Monday, June 30, 2014

Getting out of the Rut

Email: June 25, 2014

First me bike story. Yes of course it is fixed. Its basically a new bike. In the past month I have bought a new front and rear wheel and adjusted it all. Oh the joys of a bike mission....hahah! I was riding in centro and for no reason at all I stop dead in my tracks and I do I half flip. My companion was ahead of me and so unfourtuantly he didnt get to see the excitment, but the break pad thing-a-magig broke and went into the spokes and broke a doxen of them and the main damage was caused from the tire guard(the thing that keeps water from sprayin up onto you as you ride. The two rods that attach it, some how got caught in the tire and folded it up into its self. It was fun.....kinda...hahah

This week was really good. We got out of our rut and taught 11 lessons (up from 6-8 lesson mark for the past month) Plus found 4 new investigators, and set 1 baptismal date for aug 2nd, and another accemped the soft baptimal invite and will accempt a date if he recieves and answer!! The biggest miracle was with your less active brother and sister who the sister stopped me on the bus and asked if we were the mormons. They live in Parma so we take a 12 train ride there a few times a week to teach them and a hand full of other members and now investigators. The brother is going to the temple tommorrow until saturday evening witht he ward!!!! He is super excited to say the least. He is fully active,but we are still working with his sister. They are in their 30's and were both baptized at 9 or 10ish years old badk in peru. I love them to death! We had a lesson yesterday with both of them and we took an ex missionary with us to help teach/make friends with the sister so she will be willing to come to church. 

I assume the ward temple trip will be just less than 1/2 the ward so maybe 30, but I am not sure who exactly will be going. The youth are goingn to Madrid Spain in July so oly a few of the youth are going on both ward trips. It is a HUGE sacrafice for them! Few members are able to go ever year. Some wait years to go! 

Fun story. A member from Reggio just left on his mission to London this past week and his parents we freaking out! They were a mess to say the least. So on exchanges, Anziano Berg(DL) and I went to share a spititual thought with them, the mom and dad, only child family. They wanted us to call london to make sure he is ok becuase he never few before, ect. The assistents gave us permission we called the Preston MTC! Not many missionaries can say that! haha He is doing great and is District leader in the MTC and he will be there for 6 weeks becuase the MTC is making him traslate and help the other Italians who dont speak super good english. 

We are fasting with the ward for 30 days to boost the Lord's work. We havent seen a baptism since march and very few people in chuch. It was the bishops idea. So ever day for the next month, a deffernt member is fasting specifically for missionary work and our investigators. Its fun to call and remind the members, call them with miracles and then call to thank them! Best part is the members are more then excited, the LOVE it! 

Two members a man from Croatia and a filipean girl got married and are at the temple as we speak! She was raiased LDS and he was intoduced to the church becuase of her and he was baptized about two years ago! Super cute couple and we had a great wedding party after the entire afternoon that include dana amazing lunch. IT was super super super simple and so I loved it! THe DJ was really lame though...haha. 

I am not being trasfered! Thank goodness! I would be super upset if I was trasfered for my last trasfer! It would be aweful! I am staying with Anziano Espinosa and Anz. Carter is staying too. Anz. Berg, distric leader, is trasfering to Ancona to be with a newish missionary and be district leader there. Anz. Burton, in his 12 trasfer is comming to Reggio to be district leader. 

ps! I will go back to Bologna to pick up my permesso di soggiorno that is now available...the fancy important legal stuff I started back in October......

Ciao! 
The Newlyweds

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Italy Soccer Missionary

Email: June 18, 2014

Well Italy loves soccer WAY TOO MUCH! It is great! There is a big stir about the world cup....only bad part is I dont understand one thing about soccer! I am sure I am the only person in Italy who doesnt like soccer....

Not sure what to say this week. Went to church. Taught some lessons. Our less active brother passed the sacrament and the bishop is working on getting him to the temple next week with the ward!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So cool! 

Got to go ciao!

Happy belated fathers day to you dad!

Love your happy smiling missionary!
Anziano Edwards
Summer scarfs. They are the new fashion...just like every single summer.
My District Leader, Anziano Berg. First class! 
Zone Conference. Modena Zone combined with the Bologna Zone in Bologna. It was great to return to my last city. Good memories!

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

English Class, Fast Trains, and Church Leaderes

Email: June 11, 2014

I knew you recieved my flight plans because I recived a letter from the office titled, "Customs Bulletin" When you get this you know you are near the end! It was a bunch of legal just about US customs and declarations, then a letter about working hard and another about my mission finacnes and final interview with Pres. Dibb. Nothing that important but it seemed fancy. haha 

I am not trunky but super excited to end my mission. I love it for sure, but Aug. will be great. I get to see all of you! Not to freak you out, but I will send you 8 more times, the 8th being two days before I come home. Its nuts!

ON tuesday we are going to Bologna for a zone confrence.  Modena and Bologna zone combined. We are taking a fast train, (frecciarossa-google it!) We got tickets on sale for 9 euro. Best part is the tickets are in first class! We take a 15 min bus ride to the high speed train station on the north end of the city. So that will be fun. 

We had 10 new people in our english class. We printed out fancy flyers for it. We printed 2500 for them for only 40 euro which the ward reimbursed. Pictues wil come.

ON sunday we traveled to Modena for stake confrence because reggio doesnt have the means to show it. They failed to mentiont that Pred. Uchtdorf, Pres. Anderson, and Elder Teixeria were there. It was held in Bern Swizerland and included 30ish stakes in france italy, Swizerland, Belgium, and some other country. It was AMAZING! It was the best in every sense! The talks were perfect! 

Well I love you all more than you can imagine.

Anziano Edwards
Companion with all our English class flyers 
Legit
Just riding through town and for no reason it broke...I didn't crash though 
The tire and wheel 
The wheel 
Reggio Emilia District

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Go Visit the Temple!!!

Email: June 4, 2014

I may be slightly evil to be happy that you were miserable in the hot humidity (of Florida)! Now you have a small taste of how much Italian summers suck as a missionary! 
Recently is has only been in the mid 20's, thats like 70/80s. Its humid, but not too bad.....yet that is....

We have a small teaching pool. Kofi hasnt answered our calls for weeks nor came to church the past month. We have no idea what happened. Is really sad to have such a cool man just disapear. We will keep praying. I know he has a good reason, but it is weird of him not to answer. But better news is other other investigator, rather our only other who makes progress and we can meet, Samuel (Pakistanian) came to church with his girlfriend(a member of two years) and he loved it! He will be baptized in July. He accepts everything without questions. He is just simple prepared! The only thing he really wants, is to go inside the temple. I have never worked with a new convert, let along an investigator that has such a burning desire and goal to make it all the way to the temple. 

Speaking of temples, the ward is going on the yearly temple trip the end of June. The coolest part is seeing all the buzz and excitment of the temple within the members. They sacrifice SO MUCH! Its crazy! They are stunned when I tell them I can see the temple from my house and its 10 minutes away, but yet I never went all that often. Its true, we are blessed so very much to be so close the the temple to do everything we need to do to be together forevrer. I am so blessed to have a family like you. Thanks! Go and visit the temple! 

With all the love in the world,
LOVE YOU

ANZIANO EDWARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Look! I can still spell my name! (Kinda!)
Let's just say that my shirt was greasy! 
A.J. at the Castle
Castle and Beautiful Italy
Art Major = Pointless Major
The painted walls were cool, but I just can't appreciate it. It's just weird.
Fancy art that I didn't understand
Castle Courtyard
Classic Italy!
Full Shot of Castle