11/10

Hey Everyone,

We have had a good week together here in Caserta! Anziano   and I are really enjoying being together and having the opportunity to learn from each other. I love how willing he is to learn and to just talk to everyone because he cares so much about all of the people here. I would say that is one of his greatest strengths! It is awesome because we both love like the same exact things and almost every 20 min something happens where we say "Hey, the same thing happened to me", or "It was the same in my family" so we are having lots of fun:)

Unfortunately due to the lack of coming to church, we have had a few baptismal dates fall through this week but we are really striving hard to find out exactly what they need so we can work to their needs. Hopefully we can help them progress and help them really have that desire to come to church. 

We have been given a real miracle this past week as well. An investigator that we had when Anziano Burnham was here felt like she should come to church last week. It was really special because she is really amazing but she felt like everything happened too quickly at first and she feels a little bit more ready now. We were able to help her out a lot this week and she is really doing well. 

This weekend we worked a lot with the less-active members of the church trying to get them to come back. Anziano P and I visited 4 less-active members yesterday and tried to help them out a little bit. I feel like some people just need someone there to tell them they care about them. Lots of time weather it be on purpose, or by accident we exclude or offend others and the consequences are very strong. Now, I am a strong believer in the fact that we can choose to be offended or not and that we can include ourselves and be more outgoing, but I would say that we could be more careful. I would say that actions speak waaaaayyyy louder than words and that our example really matters. I only say this because I have unfortunately seen the results of many bad examples and the effects that it has on others and also those to whom in may even seem irrelevant. 

This is a large lesson that I have learned this week on how we can improve a little bit. I know that my example is not perfect and I need to get a lot better at this but everything we do or say to others will have some kind of impact on them so we must always be careful. I love all of you guys and am grateful for the many prayers and wishes. Have a fantastic week:)

Love 

Anziano Passantino 

11/4

Family and Friends!!

Well the mission just doesn't produce bad weeks. Maybe some better than others but never bad, and I can say the same about this one. We have had a fantastic week and I am super excited to be with Anziano P******. He is super awesome and we get along super well. He has taught me a lot already and is an amazing missionary who speaks really well for being in Italy for only around 4 months.

We had an amazing week and it has been very efficient. We have really hit it off together and we have some great goals for this next week and I can feel that there is a lot of amazing work that is about to happen.

This last week we had an amazing Halloween party and there were over seventy people there that participated, along with the fact that they were able to mix and mingle with the members and get to know them. Our English Course right now is really exploding with potential. After transfers were all finished we were able to meet with some of our new members and help strengthen them. 

Hopefully we can get a lot of work done this transfer, there isn't a lot to report for this week other than we are happy to be together and looking forward to everything. 

There are defiantly people to find here. We are all doing really good with good attitudes and heads up. We need to find and help these people grow and feel the blessings of the gospel. 

Thanks for everyones prayers and love! I hope you all have an amazing week!!

Love

Anziano Passantino

10/27

Family and Friends!!

Well the mission just doesn't produce bad weeks. Maybe some better than others but never bad, and I can say the same about this one. We have had a fantastic week and I am super excited to be with Anziano Pingree. He is super awesome and we get along super well. He has taught me a lot already and is an amazing missionary who speaks really well for being in Italy for only around 4 months.

We had an amazing week and it has been very efficient. We have really hit it off together and we have some great goals for this next week and I can feel that there is a lot of amazing work that is about to happen.

This last week we had an amazing Halloween party and there were over seventy people there that participated, along with the fact that they were able to mix and mingle with the members and get to know them. Our English Course right now is really exploding with potential. After transfers were all finished we were able to meet with some of our new members and help strengthen them. 

Hopefully we can get a lot of work done this transfer, there isn't a lot to report for this week other than we are happy to be together and looking forward to everything. 

There are defiantly people to find here. We are all doing really good with good attitudes and heads up. We need to find and help these people grow and feel the blessings of the gospel. 

Thanks for everyones prayers and love! I hope you all have an amazing week!!

Love

Anziano Passantino

10/20

Hello Everybody,

Well we have had another good week here. We loved being able to go up to Rome and have our Zone Conference there. I think it offered us all a nice refresher and it helped us to get a nice little energy boost for the rest of the transfer. Not to mention the fact that I love doing finding on the streets of Rome and seeing/meeting so many amazing people. The Lord blessed us with many miracles this week after a week that may have been a little bit harder. 

We had 2 new investigators this week The first is the mother of our new convert here named A******* who was born in Russia but has lived here for her entire life more or less. She has been praying to have the opportunity to share the gospel with her mother and this past week when we went to go see A******, her mother, Irina was the one that we actually taught. A****** was beyond happy that the joy that she recieved from the gospel is now being given to other parts of her family!

The other is a man here named L*****. He is an american that lives just down the street from us that we randomly met on the street. His wife lives here and is an Italian and he came here a lot for Judo. He was married and has remained here and now speaks both perfect English and Italian. He is really amazing, he grew up in the San Diego area but was born in China so actually he also speaks Chinese. He has showed some interest in the gospel as well and we are grateful for his friendship and we hope to be able to share this gospel and joy with him in the new future.

The hard part will be trying to get them to Church as they both have work problems but we will be fasting and praying and puting our faith in the Lord that He will provide a way for them to feel of the spirit as they come and join with us in Church. I am grateful for this work and the many miracles that I see each and every day!! Transfer calls are this week so we will see how that goes!!  Thanks for everything!! I love you all!

Love

Anziano Passantino

The Good Life

Family and Friends

Well this week has been a good one. To start off with today, we just got back from the Naval Base and we were playing woofle ball with some members and investigators there. It was lots of fun and took me back to the good ole days when we played with Josh and Brandon in our yard in Chico. I play a lot better now then I did back then though haha

Other than just the none work stuff we were humbled a little bit but we are still happy and recieving many blessings from the Lord. As usual after having success and happiness Satin trys to get you down by making you sad and discouraged. Well after an amazing week the week before, this week we were nailed by lots of different trials. Nothing major but we did see a lot of opposition, you could say, in the work. We had a week full of appointments and lessons, almost unlike any other before. We watched as day by day they kept on falling through, so much so that the only thing we could do was life and smile and just move on. It became a joke as each day we would get "that" phone call. The best thing is that neither Anziano Burnham nor I became discouraged. We both just kepts making jokes and moving on. I know that it will be a blessing for us:)

Other than that we did see a lot of success in meeting with new converts and less-active members. While studying this past week it really hit me the important responsibility we have to keep these people here and help them continue to have the blessings of the gospel. Those who have "lost there way" a little bit need to be helped out and loved. Here, we have been blessed with some realy success in the not so distant past and the Lord showed to me this week in my studies the responsibility I have to help not only those whom I helped recieve the blessings of the gospel but also those whom others have helped. The Lord loves ALL of His children and wants each and ever one of them to return and live with Him. Our responsibility is to help others to feel that love and partake of the blessings that come through the gospel. 

