. Waddoups’ mission blog]
Palermo Zone, November, 2015
Palermo Zone Conference, November, 2015
Palermo Zone Conference, November, 2015
Palermo Zone Conference, November, 2015
Palermo Zone Conference, November, 2015
Palermo Zone Conference, November, 2015
Palermo Zone Conference, November, 2015
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