Missionary Work in Italy

Missionary Work in Italy
Andrew teaching a street contact

Monday, May 30, 2011

Andrew's address

Also, here is my new address:
(as of May 25, 2011)
 
Anziano Andrew Proctor
Via XXIV Maggio 42
29100 Piacenza (PC)
Italia

Thursday, May 26, 2011

First week in Italy

Salve!
   Well I'm sitting here in the tiny Ward building on the 3rd floor of a palazzo here in Piacenza, with my new companion Anziano Nielson.  Piacenza is a medium sized city about an hour southeast of Milano, and it's the most amazing place in the world.  I just love it here.  It's crazy to think that it's only been a week since I talked to you last, but so much has changed.  There's so much to write.
   We arrived in Milan at approximately 9 am and met up with President and Sister Wolfgramm and the APs, Anziano Gray and Mangrum.  First thing the assistents did was give us all these huge man-bear hugs, almost as if we were trying to tackle each other.  It reminded me of football ha, and we give each other hugs like that every time we see each other.  It kinda makes your head rattle.  Anyways the day went kinda like I said it would... but it was twice as amazing as I thought it would be.  We went straight from the airport to the Milano Due Chapel to drop off everyone's bags and then we were going straight to the Duomo.  
As we're about to walk  up the stairs into the piazza Anziano Gray turns to us and just says, "Get ready..."    Holy cow.  Sacra mooca.  That thing is amazing.  It literally is one of the greatest things man has ever created. 
     I'm now serving in Piacenza with my trainer Anziano Nielson.  He grew up in St. George and went to Dixie High.  He also played football and was a running back so we have some good things to talk about.  He's very awesome and I learn so much from him.  Here in Piacenza you do a lot of casa in casa, or door knocking.  I can't even count how many doors I've had slammed in my face.  But I don't get why some missionaries get so discouraged by it.... it think it's pretty hilarious ha.  Maybe not that they're rejecting this wonderful message.  But the fact that they will take the time to buzz you in down stairs and unlock the 7 locks they have on their doors just to open and close the door once they see these two American boys in white shirts and ties.   
      After going door to door for so long and encountering all sorts of miserable, angry, lonely people, all I wanted to do was teach a family.  It's interesting to see how much one can appreciate a strong, united loving family when they see how alone and sad others can be.  So we knocked on the door and this time Anziano Bolnick says, "Okay you've got this one."  This man opens the door and puts his hands on the shoulders of his beautiful little girl who is standing there with him.  We introduce ourselves and I tell him that we would like to share with them a wonderful message concerning the family and how we can find happiness.  He was so kind and warm and invited us into his home without and a second thought (that is very rare I've come to realize).  We sat down with him and his family and talked briefly about who they were and what they believed.  We asked them what their greatest hope was for their family, and they replied that they wanted to have health and happiness and to live together.  They were just perfect.  We were able to teach them about the Restoration and Joseph Smith and they seemed so open and happy.  We left them a book of Mormon and an invitation to attend church on Sunday.  As we were teaching, the little girl just sat there and listened so intently (also correcting her father's italian here and there).  She just smiled and I thought right then and there how important this is for all of us.  I felt such hope and love for this family and for all of us here on the earth.  I was certainly blessed by my Heavenly Father.

Friday, May 20, 2011

MTC week #9

(Editor Note:  I'm not used to updating blogs, so there will be a few missed weeks.  Just enjoy the updates I remember to do!)   
     "So, about my time here in the MTC.  There's a saying here that the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days.  I wholeheartedly agree!  It just seems like yesterday that I reported to the MTC, and yet every Wednesday as we watch the Verdini (greenies) report, we find ourselves thinking, "Wait, it's already Wednesday again?"   I love how I call them greenies as if I've been out for more than 2 months. At the same time though I've never grown so much in such a short time.  We finished the last of our 8 basic tenses about a week and a half ago, which means we've learned everything we need to use the compound tenses.  I mean to think that we've learned to speak Italian in its most basic form in only 8 weeks?  Just wow.  What other place on Earth could one learn to do that? " 
     "I love you all so much and am so thankful for all of your support.  Prayers are certainly appreciated for me and all of the Missionaries who are or will be serving in Italy.  It is such an amazing blessing to be given this opportunity.  I know this Church is true with all my heart."
Ci vediamo!
 
-Anziano Proctor
Read Romans 1: 7-8, 15-16 for me.  Replace the word "Rome" with "Milan".

