Elder Parker's Missionary Blog

Eating Pizza and Wiping Away Tears

3/5/19

Mamma mia......

It's that fateful day.....

Just maybe the saddest day of my mission - when I realize this is my last official pday in Italy.

(I think we might have another one in Rome next week, but it's not the same)

This transfer has flown by, but also has dragged on. It's been a whirlwind of emotions, happy to think about family and home, but sad to think about the new friends, places, culture, and soul that I'll be leaving in the Land of the Pasta. (Literally, because Gragnano, the town up the hill from Castellammare is literally the European Capital of Pasta) There are so many people I'm going to miss, and I'm blown away with how close I've gotten to all the members here in Castellammare in these short 6 weeks. I did my final interview with President and Sorella Pickerd - so everything is officially coming to a close.

Anziano Boman and I have sifted through so many people this past transfer - and by the end we finally found some people who are really ready to learn more about the gospel. Sadly though, we just found out this morning, that we are both getting shipped off from Castellammare! I'm headed to Rome for the last 5 days on Thursday (where I'll be chillin with my main man Baker, Mr Spicy. It was in Rome 1 where we were, rolling together 6 months ago.) Luckily, Anziano McConkie is coming with a new missionary to fill in the hole here in Castellammare. The work is still blooming - and it's going to be cool to see where the new Anziani will take it together with all our incredible members! (They're on a missionary fire right now!)

Yesterday we went to a Stake Conference in Caserta, which was so awesome! I got to see a ton of people that I knew from Rome 1, and we listened to some AMAZING talks. President Pickerd as well as President Sonalia gave some great talks, but my favorite was the one given in English! Not necessarily the English part, but the doctrines and principles, Elder Philips, taught were really powerful. I loved how you could feel the conviction he had in the way he spoke, and he has such a capacity to explain the scriptures in a way that it seems all the stories just happened yesterday. His final testimony was focused on the statement found in the scriptures, which says - "God is love." He explained how much God loves us because we're his children by telling a story in which he came to realize how much he loved his son. (His son's name is Oliver, like my little bro!)

I'm so grateful for the testimony of God's love not only for me, but also for his children in Italy. When I first entered the mission field, one of the goals I set, when talking with President Pickerd was to help the Italian people feel God's love for them. Interestingly enough by fulfilling that, I've felt more of his love for me. But the beauty of it is, I can more surely testify of His love for each of his children, individually, on a much more personal level. Just coming home on the metro from Napoli today I was able to talk to a ragazzo about that and tell him about how much God loves us to have sent us here on this Earth! All that is thanks to the fact that "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." (Romans 5:5) I'm so grateful for that Holy Spirit that enters into my heart and testifies of that love, so I can better bear testimony of it to the world.

Also, just the fact he allowed his children here in Napoli to make pizza that's so fan flippin'tastic is another testament of that love. Quanto mi mancherà!!!! [How much I will miss it!!!!]

#CiSentiamoDallAmerica

Pace fuori tutti!

[Peace out everyone!]

Anziano Samuel Parker

Hotel where we had Stake Conference

Members of the Branch who came with us on the double decker bus!

Caught eating sfogliatella (classic napoletano snack with hot ricotta and other filling, deliziosissimo)

Last English Course of the Mish! (also the only time people actually came this whole transfer, haha!)

Italian Beaches

2/27/19

So this part of the year in the mission field of Italy is awesome because we (the missionaries) can actually go on the beaches. During the summer they are off limits. So we've been taking advantage of that for our pdays. Last week we went with the squad to "Il Bagno della Regina Giovanna" which is a cove that is rumored to have been used as a private bath by a queen, then was later turned into part of a resort just outside of Sorrento. Today we visited the Amalfi coast - one of the most beautiful areas of Italy - and it was so worth it! Some of the best views I've seen, and it gave me a whole new appreciation for God and the beauty of this earth, one of his most precious creations. I love seeing how everything ties together, and thanks to the lens the gospel gives us, we can see everything in a much clearer light.

