Casa

Oops! I forgot to send this last week! Still waiting for today's letter.
Carrie

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Date: Wed, Jan 19, 2011 at 2:56 AM
Subject: Casa

This week was very... empty. We did a lot of casa. That was the large part of the week. The frustrating part was that we didn't get in except once the whole week. So basically I'll just say that this week we did a lot of casa, getting in Saturday in a cool story. We knock doors and for the thousandth time we hear "non mi interessa" (I'm not interested), and we ask if he knows anyone who WOULD be interested. He says... yeah. In that palazzo next door. Go there. So we do. We find out that in this palazzo there's a part-member family. They show us some pictures of old missionaries they knew, including Anz. Petersen. They're good people. Maybe we'll be able to get the husband to finally get baptized. His wife was baptized 15 years ago.

Otherwise, we taught Stefano, a contact from the scambi with the zone leaders several weeks ago, who had read 50 pages of the Book of Mormon. He's super busy, and angry at God for taking his mother. His sister is also angry at God. Hopefully as we teach them they'll find peace with God. I hope. And then they'll get baptized.

Sebastiano, the brasilian evangelist we were teaching we dropped this week. Bummer.

The Muçe's we taught three times. Once about following the prophet and baptism, once about the Word of Wisdom, and once watching "the restoration" with them. The two older daughters, Clara and Brigilda have fixed baptismal dates for the 5th of February. The dad, Albert, is struggling to quit smoking. When he does, he'll be baptized, though. The mom is trying to read and to quit coffee. We're praying a lot for them, and hoping that things go well for their baptism. The youngest daughter is 7, turns 8 in april, which makes my goal to baptise Albert before then and have him baptise her. Her name is Greta and she LOVES Primary.

We also told Paola, the lady that feeds us once a week but isn't particularly interested in our message that we can't come back. so she's more or less dropped. This means that our investigators at the moment are essentially the Muçe family and sort of Stefano and sort of Manuel. (Manuel is the ecuadorian that Anz. Clove and I found.) Also Saydi, the Peruvian lady and her son, but we didn't see them this week. We're doing a lot of finding work at the moment.

I love you. I'm probably going bowling this afternoon, it being one of the few attractions of Merate.

Benjamin

Rain

Anziano Benjamin Jolley
Via V. Monti, 3
23870 Cernusco (LC)
Italy

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Date: Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 3:27 AM
Subject: Rain

Dear family,

It has rained for 4 days straight. It finally stopped this morning. I can see the blue sky and the sun again. It's a very happy thing. On Wednesday, we had ward council, which was effective. Before that we taught a super short lesson to Marcell's cousins with him there. That was exciting.

Thursday, we did a lot of casa, finding a muslim guy from Morocco, who was decently interested. We then made a baptismal calendar for the Muçe's who should be baptised the 5th of february. We taught them about the importance of enduring to the end, and then responded to Clara's and Brigilda's questions. Anz. Ballif was amazed and is amazed by the kind of questions Clara asks, because she's the same age as his sister and Caroline. I wasn't particularly amazed, because I've talked with Caroline. But they're good questions. "Why don't I remember the pre-earth life?" "Why do so many people believe in the pope if our church is the correct one?" "Why are there no priests or nuns in our church?" "Why is it the Church of Latter-day Saints?" Good questions, no? As I tried to respond with my companion, he said to Brigilda "He knows the scriptures WAY TOO WELL" after I pulled the fifth or sixth scripture in response to these questions. Thank you seminary and BYU religion classes. And parents. and Sunday School. etc. That morning, we also taught Sebastiano about the Plan of Salvation from death onward, and he asked "You teach the same stuff as I do. Why does it matter which church I join? The only thing I disagree with is that Book of Mormon." My response... was the response of every missionary to every question... "READ THE BOOK... and then PRAY." Also, that night, as we were walking home, we both screamed like girls when this HUGE black dog snuck up on him and then barked and good grief. It was terrifying. We then laughed for about 10 minutes at how we had screamed.

Friday, we planned, and then we casa'd into an agnostic who was decently interested and said that he'd read the book that we gave him, but didn't want us to come back. We then went to the pogettis and taught them shortly about Mosiah 2:17.

Saturday, in the morning, we did casa, getting in once to a family that then offered us lunch. It was delicious, but they weren't particularly interested in our message, though they'd been to Utah 4 times. The pasta was the black squid ink pasta that is not bad. It has a slight fish taste, but actually quite good. That afternoon, we taught our muslim friend Tayeb again, giving him an Arabic Book of Mormon, which he said he'd read. When he said what Muslims say about Jesus, that he didn't die, I tried to pull out Alma 7, but accidently pulled Alma 8, because I don't really read Arabic. He was a little confused. Then I gave him Alam 7 and he was less confused. He said he'd read it and then give us a call. That's what we do with Muslims. Book of Mormon, give us a call. We then went to the church where we taught Geoffroy, to whom we gave a Book of Mormon, which he said he'd read, but that he's too busy right now to meet with us. We then booked it for Saydi, Marcell's aunt, with him, and taught the restoration, which they were pretty ok with. We invited Valentino, her 9 year old son to church, he said he'd come, with Marcell, but then they didn't show up. bummer. Then we taught the Muçe's about the importance of the Sabbath day with Sorella Arianna Gessati and her boyfriend. It went very well. They are praying as a family every night, and the daughters are reading, and they come to church EVERY WEEK!

