Best Christmas Present for Everyone!!!

December 26, 2013
For Christmas Anziano Edwards was able to use Skype to talk with his family. He is looking fantastic, loving Italy, and is still the same ol' A.J. with the hilarious sense of humor and fun-loving personality. The things he misses most about America this year is carpet (Italy is all tile and concrete), not having to use public transportation, and a big bed.

BUON NATALE AND BUONE FESTE! AGURI!!!

 Glad to hear all went well and you had a great Christmas with some cool presents.

Baptism by the other Anziani in Bologna from a member referral

Our table eating the best lasagna ever!!!

I was a reindeer! :)

All the food the ward gave us for Christmas 

All the food from the ward for Christmas

With all of the food that the ward gave us for Christmas!

William looking Fancy at the (Swiss) Temple! This is the best Christmas present he gave me!!! So cool! Love him!

Best Christmas present for Anziano Edwards' Family!!! Skyping with our happy, funny, awesome missionary!!! Thanks for taking care of him Italy!

Buon Natale! (almost)

Email: December 18, 2013

Well honestly it is not cold here....well its cold, but NOTHING LIKE LAST YEAR! I nearly froze to death each day, here, with a sweater, it feels good, the evenings and nights are cold though. It must get to 0 degrees C at night becuase I have seen frost on the grass, but never on the cars. I hope it stays like this!

I still cant believe STG got that much snow!

In the store the other day I saw the worlds first curved tv....it was expensive, like 8,000 euro expensive! Really cool though!

We have our chapel back! WHOOO!!! Its super nice now! We had a party after church because a young man Beniamino is leaving for the MTC for his mission in Rome. We ate some super tasty food! Some real lasagna! Bologna is famous for its ragù and lasagna! YUMM!!! I will talk a picture of it and send it home it I ever remember....slim chance!

I will be in Milano for mission council on the 31st, so I will get mail then. THANKS SO MUCH!!!

Ciao!

Love you favorite missionary!

Anziano Edwards!

Buon Natale! 

It's me with the Christmas Tree in Centro di Bologna!

Buon Natale! 

Goody New Shoes! Old vs. New

My Shoes! Old and New...they were greatly welcomed!

Italy Warmer than Home?

Email: December 11, 2013

Ok so this email will probaly be super confusing and quite random...sorry in advance... 

Some cool quotes form President Dibb "It is not a social club, it is a missionary force" and he also shared with us in the mission leader confrence back on the 3rd, by Neil A Maxwell. He said somthing along the lines of "you do not have to unload the whole lead of hay at one tim" I loved it!

Random thing that has been on my mind a bit is children, maybe its becuase of thankgiving and chirstmas, but I have realized how fun and grat it is to play with kids. I miss screaming and being nuts in gradmas basement with all the little cusins. Families are SO AWESOME! I miss them all.

We have a zone confrence this friday all the way in Pordenone! We will be sleeping in Meste thursday night. It is there becuase mission confrences are now divided up my zones wich are now aliged with Italian Stakes and member districts. Bologna is in the Venezia (Venice) Stake. This stake is comprised of the Bologna zone and the Venizia Zone. Our stake has two mission zones, the Verona Zone has 3, milano 2, Allesandria 2, the others only have one zone becuase thay are smaller or still a member district. Anyways, it should be super fun and exciting. Thanks to the new idea of teh assistents, us zone leaders are now in charge of it, but that will be fun. For the last 30 min of the confrence it is the chirstmas part....Pres. Dibb isnt as big of a fan of Chirstmas was were the Wolfgramms...

We had a lunch with Vescovo(bishop) Sereno becuae it was part of their family mission plan we established with them. They decided that their family would bring 5 non members and our companionship would bring 10 investigators and we would have a lunch together...tehy brought 2 and we brought 0 becuase he was called into work art the last minute, but is was great anyways! He made us a lasagna and a billion other amazing Italian dishes!  Great success even it is wasnt a big crowd.

