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4/23/18
Ok.
This is it.
I'm finally writing a solid weekly.
......deep breath.......
As I probably say every time I write one of these - "We had a great week!" (like there's no other way to describe it, everything went pretty well!)
First thing that comes to mind and one the funnier things we did, was become official members of the Rome Library System! Anziano Melling bought a year membership, so now we can do stuff at every single library in Rome! Mainly it is useful because it gives us access to computers for working on documents, because we don't have access at the church. I hope I'm making my dad proud, since I know he loves getting library cards wherever he travels (he even got one in Hawaii one time, even though they were there for just a couple days! #ATrueLibrarian
One of the things we did was to put the ward list into a Google Doc that now the missionaries will have access to, to edit and use for missionary work. I don't know, but I get super excited every time I find a way to tie Google Sheets into missionary work - I'm such an accountant. I also got something set up to keep track of things for the Zone.
The exciting stuff happened on Friday and Saturday, when I got to do a scambio with Anz Jensen here in our area! It felt like I did a scambio [exchange] with him just yesterday at Terni - time flies! We had a killer time, and I got to see more of his legendary finding skills in action - he's just so natural at bringing up the gospel with people and always staying positive. We had an amazing lesson with Giuseppe Friday and he remembered everything we taught him on Wednesday - when we watched "The Restoration" with him. We were able to bear some powerful testimony of the truth and beauty of the Plan of Salvation that Heavenly Father has provided for us, His children. It's was a beautiful lesson, very simple, and reading from various chapters in 2 Nephi to explain it. Giuseppe is super in gamba, so glad I have the chance to teach him! He also gave HIMSELF a baptismal date, we didn't even ask him - he called us! He's planning on being baptized the 16th of June, so we're looking forward to preparing him for that.
The rest of the scambio was spent trying to contact previous investigators of Anz Jensen, because he started his mission in Rome 1! We had a miracle on Saturday morning, being able to run into a member per caso [by chance] on our way out of the metro! We had called him and he wasn't available to meet with us, but we ran into him anyway. We had to go into his area to pick something up, and just by chance we ran into him - it made our day! We also had the chance to spend a lot of time with Martin - literally the best member missionary in existence. I won't go into a lot of detail about him this week because I'm sure I'll have many more opportunities to talk about him, but he's really tight with Anz Jensen and we had an amazing time visiting people together. Then we prepared for a farewell party/testimony meeting Saturday night for Adrian and Matteo, who are heading out on missions during the next two weeks (Adrian to Milano 🇮🇹 and Matteo to Calgary Canada. The spirit was pretty powerful and I'm so glad I get to see such strong youth here in the church in Italy!
The title of this weeks blog comes from the biggest change of the week. Turns out our housemate Anz Velardi is out of commission because of a skin infection he got on his leg. (Basically a second layer of skin got infected and he can't put any stress on it or agitate it without it spreading.) This means he's home bound until Thursday, so we'll be taking turns among the other 3 of us (Anz Sanchez, Melling and I) staying inside with him during the day. Anz Sanchez and I spent some time together with our Ward Mission Leader Fratello Aranda. He cares SO much about the missionaries, he's amazing! Also, we hung out with the Sorelle and Adrian and went to Piazza San Pietro at the Vaticano, [Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican]. We are saving a trip inside for another day.
An important thing that I learned this week is how important the doctrine is, and that we should have the desire to continue increasing our spiritual knowledge! I learned a lot from Anz Jensen and Anz Melling just talking with them. I'm so excited that I still have a year of studies to take advantage of! Learning doctrine is so important because it explains the "why" behind everything we do - our purpose, why we are missionaries, and why we need to keep the commandments.
The Church is true, prophets are inspired and directed by God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost, and this is a divine work serving the people of Italy!
Pace fuori! [Peace Out!]
Anziano Samuel Parker
MTC Roommates and now we're here!
Lunch with Adrian (right) and Matteo (left)
Anz Jensen and Martin
First time drinking Root Beer in a long time
When tourists ask you to take their photo.. .
4/16/18
So sorry everyone - I'll write something next week. I've literally been on a spiritual high and we're doing great work - plus we had a bomb p-day walking through Roma.
Anziano Samuel Parker
Pictures:
Anziano Ruiz at Mission Leadership Conference
View from Villa Borghese up above Piazza del Popolo/View out over Rome
The Spanish Steps
The Pantheon
Our group after playing Frisbee golf
Inside a super fancy gelateria that's got some amazing red grapefruit gelato - best thing ever!
[The Eternal City]
4/9/18
This will be super short this week!
I got transferred to Roma from Pescara!! I'm serving in Rome 1 as a zone leader.
You guys are great! Buona settimana! [Have a good week!]
Anziano Samuel Parker
[The voice of the Prophet]
4/2/18
Questa settimana è stata assolutamente incredibile…. con una propria descrizione. [This week was absolutely incredible .... with its own description.] I have had so many amazing teaching experiences on the street, both teaching people who are just barely learning about the church and those who have spent their whole lives enriching their knowledge of the gospel. These were amazing lessons. I have also been able to feel the Holy Ghost much more powerfully and consistently, probably the most I have been able to, and then recognize and act on it. It's been an unforgettable week in the mission and it all comes from a sincere desire to be better disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom we were able to remember during this past Holy Week.