Other than that, not a lot to report on this week. I am grateful for this gospel and all that I am able to do to help His work go forward. Thanks for your prayers and love!

Anziano Passantino

10/6

Family and Friends,

We have had a great week here this week and we have really been blessed and edifyed. 

This past Friday we were able to witness the baptisms of both A****** and V****** here in Caserta. They are both very strong and we are grateful for the chance that we have had to teach them. They have actually taught us a lot in return which is one of the many paradoxes of the mission. As we teach others we also learn not only from them but through the spirit. Without the spirit it is impossible to learn at the level we need to grow spiritually. After the they received the Holy Ghost I asked them how the felt, V said he felt very strange and I asked him what he meant by that. He went on to explain about how for the first time in his life he had zero negative thoughts and that they were all positive. He also felt happier and more calm than ever before. This was such a big deal for him because he sufferes from Anxiety problems and for the first time he wasn't having those feelings while passing through a very big step in his life. I am grateful for the help that the Lord gives to His children to pass through the difficult trials we face in this life. I know that thorugh the Atonement of Christ we can recieve exterior help to be empowered to day and say things that we would not have been able to do or say on our own. He never leaves us down here alone and I know that He also speaks to Apostles and Prophets today that live and guide us,as they so elequently did this weekend, and teach us the path we must follow to one day return and live with Him. 

Something that has given me much comfort and joy in the past few months as been the invite by the Savior to "take up [our] cross and follow me." I know that as we do this He gives us the comfort and help that we need to overcome trials in this life and my testimony of this grew this past weekend as the prohpets and apostles taught and instructed us on how we can do our duty better or how we can "take up [our] cross daily" as Luke adds. 

The greatest testimony of which I had added upon this past weekend would best be summarized in the words of James as he said "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself uspotted from the world" I heard many different admonitions on the importance of helping others and most importantly following the two great commandments. Alll things taught this past weekend, in my opinion, could be summed up in the fact that we must love others, and most importantly, our God. I know this to be true and am grateful the the spirit testifyed of this to me this week!! I hope you have a great week!!

Love 

Anziano Passantino

9/29

Hey Family!!

How is everyone doing?? We have had a good week here and it has really just flown by. I feel like it was just the other day that I was doing my email. We have really had some good work going on here and we are very happy for this coming up week as many exciting things are happening. 

This past week went really well and especially english course. We have about 50 people or more that are coming to the course now but we have lots of people there that are very intersted in the gospel. 

On wednesday we really had a miracle happen though at our "family night" that we do mainly for the youth but now some older people are coming which is fine. We had a really cool experience there this past week. We started off by playing some games and just having fun then my comp and I did the spiritual thought. We did it about the gifts that each one of us have and how we can use them in our lives. We shared the video of a blind teenager who is an amazing piano player from the youth mormon messages! It went really well and the spirit was very strong as we explained it and bore testimony of how each one of us has gifts given to us by God, some people are good at some things and others are better at other things but we each are given gifts that help us become who we are to be. After we finished we asked if anyone would like to say the prayer (even though none of them are members of the church) and one lady said that she would like to. She started by saying dear heavenly father then she started balling and ran out of the room. She then proceeded to tell us how it was the first time she had said a prayer in more then 15 years. I stoped her on the street about 3 weeks ago and she has been coming to these activities and english course since that time. Her husband and her came to a ward activity we had last week on the American base and we brought another friend who knew them. It was an amazing miracle that they had so much fun and that they made so many good relationships there. She will come to church next week and hopefully everything will go well!! After the prayer she told us that the first time she came she though "can people really be that happy and is it true happiness" then she came the next few times to make sure we were not just faking it! She is really amazing and the Lord has blessed us with her this past week!!

A scripture that has been in my mind this week is Heleman 3:35 Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God." As we are humble, we have faith then we give our hearts to the Lord, He will bless us with the purifying and the sanctification of our hearts!! I love this work and everything the Lord gives to us. I can't imagine my life without it!! I hope everyone has a great week!!

 Love

Anziano Passantino

9/22

Dear Family and Friends,

We are doing really well here in Caserta. The work is going well, we are still trying to grow our teaching pool but those who we are teaching are really showing some great progress.

We do have two baptismal dates for the week of conference. These people are both youth and Italian and we are really looking forward to having them become members here because they would be the only Italian ones that are active. The ward here in Caserta has made a goal to make this an Italian self-sufficient ward and we cannot do that if there are 0 italian youth here. They are very excited and have great testimony's of the gospel and how they can really recieve answers to their prayers. They are even sharing the gospel with their family members because they have found this joy for themselves they want everyone in their families to have the same thing as well. 

Caserta is great, it is amazing to see a ward that is run correctly because of all the American members that are here and it really makes a big difference, the only hard thing is getting members to lessons when we have to teach in Italians. Hopefully they will show the desire and we will be able to help them with their desire!

This whole subject of how to get the Italian members excited about missionary work has really been on my mind the last week during my studies and my prayers! I know that we need to help them out and the only thing that has come to me thus far is just to love them. We have to love others, that is what gets them to work. Without love it is harder for others to have a desire to share this messagge with others so we really need to love them. I hope this will be something we can really work on here. 

Have a great week everyone!!

Love Anziano Passantino

9/16

Dear Family and Friends,

Sorry but this week I don't really have time to write an email so I have copied and pasted some statements in my letter to our mission president. It was a crazy day yesterday so we got permission to use 20 min to email today! I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Well, I feel as though it might be a little bit clique always saying the same thing but it has been another great week her in Caserta. The work is really starting to go forward. We have some good work but we both know that we are going to have to work a really hard this next transfer to try and get some new people to teach.

