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