Fantastic Life!!!

Email: March 26, 2014

Well this week has been once again, fantastic. 

Glad the packages arrived and most of all you loved the letter! I have grown to love writing, well that is a lie...I enjoy writing sometimes, more than I used too. You are all SO dang special and I LOVE you all tons and tons! I just cant describe it. Maybe I will be able to do so in words in person.....Aug. 2014....super close! Crazy huh?!

MOnday I was in Piacenza on scambio and spoke Italian for the entire time. It was fun. I would LOVE a native companion! 

Thursday we had a zone confrence in Verona. Pres. Dibb was fanastic like always. The new assisstents are just weird. I like them though. Yeah, I learned alot. 

My companion ate fufu for his first time. He did great! I was impressed because he is a picky eater. 

We are teaching a man named kofi that the sorelle first found. Weird part is, he is so super similar to W! Its werid honestly. But he is progressing and such a humble guy. All of our investigators are miracles. I have never seen so many miracles in a city, Reggio Emilia is something special and I already love it so much!

Two weeks ago, the Mission Consecration week, we broke the record for number of lesson taught during one week, exceeded 1700! Fun stuff is going on in Italy!

The church is true. I love it and I know it!

Love your favorite, 

Anziano Edwards!

Spring is Here!

Email: March 19, 2014

Well this past week had been fantastic! Out apartment is full of the best people on the planet! I love them all and we have SO much fun adn maybe eat way too much pizza....but you only live in Italy as a missionary once right?! haha

We ride bikes here or just walk. The city is small, so we only use the bikes when its more than a 20 min or so walk. 

The weather is getting warm. Everything is blooming and I wish I could wear shorts. The evenings are all ways cool and jacket or sweater weather. I like it. Perfect weather for missionary work, if it gets much hotter.....well lets say its not going to be fun. I am scared of the summer. I know it will be incedably hot and dry here in Reggio Emilia.....40 plus degrees with no ocean breeze like I had last summer in Genova. I will keep you updated of how misserably hot it gets!

This past week we had ANOTHER baptism! His name was Stanley! I had the blessing to interview him and he KNOWS this is the true church! Mamma mia! He has such a great heart and willing to follow Christ. Picture next week. Baptims, or not, I am just so happy to know of the fullnessof Christ's Gosple and even happier when others find out the same for themselfs! Che grande! Sono contento. 

Monday I spent the day in Piacenza on scambio. City sound fammiliar? That was my second city in the mission, but was only 7 days. Good to relive my past city :) I was with Anziano Mendoza who is Santa Domingo blood, but born and raised in Udine! When I was in Udine last year, he recived his call to Uraguay. but is stuck in Italy for a few more weeks becuase of Visa problems. It iwas fun to speak 100% italian all day long. Learned alot from him, in missionary work and of course the language. 

The two investigators we have, one hasnt talked to us for a week, found out he went to the hospital...so that was a bit scarry. and the other one is moving to London(he is Italian) in a few weeks. They are both some of the most prepared  childen on God. The one moving to London, is the perfect example of meekness and eager to learn more! He is bringing his friend to church this sunday too! 

Thomas, new convert, is doing fantastic and loving church. He got glasses and can now read the BOM a lot easier. We are goingto begin teaching his friends and sending his family info to Ghana as referals! 

sorry I suck at emails latley....I will try to add some stories next week. There are so many, funny and spiritual and everywhre in between! I LOVE my mission and cant belive its almost done. My companion reminds me constantly saying "do you realize this is your last March 19th in the mission?" Yeah I might just kill him...haha jk.

With love, your favorite!

Anziano Edwards

Ciao Tutti! 

We ate this. We all about died. 99% who would've guessed...

Anziano Finnerty and I the first time we met in Milano!

Pizza Makes Life Great!!

Email: March 12, 2014

Life is great, I honestly am loving Reggio and my appartment. Anz. Bert, Carter and Finnerty are all fantastic missionaries and great to live with. We eat pizza too often...its so good and the pizzeria loves the missionaries becuase we order pizza often...life is great!