First off, Anziano B and I are happy to be able to serve together for another transfer. I hope to continue to learn and grow from his example.

 

We had stake conference and after that I think that everyone in this zone is really going to recieve that push to go forward. President D really gave some amazing talks that made me think like it was general conference just a few weeks early. The mission president gave a great talk about member missionary work and that will be a big focus here in Caserta in the next little while. Members are everything to us and we hope to be able to help by teaching their friends and family after the manner of the spirit. We also have talked to our ward mission leader to get a copy of the stake and ward missionary plan as something that we can look at, ponder and pray about to try and get the work here to really burst forward. As I have said in the recent past we have been blessed with so many miracles that it is hard even to count them.

We have had some good work with those we are teaching as well this week as they are beginning to work toward their baptismal dates at the beginning of october. We are excited that we are seeing the interest of lots of youth here and as youth begin to feel the spirit, they are the best at sharing it with friends and family. Our investigators that are progressing are really looking up and are, what we would like to think, the "future" so to speak of the wards and branches here in this area. The more we work with the youth the more the future of the church will grow. I thank the Lord for all that He does in this work and for the trials and blessings that He gives to us. 

I hope everyone is doing well and that you all have great weeks!!

 Love 

Anziano Passantino

8/18

Friends and Family,

How was everyones week? We have had a great week. The work here is going well and we are having a lot of fun and working very hard together.  I am really liking it here and I hope that I will be able to really help others here. 

This week we went to a few members house on the base and met with them. All of them are super cool and when we go to the base for me it is like going into a little American city. For diner we had a nice little stake and mashed patatoes with salad. Just an amazing typical meal that I haven't seen/eaten for a year. Plus as gifts they gave us Dr. Pepper, Mt. Dew, Honey Bunches of Oats and Fruit Loops with normal American milk. I guess being here has its benifits;) haha It is strange to see normal American things just around but it is pretty cool as well!

This week we were able to find a couple new people that we are teaching.One is named Amos. We found him last week and we started the conversation by talking about the prophet Amos. He is very spiritual and he loves God so we are really hoping that  he will be able to come to church next week and listen to this wonderful message about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. He has accepted the Book of Mormon and really wants to know the truth.

Then J****** and M******. J is from Nigeria and M from Austria but then they both live here now but will be going back soon. They are working really hard to always be closer to Christ. The story on how they were found is really amazing and shows that Joseph follows the promptings of the spirit. One day when they Anziani were looking for their house and they couldn't find it. Then Joseph felt like he should call them randomly without an appointment and he did so. They "happened" ti be there but we all know that that was the spirit guiding them. They are the most humble most amazing couple ever, they came here to get married but it didn't work out very well. They had to stay and ended up meeting the missionaries in the most incredible way and then she got pregnant. They are now living the law of chastity and will be married on wednesday but they told us they will do the big wedding when they go to the temple when it is "really special". They are great and will soon be able to accept the gospel through baptism and whether it is here or in Austria we are very excited for them.

Hope you all are doing well and that you all have a great week. I hope that everyone is safe and protected this week and I love yo all!!

Love,
Anziano Passantino

A LITTLE BOY WENT DOWN TO NAPOLI, BECAUSE HE MISSED THE SCENERY (DEAN MARTIN SONG)

haha I don't know if that is exactly how the song goes by dean martin but you'll have to look it up. We always sing it,  the "HEY MAMBO, Mambo italiano" song for the subject line.

Hey Everyone,

Well it has been a really great week!!. I have already fallen in love with Caserta and I know that there are people here that are ready for the gospel. Anziano B and I are ready to bring them the "great news". I am excited also to be in an area with many of the Americans and Italians so that I can learn from both cultures because I think that each one has something to offer. 
I feel that in my time here I will try to really focus on getting some referals from the members because they are all really strong and very helpful. The church organization really works here and I think that we can really use that to our favor. We also were able to go to a ward activity last Saturday on the American Base and I think that really helped others get to know us and us to get to know them and just to create a good relationship with them. It was perfect timing for us who are newly arrived!  Members and missionaries really need to come together to bring this work forward. Neither one of them can do it by themselves and I think the general authorities of the church are really trying to teach this especially recently.
In terms of work, it seems as though this area has had a lot of baptisms in the recent past and that calls for a lot of work with our new converts and helping them grow in the church. That along with the fact that we will be teaching our own people calls for a lot of hard work and so I am super duper excited!!
We do have two investigators that were going to be baptized here at the end of the month but they have decided that they want to wait until they can do it together in their home country of Austria. They came here planning to stay for about a month so they could get married but the papers didn' work out very well so they have stayed for longer, but during that stay they have met the missionaries, taken all the lessons and excepted invites to be baptized. We are very excited for them and we know that their short time here in Italy was for a reason and that reason was to meet the missionaries but more importantly come unto Christ. They already have the address there in Austria and have promissed us that they would go. They are both very strong spiritually and we are very happy for them and the family they are about to start and that they will be able to grow that family in a home blessed by the gospel. 
We are really doing "a great work" and we are so happy to be dong so. The pizza is just another little plus (by the way, IT IS SOOOOO GOOD HERE!!)  Have a great week everybody and remember, miracles do happen and they happen every single day!!!!

