Christmas zone conference and thoughts

This week we had a great Christmas Zone conference. 

We were instructed and edified by our mission president as well as one of the counselers in the stake presidency who shared his conversion story with us. His boss had invited him over to listen to the missionaries, and he had only gone because it was his boss and wanted to leave, but then while he was listening to their message he felt the Spirit and became interested and was eventually baptized. It was an amazing story.

We also recieved some great gifts as you can see here, some great aprons for cooking! What an amazing and perfect gift.

Our whole district ate at the same table along with Nic (A member who loves missionaries) and our district leader Anziano Moore served us a great lunch of cheesy potatoes and ham. A classic American staple in Italy. It was well appreciated.

 I sent both pictures of our district that were taken, neither are taken with everyone looking at the camera. Notice the unplanned red that everyone is wearing. It was great. 

At the end of the conference we had many musical numbers and singings of christmas songs. Anziano Colemere and I sang the little drummer boy. It went really well.

 Afterwards I was elected to lead everyone to sing loud and spirited Christmas songs. I used all the enthusiasm I could muster and it went really well. We ended by singing silent night.

In other news we have become wearied with listening to the same music in the car all the time, and in a rummaging of our old apartment we stumbled upon a 30 disc set of church history hidden behind general conference CDs. An opportunity too good to pass up. We have started listening to them and I have learned so much in doing so. 

One of the things that has struck me the most has been the thought shown in this scripture..

 Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord liveth he chasteneth, 

I realized how many times Joseph Smith as a prophet disobeyed or forgot about the commandments of God, having weaknesses, but the Lord always forgave him, chastened him and helped him because he knew the potential of Joseph Smith as the mighty prophet of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It makes me think about my divine potential, and that of those around me, and how the Lord will help us grow through divine rebukes, to impart to us a distaste for sin and a desire for righteousness that we cannot get in any other way. How this will help us become like the Savior Jesus Christ, and will improve our capacities to share true happiness with others. I love it. 

In this Christmas season I have also been reflecting on the life and mission of Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Redeemer. It gives me great joy that he loved me enough to suffer for my sins and weaknesses, so that I would be able to return with my Heavenly Father again pure and clean. 

I am grateful for the birth of Jesus Christ, and I just wanted to share that with all of you. I have a testimony of his redeeming power and infinite love. Its something I didn't understand at all before the mission and something I have only started to understand as I consecrate myself to the Lord. 

The best part is its free for everyone who desires it in their heart! 

I am grateful!

I LOVE THE DAILY LETTERS its so much fun. Thank you so much mom for putting it together for me. I got the decorations also and will be putting them together when I buy some glue and tape today.

Well this week has been a blast and filled with a lot of work! We have officially sent off a missionary in our apartment who is going home a bit early for school purposes, Anziano Moore. 

We are getting ready to affront the Christmas season with a challenge.  Anziano Valencia (Anziano Moores companion) will not get a replacement, and we will be working in a threesome with his companion covering our area and the city next to us (collegno), both very active wards. It will be stressful but at least we will have a car. 

Maybe this is how american missionaries feel. Our areas together will cover the borders the france and also all the way down near Genova. Thats a lot of people! Really we are actually only going to work in the cities themselves but it feels like a lot. And trying to arrange for splits with members tons of times and many other things will be intense. We are excited for the challenges. 

One of the great benefits of this of course is many Christmas meal appointments! We aren't going overboard eating at the members houses but there are a lot of people that want us over. 

Many pictures shall follow, I promise mom.

I love you all, tanti auguri and buon Natale a tutti

Anziano Day

PS also... BARI HARDCORE! we saw that and its written around town haha