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

Another One Bites the Dust!

Dear Family and Friends,

This week there isnt a lot to talk about. It has been a pretty normal and boring week. We had to stay at the Church for almost all of 3 days because we had the keys and we were the closest to the area. Great use of the Missionaries huh... Anyway its not a big deal. We got a lot of study in this week so we learned a lot haha. The theme (title of the post) is because every day when we are at home we here these explosions and they sound like gun shots but we saw some kids just blowing off little fireworks. We all start singing that when we here them. 

I have been studying a lot this week as I said. I have been reading a lot in the Book Of Mormon. I want to bear my witness of this book. It has the answer to soooo many questions of the world. I know that whoever reads it will know of the truthfulness it contains. I have found that all it takes is a little bit of effort and the Lord does the rest. We just have to read a little and we can find the answer to the questions we have. If anyone wants to get a copy all they have to do is ask. As we study  the words of God as contained in his scriptures we can become closer to Him and know his will for us. I know that this book is a book of scripture that we have as another testament of Jesus Christ. It contains with the Bible the fulness of the Gospel. I have a testimony of Modern day revelation. This is the way we recieve lots of council when we need help in our lives. I am so grateful for this gospel . I wish more people would just put in a little effort using only a little faith and they will recieve more than they can possibly imagine. Thank you for the example you all are to me. Each day I strive as hard as I can to become better. I strive to follow the perfect example of our Savior. He is the only way we can become worthy to enter into our Father in Heaven's presence after this life. I love you all soooo very much. I hope everyone has a great Christmas and please remember the real reason. Love from Italy! 

Anziano Passantino

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Hello from Terni

Wow,

I have a lot that I wanted to talk about in this week's letter but I don't think I have enough time to fit it all in... I will try my best though. Last pday we went to Rome. We get to go there once a transfer and it was super legit. We went past lots of the cool monuments that everyone hears about. Those will be sent in the pictures. We only had a little bit of time to see a ton so we didn't get to linger a lot but we saw a whole lot. Rome is huge though so you can't really see a lot in just 6 hours. We are really blessed to be close enough to do that and to be able to have such amazing monuments so close to us here. 

    In terms of the week it was really good. It seems like the days are going by faster and faster. I am trying to soak it all in. I wanted to share a little bit about the spiritual part of the week. I have been studying a lot about the need for an organized church rather than just a belief in God. The talk Two Lines of Communication by elder Oaks is amazing to clear it all up. Personal revelation is something we need to be using a lot. It helps us to make decisions and to guide us in our lives. I would recomend reading it for sure.

    Also I have been studying a lot about about our work in the church. Here in Terni we are trying to get the members more involved but they lack the motivation. I love Elder Dubes talk about this. This is a lifelong work that we are all a part of. We have to work until the end to bring people to this wonderful message. Just like he said, faith is always pointed to the future. The scriptures that I have been studying are my daily Book of Mormon Study and these in particular. Doctrine and Covenants 58:2-3 and Mathew 11:28-30. Everyone should look those up. They are great. Other than that, my message would be to serve others. Through us God may answer the prayers of others so always be willing to serve when we can.

    Sorry this is just the short message but I hope it brought a little light. I hope everyone is doing well and remembering Christ this time of year. He is why we celebrate Christmas. Have a great weeek!!

Love

Anziano Passantino

Look for the Miracles in YOUR life!

Family and Friends,

   Another week here in this amazing County. We are all doing well. We got a new Anziano this week named Anziano M******n. He seems like a great missionary and we are excited for the work in this city. I am sure he will help there companionship a lot. We have had a good week but not a ton going on. It is getting to the point where the people here are staying inside a lot more or going to different places in the world that are warmer. Our church attendence has droped a lot so thats too bad but it's just because people are traveling all over the place. 

