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Roma 1 – Week 22

September 14, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Ciao!

Buongiorno tutti! Speriamo che avete avuto buona settimana. I have a bit of writer’s block for this weeks email so bear with me.

We got to see our investigator that can meet a lot and he is doing so well! We saw him one day last week and he was reading the Book of Mormon which was super cool and we were excited. He was in 1 Nephi 2 and then we saw him two days later and he was in 1 Nephi 15! We were super excited for him. I really hope that he keeps reading and really comes to know that the Book of Mormon is true. We are super excited for him and we had such an amazing testimony brought by the member that came with us on the last lesson. He told a story that I think really helped our investigator understand what real intent is. If we read the Book of Mormon with the real intent of acting on the answer we receive. When Joseph Smith wanted to know what church was true he had the intent to act and join the church that Heavenly Father would give him in response to his prayer. With the real intent we can truly all come to know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God translated by the power and gift of him.

We had another lesson with another one of our investigators we didn’t have the chance to meet with for awhile and we are really seeking to establish a plan to get him to read every day and really help him to develop the wonderful habit of daily scripture study and then as well as easing him into church attendance.  He is doing well with it and the last lesson we had with him went really well!

We didn’t have a chance to see anyone else this past week. We had stake conference on Saturday but we had to go up to Terni so that Anziano Rasband could do a baptismal interview since both the zone leaders had taught her. We went up there and did that Saturday and came back down after helping them do a little finding up there. It is so wonderful to see the beautiful Italian countryside and Terni is such a cool city. It would probably be about the size of Champaign.  It is a little slower than Rome but still has foot traffic. It was a really good time to go up there. Getting to see Anziano Calvagna is always a good time too.

We had plans fall through here and there but we had a great week and we were able to see some new faces at English course which is really exciting. Three of the new students are super awesome and we had this one kid that we stopped for street finding the other day show up. We were sharing the “Grazie Lui” video with people on the street and he passed it up, but we gave him an English course pass along card and he was interested and he came! That was a super cool miracle we had last week!

We did some district singing finding on the metro the other day that went well! It was the first time we tried something like that and we want to try it again with some of the members. Should be fun to get to try it with them. [Read more…]

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Roma 1 – Week 21

September 7, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Ciao!

I don’t have a ton of time to email this week. We had a busy day and we have to head out a little early so we can get to a family home evening. We had a nice pday though. We went for some groceries this morning and then we headed to the church and downloaded our emails before heading out to centro. We wanted to go get some granita (shaved ice) that we had tried before, and I made sure I knew how to find that restaurant I went to about 4 months ago with Anziano Calvagna. Then we walked toward the forum and we were going to go to a church that has the chains that held St. Peter during his martyrdom. We found it by luck because the stairs and the building looked cool so I decided to walk up and it ended up being the right way. We got there and then it was closed for the pranzo hours so we couldn’t go in. We had a good walk through the forum though and got “Hey Eldered!” twice today which was cool. We went to a tie shop and got companionship ties which are Phoenix Suns colors (that’s for Wyatt). I got an orange one and he got a purple one, we are going to wear them to District meeting tomorrow to see if anyone notices.

We didn’t get to see a lot of different people this past week but we had an investigator that was willing to meet with us 4 times which was super cool. He really has a desire to learn more and sincerely find the truth. I am really enjoying getting to meet with him and get to know him as well. We were able to have a few more people we hope to meet with more this week. We had a great week, though, and some awesome lessons with our new investigator. One that we had with a super cool member helped so much. He really answered the investigator’s question so well and he brought a testimony that was super good for our investigator. I have really high hopes for him. [Read more…]

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Roma 1 – Week 19

August 24, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Buongiorno tutti!

I hope that everyone had a nice week and that everyone is enjoying the rest of their summer as it winds down.

