Hello everyone! So this week has been good, finally started getting some work done after being ill (both of us, I can't say my companion doesn't ever give me anything now), and it's gone well! I had a miracle happen last night. Even in English I can't keep track of more than one person at a time and what they are saying. Want to confuse me? Have two people speak to me at the same time! In Italian it's worse, I struggle to keep up with one Italian! Well last night we had an appointment and my companion had the brilliant idea of taking two chatterbox Italians to an appointment with another chatterbox Italian and a chatterbox Cuban! Great! I can't keep up with ONE of them usually, never mind FOUR! Unfortunately I was in Piacenza with Anziano Winegar at the time so I couldn't stop him. Well, I went in with a fervent prayer or two in my heart, one that I'd understand what was being said, and two that I'd get my revenge on my companion. Well I sat down, and the chaos began, ALL FOUR talking to me at the same time, about four different topics, and a hundred miles an hour. It took me a minute to figure out what was wrong, I could understand everything they said! I wasn't able to say much because they wouldn't stop for breath, but I understood and digested everything they said. It was just crazy! The Holy Spirit really can do wonders when you let it! Just let Him work his magic on you, and I know that He can do anything, even help you understand a whole gang of Italians!
I love you all!
Anziano Nelson
Thursday 23 February 2012
Thursday 16 February 2012
Hey everyone!
So it's been snowing a bit here in Reggio! At some points it reaches above my knees! I've learnt that snow is NOT a Missionary's friend! The Italian people do not like it and are very likely to refuse to even open the door when it snows. On the upside the people who DO open the door see how important the message is to us just by the fact that we are standing at their door, and not in front of a fire, which has made it alot easier to be able to share the Gospel with those that are willing to listen to us! Yesterday we had specialised training in Verona, it was really good! We talked about the Spirit, and Anziano Jenson said something that hit me, about how there is very little that we learn about in most situations, other than what the Spirit has been trying to tell us our whole lives. And it's true. We had new rules put into place, and it's true. On every point I've been thinking about things wanting to improve, for example speaking Italian outside of the apartment, I feel that's something that the Spirit has been urging me to do since the beginning of the Mission, but while I've mentioned it a couple of times, I've not been strong enough to enforce the idea, and so we've reverted back to English. Now it's a rule, and it was a relief! We also have seen many Blessings! We spoke Italian on the train home from Verona, and had two people come up to us, and start speaking to us! One was really interested in the Gospel too! God is so willing to bless us when we are obedient!
I love you all!
Anziano Nelson
So it's been snowing a bit here in Reggio! At some points it reaches above my knees! I've learnt that snow is NOT a Missionary's friend! The Italian people do not like it and are very likely to refuse to even open the door when it snows. On the upside the people who DO open the door see how important the message is to us just by the fact that we are standing at their door, and not in front of a fire, which has made it alot easier to be able to share the Gospel with those that are willing to listen to us! Yesterday we had specialised training in Verona, it was really good! We talked about the Spirit, and Anziano Jenson said something that hit me, about how there is very little that we learn about in most situations, other than what the Spirit has been trying to tell us our whole lives. And it's true. We had new rules put into place, and it's true. On every point I've been thinking about things wanting to improve, for example speaking Italian outside of the apartment, I feel that's something that the Spirit has been urging me to do since the beginning of the Mission, but while I've mentioned it a couple of times, I've not been strong enough to enforce the idea, and so we've reverted back to English. Now it's a rule, and it was a relief! We also have seen many Blessings! We spoke Italian on the train home from Verona, and had two people come up to us, and start speaking to us! One was really interested in the Gospel too! God is so willing to bless us when we are obedient!
I love you all!
Anziano Nelson
Tuesday 14 February 2012
8th February 2012
Ciao!
So this week has been really interesting, we've got 3 Baptisms set for this transfer! We have an old Investigator who seems to have decided to turn his life around (he was in a really bad way before), and should be getting Baptised on 3rd of March! We also has another miracle story with two eternal invstigators! So there is a couple who started coming to Church about a year ago that wanted to get Baptised, but are cohabiting, which means they can't get Baptised till they are married or one moves out. They couldn't get married because one is Cuban and is having problems getting his documents. The other is Italian but isn't technically divorced. Well something clicked recently in husband and when we came on sunday he just started going off on how he needs to be Baptised, that he needs the gift of the Holy Ghost. Well, as of yesterday he's moved out to his son's house, opening the way to being Baptised in just over a week! Crazy! I'm so excited for them, finally being able to get in the font after a year of waiting!
Ciao!
So this week has been really interesting, we've got 3 Baptisms set for this transfer! We have an old Investigator who seems to have decided to turn his life around (he was in a really bad way before), and should be getting Baptised on 3rd of March! We also has another miracle story with two eternal invstigators! So there is a couple who started coming to Church about a year ago that wanted to get Baptised, but are cohabiting, which means they can't get Baptised till they are married or one moves out. They couldn't get married because one is Cuban and is having problems getting his documents. The other is Italian but isn't technically divorced. Well something clicked recently in husband and when we came on sunday he just started going off on how he needs to be Baptised, that he needs the gift of the Holy Ghost. Well, as of yesterday he's moved out to his son's house, opening the way to being Baptised in just over a week! Crazy! I'm so excited for them, finally being able to get in the font after a year of waiting!
25th January 2012
Hello!