We will be doing a mostra in Centro (a street dispaly in town center) next week and we will do it for a few weeks! Pictures and success stories will come! We are super excited!

I cant belive it was that cold and it snowed in STG! CRAZY stuff!!!

That new convert I did her baptimal interview and I have never met anyone more ready and fully converted unto the Lord.

Attached is a picture of me pointing to our appartment in Bologna. In centro, we found a big picture, sky view, of Bologna. It is supposed to be like the cheesy picture we all take in the MTC of pointing to our mission on the wold map...Enjoy!

Positivity and Trust in God

Email: December 4, 2013

Trasfers were nuts! Bologna was indeed a "hub" and missionaries are somtimes the dumbest people in the world! Everyone was told their travel plans and som way they were all confused...it was nuts! People getting on wrong trains, missing thier train, leaving with out their travel buddies, ect. Crazy. But the blessing came, everyone made it to there cities and there new companion...eventualy......after angry assistents and zone leaders. :) 

The sorelle arrived, Sorella Nelson and Sorella Baird. So now all missionaries in Bologna are from Utah! Woot woot! There are truly great sorelle and  wont cause me head aches! 

We missed thanksgiving dinner becuase of trasfers but we had a make-up dinner just for the missionaries on saturday. It was the size of a normal meal so nothing like back home. The members tried their best to make it feel like family and home so we were are super grateful. I had some trukey, corn(of course!), mashed potaoes, rolls, and a slice of pumpkin pie(made from scratch!). Good food, but just not American. It iwas a great time though. We were with the Palmieri Family, American wife, Itlaian Husband, who were married ing SLC but moved to Italy a while ago. Thay all speak English, the father suprizingly well. 

Sadly we did not get a car :( Consiglio della missione was super fun. Some info I can leak out so start some roomers is we will get ipads next june and we are getting nice street displays of family search for the mission, if members make mormon.org profiles, we can have gigantic adds in train stations, bill boards, subways, ect sooner than later, and a bunch of exciting ways to start the "new age" of technology in the Lord's work. 

Its cold, but we dont get snow! haha I am SO greatful it is a mild winter...I am just afraid it will last for ever....its not to terribly cold, like 7 degrees . Maybe at night we will hit freezing, but I am inside so that is fine by me!

pres. Dibb is keeping people in cities longet than Wolfgramm did. The Anz. In Ferrara are doing 4 trasfers togeother as a trainer with his trainee....too long!

This was a better week, we still sucked at teaching lessons but that is all right. I have made a new view on eveything, positivity and trust in God. I feel that I was missing those two in my life. I am truly better now. The ward is better and all freaking out becuase we have sorelle here in Bologna, its good here in Bologna. 

Anziano Edwards! 

Ciao! 

Along the way the hike of San Luca

The View (looks like the Tuscany Hills)

standing the the dome part..right after I touched some electrical wires that were live....that was a REALLY powerful shock of current....no worries, I am still living. It just game me a bit of a jump start...hahaha

Just finding my inner peace

The end place of San Luca

my district last trasfer :) 

Dont try to figure out companionships....no one is with their companion....we were all slightly confused...hahah 

The Bologna Zone last transfer :)

Trip to San Luca

Email: November 27, 2013

I am staying as zone leader with Anz. Warnock for this upcomming trasfer. President went crazy! Like he is nuts! He talked about trying to align all the mission zones with the local Italian stakes and districts...its basicaly impossible, but he did it...he cut our zone in half and created a new zone, the Modena Zone. And now the Bologna Zone is Bologna (with sorelle now :)), Ferrara, Padova and Vicenza(my first city!) We are a zone of 4 cities but have 8 companionships and plus the Sr. Couple in Vicenza Military, The Arbogasts! They are the best. We have three district leaders, so its perfect! We are thinking we will get a car because the Mestre Zone is now half as small so the Bologna zone is now bigger in area so it makes more sense for us to have the car, Vicenza is like 2.5 hours away...basicaly FOREVER! 