So this week I accidentally left my wallet in the house. I always carry it around in my bag because then I don’t have to worry about pickpockets. So I keep my abbonamento (metro/bus pass) in there. The day before we had walked to the store to get more water for the house and I forgot to put my wallet back into my bag. We leave the house and catch a bus the next day and about 5 or 6 stops down bus workers start to get on to check if people have there passes or a ticket. I then realized I had forgotten my wallet so I got written up for a nice little fine. So they said to go to this bus office and they will waive it. So we travel over there and the lady tells me I have to pay it at a post office. So I went from having a €1.50 fine to a nice €56 fine. Well then Sorella Cano explained that I have to go back there and show them the abbonamento and they will waive it. So we head back again the next day and then tell the lady that I have the abbonamento, and she says of great we can waive that but the office to do that is closed today so you will have to come back next week. So now we have to go and travel all the way back for a third time. Well I definitely learned not to forget my wallet anymore. So we will head back there Tuesday and then start a scambio after with Anziano Calvagna and Anziano Palazzo. I will stay here with Anziano Calvagna and Anziano Rasband and Anziano Palazzo will head up to Terni. [Read more…]

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Roma 1 – Week 18

August 17, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Ciao!

We are alive and well and finally were able to return to working normally again. I really am excited to be back and at it. Well I will start with the big news since we received our transfer calls Saturday.

So here is what happened. Usually we get our call sometime during the study hours which are from 8:00-10:00 but this time we didn’t because we had a “deep cleaning” day in the house since it was a holiday and a ton of people leave to go on vacation the same day. So we got our call around 12:00 or so while we were cleaning. It was a super fast call because Anziano Rasband and I are both staying here in Rome 1! And the sisters are all staying here too and we will receive a new sister Thursday. Definitely crazy we are all staying here. I would never have guessed that to happen again. We are excited about the new transfer and really think we can improve on some things together and see some amazing things happen.

Last week we got back into the work and we were able to start seeing people again. A lot of our investigators have been out of town so we haven’t been able to see them for a while. We are really looking to get new investigators and keep pushing to find more, especially referrals. We saw some less actives that I always enjoy seeing and helping them with what the Lord needs us to do. I am excited to see some of the people getting back on vacation soon.

We had English Course as normal this week, which is going well, and we are seeing new faces pop up here and there, which is nice.

The weather has been nice here and I hope it will stay this way. We had a nice day today we went to St.Peter’s Basilica which was really neat and had an amazing view from the top. Before we went there we had an amazing conversation with a younger couple that is on vacation. We were just waiting for the order missionaries and the guy comes up to us and says he was trying to explain about the Mormon church to his girlfriend just earlier that day. Then he said I figured you guys could do it better. It was a really fun time and we shared the restoration with her and I really hope that they will have further exposure to the church down the road. I really really hope so because they were so nice and super awesome!

We had a good time at church yesterday and was great to see the members again. We are looking forward to this coming week and really looking to kill it! I am excited about it and just hope that we can keep pushing forward even when things always don’t work out the way that we expect.

I read in Ether 12 this past week and enjoyed reading about faith. I was feel like there is room to always look to improve our faith. I read this in True to the Faith and it can say it better than I can so I want to share this with you guys. [Read more…]

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Roma 1 – Week 17

August 10, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Ciao!

I hope everyone had an amazing week and that everyone is enjoying the end of their summers!

So I really don’t have much to report on from last week. Last p-day we saw some really neat things. We went to this place called the keyhole where they say you can technically see 3 different countries because you look in this keyhole at the Malta Embassy and then you see Vatican City and then of course Italy as well. It was pretty sweet! We then had a nice view of Rome nearby which was really cool. We then went and saw Circus Maximus which was really big but nothing too spectacular at all either. We then finished up with La Bocca Della Verita (the mouth of truth). It was pretty cool, but I don’t really know the history behind that at all. We of course finished up the day with some gelato too which always hits the spot especially when it is this hot. We finished up the proselyting day with some finding in the park. We had some good conversations but unfortunately they didn’t pan out beyond that.

Tuesday we had our district meeting and it went really well and then the Memmotts had us for lunch and that was a lot of fun. They are so nice and I really enjoy getting to know them and talk to them. They are so sweet and are truly disciples of the Lord. Tuesday evening we finished up with our English course and I really started to not feel too good that afternoon. By the time we got home I really wasn’t feeling to hot at all. So Anziano Rasband and I ended up getting food poisoning and we have had to stay home for the past 4 days. It’s definitely been hard but that’s ok I think we are finally getting through it. I feel better today and I hope that just lasts. So sorry I really didn’t have much to report on this week at all!

