Yo Ablo Espanal

Dear family and friends,

I can be your hero baby. I will stand by you forever.

Transfers are this week. Anziano R is going to Milano and I am staying here and my new companion is going to be Anziano D.

On Monday, we were teaching English to Carmine before going to a pizza place for dinner with all the members as Monday was a holiday here in Italy just like today and Saturday. (Just kidding but they do party more than we do, only Monday was a holiday (I think)). David came so
we could go with him the place and so we could help him move things from his phone to his computer. I was talking to him. And I was asking him what if scenarios with what-if Nigeria fought a war against someone else in many different scenarios. Now I'm an expert. Fun fact. If someone attacks Nigeria the AU. Will help Nigeria (all of Africa will unite together) and also Nigeria was a British colony so they do have that support. I asked him what if Nigeria attacked other small African countries etc. And basically, it will be supported if defended and not attacked. But this makes sense because all of the African countries don't attack each other (that much). The funniest parts were when I asked what if Nigeria attacked Germany and Russia. He said that that would be suicidal. Could you imagine you just wake up one morning and you see on the news Nigeria attacks Russia? Haha. And then he said Italy would have to retract their attack if they attacked Nigeria. Anyways. It was pretty funny because he was very intelligent about these questions and he took it seriously.

At the pizza place, I got a calzone. In mobsters and Mormons. He says it with such an American accent. Haha. These members here are really nice. They gave Anziano R a nice farewell.

There was a guy I talked to on the train where we had a really good conversation. Where we just had an open conversation for over an hour and a half. Right now he didn't accept a Book of Mormon etc. But it was a good experience. There was a bro hug at the end.

I talked to a girl on the train from Nigeria. Her family has been here for a long time. She is studying at the university here in Pesaro. She was really nice. She had a Nappi Piri (spelt that wrong) backpack, which is the backpack that every young person has here. One of her friends has three of these backpacks in different colors. She was a good example of the hopeful future and investment of people from Africa here in Italy.

Not too much else happened this week. Sorry haha.

You can take my breath away .

My boy you day flex,
Anziano Gridley

Don't Worship La Madonna

Dear family and friends,

Hey you guys.

I met a really nice guy named Simone. He has family in Canada. So he speaks really good English. We rode the train together down to Ancona. Anziano Sosa and I were going back to Ancona to switch back from our Scambio. We gave Simone a Book of Mormon and we got his
number. It's a bonus in life if you are a nice person.

While we were going to Martha I talked to a guy named Francis. He is from Ghana. He was pretty nice. He has been here for two years. He lives near Fano. Anziano Sosa and I met with him afterward and he is hopefully going to come to church (he said he would). We're hopefully
going to see him again Saturday. Go team Ghana.

A guy we met on the bus in Rimini when we had the zone conference is getting close to being baptized. I don't know why I'm here in Pesaro. But maybe it was that. Just to find that guy. Usually, there are lots of reasons why I go to a city. So I'm not retiring yet.

I met an Albanian that's uncle and cousin got baptized. This guy didn't believe. And he was hardcore against believing or trying anything. Hence he doesn't believe. He said that faith is just blind. I tried to share with him that faith is when you try something and then you wait for the result. And depending on the result you gain a good or bad testimony about something. It's not blind it's
based on experiences.


One of the qualities I admire the most in people is when they have The power to do what they believe. For example, If someone goes to church I ask them why. They sometimes tell me it's because they believe. And hence, they go. I really admire that. Sometimes the easier path is not the right path. The ability to stick to your guns if even for the sake to do it is something good. As long as it's aimed. To choose the right despite whatever difficulty there may be. This is a quality I'd like to have.

My birthday was really good. We spent some time with the Ancona Anziani. Anziano Sosa made potatoes with chicken and vegetables in the oven. It was really good. And Anziano Reyes bought me a gelato cake. We then went to Martha's family and we ate dinner with them and watched meet the Mormons. I can't complain, I'm really blessed.

Auguri mom for running the Boston Marathon. You are awesome. You are a super-mom.

Deep as the ocean.
Bright as lightning.
Stampede of motion.
It's almost frightening.