I honestly dont think I will survive tommorrow because we have to stay in Bologna Centrale(the train station) for the day, we will be there from the morining until my guess is about 15.00 as we have to make sure all the traveling missionaries get on the right trains and then we have to call ahead and let the next city know their arivial time. Plus we cant screw up other wise people are alone...president would kill us probably. Its stressfull to say the least. Bologna will basically be a hub for missionaries to change trains and change travel groups/companions along the way. Wish me luck! (side note, Anz. Pagano who I trained will be in Vicenza now so I get to see him often :)

Because the American family is doing thanksgiving in their second "mansion" up in the mountians, they have agreed to had a second thanksgiving at their home in town for all 6 of us missionaries on Saturday! They are the best! Thanksgiving on Saturday! Whoot whoot!

Yes the new sorelle appartment is all good to go. We have been confirmed they are arriving...I forgot their names though...they are both young in the mission, i think a 6th and a 5th trasnfer. boh. Their apartment is WHITE The walls, floor, all apliances, cubbords, bookshelfs, desks, everything, even the floors! Its so weird! Worst appartment to clean each week! Glad its not my appartment! haha

Well this week was a better one. All I can say is mom has super powers, angie a bit too. It kinda freaks me out that mom knows so much even when I dont say anything...Last week was just hard, we taught like 4 or 5 lessons, no one came to church.

This past week we didnt do much that was crazy to note wortrhy. It was a week of missionary work. Pday on the 20th, we went on a hike kinda, we walked up ramps and a billion stairs to get to a place called San Luca. It was cool. There is 666 arches along the path. (picture attached).

Thrusday our Russian investigator who is 22 droped with us. May have been the saddest I have even been to hear some one say "non possiamo incontrarci mai. Ho trovato la verità è la mia risposto da Dio. La vostra chiesa non è la vera chiesa. Tutte sono false." That is what he told us. We passed by his house to talk with him but he met a homless type guy who "knows all religions" and told him all are false, just live a good life. I was quite upset and it really just felt like some one punched my heart when he told me that the three kingdoms are false and just a fairy tale. It is so hard to see a progressing investigator leave like that. Weirdest part is Anz. Thompson promised him as he reads and prays with real intnet about the BOM he will feel someting in his heart, like a fire. The nexst lesson he told us the weirdest thing happened the day before meeting us, he said I read and prayed and then I felt something I have never felt before. He explained it has a hot fire in his core. We helped him recognize the Holy Ghost. He loved it. He knew it was true. Now, he never wants to meet us. :(

On a happier note, our less active member beat his cancer and cant wait to come to church. He also expressed a desire to give a talk in church! He is supr cool and will take us to lunch for some more local food and a steak from Firenze! Only the best he told us! haha. I am just greatful. He is super great.

English class is twice a week now and they are the funniest people ever!

Con amore,
Anziano Edwards!

Ciao! 

San Luca Arches 

San Luca
(Picture from Google -just to give you an idea of what Anziano Edwards hiked on P-Day)

Keep On Keepin' On

Email: November 20, 2013

I have no clue if I will get trasfered. its up to the Lord. :)

The assistents came for a scambio last wednesday so our p day was changed to thursday (just last week).

Well Thanksgiving is on transfer day so it messes things up. In Bologna, we have one one American Family who have invited us up to their second home in the mountains if we have time with all the trasfer confusion. There is another American who married an Italian, our ward missino learer in fact and they alway combine thanksgiving with the other family. On pday, the day before trasfers, so next p day, we are planning on maybe having some type of thangiving with the Anziani in the zone and maybe play some football. Nothing is confirmed yet though.