Love
Anziano Passantino

8/4/14

Dear Family and Friends,

Well, as you may be able to tell or maybe already know, I have been transferred from Catanzaro to Caserta. It is close to Napoli (Naples in English). I am very excited to go but at the same time very happy. Our ward will be half American and half Italian because of an American base that is in our area. It will be like being close to home again so we'll see how it goes.
 Well it has been a great last week here in Catanzaro. It wasn't quite as successful number wise as we would have liked but I believe Anziano G and I can both say that it was full of hard work. We both felt the spirit many times this week and we know it is because of the hard work going on here.
As we have been taught so clearly in this past year we have been striving to really follow-up on everything. Seeing as how it was the end of the month we decided we need to make sure that we followed-up with our less-actives. We were able to help out one less-active who has had back surgery in the not so distant past but wasn't physically able to get up and move things around in her house. We helped her son with some of the manual labor just in time to make it back before English course.I think this really strengthened our relationship with her and I believe that in the near future they will start becoming strong again. They just need that little push to get them over the hump.
We found an amazing link this past week that showed us such an incredible miracle that we felt so very blessed. The son in the less-active family is 22 years old. He has been coming to church for the past few months or so without missing. We have been thinking about him and how we can get him onto a mission because we really think that this could help firstly, his family come back to church, and secondly, the future of this branch and the strength of it. Up until this week we haven't been able to come up with anything that really sparks his interest in going on a mission but this past week we figured out what might help. It turns out that one of our investigators, the one who teaches English at school, knows this family and in particular this boy. She told us that he has always stuck out to her as someone different, someone who had morals that most kids don't have in these days. We made the connection that this is his path to the mission. If he can watch the conversion of someone he knows and can participate in the teaching and even the baptism/conversion process himself, this might spark the desire to serve the Lord full time.
We have been fasting and praying for this opportunity and we hope this might be the future here. It was not by chance that we stopped this women and she had the desire to learn about the gospel and it is not by chance that she has always looked to this one man as an example or almost a beacon to her. I hope with all my heart that this is the plan of the Lord but He knows best. I have seen examples of his knowledge and wisdom every day a little bit more vividly for my entire life.
I won't lie, I was a little bit caught off guard with the transfer call as I thought I would probably stay, my time here has really been great and I have learned a lot. There is a proverb about Catanzaro that says "you come in crying because you don't want to be there, but you leave crying as well because you don't want to leave" . That is definitely the case here although I didn't come in crying because I knew nothing of the place before coming but I am beyond excited to serve in Caserta as it has been a secret dream of mine to serve there my whole mission. 

My love and prayers are with all of you there. I will eat a nice Napoli Pizza for you all:) Your welcome!! hahaha. I hope you all have an amazing week and I'll talk to you all next week after arriving there.

Love

Anziano Passantino

7-28-14

Ciao Tutti,

How is everyone doing this week?? We are doing really great. We are completely exhausted this week but we are still moving I guess haha:)

Well it has really been a week full of blessing and miracles from our Savior. We have really been blessed this week and both Anziano G and I are very grateful. Last Monday evening we received a call from a member who used to be in our branch here in Catanzaro but has since moved to England. They asked us to give blessings and little lessons to some of their family members (the grandparents of the family) that still live here. We felt an amazing spirit as we were able to give blessings to and meet with these wonderful people. Then we also found out that the parents on the side of the Mother were less-active members who hadn't come to church in over 25 years. They were on our ward list but had the wrong address and phone number. Now we have the correct address and phone number and we can help them become welcome again into the arms of their Savior Jesus Christ. The parable of the Pastor and His lost sheep really fits here. The Savior never gives up on any of His lost sheep even if they have been lost for more than 25 years, He loves each and every person on this earth and uses us as means to communicate with and show love towards His lost children.

We found out that M*****'s  dog this week had been bitten by a tick and so she has been in and out of the hospital all week with that but luckily we were able to pass by on Thursday and give her some brownies. Then Saturday we went to her house again with Alessio, our member, and visited with her again. This time even her husband listened to us and was curious after not showing much interest in the past. It was really good and the spirit was very strong.

Then Yesterday (and every day in between) we saw the hand of the Lord present in our lives but more importantly in the lives of others. Last Thursday Anziano G extended invites to come to church to a few of our students in English Course and we didn't think much of it. Then yesterday one of them showed up to church at exactly 10:00 ready to learn. We took him into a room apart with Alessio (a member of our Branch Presidency and convert of 3 years) and we were able to teach him all about the restoration and the story of how it came to be. Then he stayed for Sacrament Meeting and really enjoyed it. After we took him around and introduced him to the rest of the Branch and while doing so our Branch Presidents wife invited him over for Pranzo. We all went over there and we were able to have lunch together and then we watched the Restoration film and explained a little more about it and the Ranieri Family bore their personal testimonies. It was such a miracle and he really enjoyed the entire day. We all felt the spirit and he is very interested in knowing more about the church.

The Lord is really guiding this work. I know I say that every week but I really feel like it is true. Anziano Gardenhire and I are really trying to get this work here in Catanzaro going again after quite the drought over the last little while. With the help we are getting form above the work is going forward. We won't stop persisting though as this Branch needs some real help. Thanks for all the prayers that you are all giving to me. I seriously feel the help and have seen the results of them!! I love you all so much!!

Love

Anziano Passantino

Presidente and Sorella Waddoups' Blog

Presidente and Sorella Waddooups have a amazing blog. Many times, we find pictures of C.J. on it and here stories from their point of view. To read it Click on the link at the top of the page. He's in a recent blog post "Taranto Zone Conference - July 2014"

Zone Conference

Well it has been another week full of good hard work here in Catanzaro (and in Statte with Zone Conference)

First off, about the water.Last P-day we went up to this park in the City where they have like these public water faucets that they have here in Italy. We took my comps suitcase with like 8 two liter bottles and filled them up. It was a little bit strange but we didn't want to pay. We looked super sketchy though with our white shirts and ties and a random suitcase with water bottles in it trying to fill them up as quickly as possible  so that people didn't get mad at us. hahahaha it must have been quite the site.

Then we had Zone Conference. Zone conference week is crazy here. We left on Tuesday at 6 in the morning and we arrived in Taranto at 1:30! Then we ate lunch and studied the language and then off to the church to have our interviews with president. Those went well and we also had to wait for the two Anziani there that we were staying with and doing exchanges with for that day because they were waiting for their interviews and and an investigators baptismal interview. Then we taught their English Course and I got to teach with my old Comp Anziano M*******! We worked together through most of the week so that was cool to be with him again for exchanges. Then Wednesday was Zone Conference and more exchanges and we came home on Thursday and arrived around 3 headed straight to a lesson and then straight to English Course. It was pretty crazy.

