Finishing the Transfer With Alto Gioco (High Game)

Dear Family and Friends,
I have had the best pizza in Italy...

It's the end of the transfer and we had some pretty big changes here in Alessandria. Sorella Johnson is going to go be a Sister training person somewhere else leaving Sorella Albos to be trained by someone else, etc... which is unusual and Sorella Albos is pretty sad about it. Anziano Taylor is going to Milan to be the new Assistant. I told him that you know you are a pretty good missionary when you are a Zone leader and then an Assistant. He left on Sunday, hence making Anziano Lewis, Wilson and I in a three collega until thursday when my trainer arrives. Anziano Lewis is becoming the new Zone leader. Hence hes going to be Anziano Wilsons new collega and moving down stairs from where we live right now. It's not a super big deal since Ill still see him basically everyday. Which means Anziano Lewis in Genova is coming up tomorrow and is going to be finishing my Jedi training. I've met him before he seemed really nice. He's really short, really patient, and recently had a birthday. 

It's been pretty fun with Anziano Lewis and Anziano Wilson and me together. They are both really good guys. Anziano Wilson basically talks to everyone on the street con senza paura. They are both really good examples and I'm trying to learn from them. 

This last week and during a lot of my mission I've been pretty humbled. I won't go into super details here because some of the stories are kind of embarrassing, but yeah its all good now, but sometimes it's too the point where I get a little frustrated. Sometimes you have to take several steps backwords to make a lot of steps forwards I suppose. It's all good.

It's snowing today which is very unusual and I may never see it again on my mission. The snow flakes are huge due to the humidity, it doesn't snow a lot due to the humidity, and the snow won't stay due to the humidity. It's pretty great.

There is a member with his family that lives in a city about 20 minutes from Alessandria that is in our ward. He's kind of a more grande man with fantastic facial hair who owns and runs a pizzeria. His wife is perfect for him as well. Their kids are so cute haha. But we've gone out to him twice to eat free pizza and have a small lesson, and the other Anziani have said that his pizza is the best in Italy if not the world... and I tend to agree with them. It's pretty good.

We met this man who was a little crippled the other night. We met him on the street and Anziano Lewis talked to him a little bit. We then walked him to his appartment which was one minute away and taught him how our church is different outside his appartment on a bench. It was really touching to me because Anziano Lewis let the man take his arm and helped him. One of the more touching things I've seen in Italy for sure.

Another biker almost hit me while I was on my bike the other day. (He was going the wrong way on a one way street and turned a corner and was going extremely fast). It happened in about five seconds so I didn't have much time to react or anything. He basically almost hit me while I was riding on my bike, but we barely missed each other. It was kind of scary and could have been bad. Pretty nice to see a miracle like that, which will allow me to keep serving.

I learned about prayer this week that, we should pray like everything depended on him, and then act like everything depended on us. That we should pray for the strength to change things that need to be changed, or to do things that need to be done. Also if we really want to 100% do something, we can.

A scripture I liked this week was 1 Corinthians chapters 6 - 7. Which basically says that we shouldn't fight other people and if they want to do us wrong we should suffer it. I feel like that applies to basically everything. We should have a goal to be extremely long suffering. Seven times 70 you could say. =)


Language of the week. Alto Gioco means high game, con means with, senza = without, paura fear, also = anche, pace = peace, fuori = out/side.

I hope everyone is doing well. Things generally get better after you sleep it off. I challenge you to pray with the good attitude I told you about. (God helps those who helps themselves). I'm praying for you. 

Pace Fuori. (Peace out)

Today the snow flakes outside are almost the size of my face. 

With Love,
Anziano Gridley