Fwd: Anziano Rockwood

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Benjamin Jolley <benjamin.jolley@myldsmail.net>
Date: Wed, May 25, 2011 at 3:20 AM
Subject: Anziano Rockwood
To: Ariana Black <ariflutie@yahoo.com>, Camille Jolley <melers20@hotmail.com>, Caroline Jolley <caro.jolly@gmail.com>, Christopher Jolley <tophinator@gmail.com>, Dad <deanjol@gmail.com>, Elijah Milne <elm2164@columbia.edu>, Joseph ballsteadt <jgballstaedt@gmail.com>, Megan Milne <nutmegnut@gmail.com>, Mom <carriejolley@gmail.com>

Dear family,

 

I got my new missionary. His name is Anziano Theodore Rockwood from Fort Collins, Colorado. He is awesome. Speaks Italian really good for the amount of time he's studied it. I love him. Anyways, onto our good ol' travelog.

 

So, last wednesday, we went to Bologna after we emailed you, and we wandered around centro and it was insane. There are a lot of people there. I was intimidated. We stayed the night down there and then we woke up at 4 AM to get to Milano in time. After a long train ride, we got there, and picked up our new missionaries. On the ride back to Pesaro, we rode with Ancona, and we talked to a lot of people on the train. The first was a catholic priest, who said "We can't talk, until you pray to the virgin mother of God." That was strange. Then we talked to a young lady, who was interested, doesn't believe in God, has never had faith, but would like to have faith. I read Alma 32 to her, we bore testimony, and talked a little more, and she commited to reading the Book of Mormon, asking us if she could have it. That was awesome. Then we talked to a lady who wasn't particularly interested, but as we testified to her, a young 14 year old next to me was listening intently. I talked with him and got his phone number and address and passed it to the Forlì missionaries. We're hoping it goes well.

 

Friday, we planned, did some strada (a lot. I probably contacted 50 or more people. I was in a good mood). In the end, we found a young lady in a park who believes in God, has read the bible, the koran, and was very interested in reading the Book of Mormon. So we gave her one. Unfortunately, she lives in Bologna, as it turns out. So we get her information and pass it to those missionaries. (I am a referral MACHINE!) 

 

Saturday, we teach the marengo family, one of our less actives, and then do some casa in their palazzo. We find a couple of people in their palazzo who are pretty interested. "I'd love to talk with you. I'm going to work now, come back wednesday night." We ended up finding a couple of people to teach, including Renzo Tonucci, a nice 70 year old man who didn't believe in God when he was younger, but does now, having read the gospels and the bible (he listed them separately). He said he loves to read anything about Christ, so we shortly explained the Book of Mormon, and he commited to read it. Sweet! This may have happened on Sunday. I don't remember correctly.

 

The last two days have gone by very quickly, involving a leadership training and doing Anziano Rockwood's permesso di soggiorno. It was cool. I learned lots. The permesso had problems. (Anziano Rockwood's middle name is Wendall, and it was spelled Wendell. This took us three hours to fix). That's more or less it.

 

I love you tons and a lot.

Anziano Jolley

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Fwd: Transfers and a cool week.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Benjamin Jolley <benjamin.jolley@myldsmail.net>
Date: Wed, May 18, 2011 at 2:49 AM
Subject: Transfers and a cool week


Dear Family,

This week has been quite the week. I will start with transfer news. Anziano Russo is leaving for Brescia, which is east of Merate, as junior companion to Anziano Blaga, who is romanian and a transfer older than him. I will be training again, in Pesaro, and I will be the District Leader. In Ancona, Anziano Osborn will be training. I will be the district leader over us and Ancona, so I have two new missionaries in my district and Anziano Osborn who is barely past 6 months in the mission. I'm old. Missionary old. It's downhill now.

This week has been a lot of fun. well, a lot of fun since Sunday. We did a lot of finding work, got a lot of bidoni and didn't teach at all for 4 days. It was... depressing. However, on Thursday, Anziano Russo started to get really upset around 7 PM. He threw his nametag on the ground, then he threw his backpack in the air. Also, he said something like "If the Lord is helping us, now's the time for him to show it." It was kinda ridiculous. For some reason, when his mood was SUPER down, I was SUPER happy. And I was determined to make a long finding day not a failure and to show that the Lord WAS helping us. So I started inviting everyone I saw to listen to the gospel. I got about 4 numbers and 2 return appointments in about the last half hour of the day, making my companion a little... well... surprised. And angrier. because now he couldn't be angry about the day. what now, depression?!?

I'll skip to Sunday, because I don't really remember Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, we went to church, where an ex-missionary showed up, so the members had prepared a lunch in church for him. Because of this, two of our less active families came to church, and one of them, Jackelin, came with her boyfriend Ricardo. I chatted with him during the lunch, and got his number and an appointment to teach him on Friday. sweet! referral! Then we went and got a couple bidoni, and then we taught Liz, a peruvian, with her husband Sergio, and their adorable 1 year old son. (I was thinking about my nephews). They were very interested and gave us a return appointment, even though they are very busy, for the end of the week.