Luckily we were able to catch an early train back to Catanzaro so that we could get a lesson in with the English Teacher on Thursday before we had to be back for English Course. It went well and she said she would try to come to church but she wasn't able to. We will really be trying to focus on how she needs to come to church in this coming up week so that she can make a relationship with her and the branch. We really feel that once she comes she will love it but Satin knows it as well and is trying to stop her from getting here.
We are also working a lot with a less-active sister now. She really has a fear of leaving her house and has a doctors note saying she has this Phobia but we were able to bare testimony of the Enabling Power of the Atonement and how because of Christ's Atonement we can see miracles in our lives and we will be able to overcome the difficulties and do things that we may think we can't physically do. We also bore witness of the power that we can receive through the Atonement to have strength beyond our own. Step by step we are trying to help her come to church and show her that with the help of branch members and friends and most importantly our Savior Jesus Christ that she can overcome any obstacle in her life and become stronger.
I have a strong testimony of this. Whenever as missionaries we fall or we get week, our Savior lifts us in ways unimaginable and ways that we wouldn't even have been able to imagine. We also can receive answers to our prayers if we are asking with a sincere heart really wanting to know!! The scriptures have been so vital in my life and I really appreciated the trainings that we received this week about the importance of the scriptures about them at this past Zone Conference. I feel so blessed to be here helping others and see how they are really helping me as well. I testify that Christ lives, He loves us, and He will help us in ANY way that we need if we will be humble enough to ask for it and have faith in His Plan!!

I hope everyone has an amazing week!! Love you all!!

Love

Anziano Passantino

Anziano K*****. He is a legend in our Mission and know as one of greatest missionaries. I like him because of his example to each of us of how we need to work diligently, he loves his Savior and knows that he was a representative of Jesus Christ. He is a great example to me, not perfect but striving every day to become so and to please his Brother and Redeemer!

 This is me eating Puccia. It was sooooooooo goood. It is like Pizza dough specially made but then they cut it open and put in french fries, Mozzarella, ketchup, mayonnaise, and raw ham, It is amazing. And they only make it in Taranto/Statte where our Zone Conference was! 

A Few Questions Answered

So, I (C.J's sister) have learned that an easier way to get some good details from him is to ask a few specific questions each week! Do you have a question? Ask it in the comments and we'll have him answer them each week!


1.) What's your favorite things about your companion?
 My comp is super happy and very selfless, he is always willing to help me by doing the dishes or like making a meal or stuff like that

2.) What was the best part of your week?
We had a district blitz where we all got together in our city and did finding all day long. We had lunch together and did lots of fun games and stuff and it was way good. We made pasta al forno which is just pasta then put into the oven but you have to put a bunch of stuff on it/in it to make it good.

3.) What is the weather like there right now? 
 It is hot and humid. It is humid because we are sooo close to the sea that all the water comes from there

4.) What's the best meal you've had so far? 
 this is really hard, I have never had a meal that I didn't really like other than when they gives us raw pig meat sliced up like lunch meat. I'm not a huge fan of that. 

There is salmonella in the water!!! Yikes!

July, 14 2014 

Dear Family and Friends,
Yes the title of this letter is true. The city has found  Salmonella in the water here but don't worry. We have been super careful to stay away from it. It has caused a lot of little problems such as the fact that we can't do our dishes with the water, take showers with it or even use it to brush our teeth. Luckily we were prepared with a stock pile of clean water but that is running low so part of our p day today will be going to get new clean water and finding it for free will be the fun part.
Anyway we are still working super hard here in Catanzaro. This past week we have been doing a lot of finding but also have been seeing some of the fruits as well.
This week we got a new person that is interested in the gospel from our English Course. He is a little bit older, about 65 but he has know the church for a while and he went to English course about 23 years ago once or twice. He recognized the white shirts and ties and came over and talked to us. He came to the course that night and has shown some great interest in the church. Anziano G******** did a great spiritual thought about the Book of Mormon and used the Mormon message of the Bishop in England to explain the Book of Mormon. This new man, Rosario is his name, was very intrigued and really wants to start reading it so we were able to give him one and invite him to do so. Unfortunately we were unable to get him in church but maybe next week. We really think he will hit it off with our Branch President because they are very similar and will get a long well in our opinion.
We also were able to meet with M***** the English teacher a couple of times this week. She is doing great. We did invite her to baptism this week and she responded very nervously, I think we messed up a little bit and caught her just a bit off guard but we were able to comfort her with our testimonies and our witness of the importance of following the Savior. She will be praying about her answer and we are praying that she will be able to receive it as well. We know that she will if she does it with "real intent"
This week was our district blitz as well. We did it on Saturday and we were all able to work really hard for the whole day. Crotone was very helpful and they had great attitudes about everything. We really love our district here!! I have learned so much from all of them about hard work and having fun. We really hope that the result of this blitz will help our work here in Catanzaro and help us to help others understand who they are and where the truth is and how they can accept our Heavenly Father and become His sons and daughters.
I know this work is being guided by our Savior and Jesus Christ and that there are miracles happening all around us each and every day. Thank you always for the support and love that you all give to me. I hope everyone is well and if not please know how many people are praying for you each and every day and that means me as well!! Have a great week!!

Love,
Anziano Passantino

July 7, 2014

The work is going well. We are still working really hard at finding new people. This coming up week we will be doing a small district blitz where we will have our entire district come and doing finding in our area to try and mix up the teaching pool. We are pretty much putting our work in the Lords hands, we have decided that it not only is the only smart thing to do but it is what He wants. We have dropped most of our investigators, those who really didn't have the desire to progress and didn't have a true desire to learn the gospel but would rather just "be friends" and we are trusting in the Lord that He can and will help us based on our effort and obedience.
We do still have that English Teacher named M*****. She is really trying. We really want to get her in church and try to bring some people who speak English to the lessons. I think this can help her to feel more comfortable in Church and with all of us here. We were able to meet here this week but she wasn't able to come to church. We really feel like she can be baptized in the near future if she can feel the push from spirit to keep going. She has lots of great questions and she is really trying to do what is right. I pray that she will receive and answer in the near future.