Well not much to tell you this last week....it was kind boring. We have not been teaching much due apartment stuff. The Sr. Couple from Milano, The Burgers (she is Italian, he is American) called monday morning and said we had to help them ove in and set up the entire new appartment for the sorelle.that will come next week! Bologna gets sisters! It has been 15 years since there were sorelle in Bologna. I was on Scambio in ferrara so I didnt have to put together all the Ikea stuff, but this weekend we have to supervise the kitchen workers and then another time we have to deal the the plumbera and electrical guys so the appartment can have utilities. I an mot looking forward to dealing with them...it will take basicaly our whole day because we have to travel to the new appartment and wait for the keitchen delevery guys and make sure thy dont ding the walls ect, and make sure it gets put in the richt place in the kitchen. Thy will arive 'sometime in the morring...' on friday...who knows if they will ever show up...I will let you know how it goes!

Other than that big news, I was cold, but then it heated back up and it warm today. Chruch was cool. Life is good, trasfer news on MOnday for leadership positions, it not, we will hear on Tuesday.

Love you tons and tons!

Anziano Edwards

Ciao!

sorry, compuer sucks so no pictures this week :(

Mission Leadership Council with Elder Teixeria. A.J. is in the center just behind Elder Teixeria; next to Sister Dibb
Picture borrowed from the Milan Italy Mission Blog

Best Experience of My Life

Email: November 14, 2013

Well about the "hot chocolate" as they call it here, it just different. I love it, but it is super rich so you cant have much of it at a time. Also it is not really liquidy, you can drink it but it is better to eat with a spoon, I miss american hot chocolate becuase it is a perfect thing to just sit and relax with that warms you up. I love sipping hot chocolate. So I guess I would perfer american hot chocolate over Itlain just becuse its more relaxing, and you can have a much of it ever day, where as teh itlaian type if more a a treat every now and again.

Dad, we eat sandwhiches here, but they are super super basic. They never really use sandwhich bread, it is some sort of a roll or personal size peice of bread with one slice of meat, one slice of cheese and sometimes it will have a tiny bit of mayo. Very simple. I love sandwiches with a buch of tomato and lettuce and meat and cheese. Both are tasty though!

I never pack a snack or dinner. I just never am hungy. its weird. Sometimes at night I will have a little snack before bed, but not usually.

No they do not eat those hero/giro greek sandwich that we get at the art festival, i hve never seen them. I have seen a arabic food called a kabap or kabab that are tasty and similar to the sandwhich you are thinking about I think...BOH.

Random stuff that I am not sure if I ever told you...

There is bologna meat here that is super tasty, but its real meat here :)

I was called on in the missionary leader council last week that all the leaders met with preasident dibb and also Elder Teixeria to give a stewardship and best practice report. talk about super scary!

Cool blessing that Elder Teixeria gave to us in the zone confrence, he said " I bless your familes that they will feel the influence of your mission" Question now, do you all feel it?

Well love you tons and tons, sorry the email sucks this week.

Ciao!Hugs and kisses to you all!!!!!! XOXOXOXO

Anziano Edwards

Saluti da Bologna 

I all most forgot to tell you the best news probalby of my mission. I cried.

William went to the temple last week!!!!!! Anz. Pagano called me and told me one evening and yes I shed a few tears standing at the bus stop in the evening waiting for the bus home. I am so happy for him and all I want is to go to the temple one day with him! :D

This is the best experience of my life. I could and NEVER would trade it for anything else. I can not describe it. A mission is just indescribable. I have never felt the love of God, the power of the Atonement of Christ and the desire to help others more than I have for the past year and 3ish months. It is truly incredible. 

Firenze Cravatte!

Email: November 6, 2013

It is not that cold, its weird. Super sunny and warm. The evenings are cold though. our low is like 7 degrees C.
“la conocenza avra col temp” traslates to 'The knowledge with come with time' Where did you hear that from?
We will be making REAL Itlaian food for sure when I get home. Its easy for the most part too!
Our mission phone is just like dads backberry, but mine is samsung brand. The new phones in the mission are touch screan. We can not access the internet on them. They are not a true 'smart phone' but cool and nice, wasy to use so its good.
Also, alfredo sauce! are you kidding me! That is 500% NOT italian! Gross! Shame shame! bad! It traslates to of the cold sauce! haha
Italy is amazing, and I am great!
Thanks for the love and prays, I will send a bunch your way too!
Anziano Edwards! 

