Cosenza – Week 3

Ciao Tutti!!!

Today we didn’t have much going on so we walked around down in centro and enjoyed the weather with some gelato too. We did get to go running this morning which we are planning on continuing to do all month. It was a nice 5.5 mile run, but we were in the middle of it and we heard these stray dogs start barking in the woods. They are common here and will sometimes hurt people. Never had any problems with them, but yeah we totally turned around and sprinted in the opposite direction hahaha. It was super funny and I am sure the look on my face was priceless.

This week went by super fast and we had a great time doing all that we could do this week. We had a lot on our plate this week, but it was really awesome and super fun. So we started off the week with the deep cleaning last Monday of course and then Tuesday morning we were planning on going to Taranto early so that we could do a scambio with Anziano Pingree and Anziano Pineu which ended up with us getting denied getting on the bus which was the first time according to Anziano Borner. The bus lines had no more spots free the rest of the whole day so we had to take a train and bus combo around mid day to get down there. We made it down and went to the church and were able to start the scambio. I was with Anziano Pineu who is in his second transfer and from Oklahoma. We were able to do a lesson together along with English course as well. It was really cool and went really well!

It was a good start to the scambio and I had fun working with him a lot. Got some pizza for dinner and headed back to the apartment. 4 missionaries live there and they have two greenies who are both awesome and they are super funny. Anziano Raimondi is from northern Italy and his companion is Anziano Haroldsen who is from California.

They are both super cool and are doing really well together. It was a lot of fun to be down there.

Wednesday we were able to have our specialized training and it went really well. We talked a lot about reaching new heights and it was really awesome to see that the addestramenti all flowed together. It was really cool. Sorella Valencia talked about the unity of companionship and the fact that we have to be one and work together in all that we do. We were able to really learn a lot from her and how we can work together to be more obedient and have our voices sound as one trump together. We talked about reaching new heights with self control, good attitude, and trusting in divine power. We based ours off a talk by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf called “On the Wings of Eagles.” It was super good and we were able to involve flying and the fact that we can truly meet these new heights with the spirit and the counsel that President Uchtdorf offers in this talk. Then President and Sorella Waddoups talked about finding new investigators. It all went super well and we really learned a lot and were able to come away with a lot of thing that we could do to improve and push the work.

We finished up the scambio after and we were able to see some cool miracles. We met some kid on the street that had read the whole Book of Mormon, but never met with missionaries. He said he loved the book and liked it better than the bible. I wish he would have given us his number, but I hope that he comes to English course or calls the Taranto Anziani. We were able to see a lot of cool miracles though and it was awesome. We then traveled back and worked in our area the rest of the week and worked at trying to find more people to teach. We tried many different activities that all went really well and we really enjoyed all that we did. We talked to a ton of people, and I hope that we will see some of them turn into investigators. We did some casa a casa when we went to do less actives and it is crazy how many people you can hear behind the door but they just choose not to open up. We found someone with the last name Oliverio which I thought was super awesome since that used to be the Oliver’s last name (Kendall Oliver, for those of you who know him). It was super cool, but they didn’t open up. We will be heading back there again though. We were let in and able to give a lesson, but we will see how it turns up with how much interest he has and what not. I hope that we will be able to see him do well and everything. We are excited with all that we have going on and hope to continue to do our best to push ourselves to the limits with all that we have. I am excited to continue to work here in Cosenza.

General Conference was really amazing and I really received a lot of amazing revelation and help that we all need. So thankful for the living Prophet Thomas S. Monsoon and the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. We are so blessed to have priesthood keys on the earth again after centuries of not having authorized servants that are called of God to lead and guide all his children. I feel so blessed to have that today. I have been able to watch all the sessions except the Sunday Afternoon session which I want to really watch Elder Jeffery R. Holland’s talk. I heard it was awesome. I really was able to see some themes throughout this conference. The eternal family, parenting, temple work and worship, leadership, priesthood power and responsibility, and enduring to the end. Those are some themes that stuck out to me and I know that there are many more as well. I really loved this conference and am so thankful for such a spiritual weekend and that we have the chance to listen to such wonderful people with messages that are from the Lord.

I know that the things that they say are true, and that we have such a lovely opportunity to study these talks and things that we know are scripture. Scripture that is in are day that leads and guides us. I am thankful for this worldwide wide church and the blessings that bless all the saints around the world. I love my Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ and I know that as we look to him and follow him we can be saved. I love the teaching that we had that Jesus Christ is the best leader and the best follower that has ever walked and will ever walk on the earth. I love my family so much and I know that the family is under attack worldwide with all that we have going on in the world today. We have so much safety in the gospel and in Christ’s Church, the only true and living church on the earth today. I love you all so much and I hope that you will all find the time to study the important messages that we have just received this past weekend. I love you all and talk to you soon!!

Love,

Anziano Garrett

[Here are some pictures of Taranto Zone specialized training (from Sister Waddoups’ blog)]