Thomas. What more can I say, another amazing man from Ghana. He is humble and a really funny guy and just happens to be the newest member of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints here in Reggio Emilia! The baptsim as flawless. Just wonderful. Simple and beautiful. The baptimal font was huge! I havent seen one this big in a long time! It was a temporary style one, but big. Anyways, I gave a talk on the Holy Ghost, S.lla Jones gave the other talk on baptims. His member friends, baptized him and confermed him on sunday. Afer church he was given the preisthood too! So fantastic. Bishop Carrus, who is one of the most dedicated and most spiritual men I have ever met is truly happy and greatful for Thomas, he already is an active member and add so much the this fantastic ward! I feel like I am on the clouds! We have good work, not a large teaching pool but the members are awesome. A mission goal is to be in members homes 4 times a week. Family home evening, a short passby lesson or teaching an investigator in a members home all count. Anyways, the first 10 minutes of preisthood is dedicated for us missionaries to get members to all of our appointments and set up member visits. I have never had such a on the ball ward or branch. The members here are so strong. No wonder why Reggio Emilia was the highest baptizing unit (ward/branch) in the mission last year! These members have humbled themselfs, repented, and support one another and to the Lord sees that and is more than willing to bless their lives. So many incredible members and even better testimonies from them. I hope I stay here until Aug! 

Cool thought from Bishop Carrus that I never thought of. Home teaching prepares you for your mission. 

Anyways, of course I love you all!

Statemi bene!

Ciao

Anziano Edwards

Il mio collega!! 

Thomas' Baptism

Incredible Missionary Members!!!

Email: March 5, 2014

Well this week was great! I went to Bologna on Thursday for a zone leader/district leader/sister training meeting. My companion stayed in Reggio and worked in a trio. Learned a bunch about how to be a better leader in the mission and how Pres. Dibb is directing the mission. 

We had a fantastic day at church, our companionship had 3 investigatiors in church, and one was his first time. The members here are INCREDABLE! I have never seen such missionary minded members ever! The first 10 minutes of Preisthood is for us Anziani to set up lessons to visit members and also to schedule member pressent lessons with all of our investigators. Huge success! 

On p day we went to Parma,, they make amazing cheese! Parmigiano Reggiano! We went to this old museam of old Italian stuff. I took so amny pictures so when I get home you can see all of them. Some are a little weird. I feel like "art" is somethimes just a bunch of naked paintings and statues...its kind a really akward. But cool none the less. I guess...

Anz. Finnerty and I went to Milano on Tuesday after ebing aon scambio with the Zone leaders in Modena. I stayed in Reggio, and Finnerty went to Modena. In milano, we had the "new mission ary meeting". We learned all the basics on life in the Italy Milan Mission. Good refresher for me. We caught a train at 8 in the morning and arrived back home at 8.30. Train times did not work out inour favor...but worth it. Pres. is such an inspired man! I cant put it any other way. Incedable.

Baptism this saturday! I will be sure to send home some pictures!

I saw Anziano and Sorella Mackey again, the sr. couple in grandma and grandpas ward becuase they inspected out appartment earlier today. Tell grandpa hello in thier behalf. 

Well have a fantastic week!

I love you all tons and tons!

Anziano Edwards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! baci!

The Museum/Stage/Colesseum thingy...yeah... Gotta love Italy even if you don't understand why art and old things are famous! ;)

Fancy Art Stuff 

Mostra stradale e il piano do salvezza
EVERYONE teaching someone! The members and missionaries!
(A.J.'s Favorite Picture)

Mostra di nuovo (reattachment of picture from this post) 

Reggio Emilia!!! :)

Email: February 26, 2014

I am opening the second companionship of Anziani here in Reggio Emilia. There are also a companionship of sisters in the city, Sorella Killpack from Cedar, and Sorella Jones from Virginia. I live with Anz. Carter from Pleasant Grove and Anz. Berg from Canada some where....They are the coolest people ever. Honestly though I love my new companion the best! Anziano Finnerty is from Boston! Yeah fro the East Coast! hahaha The coolest part was, he was baptized two years ago and the only member of his family! He has the biggest love for the Book of Mormon of anyone I have EVER met. I love it! He is really creative and comes up with all these new ways to go about doing missioary work. His quick conversion story is the coolest thing ever. He heard about the Honor Code at BYU, found Mormon.org, requested a Book of Mormon and was baptized!  