The only thing better than going to the beach for pday is getting on the sand for a baptism! Last week (2/16/19) we had 2 baptisms in Castellammare. That puts us at 4 baptisms within the span of 8 months, which is pretty rare here in Italy. In preparation for their baptisms, I had the responsibility of interviewing both Nicole and Pia to make sure they were ready to be baptized. That role has become one of my favorite parts of being a missionary in the mission field. It's so special to talk with someone and discuss the things they've learned, the walls they've broken down, and the changes they've made in their lives in order to make covenants with their Heavenly Father. They both said to me they've been so much happier after coming to know more about the gospel and how to live it on a daily basis. The weather had been really ugly this week, but our prayers were answered and the day was absolutely gorgeous. The sun was shining bright and it was even a little warm out. It was a nice baptism and some really powerful testimonies were borne afterwards. That was so key because there were about 19 non-members that came, some with whom we've started teaching or are trying to start teaching in the coming weeks.

Anziano Boman and I saw a lot of answers to our prayers. I've been stressing a lot lately because I want to do the best work I can before I go home. But sometimes it is so hard to get all the appointments you want with people to work out. There have been a lot of days where things have fallen through and we have to worry about how to best use our time. And just when you are talking and discussing what would be best, we are guided by Heavenly Father to the right person or the right way to go just opens up! I love how when we ask, God helps us receive just what we need (Matthew 7:7, READ AND GAIN A TESTIMONY OF IT)

Some of my favorite things from this past week:

• accidentally guilt tripping one of the members into giving us lunch and cheesecake

• having some great talks with Anziano Baker - he really gets me

• eating crunchwraps thanks to Anziano Abel and Boman

• eating Napoli pizza twice

• meeting several families in the branch who haven't been to church in a while

• eating dinner at a Trattoria (family restaurant) in Sorrento to hand deliver a Book of Mormon to the owners

• eating some fried Napoletani snacks

• Miraculously meeting a guy who had literally prayed to God for extra help to stop smoking, and us finding him just days later

This work is FOR SURE the most important thing we can do on the earth. God truly does love us, His children - and the gospel is what he's given to us so we can be happy. Once you live it, it's just so clear. Like Alma taught to the Zoramites in the Book of Mormon, "if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life." Che promessa - e ci sono tante in più di cui possiamo fidarci del Signore. [What a promise - and there are so many more that we can trust in the Lord.]

Un Abbraccio forte a tutti! Ci sentiamo [A strong hug to everyone! We feel]

The first of these are the "Il Bagno della Regina Giovanna"

our new friend Pietro!

and then pics from "Il Sentiero degli Dei" and Positano on the Amalfi Coast

L'apertura del Tempio

[The opening of the Temple]

2/5/19

Santa mucca! Mi dispiace per non avervi scritto per molto tempo! [Santa cow! I'm sorry for not writing four a long time.] It's been some pretty crazy weeks, and this weekend ended with quite the bang!

About 2 weeks ago, President Pickerd called and told us that Anz Belnap and I would both be moving to new cities! I was really shocked because I expected at least one of us would stay here, but we both went our separate ways. I ended up finally getting a taste of the South, and came to Castellammare di Stabia, with my new companion Anziano Boman, who I'm training this last transfer! Anz Belnap went to Agrigento, so it will be a good while till we see each other again. We were rushed in our departure, so we hardly had time to say goodbye to people. I did get to call or see in person my favorite people from Terni though, so that was a blessing.

Now after 2 weeks in Castellammare, I'm almost ready to call it one of my favorite cities! It's right on the coast, there's not a ton of tourists in the city itself, but there are tourist spots all around it. The members of this branch are on fire and have such a great desire to share the gospel. On Monday last week we went to the temple as a branch, and there were 56 people total, 15 of whom were not members of the church! Lots of spirits were touched, especially in the sealing room in the upper room of the temple when our tour guide bore his testimony. He bore testimony of how much the gospel can better someone's life. Anz Boman and I are a second companionship that was added after Anz Baker and Abel had so many people to teach they couldn't reach them all.

I was sad to leave a city I was starting to really enjoy, but it's been awesome getting to meet new people and adjust myself to the southerness of the area! Napoli and Castellammare are probably the most culture seeped cities I've been to, and it's almost like I'm a new missionary again adapting to some of the changes! I've also loved teaching and training Anz Boman all the things I love about the culture and the mission. I just hope I can share with him all that I know and love in just 6 weeks, with Anz Belnap I had a solid 13.