I really enjoyed reading 3 Nephi in the Book of Mormon when Christ makes his appearance to the Nephites. It really would have been amazing to be there and experience that. He manifested himself to the people because he loves them too and I am so thankful for the Book of Mormon and the ever flowing knowledge we can gain from it. It truly testifies of Christ and shows that Jesus is the Christ and that he lives. It stands as another witness of Him and the things that He did in the Holy Land truly occurred. I am so thankful for our Savior Jesus Christ and the infinite love that he has for every single one of us. I am thankful for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the faith I was raised in. I am no where near perfect at all, but I try to be like my Savior and I have to just keep on working to be like him everyday. I know we all can have a place for Christ in our lives and that he will become the center of our lives as we live by his teachings and live in the manner that he did.

Love you all and I hope that you all have an awesome week!

Love,

Anziano Garrett

Sorella Gates sharing with some tourists

Sorella Gates sharing with some tourists

View of our area in Rome

View of our area in Rome

Roma 1 District selfie, plus Sorella Nagliati and Sorella Gates from Roma 5

Roma 1 District selfie, plus Sorella Nagliati and Sorella Gates from Roma 5

Roma 1 District selfie, plus Sorella Nagliati and Sorella Gates from Roma 5

Roma 1 District selfie, plus Sorella Nagliati and Sorella Gates from Roma 5

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Roma 1 – Week 12

July 6, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Ciao tutti!

I hope everyone had a great week! It’s been nice and really hot here.  I really wouldn’t mind the heat too much if I could wear shorts and didn’t have a collar choking me, but I can’t lie it is pretty hot here.  It’s nice though!

Ok first things first.  TRANSFER CALL.  So we had transfer calls last Saturday on the 4th of July and we got our call at the beginning of companionship study.  So the big news is I am…. Staying!  I am staying in Rome 1 with Anziano Rasband and surprisingly Sorelle Nagliati, Cano, Kennedy, and Harmon are all staying too!  We are the only district in the entire mission that doesn’t have a single change!  I thought that was pretty sweet.  The Sorelle here in Rome 1 are really hard workers.  They get work done that is for sure.  They have awesome work going on right now and have some really cool investigators.  So yeah we will all be here for another whole transfer.

I am looking forward to this next transfer and I really want to keep working hard to do all I can do to help those the Lord has prepared.  This work can’t be done alone.  We have so much help and I am constantly seeing miracles and blessings that are always coming our way.  We see miracles that are made up of mini miracles and it just leads to things that are so rewarding and so cool to witness and experience.  I know that when we do all we can to live righteous lives and do all we can to follow Christ and obey God’s commandments He will bless us.  No sacrifice goes unnoticed.  He works on His own timetable and in His own way, but He will always follow through.  He blesses us with way more than we even put in sometimes.  I know that this is true for all of us.

We are still working to try to find some new investigators and we are really working to press forward and continue to find people to teach.  We only got to meet with a couple of people this week.  We are hoping to meet with some new people we have found and talked to earlier this week.  I am really excited to talk to some of them.  I have a super good feeling about some of these new people. [Read more…]

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Roma 1 – Week 10

June 22, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Ciao tutti!

This week went well!  I forgot to mention for last p-day we went to the Colosseum and it was really awesome!  I have always wanted to go inside so that was super cool to be able to do that.  If I do it again I would love to have more time to read and learn more about it.  We had a good time there, but didn’t have time to go to the Roman Forum afterwards, unfortunately.

Today was really awesome too because we just got back to the church from the Vatican and there is so much to see there and to learn about.  I got a lot of good pictures I will be able to send later.  It was really neat though.  Tons of really cool art, and I especially liked the rooms done by Raphael and in Michelangelo in St.Peters Cathedral.  It was super awesome.

So my grandpa had a few questions and I will answer some of them on here so others can no know.

