Patso Tranquillo

Salve Family and Friends,

Set the phasers to stun number one.

Anziano Larsen is my new collega. He's short, he likes scarves, he danced before the mission, hes from Provo Utah and was going to BYU. His eyes are a bit bouncy. He's not a mago or magician at the language as has been Anziano Lewis. We get along fine, and Ill try to start being more nice to him haha. 

The Investigator with the Ecuadorian wife is doing good. He's come to church for the last few weeks and we then teach him after church. We are hoping he gets baptized this month. He has a bit of smoking problem etc. He has lots and lots of auborn facial hair. He is kind of hyper you could say, but is pretty cool. Italians talk really fast, hence I feel the urge to speak pretty fast as well. In our lesson on Sunday he could tell I was struggling a little bit, and he was like Tranquillo. Letting me take my time. He's a really good guy and hopefully we can help him.

The other evening at about three in the morning, there was a car that honked It's horn for about twenty minutes. Yes it is true... I have arrived in Italy.

The other day a missionary that had been serving from our ward returned home. He had served in the Rome mission, and we had a ward party at the church to celebrate his return. I learned a few useful things from that day.

In life we have two choices... accept the way life is... or change it.
It's my job to teach those who are ready. 
I as a missionary should do things worthy of a return home party.

(Editor's addition)

I taught a lesson to an active family this week of some things about the Sons of Helaman. (Alma 56. 47/48/56 ... Alma 57. 21/26) I was reading about them on my own and kind of applied what I was reading to myself. I read about their mothers and how they did not doubt because their mothers knew it. I thought to myself. Well I know my mother knows it. The story took on a whole new meaning. They did not doubt, and were exactly obedient and they took on a whole new level of super saiyan. But yes I know my mother knows that the gospel is true.

(Editor's addition)

We played a game last P day that was pretty fun. It's the card game war... but it was the General Authorities fighting each other and they had special abilities based on last General Conference as well. Anziano Wilson and an old collega of his took like three months to make it a while back haha. So that was cool. 

Anziano Wilson will sometimes kind of quote starwars etc. When President Dibb let him know he was going to be senior Zone leader he said... Now Anziano Wilson I know you aren't going to abuse your new found power. Anziano Wilson said... Of course not President.... Then they both laughed. Anziano Wilson sometimes says Omnipotent Power... like Emperor Palpatine.

We met with a potential on the street this week. He smokes a lot... is around 60.. divorced and lives in a small appartment. He is sooo cool. He's basically your stereo type Italian. He uses his hands a lot and speaks Extremely loud. When we were teaching him after about three sentences he would stop us and say... Excuse me.. I have an experience I need to tell you.... He would then proceed to tell us a story for 10 minutes. The lesson lasted about two hours. We are going to try to have them not be that long from hear on out. He is a good guy and I hope we can help him.

With Anziano Larsen here I've had to step it up... because the first day when we tried to do finding etc. I knew we would have zero success unless I stepped it up. He's adjusted to this city, but I'm still stepping it up. Which is good. Anziano Larsen has been out about a year and half. But yeah Alto Gioco in practice you could say.

Some specific things I learned from General Conference talks that I liked etc. The biggest three regrets of people before they had died was.

1. I wish I had spent more time with the people I love most. This speaks for itself but some regretted all the hours on the treadmill instead of doing better things. 
2. I wish I had lived up to my potential.
3. I wish I had let myself be happier. 

If you are too busy for the important things etc you then are too busy. Can you imagine Jesus being in a hurry all of the time etc> I don't.  He always gave the people he was with the gift of his time and wasn't in a huge hurry all the time.  If we labor as missionaries all of our days (not just on a full time mission) if we should bring save one soul unto Christ... how great would be our joy.

I have thought a lot about the gospel etc in my time. Sometimes to the point where it's not good.. where it just leaves me frustrated. Ezra Taft Benson said... Every person is eventually backed up to the wall of faith and there must make his stand. In some things all we really have is faith etc from what we do know. Jesus Christ has though invited all of us to come and see... Come and find out for yourself... to gain this faith. That's all we really do as missionaries. We want to help people find out for themselves.

Editor's note: A little gem of a pic I found on the mission blog.

I found out a hidden ring of power this week. I started reading General Conference talks picking and choosing the topics I liked reading about 20 plus the last two days and I realized that General Conference talks are sweet.. The scriptures are hard to apply to our lives now at times and sometimes are just stories. General Conference talks apply quite a bit etc. 

You have been told the secret of how to improve your life.
I challange you to read a conference talk this week.
That is all.
Punch it Chewie.
Oh no It's the Kobayashi Maru test of life.

With Love,
Anziano Gridley