 Anziano G********* and I had a very unique experience yesterday. we got split up for about 30 min. I had gotten on a train coming home from the Ranieri home(our branch president) and my companion was right behind me, but the doors closed on his arm and to get out he had to get off the train. Then the train started going. Luckily we were prepared and knew what to do so we were able to get everything figured out in about 25 min and still make it back to visit a less active that is going through a really hard time.I just took the train ride home alone and was able to talk to a lady about the gospel. My comp stayed at the station waiting for our branch president to pick him up and take him to where my train ended and he was able to talk to someone about the church as well.  It turned out being okay but it did give us a little scare.
Overall we are doing good. We have been wasting a lot of time waiting for trains and transportation in general over these past few weeks and months since I have been here and so we are trying to figure out how we can figure that out and still work to the best of our ability. This past week we spent 11 hours waiting for or being on transportation. We don't have any choice though because we live in a town of like 100 people that all know the missionaries. In fact every time we walk past we have this one guys that stands up from his bench that he is always sits on and yells AMERICA!! Plus it would take about 3 hours up a mountain to get to where we find people and have lessons with them by walking haha 

Well I hope you guys have a good week. Sounds like the family Reunion went well and that everyone is still doing good. Thanks for everything!!!

Love
Anziano Passantino

My Big Fat Italian Wedding

Dear Family and Friends,

Well, what a week! Monday and tuesday were good and filled with a lot of Finding. In the two days combined we had 8 lessons that were canceled on us... haha pretty funny huh?  But we had a good English Course on Tuesday. Italy was playing in the World Cup so only 3 people showed up, 1 in my class (advanced) and 2 in my comps class ( basic) The lesson was on banking and saving money. Seeing as I only had one student we went and watched a talk from our dearest Anzaino (Elder) Bednar. It was about Tithing, the one given two conferences ago about the Windows of Heaven. Yes..... I watched a talk about tithing with a non member but I was prompted by the spirit to do so. He agreed with everything, especially at the end when he explained about how the church uses the funds. This guy is really awesome. He has seen EVERY Mormon message the church has put out. He shows us the new ones. haha. The Anziani in the past taught him and, like they are supposed to, they invited him to baptism. He kind of got scared and asked them not to teach him anymore. But he still comes to English Course so we will still work on helping him!

Then Wednesday! Well we had a wedding here this week. I'm surprised that I didnt tell you guys about it before. The Bride is one of the 15 members we have here in our branch. She is part of the 8 person family here called the Ranieri family! Because the Elders and missionaries are soo close here, they asked my comp to play the piano at the wedding. Which means I was along for the Party ;) haha We had to get permission from just about every person in the mission (or at least it seems like it). Its because it was pretty crazy haha. The wedding was in the BEAUTIFUL beyond description Ancient castle! Inside it was pretty new (except no AC when it was SCALDING HOT with a Suit on.  Here they get married in public and then they go to the temple later in the week. It was great, but then there was the party!

We were driven to this restaurant that was super nice. We had our table with the missionaries and Fratello Mortenson who served a mission here 3 years ago and was my teacher in the MTC. It was super great to see him!! Then they started the party.. haha ( I'm glad we got permission from tons of people or I would have felt super apostate haha) They brought out like 8 different courses, and if you think the Italians eat a lot normally, you should see how they eat at weddings. WE ATE SOOOOO MUCH!! And it was all super good. Lots of Sea Food. 

The dad of the Groom was CRAZY!!!!!!!!! He was just like yelling in Calabrese (the dialect here) like the whole night and just kept steeling the microphone from the DJ. haha It is hard to explain it all in an email but I hope you all know it was crazy and fun and tiring. It was really cool and I don't think I'll ever do something like it again. We got home at 3 in the morning... and yes we did wake up at 6:30. But don't worry we had permission to do this :)

Anyway, the week was good and crazy. On Saturday we helped out and older women with her house. Other than that it was a lot of finding but it was good. We are doing well. I hope everyone is doing well and has a great week!! 

Love

Anziano Passantino

Staying in Cantanzaro

Jun 23, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

How is everyone doing?? We are doing well here, we found out that I will be staying here to do my 3rd transfer these next 6 weeks. These last two here have really flown by. We have had another great week here. The work is looking up. I know I keep saying that but I really fell that way. This past week we have found quite a few new contacts so we are praying for the best. I know the Lord really is helping us here. Anziano G********* and I are happy to be together again this transfer. We really feel like we can get some work started down here.
This week we have been meeting a lot with this one contact who is really awesome. She actually is a teacher of English and she is very nice. The coolest part is that she calls us the day after we meet with her to see when we can meet again if we haven't already set up the appointment. And now with school being finished she is even more free. She has lots of concerns about death and after this life and the Plan of Salvation is really helping her. I hope we can really touch her heart. Unfortunately lots of our contact lessons for the first lesson have been falling through. 

We have had some crazy rejection stories here this past week. One guy we tried to stop on the street yelled at us in english "Jesus is the Lord" and then started running away. Another guys let us in and then proceeded to tell us how he didn't like us and didn't want us in his house but then left us with what he called a "gift" which was a "prayer in tongues" that was pretty strange as well. hahaha. We try to find people about 6 hours every day so we have lots of funny rejection stories. You have to make it fun in some ways. I am VERY tired though haha 

Thanks for all the prayers and support that you all give to me. I love you all very much!

Love

Anziano Passantino

English Course

June 16, 2014

This week has been another great one. We have been working really hard at trying to find people to teach and helping those in whom we are teaching now to start making progress. It has been good. We are continuing to work with our English Course to really find some new people to tech with that program. Like I've said in the past, it is a way that we can really help others come unto Christ. They can feel the spirit as we share our spiritual thoughts with them.
Again this week we had an inspired English Course spiritual thought. That day we had done finding for about 6 hours and we were trying to use "all of our golf clubs" and so we went out to our Lungo Mare( the walkway near the beach) with a white board and pen and wrote a question on it trying to get people to respond by filling in their answer. We then we start a gospel conversation with them about the subject. The last question that we did in our finding was " Do you believe that God answers prayers?" and then a place to mark yes, no, or boh (idk)! We had okay success with it while doing finding near the beach but then instead of doing the designed spiritual thought for english course I felt prompted to ask them the same question. This led to an amazing conversation where lots of the members really opened up about how they had seen answers and even those who believed they hadn't seen answers and that they couldn't receive that answer! Then I was able to bare testimony of the power of prayer and I really feel like many of the people there were able to feel the spirit.
We have been doing a lot of finding in this past week but we are trying hard to stay positive and continue to do the Lords work and to bring more people unto Him. Although it sometimes gets tough, I have no doubt that He is guiding this work and that He cares for each person that we pass. I am grateful for the change He has given me to see that. 