So one of the coolest miracles we saw this past week was going shopping at a big supermarket with the Ratto's - the senior couple who are serving here (Anz Ratto is the Branch President). I left my tablet in a random spot in the store, and when I realized where it was, we went back to grab it. While we were searching around for it, I saw a woman and her son and for some reason I felt like I had met her before! I asked her where we had seen each other, but we both had no idea,however she also felt a connection. We started talking about who we were and eventually they asked if they could come to church! Then this Sunday they actually came, and they were both very moved by all the testimonies that were borne by the members. It was amazing to see how each testimony focused on the importance of sharing the gospel and the reasons the temple is so necessary.

We've been able to see some great miracles and also have amazing lessons that were sicuramente [certainly] guided by the spirit and not our own knowledge. We're in for a treat with all the build up for the dedication of the first modern temple here in Italy! God's kingdom here on earth is rolling forth slowly, but surely, and it's cool to see how each of us missionaries are able to play a small, but key role in growing His influence.

Anziano Samuel Parker

At the temple on Sunday and Monday

La Luce Inizia a Brillare

[The Light begins to Shine]

1/14/19

I'm sure most of you have seen the news for the Italy Rome temple, but I just wanted to highlight how incredible it is! The sisters in Terni actually have the opportunity to take part a little bit in the open house. So they'll be juggling the work here and going to serve at the temple over the next month. The public open house starts on January 28th, but right now private and VIP tours are happening. I love being able to talk about it with Italians, and every time we show them pictures of the temple their jaws just drop!

My favorite experience this past week was going into a chocolate shop just to see what they had, and it leading into an amazing conversation about the temple that was guided by the spirit. A lady came in to buy gelato and we asked her what the best chocolate was - since during the winter they go hardcore on making all kinds of homemade artigianale [crafting] chocolate. That got her interested in where we're from and for the first time someone thought I come from Italy!!!! Based on how I spoke, she guessed I was from Milano (not the south, but better than an American accent) and we got started explaining who we were. It led to the classic conversation about the Church and how it is exactly the Church of Jesus Christ, and not merely another American or Christian church. As we explained Joseph Smith's story, I got a confirmation from the spirit that it is true, a calling of a prophet exactly like the prophets of old such as Moses or Samuel. We invited them to the open house and also to come to church on a Sunday here in Terni, so hopefully Daniela and Paola really do come and see.

These past weeks my companion Anz Belnap and I have been doing some exchanges with other missionaries. This week I got to spend some time with Anziano Cagnacci, our buddy who's a native of Genova. I had a blast speaking in Italian with him, It's so freeing when I can express myself in Italian instead of English, I feel like there's a whole other side of me that comes out! We also did an exchange with the zone leaders who live near Rome. I went to Rome 5, a ward that covers the countryside northeast of Rome, with Anziano McConkie, who was my companion a while back. We had a blast teaching a lesson and finding in a freezing cold centro. We had several cool conversations with ragazzi where we were able to bear testimony of the Book of Mormon and invite them to learn more. It was pretty powerful helping them understand the importance of asking the life questions each of us run into at a certain point or another, and guiding them to the answers through the gospel.

In terms of the general work here in Terni, along with the temperature, it's warming up little by little! We've had more lessons, more potentials, and it's great to see our work paying off. One of our friends has also got close with a member in the ward, so we're actually going to dinner together tonight. On Saturday we brought him to a lesson with us and this member just went off in high speed Italian about all the things Giuseppe needs to do to get his life back together, and at the end it was so cool to see him slowly nod his head and say quietly, "I understand a lot better now." The gospel and understanding God's plan for us really makes a difference in being able to overcome the difficulties of life, and coping with the road bumps that may come up. I'm also very grateful for Italians who have such a strong conversion, and have been prepared by the Lord to find the church and help us missionaries find those who need to enter the Lord's house in Rome and receive the blessings found there.

Recently in my studies I've been reading in Luke, and I love learning more about the parables of Jesus Christ, and seeing how applicable they are in my life and the life of those we teach. It really takes the gift of the spirit to understand though, and I can see why so many are lost and confused in the world without the clarity of the restored gospel to piece it all together. Life is a puzzle, and if we listen God's crying out to us the pieces we need to put together.

Anziano Samuel Parker

Scambio Comps! Beginning of Saldi deals Belnap's Bday last Sunday!