Well, this is my last day in Forlì! I received word two days ago that I'm to go to Reggio nell'Emilia, northeast of here, the other side of Bologna! It's a bigger city, and has it's own Ward. Apparently there is great potential there, and my new companion is great, I've met him a few times at Zone Conference (Reggio is in a different grouping of Zones but he came to ours because it's much closer), and he seemed to be quite inspired. He trained Anziano Scalese (someone who was in the MTC with me for a while and in my District this last transfer) who said he is really great, so I'm excited! Forlì seems to be doing very well, and has grown significantly in the last few months. Seeing the Lord bless it has been a great privilege! I hope the new Anziano does an even better job, now that I'm out of the way! I love this city, and I love all the members in it, I'm grateful for everything about it, I've learnt so much while walking it's streets and talking with the people, teaching them, and being taught just as much by them! I'll always remember everyone here, and the encouragement that they gave me. If you visit Italy, make sure you visit Forlì! The very best of Italians live there!
I guess it's time for me to move on though and [try to] help others in their lives in other parts of the country. Reggio is going to be a defining moment for me, of who I'll become, so for the next couple of weeks, pray, pray hard for me that I'll rise to the occasion! I'll need it!
But know this that I love you all, and think of you daily! I have a new favourite Scripture, or at least chapter, Phillipians 2! I re read it this morning while preparing a lesson for the Rossi family. I love it! It really hit me in the heart! My challenge to all of you is to read it, learn, live it, and love it!
I love you!
Anziano Nelson
Hello!
Well, this is my last day in Forlì! I received word two days ago that I'm to go to Reggio nell'Emilia, northeast of here, the other side of Bologna! It's a bigger city, and has it's own Ward. Apparently there is great potential there, and my new companion is great, I've met him a few times at Zone Conference (Reggio is in a different grouping of Zones but he came to ours because it's much closer), and he seemed to be quite inspired. He trained Anziano Scalese (someone who was in the MTC with me for a while and in my District this last transfer) who said he is really great, so I'm excited! Forlì seems to be doing very well, and has grown significantly in the last few months. Seeing the Lord bless it has been a great privilege! I hope the new Anziano does an even better job, now that I'm out of the way! I love this city, and I love all the members in it, I'm grateful for everything about it, I've learnt so much while walking it's streets and talking with the people, teaching them, and being taught just as much by them! I'll always remember everyone here, and the encouragement that they gave me. If you visit Italy, make sure you visit Forlì! The very best of Italians live there!
I guess it's time for me to move on though and [try to] help others in their lives in other parts of the country. Reggio is going to be a defining moment for me, of who I'll become, so for the next couple of weeks, pray, pray hard for me that I'll rise to the occasion! I'll need it!
But know this that I love you all, and think of you daily! I have a new favourite Scripture, or at least chapter, Phillipians 2! I re read it this morning while preparing a lesson for the Rossi family. I love it! It really hit me in the heart! My challenge to all of you is to read it, learn, live it, and love it!
I love you!
Anziano Nelson
19 January 2012
Hey everyone!
So yesterday we had Zone Conference with Elder Caussè of the Area Presidency! He's such a great man, so humble, yet bold! He gave a great quote, in the context of being a Missionary (or really when being a Servant ofthe Lord in any capacity) "Being bold is being humble, it is relying on the Spirit of the Lord and not on your own merits". It's so true! How often are we scared to follow the prompting of the Spirit to say or do something that might seem like it would make someone uncomfortable? I do it all the time, but when we're doing that, we're saying tht our knowledge and judgment on what is the right thing to do or say is better than the Lord's, and that is NOT being humble! IT's the opposite! When we are truely humble, we will be bold, because we are not following our own thoughts, intents and beliefs, but that of an infinite, omniscient being that knows far better than us what needs to happen.
He also talked about a story of a man who bought a beautful pearl. Wanting to put it on show, he had a beautiful box made, very expensive, in order to make it more visibile. He stood back and watched people come in to admire it. He was disappointet after a few minutes, when he realised he had made the box so beautiful, that the people were admiring the box, and not the thing of true value inside it: The pearl. How often do we do this as well? We want the way we speak to be so great when we speak of the Gospel, that we distract the people we're speaking to away from the Gospel to how we speak. Or we focus on things like, who is the best teacher, or servant, when really it's the Gospel which is the pearl. We praise our prophets, but aren't they simply the boxes in which God puts His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to show us? I can think of a dozen things that we, that I, do in which we put the box in front of the pearl. Let us all work harder to give pearls, and not wooden boxes to people!
I love you all!
Anziano Nelson.
Hey everyone!
So yesterday we had Zone Conference with Elder Caussè of the Area Presidency! He's such a great man, so humble, yet bold! He gave a great quote, in the context of being a Missionary (or really when being a Servant ofthe Lord in any capacity) "Being bold is being humble, it is relying on the Spirit of the Lord and not on your own merits". It's so true! How often are we scared to follow the prompting of the Spirit to say or do something that might seem like it would make someone uncomfortable? I do it all the time, but when we're doing that, we're saying tht our knowledge and judgment on what is the right thing to do or say is better than the Lord's, and that is NOT being humble! IT's the opposite! When we are truely humble, we will be bold, because we are not following our own thoughts, intents and beliefs, but that of an infinite, omniscient being that knows far better than us what needs to happen.
He also talked about a story of a man who bought a beautful pearl. Wanting to put it on show, he had a beautiful box made, very expensive, in order to make it more visibile. He stood back and watched people come in to admire it. He was disappointet after a few minutes, when he realised he had made the box so beautiful, that the people were admiring the box, and not the thing of true value inside it: The pearl. How often do we do this as well? We want the way we speak to be so great when we speak of the Gospel, that we distract the people we're speaking to away from the Gospel to how we speak. Or we focus on things like, who is the best teacher, or servant, when really it's the Gospel which is the pearl. We praise our prophets, but aren't they simply the boxes in which God puts His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to show us? I can think of a dozen things that we, that I, do in which we put the box in front of the pearl. Let us all work harder to give pearls, and not wooden boxes to people!
I love you all!
Anziano Nelson.
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