Truly Investigators

Cari Amici e Famiglia,

Today marks six months to higher self-esteem, a more concentrated effort on exercising and making smart choices with food.... Which is super hard in this mission (especially if I get sent south of Rome where the food is so good and so cheap).  Time really has flown and I hope to make the best of the time I have left here. So this week went pretty well for missionary work.  We had a guy come into the church again wanting to know more.  I don't know how this keeps happening, but it's better than having to find them through traditional methods.  We also set a baptismal date with a guy who has come to church already three times in a row and has read the entire Book of Mormon.  Another guy we taught read the BOM chapter we left and the plan of salvation pamphlet and decided he is cool with being in the terrestrial kingdom for now (which means living a good life but not accepting the true gospel of Jesus Christ).  He still wants to learn more but it was pretty funny nonetheless.  On Saturday we had a Halloween party where this one little chubby boy did the eating the donut off the string competition three times and had sugar all over his face and in his hair by the end.  Today we went to a Capuchin friar church that had a bunch of monk artifacts and tons of bones
taken from around 3,700 Friars arranged in different artistic forms. The creepy monk choir hymns being played in the background really added to the creepiness of it all.
Anziano Blazzard

Field Work

Cari Amici e Famiglia,

Another week has come and gone.  This last week we did a scambio or exchange with the elders that live in our apartment.  I went with elder Bertoldo and we had a good time.  He is new and still has a lot of fire and desire to learn which was a nice motivation for me.  On Wednesday we had a few lessons including one with a new guy who came to church with his friend.  He was very curious and willing to learn. He kept saying he wanted the light we had in our eyes for himself.  He came again to church this week and enjoyed it a lot.  Work is really happening here in this ward.  On Saturday night we went to get some kebab from our favorite place and on the way we saw some of a concert that was happening in some plaza.  Then as we were waiting in line we started talking to this lady who happened to be a less active member who had gone less active after some family members died in an
accident.  It turned out to be a pretty good choice to get kebab that night.  On Sunday lots of people showed up to church and I talked with a member who was there from Terni to whom I had practiced teaching lessons in Italian via Skype in the MTC a year and a half ago.  We also had lunch in church for a senior couple who were going home and who I had also met in the MTC.  Today for pday we basically just ate some good pizza and looked at the temple from afar.  It looks like work is happening so that's pretty exciting.

Anziano Blazzard

Amici e Famiglia

Cari Amici e Famiglia,
 This last week was pretty packed with stuff to do.  On Monday night we stayed at the villa for mission leadership council.  Everyone showed up real late from around the mission so there wasn't much of a party. The next day we had the conference and it was alright.  On Thursday we had another conference, this time zone conference, and it also went pretty well. The assistants did all the training so we got to relax a little.  Also that day I accidentally stepped on one of the whiteboard legs and snapped off a wheel, so I glued it with super glue and tried to find a replacement. We got caught in the rain and when we were trying to get on a bus I stepped on my companion's shoe and slipped and fell on my bum.  We didn't find anything so tomorrow I am going to make an order at the store.  Also, on Sunday the wheel broke so I really will have to get a replacement.  Today we went to Villa
Borghese which is a giant park where we rented mountain bikes.  I was very cautious and safe after one sister braked too hard while going too fast and went over the handlebars.  She wasn't hurt besides a little scrape on the shoulder and face.  I about did it too a minute earlier so I wasn't very amused.  After we went to bowl with a part member family and ate some Chinese food with them afterwards.

Anziano Blazzard

Zone Work

Cari Amici e Famiglia,

I am writing this email while on a train to go visit a less active member in Cisterna di Latina.  It is completely packed because there is no assigned seating and it is also very humid today so the email
might be a little short.  This week was pretty fast and filled with lessons, transfers and conference.  On Tuesday we chased a big old rat out of an investigator's kitchen... Or rather I squealed like a little
girl as it ran outside through an open door.  On Thursday we woke up early to get to Termini to help where we could for transfers.  These days there isn't much to do as the summer surge is over and there is a ticket check gate that blocks us from helping load the luggage on board the trains.  Two greenies went to Napoli, one to Ragusa hooah, and one to Bari.  On Saturday and Sunday we enjoyed conference via laptops and iPads.  The talks were great as usual. I really enjoyed all three new apostles' testimonies and felt the spirit witness to me of the veracity of their calls as prophets, seers, and revelators.  I also really liked the choir's rendition of Come, Come ye Saints. Tonight we will be heading to the Mission President's villa for Capi Conference tomorrow.

Anziano Blazzard