April 10, 2013
WE had a most excellent series of events this week,
both in missionary work and outside. Pictures will arrive sta sera.
On Friday we were able to go to a zone conference,
which was one of the coolest zone conferences I have been to yet. We talked
about planning. Our president asked us what the most important part of
missionary work is, and after many answers he said planning! He talked about
the time when we plan at night is sacred and when we can receive revelation for
our day the next day, and is the time when we decide to consecrate our time to
the Lord. If we do this prayerfully then we will be lead to the people that we
need to find! We put this into practice the next week..
And saw some miracles that were awesome! I will write
in detail one that happened. It was when I did a scambio with Anziano Guzzle in
Pisa. Anziano Guzzle is great; he
speaks the language very well and always knows what to say when talking to
people when teaching! Its great. I worked on my goal this scambio to contact
people that I don’t normally contact, and this combined with Anziano Guzzles
faith provided many miracles.
 |
| Some other famous building that looks cool.. it was a beautiful day:) (Battistero di San Giovanni) |
The first one happened when we
were contacting people. The very first person we contact wanted to receive a
book of Mormon, and so we get her number. Wow. Amazing start.
Then after one or two people
contacted, an American family that hadn’t been to church in a while contacts
us! The husband works at the base at Pisa. The wife has a brother on a mission
and wanted to help us out. So I told her I wanted peanut butter from the base
and we are going to meet them next week. Haha. We were really happy about that.
Then we did Casa (contacted people at their homes) and knocked
doors, although I wanted to stay in the same place and contact more, I knew
that we had to go find the person we planned to find, a middle aged man, doing
Casa. So we went and did Casa. A car opened a gate that was blocking a palazzo,
and so we walked right in and started. After we talked to many nice people who
were not interested, Anziano Guzzle said a prayer (in his heart) that the next
door we knocked would be interested.
And so we knocked the door and
the middle aged man opened it, and we talked to him about prophets for a bit
and how we have one today, and then he was like, why don’t you come on in? and
then we talked for two minutes and he asked a golden question… “What makes you
guys different from other religions?” So we asked to share a message and taught
him the restoration. He loved our message, especially when we told him that God
cares for him personally and is involved in the little details of his life.
That stopped him for a minute and made him think. When we gave him the Book of
Mormon he could not believe it was free, and he told us he wanted to donate
money so that not only he could pay for his book, but that he could pay for
other people to have this book! Then we invited him to pray at the end and
taught him how (he had only said memorized prayers before in his life.), and he
accepted without hesitation and thanked God that we helped him know God is
there. WOW. It was so awesome and we set up a return appointment with him next
week. Best miracle ever especially because Anziano Guzzle got to see a great
miracle!!!
Also we had two Italian meal
appointments that day, so that made the day just that much better.
The other super awesome thing
that happened this week was GENERAL CONFERENCE! ( eight hours of leadership's council to the worldwide church over two days - televised and satellite fed to
the church buildings in lieu of regular sunday services) For some reason being a missionary just makes it so much
more better and so much more intense.. I got the message in many of the talks
to really put your center on Christ through obeying his commandments. The
scripture Helaman 5:12 must have been referenced at least 3-4 times.
“ 12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the
arock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must
build your bfoundation; that when the devil shall send
forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his
hail and his mighty cstorm shall beat upon you, it shall have
no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo,
because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a
foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”
I love how when we obey
commandments, we are actually made more from our natural desires. For example,
when you don’t commit adultery, you have a happy marriage and are happier than
if you commit adultery. Or if you love and forgive people even when they have
obviously wronged your, you are freed from the desires and burdens of thinking
about those people and can get on with your life. I especially loved L. Tom
Perry’s talk the most. (summarized below)
Also in District meeting I learned more about vision and
goals, and that I you need to set a vision and a goal from yourself every week
of who you want to BECOME. Not just want you want to do but how you will become
more like Christ. And then make a specific plan, and do it!
So awesome.
I am so
thankful for the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ the Atonement, and for the power of
change it brings in my life, as well as a loving Heavenly Father, who loves me
enough not to immediately answer my prayers right away.
I hope everyone has a
great week and again I will hit up those pictures of the tower or Pisa later
today.
Pace ed amore!
Anziano Day
Summary of L Tom Perry’s talk that Ryan loved
In a world
where the moral compass of society is faltering, the restored gospel of Jesus
Christ never wavers, nor should its stakes and wards, its families, or its
individual members, said Elder L. Tom Perry.
"We
must not pick and choose which commandments we think are important to keep but
acknowledge all of God's commandments," said Elder Perry of the Quorum of
the Twelve. "We must stand firm and steadfast, having perfect confidence
in the Lord's consistency and perfect trust in His promises."
Speaking
during the Sunday morning session, Elder Perry recalled a special Christmas
gift that brought back many memories. His niece gave him a little brown book
that he had left in his old family home when he moved out after he was married.
It is a book that was given to LDS servicemen who entered the armed forces
during World War II.
"I,
personally, viewed the book as a gift from President Heber J. Grant and his
counselors, J. Reuben Clark, Jr., and David O. McKay."
In a
letter in front of the book the First Presidency had written: "The
incidents of the armed services do not permit our keeping in constant personal
touch with you, either directly or by personal representation. Our next best
course is to put in your hands such portions of modern revelation and of
explanations of the principles of the gospel as shall bring to you, wherever
you may be, renewed hope and faith, as likewise comfort, consolation, and peace
of spirit."
Today, the
world is again at war, Elder Perry told the congregation. This time it is not
with armaments. It is with thought, words and deeds. It is a war with sin.
"Secularism
is becoming the norm, and many of its beliefs and practices are in direct
conflict with those that were instituted by the Lord Himself for the benefit of
His children."
Elder
Perry said that when God the Eternal Father presented His plan at the beginning
of time, Satan wanted to alter the plan. "He said he would redeem all
mankind. Not one soul would be lost, and Satan was confident he could deliver
on his proposal. But there was an unacceptable cost — the destruction of man's
agency, which was and is a gift given by God."
Victory in
the war in heaven was a victory for man's agency, Elder Perry said.
"Satan,
however, was not done. His backup plan — the plan he has been executing since
the time of Adam and eve — was to tempt men and women, essentially to prove we
are undeserving of the God-given gift of agency. ... Each choice you and I make
is a test of our agency — whether we choose to be obedient or disobedient to
the commandments of God is actually a choice between liberty and eternal life
and captivity and death" (2 Nephi 2:27).
Elder
Perry said in many respects the world has always been at war. He told members
one way to measure themselves is by one of the oldest standards — the Ten
Commandments. "The world changes constantly and dramatically, but God, His
commandments, and promised blessings do not change. They are immutable and
unchanging. Men and women receive their agency as a gift from God, but their
liberty, and, in turn, their eternal happiness comes from obedience to His
laws."
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