3/16/15

Family,

How is everyone doing this week?? We have had a super solid week. We were expecting to have 5 investigators in church this past week but none of them showed up unfortunatly. This is a problem that we deal with a lot here. Lots of things are said but not a whole lot is followed up on by actions but it's okay because the Lord's plan is perfect and it will all work out. 

We went to visit this African member named F****r this week. He just got back from a trip to Ghana and it was the first time that he had been back in 8 years. He hadn't seen his son that entire time because he was born a few months after he left to come here. He left to come to Italy because he had a preacher from the Pentacostal church tell him that his mission to God would be served in other parts of the world. So he picked up everything a left because of a desire to serve God and while here he found the read for the first time the book of Mormon. Since that time he has helped 20 other African friends in this area be Baptized. He is really amazing. He made this crazy food that is super famous in Africa called Fu Fu. They make a thing they call the stew(which is made different every time) but for us he put in Chicken, Gizard, buffalo, dry fish, ginger, peanut butter, lots of spicy peppers, two onions, garlic and water and a normal pasta red sauce all together and lets it boil. Then when that is about to be finished he makes this dough type mixture called Fu Fu. You eat it with your fingers and dip your fingers in the stew, then grab the dough mixture and dip that in as well. It is super good but pretty spicey. Then after you just eat the stew like a stew. They say this is why all africans are super strong and have good teeth because they eat the bones as well. Pretty Crazy!! I thought Anziano S**** was going to pass out before he even tried it just watching Foster make it but he ended up liking it. 

That was a big highlight of the week but we also were able to teach a little bit more than usual. All of our all day finding is starting to pay off a little bit so we are looking forward to the future and all that we are doing. Another little funny story of the week is that because we are a half English speaking and half Italian speaking ward I get to do the translation every week for most meetings becuase there are only newer missionaries here and then one other that doesn't feel 100% confident because sometimes some of the members get frustrated if the translation isn't super good. It's been a good experience for me for the past 3 transfers though. Anyway, during the meeting yesterday a new greenie started quoting Shakespeare from Elder Christofferson's talk during Sacrament Meeting and it was quite the ordeal trying to translate something I barely understand in English let alone Italian having to translate it back into English in Shakespeares way of speaking hahaha. At one point I just said in the translator speaker that I may speak English and some Italian too but I don't speak Shakespeare and I got quite the laugh from the congregation and the speaker had no idea what was going on. haha Luckily the speaker was a newly arrived missionary.  I just decided to give a summery of what he was saying and it turned out alright haha. It was a funny story anyway haha maybe I shouldn't have said anything:)

Well we've had a good week work wise as well. The other elders should be having a baptism in the next few weeks so we are happy for them and their success! I love it in Italy. Sometimes I find myself just stop and realize that I'm Italy and it makes all the troubles go away. Anziano Scott is improving in every aspect and I am really proud of the progress he is making. He is just a great person! Well Hope you all have a great week! Love you all!!

Anziano Passantino

3/2/15

Well,

We got the news on Saturday that I will be doing my sixth transfer here in Caserta!! Pretty crazy huh?? I am super excited, I thought that I was going to leave to be 100% honest but I am looking forward to these next six weeks. Obviously the Lord needs me here to do His work so I will do my best here!!

We've had a good week. We are excited and there is a lot of energy here. The week went really well as we had planned. We had a less active/new convert lesson each day this past week. We have had the change to work with lots of them and help them to come back to church. We have a less-active that the Anziani having been working with since a little before I got here 7 months ago that has finally started coming back to church. She has been less-active since she was about 12 years old and now she is 28. She is starting to come back and Satin has been working really hard on her but she has seen that as a reason why she needs to come to church. She has figured out that because of all these trials she knows that what she is doing is right and that she will be blessed and grow from them. We are really excited about her progress.

We have also been working a lot on our daily Planning and making sure we fine tune everything. This week we saw a true miracle. We recieved a bidone (a canceled appointment) on Wednesday from a member here but as we were planning the day before we made sure that we are having back up plans for everything and so we had a back up plan. Although when we went to our backup appointments we found people that were busy and not interested any more, we were walking on the street and I stoped a lady that was about 37 years old. We started talking to her and we found out the 25 years ago she was  baptized in the Phillipines and she hadn't been to church in about 20 years. We now are working with her and trying to help her come back to activity in the church. It was a very special blessing thanks to the importance of planning and back up planning!! 

Anziano S**** and I  are excited to be together for another transfer. He is starting to get the hang of things really well and I know he is going to be an amazing missionary. He works really hard even when physically he is completley drained. Yesterday in a lesson a member asked him a question, directed at him only and he was the only one that could respond, (even if the Bishop was there ) and he handled it with confidence and answered with the spirit and a scripture. He gave this member exactly what he needed to go forward because he was listening to the spirit. 

We are doing really well and I love and miss you all!! Thanks for everything!!

love

Anziano Passantino

2/23

family,

Well it has been another crazy week but it has gone really really well. I think that this coming up week is going to go really well. Tuesday we were at the Hospital with the same member, he is still in there but hopefully in a few days he will be able to exit. We have all been a little bit sick. I got a little thing on Saturday night with a high fever and felt super achy but I feel a lot better today just a little bit of a sore throat!

