Buon Natale!

Buon Natale!

This week has been a good one.  From picking up my new trainee, Anziano May, to teaching some pretty awesome people, it's been a full week.  We went to Milano early thursday morning with the Zone Leaders to pick up our new companions from the Milano 2 chapel.  It was a really cool experience because Anziano Nielson (my trainer) was going to be training again, so as the APs introduced us they pointed out the cool "family ties."  It's really a great opportunity to have to train a new missionary.  You learn all sorts of new stuff (or you remember all the good stuff you shouldn't have ever forgotten).

Anyways, this week a girl named Cecilia came to Church.  She was a referral from a member, and had some interest in learning our message.  She has a boyfriend that is serving a mission in Peru right now, plus her mom was about to get baptized in our church about 15 years ago, so she had some questions.  Unfortunately, her mom was never baptized.  

Anyways, we taught her the message of the Restoration and Joseph Smith, then introduced her to the Book of Mormon.  She seemed hesitant but said she would read and pray to God.  She is evangelical and it seemed like she had more intent to read to prove the Book wrong than to actually read to know if it was true.  Anyways, we met with her again last night and did a quick review of the Restoration.  She said she read the first 4-5 chapters of 1 Nephi and believed that it was the Word of God.   After, we watched the Restoration film to let her understand more about his story and search for the truth.  When the film was over the Spirit was super strong.  She told us that before coming that day, her intentions were to tell us she wasn't coming back anymore and that she was done listening.  However, she said that when she entered the Church she changed her mind.  She said, "Prima, volevo dirvi che io non sarei venuta più.  Adesso non ho voglia andarmene."  In English, "Before, I wanted to tell you that I wouldn't be coming anymore.  Now I don't want to leave."   I believe her.

.  Ciao!  Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo!

-Anziano Proctor

New Companion

How's it goin?  Busy holidays?  Eh, us too.  There's been a lot to do this week with transfers coming, planning and then delaying a baptism, amongst other challenges.  It was great to see Samuel get baptized the other week, and it'll be great to see his sister follow his example this coming sunday.  

I am putting on  a little bit of weight because my current companion (Anziano Minà) has asthma and can't run in the morning.  However, this next transfer I might be able to run again because he is getting transferred to Genova, and there is another missionary coming.  I don't know his name yet though, because he's coming from the MTC.... I'm training this transfer!  (yikes)  We'll hope that he doesn't have asthma.  There are 3 Italians, 3 Americans and 1 Romanian that are coming in this transfer so we'll see which one it is tomorrow.

This last week my testimony of the Member/Missionary relationship was strenghtened.  We've had the opportunity to visit a few members and they thanked us for our efforts to be a part of the ward.  They told us of the missionaries in the past who didn't associate hardly at all with the members and they told us what a difference it makes when we work together.  I can't tell you enough, from a missionary standpoint, how much it helps to have members who are available and ready to help.  In Preach My Gospel, in the section about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, it explains how when Heavenly Father called His Son to suffer the sins of the world he was ready and willing to accept the call.  How indispensible are members of the Church who are willing to accept the Lord's call to serve together with His servants in the vineyard of the Lord!

I know this Church is true.  I know that the marvelous work of the Lord can only move forward when we as missionaries become members of the ward in which we serve, and when the members of the ward in which we serve become missionaries.  I love you all dearly and will talk to you within a week and a half!

-Anziano Proctor

Baptism!

Blogger Note:  I have been delinquent in keeping up Andrew's blog.  I apologize.  This is my attempt to catch up on the last 4+ months of Andrew's mission.

How's it going this Christmas season?  Is it still festive?  I feel like I'm on Mount Crumpit here in Italy where you see 1 out of 50 balconies on a palazzo that has Christmas lights on it.  Maybe we should go knock their doors....

Anyways, as far as the work goes, we have a baptism this Friday!  Samuel's sister, Sarah, after seeing the sudden change in her younger brother's life after his decision to be baptized decided that she wanted to do the same.  It's been a little hectic planning the baptism since she decided so quickly, so we've been rushing around trying to get it organized.  It's amazing to think that when I arrived here a month ago, this family had one less active mother in the Church, and after this friday there will be a fully active member, and 2 baptized children.  (All that lacks now is their oldest son, 20 years old, and the father).  It's way exciting to see people take these crucial steps towards changing their lives for all of eternity.  This eternal battle for souls against the Adversary is a lot more important than any other challenge we could face in life.  I'm very grateful for the opportunity to serve and it seems like it's just flying by.  Going by way to quick.

 

I know this Church is the church of God, and that we can all partake of the blessings of the Restored Gospel.  It's the thing that will bring us the most happiness in this life and in the life to come.  Because in the end it isn't really the Church Building or the suits or any of that, but a way of living that brings us closer to our Heavenly Father who loves us.  I feel very grateful for that relationship. 

 

Vi voglio bene e mi mancate tanto.  Buon' Natale!

 

-Anziano Proctor 

   

November 30th - Baptisms

Dear Family-

 

This week was a full one!  We had Samuel's baptism on Sunday, along with 3 others from other companionships here in Torino.  It went super well and he will receive the Holy Ghost this week in Church.  Something great happened after the baptism though.  Sara, Samuel's older sister who is 13, told us that she wanted to follow her brother's example and be baptized too!  She had been thinking about it for a while with her mom and hadn't been to sure.  But she said that when she had prayed to know if our message was true that she received an answer that this was the path she was supposed to take.  So last night we set a date with her to be baptized on the 9th of December.  It's really really soon though so we have to work with her a lot.  I'm hoping that she will be ready and that she has the right motivation.  We'll do our best to get her ready.  It's also a bit tough because of the dad.  He is a tough one.

 Our next Zone Conference is the week before Christmas, Dec. 12-18.  If Jono's or the Danson's package comes late that's okay, it'll come just in time for my birthday :)  (Crap, I'm almost 20?  Non ci credo.)  Oh, another really cool thing.  The other day, one of our investigators when asking me where I come from told me that she knows about Park City because she watches "Everwood," the series that Treat Williams was in.  Let him know that his fame stretches across all the way over here in Torino!  I was a bit proud to be able to say that "the Doctor" was one of my little league football coaches ha.

Anyways, I was studying the Book of Mormon today in Jacob 2,3.  Jacob is kinda chastising (well not kinda, he is chastising) the Nephite men because of their bad examples set before their wives and children.  Verse 35 of chapter 2 struck me most.  As a little side note I wrote "Never, ever, ever do this to your future wife/kids".  Just wanted to let you know that you did 180 degrees opposite of this, and I'm super thankful.  I've seen some pretty depressing relationships between parents and their children here in Italy and I just wanted to thank you and Dad for being so great.

 

I know that the Book of Mormon is true.  With that also comes the knowledge that Jesus is the Christ and Joseph Smith was his prohet, seer, and revelator in these last days.  Because of this I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the Lord's Kingdom here on the earth in preparation to the Second Coming of the Messiah.  That gives me peace. 

 

Love you all tons!

 

-Anziano Proctor