Me in a Frecciarossa Business class

The Anziani I live with.Anz. Miles (closest) and Anz. Hillyard.
Riding in Business Class in a Frecciarossa train to Firenze

I was in Firenze for zone conferece/mission tour so I bought some ties....I couldnt resist! Temptation was too big! hahaha 
This time I only bought bright colored ones! ;)
I bought 17 I think so now in the mission, I 60ish ties...and I am not even sad or worried I have too many!

This is the market where I bought ties in Firenze. the tie shop is way down the street, you cant see it.

Be SUPERMAN!

Email: October 30, 2013

Sorry I don't have time today to say much.

I am doing well. Anz. Warnock is a good companion.

Well we are cooking and learning how to be real italians for pday in Ferrara so we are cooking a ragu, pasta by hand, chicken, a roast, bread of course, and dessert. I cant wait to eat in about  15 min.

Cool song is In Chirst by Owl City.

There is Bologna meat here. It is called mortadella. It is super yummy, not like plastic back home.

Grazie per il vosto amore per me!

Ciao!

Anz. Edwards and Anz. Warnock

Making Pasta 

Ready for a "real" Italian meal 

What a "real" Italian meal looks like! One of the best ways to spend a P-Day!

Zone Vision for this transfer. Be SUPERMAN!

Another Great Week in Italy!

Email: October 23, 2013

Well dont have much time sorry in advance. 

Ilife is good. Anz. warnock is great. so far I love him. He is from Northern Utah and there are just little things that we really relate to each other so that is cool. 

Our zone past trasfer did was one of the best. (there are 10  zones in the mission currently) We are the smallest but had the bst ratios of new investigators, baptismal dates set and baptisms. In the last six weeks, the mission baptized 27 children of God. Super cool! 

To get good shoes for the mission here in Italy, you would be paying over 120 Euro and they wouldnt be as comfortable. I talked with all the other missionaries who have bought some shoes in Italy. They all say shoes in italy are great sunday shoes. Fancy. That is it, not comfortable or really durable, let along waterproof. 

I shouldnt have to pay customs or any fees for the package. I have never heard of anyone ever having to pay for a package. The office sr. couple just scared us all about fees when we first arrived in the mission. 

side note, I started to read the Italain book of mormon in Itlaian and I am in Mosiah now. I just finished it in English yesterday too. The Book of Mormon is true! I know it!

We are starting do do alot of member lessons working with member referals. They make up more than half the the baptisms. Few baptims come from kncoking doors and walking the streets, so its just using your time most effectivly. We also have some pass-bys of past investigators.

I am not getting fat. Just staying the same. 

For p-day we just go and find cool things to take pictures offor every now and again play some sports with the other Anziani. 

I eat well, missionaries cook pasta often, but there are so many types so it doesnt get old. I eat the healthiest by far in the apartment. I always have my salads and a bunch of varried fruits and veggies. 

A typical day is two lessons, maybe three or four if we are lucky. We teach  about 8 differnt less avtice members and we then hav our handful of investigators. On sunday this man just walked to church. he is a new investigator. Plus, he is Italian and knows basically everything and agrees too! He is super cool. i am really excited for him. Crazy part is he studied the life of Joseph Smith and a bunch of other random things about the church, didnt get any anti mormon material and knows more than I do! 

My companion wont let me take a picture of him, so next week you can see what he looks like. :)

Ciao!

Anziano Edwards

Fall is in the Air

Email: October 16, 2013

The weather in Bologna is quite cool. I am glad I am in a suit jacket. It has been raining alot in October, but expected. Always rains in October.