Not a whole lot to report this week. I hope everyone is doing well. I love and miss you all!!

Love
Anziano Passantino

CANTAZZZZZARO!

June 9, 2014 

Hello Everyone,

This week was pretty crazy. I'm just going to jump right into it. Monday morning we recieved a call from the Zone Leaders saying that they had changed Zone conference from Wednesday to Tuesday and seeing as how it takes 6 hours to get there for us, that was quite a big difference. So we were going to leave at 3 on Monday and sleep in another city to get there Tuesday morning for the conference. Then just after my comp started his email, we recieved a call from the Sisters of Crotone (the closest city to us but still about an hour away) and they asked us to come to the hospital in Catanzaro where they were. They had gotten into an ambulance with a lady and she needed help but they drove them and hour to get to the hospital here because the one there is really bad. We went up there to give this lady a blessing and then we had to try and get back to get our train to make the bus to get to Zone conference. This lady that they were with was from Whales and was on a cruise when she went into labor while they were at port in Crotone but she was only 6 and a half months pregnant. She didn't speak any Italian and she was stuck there but luckily somebody that works at the Hospital there called the sisters to go and help them at 4 in the morning!

Then they canceled our miny train to get to the big train so we were stuck in Catanzaro because we missed our train to get to conference. Then we decided we could go to Crotone and stay there with the elders there for the night and take a 6 oclock bus that would get us to conference. We did that and finally made it to conference. Then we almost missed our bus home but somehow managed to get on. On wednesday we finally got home from conference and then went to help the sisters who had been helping this lady. SOOOO CRAZYY but the people who had the baby were sooo grateful and it was their first contact with the church. The baby is okay but really small so the mom and the baby have to be here for another month. We will go and visit them every once and a while just to see how they are. Haha soooo crazy.
Sorry I didn't talk about any missionary stuff but I wanted to share this story. It was really crazy and a miracle that they were able to find the sisters and therefore save the life of this baby. Everything has a purpose!!! and everything happens for a reason. The Lord loves ALLLL of His children and cares for the life of each and every one. I know that He cares for us and Loves us. We also had many other miracles this week that have been recorded in my journal for other days but I am sooo grateful for this opportunity I have to be here and see the hand of the Lord every day. I love you all!! Have a great week.

Love
Anziano Passantino

The English course student and I! His name is Luigi! He is awesome 

 Me in front of the Byzantine Church

Me wanting to go into the Sea because it is scalding hot!!

What a crazy week!

June, 2 2014

Hello Everyone,

This week was pretty crazy. I'm just going to jump right into it. Monday morning we received a call from the Zone Leaders saying that they had changed Zone conference from Wednesday to Tuesday and seeing as how it takes 6 hours to get there for us, that was quite a big difference. So we were going to leave at 3 on Monday and sleep in another city to get there Tuesday morning for the conference. Then just after my comp started his email, we received a call from the Sisters of Crotone (the closest city to us but still about an hour away) and they asked us to come to the hospital in Catanzaro where they were. They had gotten into an ambulance with a lady and she needed help but they drove them and hour to get to the hospital here because the one there is really bad. We went up there to give this lady a blessing and then we had to try and get back to get our train to make the bus to get to Zone conference. This lady that they were with was from Whales and was on a cruise when she went into labor while they were at port in Crotone but she was only 6 and a half months pregnant. She didn't speak any Italian and she was stuck there but luckily somebody that works at the Hospital there called the sisters to go and help them at 4 in the morning!

Then they canceled our miny train to get to the big train so we were stuck in Catanzaro because we missed our train to get to conference. Then we decided we could go to Crotone and stay there with the elders there for the night and take a 6 oclock bus that would get us to conference. We did that and finally made it to conference. Then we almost missed our bus home but somehow managed to get on. On Wednesday we finally got home from conference and then went to help the sisters who had been helping this lady. SOOOO CRAZYY but the people who had the baby were sooo grateful and it was their first contact with the church. The baby is okay but really small so the mom and the baby have to be here for another month. We will go and visit them every once and a while just to see how they are. Haha soooo crazy.
Sorry I didn't talk about any missionary stuff but I wanted to share this story. It was really crazy and a miracle that they were able to find the sisters and therefore save the life of this baby. Everything has a purpose!!! and everything happens for a reason. The Lord loves ALLLL of His children and cares for the life of each and every one. I know that He cares for us and Loves us. We also had many other miracles this week that have been recorded in my journal for other days but I am sooo grateful for this opportunity I have to be here and see the hand of the Lord every day. I love you all!! Have a great week.

Love
Anziano Passantino

A Wonderful Week!!!

May 28, 2014

iao Tutti,

We have had another wonderful week here in Catanzaro. This week has been one of the best out of my time here. We were able to see many miracles and many little blessings this week.
we had a random exchange with the Assistants this week out of nowhere but we had lots of fun  while they were here and I would say that I learned a lot from them. Among one of the biggest lessons I learned from them during there short stay would have to be how to be happy all the time. They have soooo much energy, it is a little bit against my personality to be like that but I do understand how I need to show the joy of the gospel to all those around me. I feel like I've gotten a little bit better at that but there is always room for improvement right?
At the beginning of the week we were blessed to have a wonderful tender mercy. Last week I told you about the miracle that we had while trying to find the less-active member of the church and how that led to getting a new investigator who lives just below our less-active sister. We were very excited to have the opportunity to return and teach her more of our wonderful message. As we began the lesson somebody knocked on the door. When they came into the room we were teaching in it turned out to be the less-active sister who the missionaries hadn't contacted in over two years. We were able to teach the message of the Restoration and bare witness to each of them of the comfort and assurance that comes as we begin to follow Jesus Christ's example and put into practice His gospel. Then out of nowhere our less-active member was able to bare testimony of what we were saying. She said that what we were saying is true and for some reason she has just lost her course a little bit and would like to find it again. As we invited both of them to church the member stated how she would bring this now investigator to church one of these days. We didn't see them this week in church but we are praying and hoping they will be able to come at next week.
I feel like the Lord really answered many of my prayers this week. My first Zone Conference when I gave my testimony I remember talking about how we can see miracles in our lives through the power and strength we receive through prayer(in broken Italian). If anything that testimony has only grown(and the Italian has gotten better) and I know that the Lord answers our prayers of extreme faith. He loves us! I have been praying for these miracles and these lessons and many of them have been answered this week. I feel so very grateful for all that I have been given. I hope everyone has a great week and that you all remember how much I love you all.