The notion of him.
The almighty King.
Mi porta dal outer rim (he brings me from the outer rim. Is 7 beats
not 5 but I really wanted to say that so I cheated and used Italian
haha I'm trying to write some good poetry about being saved by God.
But it's coming short).
The lord of the ring.

Darkness to the light.
Dang. Look. Miracle.
Gives me breathe to fight.
Dang. Look. His love's full.

Mikey.

You day lucky.
Anziano Gridley

It never stopped you from looking.

Dear family and friends,

Saves me from making you an air hole.

And then on this scambio we had success on the train. Going over I met Kurush. Who is basically Italian. But he has a weird name thanks to his mom. He is studying electronic engineering in Ancona. He lives in Fano. And then I wanted to go to Ancona again making me travel more than everyone else. (Which is fine). Just making me
spend more money that will be reimbursed. I decided to do it so I could do more train finding. We met Roney. From Santo Domingo.  He is a DJ that has the DJ look. The tats. Dreads. Two earrings.

Super cool guy. Then on the way back we met Mercy. A girl from Nigeria who was very nice. She can't read. And she really wanted me to take her to America. Africans love God though. We found at the station a girl named Joy from Nigeria. She lives in Rimini. She became a Jehova witness a year ago. Which means two thing. 1. This woman was willing to change and met with them a lot. 2. She's a Jehova witness. So the first part is good. We got her number and
sent it to Rimini. Everyone else we got their number for us to meet
with or the other missionaries in Italy to meet with and gave them a
Book of Mormon. Thank Goodness for trains.

We had another cool thing happen. We were handing out the Easter pass
along card to people in the middle of Pesaro and I guy says to me. No thanks, I already got one. I ask him how he got one. He tells me he got it three years ago. These cards are a few months old. (He is mistaken). But we start talking to him. He is an old investigator of the church who said he stopped because he got too busy with work. But now has more freedom. We got his number and still haven't seen him. But
that was a really cool thing.

A woman named Martha called me during the scambio. She is from a South American country and has two children here in Italy. They are members and want to come to church. They say a missionary somewhere and they got a pass along card from him and they called him. And got out number. They live in a different city but they are going to take a train to Pesaro Sunday morning and we will meet them at the station and show them where the church is. They were really excited to come. That's never happened to me before so that's really cool. This family could be a big boost to the smaller branch here.. It's pretty exciting.

I called Marcus and Godstime on Sunday. Two of my main guys at Vercelli my city I was in eight months ago. Marcus has come to church less often recently and I invited him to go this next Sunday. And then Godstime has still been doing really good. I invited him to help Marcus. They both were really excited to talk to me. Especially Godstime. They both remembered me specifically. So that was nice for me as there are a lot of missionaries and it's easy to forget us.

We are going to play bowling with Selheni and the Capi today for pday. Then we are going to go to Rimini to do a scambio. One of the Capi is Anziano Santiago. So hopefully I get to do the exchange with him (one of my old companions).

I liked General conference a lot. I need to go over everything again. The main thing I liked right now was president Monson's talks. They both were really short. He talked about choices. At the end of
the day, the only thing we have is choices. It's something very important. I figure if the prophet can only speak a little bit. What is said is that much more important. So I preferred his talks for
that.

Zone conference was interesting. We missed the first train because there wasn't a train for a long time in the morning and Anziano Reyes was mistaken on the time. When the train arrived I didn't realize
Anziano Reyes didn't get on the train. I got to Rimini and asked a guy if I could use his phone to call Anziano Reyes. I then talked to the guy (who is from the south and was really nice (he is in the Italian navy)). Until Anziano Reyes arrived. We then took the bus. And then we got lost. He forgot where the church was and I had never been. So we were over 2 and a half hours late. We were those
missionaries. Adventures are good.

I got my birthday package:). Thank you so much haha. Lots of great things for the birthday. Thanks especially to Mom and Dad and the Grandparents. I appreciate. When I got the package another missionary said that someone loves me. And ya know he's right my family does love me. Thanks for the support and love over the miles.

That's about it for this week. Have a good one.

Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty.

I greet you,
Anziano Gridley