I will be staying as capo zona here in Bologna. my new companion will be Anz. Warnock(he is from up north like bountiful or somthing) He is starting his 12th trasfer so two older than me. He has never been Capo Zona before so I have to basicaly train him in a sense on zone leader stuff. My companion is being trasfered to Trento, up in the northern mountains. He is going to be a "normal" missionary. He is with a young missionary who is starting his 4th trasfer and Anz. Thompson will not be a district leader. He is really excited to not be a leader and be at a slower pace. It will be weird for hom though. There is a big differnce in the speed and everything with being a zone leader. Zone leaders are always thinking about everything and just quick paced. It hard to keep up sometimes.

There were quite a few changes in the Zone, about half the companionships were changed and we are getting some really good missionaries. I am really excited. it is alway a good thing to get some "new blood" in a the zone. New and difernet ideas add to the zone.

It is super crazy for zone leaders. We recived all the travel plans for all the missionaries in our zone and also all those missionaries who were traveling through Bologna or meeting up half way with someone. It is simply crazy! We have to make a billion phone calls, check train times and inform the zone. We also have to correlate with the other zones a bit. Plus we have the current zone members calling and wanting "mission gosiup" and its just anoying, maybe more annoying than the "dumb questions we get during the week. The answer is usualy, use your brain! hahaha. It is super fun though, but quite stessfull. we ere lucky that no missionaries are traveling halfway and staying the night in our apartment because that just creates more chaos.

All is going well here in Bologna. We have found some new investigators and so its not too bad. We are excited and happy and healthy so not much to complain about except it is about winter time and that will mean Anziano Edwards will freeze to death. It was a miracle that I didnt die last winter. hahaha I pray there will be little to no snow. snow....YUCK! 

Love you all as always and pray for you daily!

Con amore,

Anziano Edwards

Email #2 10/16/2013

oh, well I speak more English, but I should be speaking more Italian.
A mission rule is speak English in the apartment and Itlaliano outside. I am not very good at speaking Italian always outside. Inside is 90% English. Only the Africans will speak english with us. 99% of the time we speak Italian on the street. You do meet that random Italian who speaks really good English, but more times that not, my crapy Italian is better than his really crapy English.
I email earlier because in Bologna is just makes more sense to email, then so shoping and return home to put away the groceries then go and wander around and see cool stuff. Before in Udine and Genova, we did shoping, lunch, then did a fun P-day activity then emailed at the end of our p-day. Hope that made sense :)

Picture is of the fix-it job with some packageing tape of the wall socket that wasnt in wall....tape is magic. The only problem is if you pull the plug out, the socket comes out. So as long as you dont mess with it, we did a mighty fine job. We are basically profesionals :) hahaha

Miracles of English Class and New Life Motto!!!

Email: October 9, 2013

Miracles of English Class! We had a random guy call us and said he wants to come to our English Class! He was looking online for a good english school/class and all the comments online said "dont go here, the Mormons do a free english class" so then he googled "mormons in Bologna" and found the address of the chaple, went there and since the chaple is under consturction there is a paper taped on the door with the bishops phone number and the missionaries number along with the temporary chaples address. He saw that and called us and said he would come with his girlfriend. Sure enough he came! He went upstaris in the church (where there was the institute class) and so they talked with the young adults of the ward for a few minutes then were directed to the room whrere we do English Class. They are super funny, a young couple, and also from the south. Southern Italians talk with such a differnt accent, usually partly in dialect so its easy to pick out people from southen Italy. Anyways I really like their accent, plus, they might me the funniest Itlaians I have ever met! We taught class, then they stayed after and we, (Anziano Money and I, he is one of the presidents assistents. (Abbiamo fatto un scabio con i assistenti la settimana scorsa)) taught them a gosple lesson and answered a buch of their questions. Really good questions too!. The piont is tehy came again to English Class, witha friend, and we stayed after and taught all three another lesson! They are all new investigators! That is a miracle within a miracle because we have gone three weeks without a new investigator! In the past, I have always averaged at least 1 or 2 new investigators weekly. It has been hard to find people to teach for us, but its on the upside now :) Also, they said they have another friend who is interested in learning English too! Do I have a testimony that doing Engish Class will bring new investigators? YES! Miracle! 