 We had Zone Conference and it was all about faith. Something very enlightening was given to me by the Assistants when they talked about the story of David and Goliath as they talked about how to not have fear. I would invite everyone to read that story again verse by verse thinking about the faith that David had. He was not scared in the least bit about anything that Goliath could have done because he knew what the Lord wanted him to do! Read this and tell me if you think David was scared of a giant that was much larger, much more experienced in fighting and had all "physical" advantages: 

Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

 This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.

It is this same strength a power that we need to show to the Lord in all that we do. We cannot be scared to stand up for the Lord, there is no more time to do so. The Lord needs us to be more committed and working hard for Him every day!! We should all say as did Paul to the Romans "For [we are]not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Romans 1:16). I am glad to have learned this one lesson in my mission, along with many others, and it has really helped me get ready to see success in this work!

I love you all and I hope you have a great week!!

Love

Anziano Passantino

ps We have Elder Texiera coming to our mission next month then Elder Bednar coming in April!!!!!!!!!!!!! How cool is that!!!

Pictures

Some pics from last P-day. The first one is the Zone here in Napoli from our Zone soccer game and the second is of an investigator that works at a bar. He thinks he is really funny because he always will offer us alcohol but then he will explain to everyone else in the Bar (remember that a Bar in Italy is like a little Cafe in America) who we are and what we do. We passed by to see him last Pday and he wanted to take a pic with us because it was the first time he saw us in normal clothes haha

2/9/15

Hey Family,

How is it going?? We have been doing really good down here. Just like you guys have been talking about in your  emails the Lord really blessed us with what we needed this week which, for us, was new investigators. The Zone leaders came down on Wednesday after lunch and we did a Scambio for the day! I went with Anziano G******* and Anziano S**** went with Anziano B********* (Fun fact is that my first scambio and Anziano Scott's first scambio  was with the same person haha) The Lord really blessed us during the scambio as we were able to find some of the Lord's elect. I really was shown this week the fact that the Lord blesses those that endure. When I first got here to Caserta the work was going well and we had a few baptisms then the last little while it has been a little bit harder but the thing is that the work level was going up and up. This week we saw the blessings of that hard work and effort as we were able to find 4 new investigators 2 of which came to church on sunday!! 

We are still striving to reach our goals and work hard towards our vision. It was really cool because we had the idea that we should give our district vision to our ward mission leader. Yesterday during our Coordenation meeting he followed up on it and we were able to given an accounting of that which we had done through the week toward our vision. It really helps to have that person who will help us to become the missionaries we want to become. It has also taught me the importance of following up with our investigators,members, less-actives and all those in whom we contact every day. This helps them towards their true potential. 

We have had many miracles this week and the Lord is really guiding the work here. Anziano Scott is making leaps of progress. He is really getting out of his comfort zone while finding and then he is doing well at helping in lessons as well. I know that I need to get him more involved in teaching but we are working on planning lessons more thouroughly so that we can be prepared for them. It has been a great week and we are doing really well!! Thanks for everything!! Love you all!

Anziano Passantino

2/2/15

I have 0 time to write and email this week but I want everyone to know that Miracles are happening and that the Lords work is going forward. I love you all and I love my Savior Jesus Christ you makes this life worth living!! Thanks for your strength and Love!!

Anziano Passantino

1/29/15

Hey Everyone,

Well it has been a good week here in Caserta. It's cool to think that I'll be here for 7.5 months by the end of this transfer and who knows maybe even 9 months!! Well I am glad to report a good week to finish off the transfer. Anziano Scott and Anziano Del Dotto arrived safely on Thursday and they got straight to work here in Caserta. We were able to do some good work this week and we know that the work is going forward. Anziano Scott will be my "son" in the mission and Anziano Del Dotto is from Luca in Tuscany. He is like 6'6 and he is with Anziano Pingree 6'8 and so everyone just stares at them when they walk on the street haha. 

We are excited to have Anziano S**** and Anziano Del D**** here with us now. I think that we can all benefit from their talents and ideas on how we can improve. Anziano S**** seems to have fit right in and seems like a great missionary who will have lots of great input in the work here. 

I have prayed and feel like this transfer(and all those to come) that I need to focus on a certain goal or objective. I am going to try and make sure that this transfer our District has a VISION. I think that will be the word of the transfer:) I really have noticed the importance of having a vision of where we are going and how we are going to get there. I have had this testimony in the past but for some reason it has really sunk in this transfer. We will use Preach My Gospel and the Standards of Excellence to formulate not only district Visions but also visions for each and every companionship and each missionary. I know all you buisnessmen who read this know the importance of this in work but what about our everyday lives. It is soooo important so that we can reach our full potential. The scripture that triggered this is found in Proverbs 29:18 which says " “Where there is no vision, the people perish”. In my opinion the one thing that needs to be eliminated in missionary work is wasted time and just going around doing missionary "things" instead of missionary "work". Something to think about even in our everyday lives in my opinion. 

I hope everyone has a better week this week and that everyone is doing well! I love and pray for you all!!

Anziano Passantino