Love 

Anziano Passantino

Pictures from this Transfer

New Transfer

May 19, 2014 

Ciao Tutti,

Well it's been another good week here. Anziano G********* and I are excited to get to work together so that we can start growing the work together here in Catanzaro. I like to think of this work here as growing the base of the branch for the future. We have good members right now but lots of them are older and so we would like to find some of the younger people to help for the future. The work is really looking up here as well as we are starting to find some really good potentials especially in these last few weeks.
On Saturday we had a tender mercy as we were trying to find some less-actives for the month of the invite coming very soon. We were working really hard at finding and talking to people that day and we hadn't had to much luck up to that point. We then stopped by a less-actives house only to find that she wasn't home... We were writing a note to let her know that we had stopped by and that we would be passing by in the near future. At that time I felt prompted to ring the door bell of one of her neighbors that lived in her building. This women answered the door and let us in, at this point we were both a little bit surprised because as I'm sure you all know we don't get let in very often doing house. I wasn't super surprised though because we were working hard and being guided by the spirit. We were able to have a nice conversation about the Restoration and how it can bless their lives as a family. I am really hoping that this family might be our new base. They are husband and wife and they have two kids around 30 years old that we might begin teaching.
One of the greatest things that I have been so blessed to see in my life is how the Lord uses us to bless the lives of others. Sometimes it seems like everyone just wants to argue with us or they have no real interest in what we are saying but then the Lord blesses us with a tender mercy and there is someone who has been prepared by Him to receive the gospel at this time in their lives. I am excited to work with Elder G********** to bring the "great news" to these people here and try to grow our base. We are also working with all members but specifically the younger ones to try and give us some referrals. We will see in the near future if our endeavors in that field will bring some fruit but I know that the Lord is guiding the work here and that Elder G********* and I have been called to serve and help the people here.
I know I tell you often but I hope you really know how grateful I am for all you guys do to support me while I'm here!! Have a great week!!

Sending Pictures

May 12, 2014 

I'm not sending a big one this week because we all talked yesterday. It was sooooo nice hearing from all of you and getting to talk to you all. I will send some pics this week instead of a big email. I love you all and will talk to you next week!!

sorry pics didn't work super well.... I could only send one for every email after I waited for them to download. you will get more next week!!

It's My Birthday

May 5, 2014

Ciao Tutti,

Well I can't write anything long because I spent waaaaayyyyy to much time sending personal emails. I feel like the luckiest man on earth to have all the love that was given to me this week. I love you all soooo much and am so grateful to have known you all in one way or another. You all mean sooo much to me in your own personal way. As I responded to all the emails I was grateful for the people that have been placed into my life. I honestly don't know why I am as blessed as I am but I have met some amazing people and been given some amazing friends and family in my life. 

I want to let you all know that I am doing well. We are working hard even if the work isn't quite going foreward as we might hope we will always do the will of the Lord our Savior. I want to bare my testimony that I know that Christ lives and love EACH one of us Personally. He knows what we are going through and what we have need of, all he asks is that we exercise faith in Him and He will bless us in all aspects of life. He has a Plan that is PERFECT and we must have the faith to follow that plan even if it isn't exactly what we think is the beest or we think might be right. He is allknowing and He will bless us if we trust in Him. I love you all and hope all is going well. Miracles happen. Have a great week!!

Love

Anziano Passantino

Sicily

April, 28 2014

Dear Family and friends

I hope everyone had a good week.For us this week has been very quick and I've been a bit tired but overall it was a good week. Monday was pretty crazy here as we tried to get all of the cleaning and Pday activities done so that we could go to Siracusa on Tuesday morning. Then from Tuesday to Thursday were were in Siracusa getting Anziano K*****'s permesso. I was happy to have the opportunity to go and do some missionary work with the Anziani there in Siracusa. They are both great elders and are working really hard. They are seriously doing a great job. All the missionaries there, Anziani and Sorelle, are really great and super friendly. I feel like the work there will really start to pick up here soon. 

When we got to Siracusa I had an awesome experience with the first person there that I really met. This man looked at my name tag and asked if I was Italian like most people do when they read my name. I then explained to him about how I was born in America and have always lived there but how my name is Italian and how I have the Sicilian blood. He then came up to me gave me a big hug and said (in Italian obviously) "This guy right here is my brother" That was super special to me and I will never forget that moment, I felt like I was home again there in Sicily. Other than that the trip was great, like I said they are all great missionaries there. Plus we had some Arancini and Granita. Both made famous by Sicily and they were sooo good. And we also had some canoli this week as well!!

Then we were able to get home with enough time to send a fax of Anziano K***** permesso to the office and then teach English course. On Friday we went and looked for some less active members but unfortunately we didn't really find anyone at home. We left a little note and an invitation to come back to church. Hopefully we will be able to find some less actives here soon because we have searched for about 10 different ones and they have all been gone. We then had the chance to go to Crotone to have a Scambio with the elders there and go and watch the baptism that they had there. 

The spirit at the baptism was great.A sister in Crotone gave a talk on the Holy Ghost and I felt the sweet feeling of assurance of the Holy Ghost in my life as she testified of Its comfort. I know that the spirit has really blessed my life and that it is always with me as long as I am striving to do my best at being obedient and worthy of Its guidance. 

Are week has been very busy but the work here has suffered a little bit, hopefully we can bounce back strong this week. We are struggling finding people to teach so we are trying to use all of our "Golf Clubs" to find some new people to teach. We have some good potentials that hopefully we will be able to meet this week. Other than that we are doing well. Hoping that everyone there is doing well. Keep us in your prayers that we might find some people to teach. We are struggling to find people to teach and just investigators in general. Thanks for everything you all do and for your examples to me!! I love you all.

Love

Anziano Passantino