We had a wonderful district meeting. We reviewed the zone conference that happened 2 weeks ago, and we did it 100% in Italian since our entire zone participated in a week long English fast! We learned a lot, and I'm so grateful to be with such great missionaries!! After DM we had pizza, hand made by the Ascoli Anziani [the Ascoli Elders], who are just the best guys ever! We've eaten a TON of tasty food together this transfer.
On Wednesday & Thursday, we did a scambio [exchange] with the Elders in Terni, which is a bus ride to Roma and then a train ride away, so we got quite a bit of traveling done. Anz Jensen taught me a lot of things on our scambio [exchange] about finding [tracting], being a better companion, and also just how to love the people of Italy, no matter who it is, even more. We also had a beautiful lesson with a young family, a couple with 3 little children, who are learning about the church. In the words of Anz Jensen: "Whenever we're teaching them I feel as if we're in "The District." The most picture perfect lesson I think I've been able to take part in, all thanks to such and honest and sincere desire to follow the Savior.
During the rest of the week we did some good finding in a park in Pescara. I was reminded of it during a prayer and decided we should go, and we ended up finding several people who were willing to talk with us! We showed the Europe Area message video “Ci Sarà Sempre” (“Always There”) and had some great conversations about Jesus Christ and his restored church.
I want to share my testimony that I know President Russell M. Nelson has truly been called of God to be the Lord's mouthpiece on the Earth today. He has had a lifetime of preparation to make him capable of leading the church in these latter days. He's such an amazing example, and I'm so glad he's at the head of this church today. It's such a blessing to live the gospel and be part of the Lord's church because of the great role personal revelation plays. This restored church came to be because a young boy who was 14 years old was searching for an answer to a personal question. Similarly, the changes that are made within the church are made through revelation given by God through the Holy Ghost to his divinely appointed apostles and prophet. I hope all of you felt during conference or will search to feel a confirmation that this is the true church of Jesus Christ. I'll tie this all together using the powerful verse from 2 Nephi 2, verse 8 that says:
“Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.”
And that is why we share the gospel. My testimony of the Savior and His power has grown so much over this past week's study of the last events of His life and learning to live as he did. He truly is the greatest man to walk this Earth, and there is so much to learn and become! Che bella questa vita! [What a beautiful life!]
Buona settimana, e pace fuori! (sbagliatissimo, lo so) [Good week, and peace out! (wrong, I know).
Anziano Samuel Parker
1 The Rome Temple
2 & 3 Zone Conference
4 un piatto abruzzese, molto buono [a abruzzese dish, very good]
6 We made lasagna (my first one!), not incredible, but a start
7 We went out to a friend's house for lunch in Campagna today, che bella l'Italia! [what a beautiful Italy!]
8 Muro a Terni [wall in Terni]
[The Temple]
3/27/18
Questa è passata troppo veloce! [This has gone too fast!] There were just so many things that happened.
On Tuesday we had a great district meeting and practiced for our musical number for zone conference. Then we had a celebration for Anziano Smith, Sorella Oveson, and I for serving in the mission for one year (and also celebrated 9 months left for Sorella Hickey and Sorella Cook) by having home-made true AMERICAN pancakes made by Anziano Strong. They were so good! The rest of Tuesday and all of Wednesday I got to do a scambio [an exchange] with Anz Rummens while Anz Strong and Smith went back to Ascoli for work. It was pouring outside the whole time, but we did some really inspired and faith filled contacting on buses and by the end of our time together we had made several new contacts and given away 2 Books of Mormon! I love getting to serve with other missionaries and learning from the experiences they've had in the mission. It also somehow energizes whatever area you're working in and it's always wonderful to see the miracles that are possible
Probably the best day of the week was Thursday! We got up early to get on a bus headed to Rome for Zone Conference, and Anz Smith got up even earlier to make us all Pesto Calzones for the bus ride. It was a pretty unforgettable start to the year mark for my mission! During the rest of the day we did the following:
- saw the new information center for the Rome temple (like a mini visitor's center for before the temple officially is opened)
- had interviews with President Pickerd at the villa
- got to see my MTC companion Anziano Bardsley, literally a year to the day I met him!
- had a street gesso during the evening and taught a group of ragazzi [young men] about the Book of Mormon!
- had gelato with with Anziano Smith, Bardsley, and Sorella Oveson (all part of our MTC group) for another celebration
The rest of zone conference went super well, and we learned about how to have joy in the work and also improve our language - hence the week long English-speaking fast our entire zone is doing!
I've had some incredible experiences getting to talk about the Book of Mormon this past week with just random people, and I'm so grateful we have this season of Easter to help even more people remember Jesus Christ. I know no matter what, he will always be there for us; the question is - will we let him into our lives? #CiSaràSempre [#It will always be there]
Buona Pasqua! [Happy Easter!]
Anziano Samuel Parker
1 Anz Smith, Sor Oveson, Io, Anz Bardsley #MTCsquad
2 al tempio [at the temple]
3 recreation of the Sistine Chapel
4 At the beach
5 Thiago's Airport
6 Random city in the mountains
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