So for food we usually eat at home everyday.  We will eat out occasionally, and then we also will get invited over sometimes for meals.  We usually make just simple things like pasta, meat, and what not.  We will get fruit from fruit stands that I still haven’t got a ton of luck with on the fruit I pick.  We will make pizza sometimes as well for dinner to make when we get home.  When we go out to eat it will be pizza and other things here and there.  There is this french fry place that started in Amsterdam, I think, and it is super good and cheap as well.  The food the members make is super delicious.  We had lunch yesterday with a member family and it was super good.  We had a little sandwich platter, then some fish and rice dish, then Sicilian pasta, sword fish, watermelon, pineapple, gelato, and flan with some fruit.  Needless to say it was a good meal.  The members are super awesome here and I am really getting to love them more and more every week.

Anziano Rasband and I have started to run.  He ran track and cross in high school so that’s what we do in the mornings.  We usually go just 4 but today only 3.  It’s been nice.

Well back to last week.  After the p-day was over we went on a scambio (companion exchange) with our zone leaders.  So Anziano Calvagna and I were together again for that night and the next day.  It was super fun to be back together again.  We had 3 appointments that day and so we were busy after our District Meeting and pranzo [lunch time] hours.  It was a great scambio. [Read more…]

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Roma 1 – Week 9

June 15, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Buongiorno!

Hope everyone is having a good week!  Definitely pumped to hear the Blackhawks are doing well.  One more game and we got it.  Sorry, but I had to start with that.

This week has been a little slow with the work, but it is all looking good and we are really working hard.  We are trying our best to work with the members to find referrals and people to teach.  We were really having trouble having investigators keep commitments and it is a little hard knowing that this can bless their lives more than they may realize or know.  It is hard, too, when you see someone and get to know them, but sometimes not seeing them for a little can help change their desires and help them to get working.

We really didn’t get to see too many people this week.  One of our investigators got a baptismal date for next month so we were really excited about that.  At district meeting Anziano Rasband shared on the power of prayer and we all picked about 3 investigators to pray specifically for as a district each morning and night.  It is really awesome seeing the miracles that come through prayer and how the Lord will bless us if we ask and continue to press forward in faith.  He is willing to grant us blessings all upon us asking. I love these two verses. From Matthew 7:

7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

It doesn’t rule out the fact that we also have to seek, and that sometimes seeking takes longer than we may want or think that it will.  But as we work diligently we will be able to find those things that we are looking for. [Read more…]

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Roma 1 – Week 8

June 8, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Ciao tutti!

So this week went really well and was a lot of fun.  I hope that everyone else had a great weekend that you are all enjoying life.  Summer is here, no doubt, and I  hope that everyone will make the most of their time off school and enjoy the summer.

Last Monday on our p-day we didn’t really do much, but just kind of walked around and I saw some things that I hadn’t seen yet but it was fun all the same.  We then had a lesson that night with a new convert family that was super fun.  We shared a lesson on the importance of the Book of Mormon and they said that they would try to have us over for family home evening and get a referral for us.  Super awesome!  Their little girl is super cute and super funny, even though I don’t always know what she is saying, due to the lack of my vocabulary.

We had a lot of things and lessons planned out this week and it all just kind of went wack and fell through, unfortunately.  So Tuesday we didn’t have any lessons, but we went and set up our iPads that day with the assistants.  It was cool to get them and I am sure that they will help us a lot to be able to share messages with people and help us bring people unto Christ. [Read more…]

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Roma 1 – Week 7

June 1, 2015 By 4 Comments

Ciao Tutti!!!

This week has been fun and we saw a lot of really cool things happen to us!  Monday we had our p-day and it was a lot of fun.  We had the chance to eat lunch with Tony Oliver and his sister, which was a lot of fun and a good time.  It was super nice of them to get us lunch and spend a little time with us.  We had a great lunch and a great time talking.

We then went and had to go find a picture thing for Sorella Arnold, who was going home, and we had a good time hunting for one of those and running around to get it in time.  Those painting things that the people sell on the streets are actually really sweet.

We then ran back to the Metro and made it back to the Villa all while running into different missionaries along the way.  It was a really fun day and we got to see how packed the Villa was with the 23 missionaries going home.  It was a fun day.

We then went back and had a lesson with Alessandro.  He is super awesome.  We, unfortunately, didn’t get to meet with his wife because she was busy, but we hope that we can next time.  The lesson went really well and I can see a strong desire in him to draw closer to God.  Heavenly Father really blessed us this week with that miracle of Alessandro texting us and us getting the chance to talk with him. [Read more…]

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