Fwd: Quite the week

From: Benjamin Jolley <benjamin.jolley@myldsmail.net>
Date: Wed, Jul 20, 2011 at 4:45 AM
Subject: Quite the week
Dear family,

 

I've had a crazy week. I'll just get straight into it. Pday last week, we taught Ernest again. He told us more about his story, and then told us he couldn't come to church on Sunday. bummer. We then taught him the first lesson and gave him the baptismal invite. He says he's already been baptised, but... we'll see. Then we went with one of our members to teach one of our new converts, Fratello Panico. He's from Napoli, and speaks mostly in Napoletano. It's hard to understand. Imagine the most stereotypical Italian "eh make-a me-a pizza!" And then add local dialect. That's the Italian he speaks It's very different from my super northern accent. Two native missionaries have told me they hate my accent. They say I sound super Milanese and they dislike it. Oh well. Better than sounding American.

 

Thursday, we found a random african who listened to us and then asked us for money. We are not here to give people money. Oh well. Then we taught English class to Renata, our single Polish student, had coordination meeting, and then we found GianCarlo and his family. We'd met this family before, as I greeted them on their porch, and they responded in English. So I had to go back. That was a week ago. We passed by them and they were home, and we taught a lesson on Prayer. This family is amazing. GianCarlo and Stefania have been married twenty years, and have 3 children, Brian, 15, Alexis, 11, and Caroline Meaghan, 9. They are the sweetest family. Little Meaghan thinks we're the best thing ever, and the rest of them just love us too. We invited them to pray as a family and to come to church on Sunday. We left a pamphlet explaining Sunday services. It was awesome.

 

Friday, I went on Scambio with Anziano Proctor, in Piacenza. We went and did work. We tuaght Daniel, a sweet ecuadorian, a random Muslim guy named Mohammed and this AMAZING brasilian lady. She needs to meet with the missionaries. We got her number and I hope Anziano Proctor followed through on it.

 

Saturday morning, we taught Anna, a woman who has met the missionaries about 1.000.000.000 times, but has never come to church... and she couldn't come this Sunday because of going on vacation. darn. Then we taught Rosario, this sweet guy who has a baptismal date and wants to be baptized, he just has this problem of not coming to church consistently because he works the night shift. So we commited him to read, pray, and come to church in a sweet, short 20 minute lesson that had the spirit strong. It was way nice. Then we picked up our dear companions and went to Winter's baptism. Piacenza had 5 investigators with a baptismal date. now they have 4. Because they baptized one. Sweet. I had to interview one of them, so our day was shot, but that's ok. I interviewed GianPaolo, who really likes the church. I love baptismal interviews. I don't know why I worried before. The questions are so easy. You just ask, and they just open right up. So easy. Those questions are super inspired. Then we went home.

 

Sunday, we helped the sisters get Gregoria to church, and then in the second hour, GianCarlo and family ALL came. He even wore a shirt and tie. and the girls wore dresses. Is this family elect? absolutely. I taught our gospel principles class, and it was awesome. People were crying and spiritual experiences were shared. GianCarlo lived in New Jersey during 9/11, and he was about 1 mile away when the planes hit. He helped clear the rubble, and... yeah. he has a flag that he took from the rubble. It's amazing. His family met the church for the first time there, and they were part of a block party, and one of their LDS friends gave them a cross stitched pillow that says "We Believe" on it. That is one of their family treasures. Keep making those pillows and other crafts. They're excellent missionary tools.

 

That evening, we taught Abraham, a cool nigerian man who is married and believes a lot in common with us. When his wife asked about the gift of tongues, I explained my belief that my ability to speak Italian is a manifestation of the gift of tongues, she laughed and started talking about the "tongue of angels"/babbling of pentecostal churches. He explained that our belief makes more sense because people can understand Italian. God is a God of order, not of confusion. That was cool. It was like having a member present. Then we went and taught Samuel, our other nigerian who is obsessed with the concept of Saturday being the Sabbath, and cannot accept Sunday worship. We more or less dropped him. Then we went to Andrews' house. Andrews is a less active Ghanan, who has a strong testimony. We're not really sure why he doesn't come to church, and read the Book of Mormon, except that he doesn't. When we invited him to do both he just said... yeah, why not? That was easy. Then we did some casa and found Kevin, another nigerian, who tried to convince us to work and be missionaries at the same time.

 

Monday, we went to Parma, and helped the Chagua family, from Peru, to move some stuff and then we invited them to have family prayer every day. Then we went to the DelMonte family, who are awesome. Adorable family. They even had a friend there. His name was Claudio. we'll see if he wants to know more about the church. I gave him a pass along card. Then we went back to Reggio, where we prepared to teach GianCarlo again, with our WML, Fratello Pianegonda. We went over and taught them the first lesson and they chatted a lot with the Pianegonda's. It was good, because the doctrine was taught, and they made a good friendship, but we weren't able to give them the baptismal invite like we wanted too. Oh well.

 

Yesterday, we did some finding work, and then looked for less actives. In the afternoon, we went back to Kevin's, gave him a Book of Mormon, and more or less dropped him. "I'll maybe come to church next year. But I'll read the book." Then we found this less active named Stefano, who has... problems. He's been to prison for possession of illegal drugs... and he is clearly still using. yeah... but he'll come to church on sunday! that'll be good. We went back to Andrews', who we talked with about how we feel about God being our heavenly father. After that, we did a little finding work and found Samuel, who we commited to church on Sunday. That'll be sweet.

 

That's our week. cool, eh? We have a crazy week planned. Like we're going to Verona and a lot of other things. So... till next time, Eat lots of Parmesean!

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