Singin the the rain!

Dear Family and Friends
,

How is everyone doing? Hopefully very good! We are doing quite well here in Terni. This week has been very good. Today we are in the City of Perugia, this is about and hour and a half away from home but still part of our Area as a group in Terni. It is known for the Chocolate factory and we were going to go there but it was closed and super far away anyway. We then went on a search for this Internet Point for about 2 hours trying to get to email. In the meantime is has been raining and we were very unprepared, meaning we didn't have jackets or umbrellas. So needless to say we are completly soaked! hahaha oh well I guess it happens. 

This week we had some good fun. We had exchanges and one of the Anziani from my group came to our house to do the scambi. He is from Italy and doesn't speak a ton of English but he is super fun to be around a way funny. Everyone of our Investigators or Members that he met fell in love with him in like 2 min becuase he is just super fun to be with. That was lots of fun to see him again because everyone else from my group is down in the Southern part of Italy and he just came up this transfer about a week ago.

This week we made Cinnomon Rolls for some members that really like American deserts. My comp is the one that really made them and I just did the cream Cheese frosting. They were pretty good, not amazing because our little oven isn't really made for deserts but the best part was the end. When he was putting all the Cinnomon on the top at the end he accidently put Peperoncino on top. We figured it our but one of the other elders tried it and he was like, "Its good but it has a weird after taste.." We all started dying but he didn't get it so we just told him it was "troppo cannella" which just means a lot of Cinnamon. He believed us and they took it to the family. We tried to cut the tops off and put Cinnamon but there were still little pieces that had some of the peppers. It was really funny! The next day at Church we asked her about it and she got one of the bad pieces hahaha. 

In terms of work this week we had a good week. One of our better lessons was with a less active older lady. She is great, and has a good testimony of the gospel but just struggles with some of it. She also is very hard on herself and has some problems with depression. We read some scriptures with her about how she can improve her self image and how we can gain happiness here on the earth. I felt like I needed to focus on the fact that she is really a daughter of God. It is one of the very simple truths that we teach in the church. It is simple in words but grand in meaning. If all people could realize that they are sons and daughters of God the outlook on yourself and on others would really change. It was one of those lessons where we just droped in because we felt like she needed it. She cried as she told us how she just needed some type of strength that day. I was touched and I know she was by the spirit in that lesson as we were able to bear testimony of the Atonement and her true nature. 

I want to end by telling everyone that I know this Gospel is true. That we have the Restored Gospel of Christ here on the earth and that He loves us all sooo much. I love this work! I hope everyone is doing well and has a great week!

Love 

Anziano Passantino

Real Intent

Cari Family and Friends,

I hope that all is well over in the States. I have a had a great week. We had transfers and we now have Anziano W****** in the house also as a Zone leader. He seems like a great guy and has a lot of experience as he has been out for about a year. Anziano D* *****e is no longer here and we will miss him a lot. 

This week has been a little crazy but we have had some great experiences. Yesterday we were able to give a blessing to one of our less actives. She is also a newer convert but it is really hard for her. Her husband was offended by one of the members in front of a bunch of her friends and he is a Mayor for a city here in the area so he won't meet with us. She is amazing though. She has such a strong spirit and every time we meet with her we can feel it. We taught her about how she needs to have a consistant relationship with her Savior. She works a lot and she lives about 1 hour and a half from the Church. All of that along with her Husband makes it really hard to come each week. She has a stronger Testimony than some of the members that come every week just to be there. It made me really think about those people.In her blessing she was blessed with the strength to keep being strong in the Church and by doing everything she can to work to go to the Temple. She is really amazing. 

This made me think about a certain topic that has been on my mind from the beginning of my mission. In Moroni 10 during the promise there are three things required to recieve and answer from our savior. They are Faith, SIncere Heart and Real Intent. I have thought a lot about real intent. I have been trying me best to do everything here on my Mission with real intent. When we do this we show the Savior that we care. I would hope that everything we do is with real intent. For some reason some of the best people have the hardest lives or the most trials. In my opinion they are given these trials because the Lord knows that they can overcome these things. As I looked in my life I was able to see that all of the strongest people here that I have come to know are those who do all things with real intent. I would challenge all of  you to try and do all things with real intent. As we do this we will become better and stronger in all things. DONT just go with the motions. That is when we can get trapped in a bad place and wont be able to get out. I hope all will do this because when we do we will really see the difference. 

I hope everyone has another great week. I love you all so much!1

Love Anziano Passantino

Happy New Year & The Fiot!

Dear Family and Friends,

How is everyone, I want to hear how everyone is doing. We had a great New Years haha.... We went to bed at 10:30 and at 12:00 we were awaking by a war that we didnt know about haha. It was super funny. There were people just firing off fireworks right in the center of the street in between a bunch of apartment buildings!! Because we are on floor 4 we had the fireworks exploding right next to the windows and then there were these bomb type things that shook our entire building. It was pretty funny and a lot of fun to watch because sleeping was not an option. We then went over to a members house on the 1st and drive in their super old Fiat 500. It was awesome they made us lunch and dinner as we had a lesson with them, our Coordination, and a lesson with a friend of theirs. It was a great day. 

Other than that I have had a great week. We find out on Saturday that I will be staying here in Terni for a 3rd transfer with my Trainer. I am looking forward to really focusing hard on my Italian with him this transfer. Our good Friend Anziano D* ***** has been transferred to Rome 2 to be an Assistant so we are really going to miss him and his example of leadership in the house but we are excited for the new Anziano coming in. 

This week I have been focusing my study on a number of different topics. I have been guided to realize how important this work is right now. As has been prophesied  there really is a hastening of the work. I have seen a change in how the Lord is doing his work in the sense that He needs it done now. There is not really any time to wast. I really hope everyone is catching on to this because it is really important. People from everywhere are being called to serve in many different areas but the most important thing is that they are responding to the call of a Prophet to hasten this work. We have such a special message that all people need to get it out to others. It is soooo important that we share it. I wish I could have done better before my mission but I will try from here on out to show to people how important it is that we accept His gospel in each of our lives. I would challenge all those who are not quite sure about the direction in there life to get down on your knees and pray. Have a desire to learn and receive and answer and I PROMISE that it will be given to you. I would also challenge you all to read the Book Of Mormon for those who never have.. Start... and for those who have.... do it again and you will gain knowledge that you have never before know. It takes more than just reading though. You have to have the desire to actually learn and the faith that you will received and answer. If you have these things you will understand. 

I hope everyone has a great week. I am so grateful for all of you and the many examples I have had in my life to learn and grow from. I know this Gospel is true and I know this without any doubt in my mind. I have received answers to my prayers and I cannot deny it. Nobody can ever take away your free agency and the knowledge you gain based on personal commitment. Have a great first full week of the year!!

Love Anziano Passantino