Note:  Andrew will be assigned to serve in Piachenza with Elder Nielsen from St. George.  For now letters can be mailed to:

Elder Andrew Proctor
Italy Milan Mission
Via Gramsci, 13/4
20090 Opera MI
Italy

Monday, May 2, 2011

Week #6 continued

LETTER:  "Ok, so continuing from my email.  The whole MTC changed schedules this week.  So my P-day is on Wednesday now.  As a result of the schedule change, our service assignment is now at 6:00 am, and there are almost twice as many Elders in our assignment.  Because we had so many, we were able to cruise through the daily jobs and get to smaller jobs that were less often done.  Anziano Gibson and my job was to clean out the Narnia Holes (note:  "Narnia Holes" are behind panels in the closet that departing missionaries sometime stash things for new Elders to find.  Not an official part of the MTC....just something they do for fun)  In one of the Narnia Holes, we found a letter.  It was from a former missionary to an Elder in the MTC.  When this letter was written, we have no idea.  The author told about how he had come home from his mission after 6 months.  He said he thought it wasn't for him and that was that.  Upon coming home, he wasn't nearly as happy as he thought he would be.  People thought of him differently.  His cool car, his girlfriend and his life was still there, but it wasn't the same as before.  He eventually married his girlfriend in the temple but she ended up cheating on him and leaving him with 2 children.  He felt left out in Elders' quorum, because he didn't have those missionary experiences.  He couldn't teach his son how to be a missionary because he didn't know either.  He proceeded to explain to this Elder how important and how much of a blessing a mission really is.  He basically just said to suck it up.....As for home, don't worry.  If your sister crashes your cool car, you'll get another. If your girlfriend leaves you, you'll find another.  The Lord won't forget you.  You'll be blessed for your service, it's a promise."
      "It was extremely encouraging.  The miracle, however, came in the manner of which this letter passed through the hands of our district and into its final destination.  We almost just threw it away without reading it, yet we felt prompted not to.  We liked it so much that we shared it with our whole district.  Then, after dinner, 2 of our Elders were asked to accompany a solo Elder to gym, while his companion called home.  Turns out this Elder was calling home because he wanted to go home.  He was sitting by the front door, with his bags, waiting to be picked up.  Our Anziani walked past Sorella Bowman and Jones who happened to have the letter with them.  The sisters knew right then why we had found this letter:  So that we could give it to this young Elder who was leaving.  They ran to the front and handed him the letter.  They told him that the letter was for him and that they knew by the Spirit that it was meant for him.  They promised him that this was where he needed to be.  We don't know if he chose to stay, but we know this:  This was a miracle according to God's will and by God's hands."
     "What are the chances?  Our schedule had to have changed so that we would've had that many Elders in our service assignment.  Without that many Elders, we wouldn't have found the letter.  Anziano Gibson and I could have thrown it away, but we kept it instead.  We could have kept it to ourselves or waited a day to share it.  Elders from our district happened to be in the right place and the right time (and time was ticking) in order to come across this Elder.  What are the chances that they just happened to walk by Sorella Bowman and Jones holding the letter?  What are the chances that they got there right in time?  No.  Heavenly Father intervened today.  I know it.  God knows it.  I cannot deny it."   - Anziano Proctor

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Elder Proctor and Elder Johnson

Andrew and Eric Madsen


The OTHER Elder Proctor

Italian Missionaries (Rome - left, Milan - right)

Andrew's sprained ankle - OUCH!

MTC week #5 and #6

Ciao!
  Sorry about last week.  Like I said the server was down and I wasn't able to write much.  But it was a huge blessing and I'll let you know why later in my letter.  
       Anyways, I told you how I was sick with that cough but I have more health news.  Before you worry, know that I am in excellent mental, psychological and spiritual health.  Physical health, however, is a little different.  Turns out I'd had bronchitis, so while I'm off of the antibiotics, it's going to take a little while for this cough to go away completely.  Also, this last thursday I sprained my ankle playing basketball during gym time.  The trainer's assessment says I probably have a 2nd Degree tear in my Anterior Taylo-Fibular Ligament.  It's possible it was very close to a complete tear.  It's pretty bruised and fairly swollen.  I was limping for the first day or so, but I can now make my way around without a limp and he says I'm making miraculous progress with my rehab and physical therapy.  He wants me to do PT exercises for my first month in Italy.  I still have a smile on my face though, no worries.  
     Thanks for the notes from Dillon's farewell!  He's always been an awesome speaker.  I'm super excited to have him here in a week (holy cow, only 1 week left??)  I met an Elder at one of the Devotionals who asked me if I knew a  "Dallin Olsen, real tall, blonde, Park City kid."  I said, "YES I know DILLON Olsen, he's my best friend since the 3rd grade."  Apparently they lived in the same hall during BYU Summer Semester last year. 
      I have a lot more I want to write to you about but I only have 4 minutes left so I'll try to fit in a little bit more.  I'll send the rest by hand-written mail. Could you type it up and put it on the blog?  These stories are for everyone to hear.  I want to share with them a couple miracles that happened this week.
     For now, I love you all and hope to be able to hear from you soon.  Again I'll say that even if I can't reply to them all, I love to get letters!  I know this Church is true and I know I'm in the right place, doing the Lord's work!  
 
-Anziano Proctor