We have the coolest ward here too. But really. I loved the members in Bologna, but I might just love the members in Reggio Emilia a bit more...we will see! I have never served in a branch or ward that has true missionary focus and mindset! They are on fire! I LOVE it! Pres. Dibb told me that Reggio Emilia was the highest baptizing unit (branch or ward) in the misison in 2013! The member involvment shows why. The ward, now with a Canadian missionary makes 18 different nationalities! It is the most diverse place I have ever been! Crazy! 


Our district is the 6 missionaries in Reggio Emilia, then 4(two sisters and two anziani) in Piacenza. Yeah the city I served in for 7 days a year ago, its a bit strange but really exciting. Crazy thing is Anz. Mendoza is from Udine. He doesnt have his visa so he has to stay in Itlay. He is called to serve in some south American country but is stuck in Italy as a temporary missionary in the milan Mission. His parents are from Santa Domingo or somthing like that, but was born and raised in Italy. He has learned English incrediably well with is fun to teach him slang...hahaha Anyways, district leader is a change of pace from zone leader and I feel like I am not going fast enough, but being a trainer, I am back up to my high level of stress ;) haha I love it though! 


We are in the Modena zone. The smallest in the mission, just 4 cities. Modena, Montova, Piacenza and Reggio Emilia. The zone leaders live in Modena. 


Tomorrow I will travel to Bologna with the ZOne leaders for a misison confrence just for zone leaders, district leaders, and sister training leaders. Half the mission leaders will be there because there in one in Milano and one in Bologna so I guess there will be 40 of us, because there are about 80 mission leaders total with all the district leaders. I will let you know how it goes! 


Keep me and my new companion in your prayers. He struggles, just as I did with Italian and misses home, like all missionaries so pray for him. Pray for me so I can konw how to best help him. ALso we have a man named Thomas from Gahna who will be baptized on Mrach 8th, he just passed his interview! :) Also, we fouind a man named Destiny from Nigeria and have set a baptimal date with him for April 4th! He truly is a golden investigatro we stoped on the street! He asked us for a copy of the Book of Mormon so that was super cool! He accepted the baptimal invite with no problems!


Vi voglio un sacco di bene!
Anziano Edwards


all those pictures were trasfered to my portable hard drive and its in the appartment so maybe next week I will email them again :)
Ciao!

All You Can Eat Gelato! And Transfers?

Email: February 19, 2014

Well I am indeed being trasfered...to Reggio Emilia!!! I will be district leader there and also will be training! AGH!!!!!! I might be a little freaked out. So last trasfer there was one anziani companionship, and both of them are being trasfered away, so they are being replaced by two random youngish missionaries whom I dont know...and my greenie and I will be opening a second companionship there. So there will be 4 Anziani who have NO CLUE what were are doing in this city or how to navigate it, the members or the investigators ect.....lets hope for the best! Really! Oh, there is one companionship of sisters in Reggio Emilia so they will be able to help us a bit, hopefully...haha Pray for me! :)

Today for p-day we went to Ferrara and played soccer with other missionaries in our zone, it was 5 vs 5 so that was fun, I still think soccer is a boring sport, rather, boring past time or hobby ;) After, a member there, fed all 10 hungry missionaries! We had pasta al forno, slame, foccacia, bread stick things, and a pie/cake(dolce). SO GOOD!!!

This week was simple, nothing really happened. Our investigator gave me a nice italian shirt and tie as a good-by/thanks present which was really cool and kind of him.

We also went to Vicenza for p-day and did a scambio with one of the companionships there. I was with Anziano Pagano which was really fun. We taught a member referal ans she is ELECT! Holy crap! I have never had anyone ask so many perfect answers, which, we were able to respond to all of them simply and she loved the book of mormon, the family:a proclamation to the word, and also the restoration pamphlet. She takes church material and truly studies it, more than just reads it! She may be better then myself!!

Well have a fantastic week and I love you all!

Ciao tutti!