I was able to watch both saturday sessons, the preisthood session and Sunday morning sessions of confrence. We watched them at the internnet cafè here in Bologna. The other Anziani traveled to Modena and watched it there. We would have gone too, but we set up lessons between sessions of confrence. 
To say the least, confrence was fantastic! I have pages and pages and pages filled in my journal from confrence. My favorite part was when pres. Monson said that after confrence he is going to write that this has been one of the most memorable and inspiring sessions of confrence. If the Prophet said that, you can bet it was a powerful confrence. Nearly all the talks were focused on missionary work, and that is not just because I am a missionary and everything in the world relates to missionary work...it is so true that the members are vital in growing the Lords kingdom. Missionaries cant do it alone and neither can the members do it alone. We need to work together. A favorite talk of mine was David A. Bednar's talk about tithing, it didnt realate 100%, but the way he did his invite at the end was powerfull, he said that as you and I obey this divine law, we will recieve the besings. He didnt say 'you' or even 'we' he said 'as you and I obey' Cool little thing I picked up. The work is going well. We have new investigators after a few long weeks of dropping investigators, others just not answering their phone, and other little things that happen so we can no longer teach someone. It helps alot if you have a large teaching pool of investigators. Anziano Thompson's girlfriend is serving in LA California Spanish speaking and there is a member in Cal who gave her three referals of her family who lives in Italy. It ends up them living in Bologna! Out of all of Itlay, Bologna! What are the odds! Even more crazy, they all live on the west side of the city, the side my companionship works on! it was crazy odds. The Lord has his hand in this work, I am sure of it. Too many things happen, its more than 'chance'. They were not home when we went to their house, so we will go back agian this week at a different time of day. 
The chruch is true. Miracles every day. I love you all, and dont ever forget that! 
XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Con anore, il vostro missionario,Anziano Edwards


Follow up from last week:
"100% leagal...maybe not, but I shouldnt get deported back to America.....hahaha. I started the renewal process and my appointment at the Questura di Bologna is at the end of the month, then I will give them a photo of my beautuful face and my prints of my fingers ;) Then maybe a month after that they will give my a new official card aka permesso di soggiorno. We will see, hope all will go well!"

Castello in Centro 

We went to Cento last p-day. Cool little city with a castle and I found where to buy cheap gelato in Italy, go to Cento. I tried a new flavor too, Soy. made from soy milk, it was actualy really good, had a very homemade taste.   

My companion almost killed himself this morning. Electric current will hurt according to Anz. Thompson...hahaha 
I just started to laugh uncontrollably at his stupidity...maybe I am not the nicest Christlike companion. It did numb his arm for a bit Maybe we will get the electrical outlet fixed sometime.....

Motto of Anziano Edwards' Life

One Year in Italy!!!

Email: October 2, 2013

Italy is treating me very well! I have no free time really as capo zona but the benifits are all worth it! i hear and see so many miracles as we do scambi (exchanges) with each of the district leaders (two of them) and then if we feel the need, with any other companionships. Its fun and great work be able to train, lead, and inspire the members of my zone. Anziano Proctor, my second companion in Vicenza emails me often and gives me great advice to being a great capo zona as he was one too during his mission. Presidente Wolfgramm told me I have one of the best missionaries, refering to Anz. Proctor. And I agree, he was amazing!

The econonmy is still really rough here. Its hard on my seeing the effects it has on people. Back home I never really interacted or saw what could happen with someone who didnt have work or a house. Its rough! Really sad, but cool part is the message of the restoration of the true gople of Chirst is of true happiness. Happiness an joy during this life and sweet happiness that last for the eternities.