Sunday, we had church, to which the Muçe's came, and Fabio taught a lesson about the freedom to choose, and every hour we talked about keeping the sabbath day holy. If we didn't teach clearly, I think they get it now. After that, we went to Calco and Olgiate to do casa, getting in 2x. Once to a family that was very... interrupting, and open, but not particularly interested in a return appointment and then to a 25yo named Roberto, whose sister had been given a Book of Mormon by Arianna Gessati 3 days before. He was extremely interested, we gave him his own copy, got his contact information, and then sent it down to Rome, where he actually lives. He was at home at his parents just for the holidays, but he said at the end "You've convinced me. I'll read the book. You seem happy, my sister's friend seems happy, I'll read it." That was WAY cool.

On Monday, we taught Sebastiano again, watching "The Restoration" with him. He understands. He just refuses to read the book. It's SO frustrating. oh well. We then did a lot of casa, getting in once, but no return appointment. Then we taught the Muçe's the importance of prayer and scripture study, inviting them to also read the Book of Mormon a little as a family every night. I told them many personal experiences about family scripture study (scripture study at 6:30 with blankets and falling asleep and being woken up to "It's your turn to read" groggily reading a verse and falling right back to sleep). That was a lot of fun.

Yesterday, we knocked doors all day. We got in... 0 times. a girl gave us her phone number for another time when her brother's at home, though. So... a little success. Then we ate with Paola. That's my week. We got transfer calls yesterday, and I'm... staying in Merate as senior companion to Anz. Ballif. yay! We'll see a baptism together!

I love you. Thanks for your prayers!

Clean Apartment

Date: Wed, Jan 5, 2011 at 3:04 AM

Subject: Clean Apartment

Dear Family of mine,

This week has been a very strange one. I'm finally recovered from my cold that actually DID get worse and develop into a nasty cough, but I'm better now. thank goodness. In general though, strange week. Wednesday, we did some casa and got in once, then we went home. During that day we found some napolitano cards, which are much cooler than normal cards, and we've played an italian card game called scopa, which is pretty fun. Anz. Ballif always wins, though. oh well.

Thursday, we went to Sartirana, which is at the top of the biggest hill I've ever biked. I practically died at the top. I'm out of shape. That morning, we found a Sri Lankan man named Hardeep who is sikh, which I've heard of but cannot remember anything else about. He then fell through the next day. oh well. That afternoon, we taught Alberto, a street contact that Anz. Ballif practically forgot about, but was very curious at the very least in what we bring. When I taught him again, he'd read the entire introduction to the Book of Mormon and 1 Nephi 1. Bravo. We then got a new washer from Bergamo, which is... MUCH nicer than the one we had. and smaller. but fits about the same amount of stuff. sweet. That evening, we taught the plan of Salvation to the Muçe's with their relatives there, who are all members, one is american and only speaks english... That was weird. But they are reading, the dad came to church on sunday, and just... YES! We then taught English class... they had questions about hunting in the states.

New Year's Eve we bought our cleaning supplies, planned, and then we went to Osnago where we did some casa and got into a... Pentecostal (I think?) man who was a catholic priest, and shared with us his "Testimony". When we tried to read from the Book of Mormon, he wouldn't let us, because he's convinced that the bible says that you can't have any more scripture... MANAGIA! his testimony reminded me of Alma 36. It was a cool testimony, the missionaries just didn't find him fast enough. now he's stuck in his own beliefs. oh well. We then dropped some banana bread by the Muçe's, helped set up a ward party, and went home by 8 because "It can be dangerous"... oh well. We played a lot of scopa that night.

Saturday, New Year's Day, we cleaned the apartment like we did on Ferragosto. Those are the two deep cleanings of the year. why? because NOONE is out on those days. literally, when we went to a kebaperia for pizza for lunch, we were the ONLY people on the streets. anyways, the apartment is very clean now.

Sunday, the whole Muçe family came to church, including their member relatives, who gave testimonies in fast and testimony meeting,and we taught Gospel Principles, Chapter 3. We made the mistake of starting the class 10 minutes early (almost), and then we breezed through it, and then at the end there were 30 minutes before Sacrament started. oh well... It was a terrifying lesson... 15 people is scary when you're used to 1-5 people. ah well. That evening, we did a lot of casa.

Monday, we had District Meeting, followed by a scambio with me and Anz. Malku in Merate. We did some casa, which was very odd. We taught two lessons about the Book of Mormon at the door, to people who didn't want us to come back. One was Italian, the other was Indian and worships Hare Krishna (for reals. not like me.) We then found 2 ex-investigators who are OLD. and can't read anymore. oh well. They said to come back in about a month. Then we went to the Muçe's, in which Anz. Malku explained a lot of things in Albanian. Which was awkward for me. Thankfully, Brigilda at least accepted a baptismal date for the 5 of February. the rest weren't so sure. But. Clara, said that she likes our church more than the Catholic church. She'll get baptised too. I'm very happy about them. After the Muçe's we were 20 minutes late for an appointment with Alberto, who was still there waiting for us. Bravo. and he read. We taught him more or less the plan of Salvation and explained church. Then we went home.

Tuesday morning, Anz. Malku and I did some whiteboard strada asking "Is it important to pray?" Everyone said yes practically. why? because I believe in God. Which is interesting, because when we asked if there was a God, people weren't so sure. Doing that, we found a Peruvian family who are the relatives of a member, with whom we're teaching them tonight. Woot. We riscambied, and Anz. Ballif and I went to a part of Merate beyond the death hill I rode earlier in the week. This time I made it up the hill without walking. We did casa there, among houses and castles built probably 400+ years ago. It was bizzarre. We had dinner with Paola, and came home. This morning, we shopped. and yay. Cool week, huh?