Ciao tutti!
I hope you all had a stellar week! My week was dandy. I love Pesaro so, so much! Pesaro isn't super gorgeous or anything, but the people are the greatest. When I make it back to Italy one day after my mission, I'm going to be chilling here in Pesaro (and of course make a detour to Rome eventually). ;)
Earlier this week I was sitting in a lesson thinking to myself, "I do NOT want to be here!" We were meeting with a man named Elio for the first time (we met him doing street finding) and this guy would not shut up. Every time we tried to say something, he would jump in and start recounting another story. After letting myself become fairly agitated (no doubt not having the spirit with me), I said a little prayer asking Heavenly Father to help me feel some love for this guy. A few minutes later I got the answer to my prayer! Elvio, Marta's son who was helping us out with the lesson, was able to cut in and bare his testimony. It was beautiful. He talked about the help he's received in the past as he's relied on Jesus Christ and then shared the difference he's seen in the past couple month as he's started reading the Book of Mormon and praying again. Hearing his testimony really hit me and it reminded me why I was on a mission.
Other than the rough beginning with Elio, we've met with a lot of great people this week and I've loved teaching every single one of them! It was a huge blessing finding out that Mario, an investigator who never keeps his reading in the Book of Mormon commitment, sheepishly confided in us during the last lesson that he's dyslexic. It's really difficult for him to concentrate while he's reading unless there is total silence and he is completely focused. But, the dude works in a noisy dry cleaner for 13 hours a day, so it's no wonder it's been hard finding the chance to delve into the Book of Mormon! Side note: I dropped off my suit with Mario last week and am about to pick it up. When you teach someone about how they can obtain eternal life is that payment enough for all dry cleaning services? I sure hope so. ;)
Another huge blessing was making contact with Jesus (that's He-soos, a 15 year old Peruvian boy). We found his name in our records and invited him to our sports day this past Saturday. He brought his cousin and they helped us ALMOST beat a team of Italian potheads who challenged us. I still don't know how we lost because half of their team was literally high, but oh, thanks to the sports day we made contact with Jesus! 😂 After the soccer game, we were able to set a teaching appointment up with him. At this said teaching appointment, we found out he was meeting with the missionaries a year and a half ago, even receiving a baptismal date! He told us he prayed about Joseph Smith and the validity of this church and had felt peace. But, it sounds like his mom wasn't a big supporter of the church and he kind of slipped through the cracks... Fortunately, his devoutly Catholic mom, seems less anti-Mormon in these days and Jesus said he would come to church on Sunday! When he was saying the closing prayer he prayed that he would be able to meet with the missionaries more frequently... I think we can make that happen, little guy. ;)
Also, I'm not sure if you guys remember Michael but he's a total stud! We met him on our megafinding day and then he came to our Meet the Mormons and Pasquetta activities. This week, we had our first two lessons with him and he's so sincere! He doesn't have much of a religious background, but says that he likes being with us because we make him want to be better. He is very determined to read the Book of Mormon and originally objected to us reading Moroni 10: 3-5 at the end of our restoration lesson because he didn't want us to spoil the ending! 😂 He said that the Pasquetta activity (we went up into the mountains with the branch the day after Easter and had a big grill-out) was one of the best days of his life! I am really excited to see where things go with him.
And remember last week how I told you we were going over to eat dinner with Stefano's family? Well, we did and it was super great. Before the dinner, one of Stefano's daughters serenaded us with some guitar playing. Then, we ate some really delicious food while conversing about humanitarian work in Africa. After eating a highly attractive strawberry dessert, we shared an Easter thought about Christ and bore our testimonies of the Book of Mormon. FAST FORWARD 24 HOURS TO OUR ENGLISH CLASS: Paula (an English class student) walks into the church building with a big smile on her face. "Anziano Anderson, I know where you were last night. I was walking in the park today and I saw a woman reading in the Book of Mormon. When I asked her if she was Mormon she said no and explained that two Mormon missionaries had eaten dinner with her the night before." AHHHH, it was so cool hearing that Lydia was reading in the Book of Mormon! :D
Stefano's family has helped reaffirm my testimony of Christlike people in this world! I think as Mormons it's really easy to think that we are the greatest and the only people that do good in this world. However, I feel like that view is very cynical and naive. It's disgusting hearing the crude remarks about certain religious, social, or political organizations. Stefano and Lydia aren't Mormon and therefore don't have the fulness of the Gospel yet, but that doesn't change the fact that they are striving to follow Christ in the best way they know how. I think as we eliminate our haughtiness and strive to serve our neighbor in Christlike service, our example will speak much louder than our words will ever be able to. Self-righteousness isn't going to buy us a ticket into the Celestial Kingdom no matter how superior we feel we are. This is the true church of Jesus Christ on the earth that's being lead by Him and I'm so grateful I get to help people come unto Him through my service.
1. Our branch's Pasquetta activity (Michael is the stud in the camo shirt and Elvio is taking the picture)
2. Ancona (we did a companionship exchange with the Ancona boys earlier this week)
3. Ursula (she came to church on Sunday and our branch smothered here with love)
4. Pretty view in Pesaro
5. Posing with Presidente Di Nuzzo (I swear his face isn't representative of his mood from when this photo was taken)
6. I'm taking bae down a walk on this little path... 😘
7. What a sunset!
8. Can you find Waldo?
9. Locked in prison... Help!
10. 3 studly Anziani x 3 studly poses = new Facebook cover photo
11. After escaping all the naked people statues, we had to pose with this lovely guy...
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