Bologna is a great city. I am getting used to the big cities, but still dont like them. It is nice to serve in a ward, but nothing like a ward back home. We have maybe 70 people is a ward. Bologna should be nice in the winter because it has the most covered walkways in the world so I will be out of the snow. It snows quite a bit here too. I strongly disaprove of the cold! haha The people are alot more open here than my past cities so that is a plus! :)

Fun story. So my Permesso di Soggiorno expires Oct. 1st 2013 (what keeps me from being deported back to America). two months ago I received a folder of papers to renew it. The insturctions said to start it at least 6-8 weeks before it expires. The mission office would inform me when they set my appointment. Never got it. I called them each week, and they said they will do it and let me know....never happend....go figure! I guess the office didnt like me and wanted me to get kicked out of the country haha All the paper work was address to the government and city of Vicenza, my first city. So I had to renew it there, but couldnt with out the appointment....well I got trasfered to Bologna and I told them next week I will be illegal in Itlay, so the actualy set my appointment, but it was in Bologna, the city that wasnt written on my official paper work....whoops! their fault! ....hope the fancy government people dont care! haha Well the office over night send some more documents for my appointment, recived them in the morning, I wasnt able to go out and work all morning because I needed to be home when DHL came with my package so I could sign for it. it came I went to my appointment stood inline for 30 min, its worst than the US "post dump"! Left becuase I had my number, bought a gelato and then came back and my number still wasnt even close to being called. So after nearly all day, step one of 4 is complete and my renewal process has begun! Miracle! hahahIn a month I have my second appointment with the real official people who can deny me and not give me permission. But good thing the church has always been polite and always had our paperwork filled ouit inadvance so they like us and always give us permission. :) 

Thanks for all you do for me. I truly feel your prayers and see the Lords hand in this wonderful work. I cant even begin to tell you my love for my savior, for the Italian people and of course for all of you! With all the love I can get into this little email,

Love you TONS!  (I hope that hurt your eyes!) haha

Anziano Edwards :)

The Covered Walkways 

Random picture of me and my collega.It is us taking a picture of this really old window that was like a mirro. Co0l random stuff you find if you walk around a city all day every day

Construction in Bologna!

Email: September 25, 2013

Attached is a picture of the Duomo in Centro. Its under construction though. They are redoing the front as it started to fall apart...

Cool story I guess: some catholic leader a billionish years ago wanted to be more powerful than the Pope so he started building his chruch (the Duomo in Bologna) and was making it bigger than the one in Milano. The Pope didnt like that and canceled the building of it and made a rule that no chruch could be bigger than the Duomo in Milano. So the Bologna Duomo never was finished as planned. 

Well this week was great, the missionaries in Ferarra were "white washed" two new elders last trasfer so they had no idea of the investigators or who to get around the city. Both came in blind to the area basically. They had a miracle 2 week baptism! 

The sorelle in Reggio Emilia will baptize this weekend and we shoiuld baptize on the 12th!

Zone leader is fun, its really rewarding too. 

Also, our church is under consturction. they are redoing all the inside. New tile and tearing down a wall to make it bigger, new bathrooms, ect. So we are renting a British Institute, a english school, so we have church in a school right by the train station. We will move into our "new" church by Christmas....or maybe longer...but lets hope not.   

Also, we had to take a missionary to the train station this past week. The Italian who is in my apartment. He has medical problems and had to go home. That was a weird issue. President Dibb called at night right before bed and told us to take him to the train station and get him to Milano the next morning. Super short notice and he had to pack super quick. 

So that left Anziano Cook alone with out a companion so I was in a trio with him. The EXACT SAME trio I was in for a week in Piacenza! Super crazy! Flash back! haha We were in a trio for a few days and Anz. Cook recieved his companion monday afternoon. 

Thanks for all your love and support.

Love Anziano Edwards!

Bologna Duomo

Super old and super small Mini Cooper

Church under construction in Bologna

Remodeling the church building

Inside church reconstruction