Monday, we went out, did some casa, and found two fathers who were conveniently at home with their children for the first time in a long time. they became new investigators. Then we got separated while we were riding home, I went left, Anziano Russo went straight, and then I just decided to head home when I didn't immediately find him. I called President when I didn't see him, and while I was talking to President, he came back. President said "ciao anziano" and as I was about to hang up said, "wait, wait!" he told me then that I would be training again, and I would be the district leader. That was exciting. We went back out after lunch, and nothing particularly exciting happened.

Tuesday, our Zone Leaders came down to Pesaro to have companionship study with us. Random, but OK. As we studied, Anziano Dunshee asked me to read a talk by Elder Holland out loud, about how all the prophets before had their dispensations in failure, but this one won't. I was very touched. So then we went out, gave a man a Book of Mormon, and I was filled with power as we went and did finding work. I stopped everyone. and everyone was interested. I had 3 people stop me as we were going around, who asked "who are you guys? I've always wondered that!" We found a nice old lady doing casa who tried to give us back the Book of Mormon, saying "I don't understand how someone could write their own Bible!" We then bore testimony to her and she then asked if she could keep it and started crying, saying that when she has a bad day, she pulls it out and reads a little, and is happier. It was a little strange how she went from so angry and trying to give us back the book to wanting to keep it and humble and happy after we testified. Yeah, that was awesome.

Today, we woke up, ate food, and studied. We're heading to Bologna later tonight so that we can get to Milano early tomorrow morning.

Much love,

Anziano Jolley

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Fwd: Well, a week.

Dear family,

This week started with a scambio with our Zone Leaders. Anziani Dunshee and Duersch came down and blitzed Pesaro. We picked them up at the station around 7 PM, and then Anziano Duersch and I went and called people to repentance. It was awesome. First, I jokingly said "Hey we should talk with that couple that's blatantly making out 15 feet away." So Anziano Duersch started talking with them. In the end, we gave them a Book of Mormon and talked with them about 20 minutes, explaining how we came to know that there is a God and that the church is true. It was a lot of fun. Then we went to a casa area nearby and set up two appointments for the next day, with an old lady named Elsa and a younger man named Ricardo. Also, we gave a pass along card to a 98 year old lady named Eva. She talked to us for a while.

Thursday morning, we woke up, worked out, and then Anziano Duersch and I studied together. We talked about teaching other missionaries, and specifically my companion. It was interesting. Then we went to a park near the church, and talked to a Romanian lady and gave her a pamphlet. She told us we could come back any time. We then had District meeting, about Baptism. It was a good meeting. after that we had lunch, and then we went out and taught Elsa and Ricardo who weren't super interested, but let us teach them anyways. Then we were walking along, and I saw two young men smoking on a bench. I went to talk with them, and Anziano Duersch and I ended up teaching them an entire first lesson, and giving a soft baptismal invite, and getting an 18 and 17 year old as new investigators. Giuseppe and Antonio. They're going to be my replacements I've decided. They can go on a mission in a year and two years, and take my place here in Italy. or anywhere. That was an amazing find. And conveniently, they live right next to our branch president. After that, we sent the Zone Leaders down to Ancona, and then we went to teach Barbara. Her parents were a little... hostile. She's 30 years old, and lives with them. They wouldn't let us pray because we pray to a different Jesus, and wouldn't let us say a word. So we just left. That was a bummer of a way to end a day.

Friday, we went out and did 4 passbys, teaching 2 lessons. we first went by Susy, a lady I found in the cell phone. She apparently was going to be baptised, but then like a week before because of personal problems, wasn't. Then we went to Abdul's, and gave him a Book of Mormon in Arabic, but he didn't have time to talk. We then rushed to centro, where we talked with a referral from one of our members, who wasn't really interested. Then we were stopped by a young lady who said that she was a member, was baptized in Brazil, and wanted to know where the nearest church was. She lives about 40 miles from us, so I got her contact information, and gave it to Ancona. Then we ran to the park, where we taught Maurizio, who wants to start his own church, giving him a Book of Mormon. That evening, we planned, made a baptismal calendar, and did a little strada. It started raining.

Saturday, we went out, did some finding, and then came home, me angry for no reason. Then we went back out to meet with Giuseppe, but it was raining cats and dogs, so that appointment we cancelled. We then went to our less active's house, taught him, and then went and taught 2 lessons placing a Book of Mormon. In all, we got 4 appointments fall through, but taught 4 lessons anyways.

Sunday, we had a decent day in church, but none of our investigators showed. Darn. Then all of our appointments fell through, but we still taught two lessons to people we found in the park.

Monday, we had district meeting, and then our appointments fell through. that was a little disappointing.

Tuesday, we went out, found a man in the park that was asking all the right questions, and we just bore testimony and gave him a Book of Mormon. Unfortunately, Armido didn't want to give us his number. bummer. That afternoon, we went and taught Luca, a pizzaiolo, who was interested and is now an investigator. Then we taught English, and then we taught our Ward Mission Leader with his wife, and went home. It's raining a lot this morning. We had a plumber fix our shower this morning. now we have two showers. yay!

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