Anziano Edwards

Some of the pictures sent home this week are experiencing difficulties. Hopefully A.J. will be able to resend them next week and I can fix it. But for now enjoy them and use your imagination ;)

Us with a member when we paid 4 Euros each and had all you can eat gelato!!! We were all sick after, but it was worth it! It was a Valentine's special at the best gelato in Bologna. They are ranked in the top 10 in Italy! It's named Gelatera Gianni. We also met the owner himself, Gianni!

This Fratello might be the coolest member ever! 

My favorite English Class. I was so sad to tell them good-bye! I honestly LOVE Bologna with all my heart! I hate to leave! 

You don't see this driving in Italy...that is unless you are in "Little America" aka Vicenza Italy :) 

YUM!!! At the American Military Base

We drew the Plan of Salvation with street chalk as a new finding activity. SUCCESS! We had members too! SO much fun. The children "helped" us draw and we taught the parents about The Plan of Salvation with a gigantic visual aid all over the street :) Maybe the funnest things I have done! We received a bunch of potentials and even had full lessons with prayers on the street, right in the middle of the city on the weekend! :D

Street Display

Mostra di nuovo...Street display at the end of the night with all the children's artwork. Can you identify the Plan of Salvation parts vs the children's drawings ;)

It is More Blessed to Give than to Receive

Email: February 12, 2014

Go check out"voc-azione.org" We had a member from Vicenza(who was the branch mission leader when I served there) who is involved with this world side study of how to make your community/couintry/world better.He and and two other non members gave the presentation where membes and a bunch of nonmembers from the community came for this little fire-side thingy which was held in our chaple her in Bologna this week. Anyways I really enjoyed it and and they took a picture at the end and they said it will be posted on this web site so see if you can find me!

Attached it the picture of my zone. We had zone trianing on monday in Padova. It was a blast! Really successfull and the zone loved the training! We trained on better use of Preach My Gosple and the on establishing Family Mission Plans! Fun stuff!

Quick little scripture from Acts 20:35 "it is more blessed to give than to receive" AMEN!

Friday we had consiglio della missione as mission leaders in Milano which was fantastic. I saw 4 of the 5 sorelle missionarie that are in my MTC group becuase they are all sister trainig leaders (aka a sister zone leader but not as much responsibility as zone leaders have) but they all go home next week! AGH! its weird to think their mission is over and mine will soon be over too!

We then rode with the Venezia Zone leaders to Padova in their car, lucky zone leaders!, to have our fancy monthly meeting with the stake Pres., High Council representitive for missionary work and then Pres. Dibb too! Pres. Dibb attended via Skype(so he is now my skype friend ;) ) and the Stake pres couldnt attend so he will next month. We discussed and reported on missionary work in the Venezia Stake and it was really effect and justd great! We have the coolest leaders in our stake! There is alot of good and exciting stuff happening here in theVenezia Stake and in Italy. Pres. Dibb mentioned  multiple times of how "the Brethren" aka apostles and area leaders, are visiting the mission this year, he wouldnt tell us who though! and he has been meeting with many of them as well. Pres. Dibb said he couldnt tell us too much but exciting things are in store for Italy and for Europe for the church! 

That was basically my week. Nothing else super exciting, just good old misionary work in the rain! There is blue sky today, I havent seen that for weeks it seems!

Well remember how much I love you becuse it is a bunch! 

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Love your truly positive, healthy and HAPPY missionary! 

Life is great! Tell those other missionaries in the ward to lighten up, stop being so sick and have some fun and delight in the small successes!!!!

Ciao tutti! Vi voglio bene!

Anziano Edwards!

ps I am going to the American military base in Vicenza today for p-day and then we will be on companionship exchanges with Anz. Pagano (distrit leader) and his companion anz Smith, who has onyl been a missionary in the feild for about 5 weeks and is a a little ball of energy and hard work!

ciao di nuovo! 

Zone after Training

Pizza Party with our English Class

Yummy Mexican Food Restaurant that one of our less actives took us to the other evening.  Indeed we are VERY grateful for him.

Anziano Miles when he ate Balut - it is a Philippine dish which is a partially boiled duck egg. Yes, you eat the entire thing. I want to try it!

A member took pictures of us missionaries during our street display (aka la mostra stradale)