   Today I wanted to write this email a little bit more about some of the things that I have learned this week. I have learned a lot here in Italy about a number of different topics but one of the things that I have learned the most is how much we are blessed when we do the things that we know to be correct. I have found that as I strive to work my hardest and to follow the Savior in all that I do that he blesses me. At times we go through our life and we miss all the little things that we are blessed with. The Thanksgiving season helped me to look for these little things a lot more. I have noticed the little blessings he gives us. Something I have noticed is that when I follow the to the number I am blessed with the ability to speak to these people in the language they need to here. It is something I have seen the opposite as well. When I do not follow the rules exactly and I am lost for words, I don't know what to say and I am really unable to convey the words I want to. It is weird but is a blessing. With the advice from family and friends I have been writing down miracles or little blessings that I have seen in my life.As I notice the little things I am blessed with more big things and can see how much I am being blessed each day. S I have noticed that some people  don't want to do the things of the Lord because they don't see the fruits of it. As we come to the realization that everything  we have is given to us by the actions we make and based on our obedience we are more willing to give back and continue to move forward. The little things are so important, as we look really hard for those little things we will be blessed. I know that the Lord blesses us. 

    As humans we make miracles be something we cannot comprehend, such as the miracles Christ did when he was on the earth such as Healing the Sick and raising people from the dead. The cool thing is that miracles are not something man can comprehend, God knows all things so therefore he creates the rules on what can happen and what will not. As we try to limit his strength by defining miracles as something we cannot comprehend we miss the many miracles each one of us sees. For example the internet that I am using to write this e mail. It is not a miracle in the eyes of many that I am able to write and send the e mail but to me it is. Someone was guided by a God whom I know to be there to create this way of communication. It is a blessing we don't even realize because we use it every day. 

    I would hope that all people would look for these little miracles, these little blessings we have in our lives that we see. It is my prayer that as we look for these we will be able to realize that it wasn't by chance that we are here. That everything we have, we do, we see has some type of heavenly purpose that only God knows the answer to. I know that there is a God, that He sent his son Jesus Christ to Atone for our sins and that He loves us so much and blesses us more than we can possibly understand. He wants to hear from us through prayer and He wants to help us even more as we recognize that all we have is for him. I love you all and hope you have a great week. 

With Love

Anziano Passantino

Staying in Terni

Dear Family and Friends

     Wow I cant believe it has already been a transfer. I got my first transfer calls on Saturday and that was exciting. They joked with me a bit but then they told me I was staying here in Terni. I also will have the same comp follow up train me! I am glad to stay here. I like it here and I like it more and more as I go to some of the other cities, not that they are bad but I am happy here! Hopefully I will get to go down south sometime soon!!

     We had a random conference on Tuesday in Rome with only our Stake and the other Rome stake and the General Sunday School teacher sopke to only us missionries and also a member of the Young Mens Presidency. It was PERFECT. We all needed it and the stuff they taught helped a lot. It was good for everyone, the main message being about Real Intent. How we need to have real intent in everything we do starting from waking up and ending with going to sleep, everything needs to be done with a purpose in mind and we need to always ask each ourselves if what we are doing in purposeful. It made me think a lot about the little things we do doing the day like working out, and those types of things. The other was about how to become better teachers. That was great to but focused mostly just on us misisonaries. It was a great learning experience. 

        We have done a lot of traveling back and forth to Rome these last few weeks and will have to do it a couple of times again this week. We are getting a new elder, Anziano M*******n I think is his name. We have only heard good things about him so we are very exciting to keep moving foreward with the work . 

       I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. I am grateful for all of you and for the chance that I have to be here. I have seen people become happier as they have learned about the message we have. It is my hope that all people will at least give it a chance. I know if you do then your life will change for the better. The joy that we have is something I wish for everyone because I have seen lots of people lacking that joy. It is one of the greatest things about this gospel. I hope everyone eats a lot this week, we are having a little thanksgiving party for the English class we teach so they can realize all they have. I hope everyone this week reflects on the things they have, and not just the big things, but the little things. Look for the little things in your life that you may not appreciate as much. We all have so much. Hope everyones week is great. I love you all.

Love

Anziano Passantino