Egli Vive - Week 35

Hey everyone,

I hope you all had a great Pasqua and Spring Break. This week was truly a week to remember in my mission. To start off, we were invited to join an English group for one night to meet people who wanted to practice their English and make friends. We went and ended up talking to many people and started to actually teach some of them. This all came from one person we friended that wanted others to meet us. It really taught me the concept of being a friend to all, because we never know where that friendship can lead us.

So many of you know I love sports, and this week I got to see the culture of Italian basketball of all sports. We were allowed to go see Pesaro's basketball team play. It was so incredibly fun, and although they are not nearly as good as the NBA, it was cool to see some Italians play ball.

This next part to me is truly the highlight of the week (I know conference was this weekend and was still great but I’ll get to that too). Our branch president took us Friday night to the city Cantiano to watch a live manifestation of the last days of Christ, the judgements with Pilate, Herod, and the Last Supper, all the way to him dying on the cross. The whole city of Cantiano puts this together. There were hundreds of people dressed up reenacting the whole purpose to why we celebrate Easter. It was truly amazing. It was so accurate to the teachings of the Bible, and so many people were there to watch it. It certainly was an experience that I will always remember in my missionary days.

On Sunday we went to The Villajuans for Easter Lunch. We ate Ceviche, and then a Chicken and Rice Entree. We played some games with them and ate Italian Colomba, a desert that does not exist in the states. After that we went and watched some of Saturday's conference. We have not been able to watch all of conference yet but there were a couple of things that stood out to me.

Henry B Eyring talked a little bit about fasting and how we do not have to wait to fast and give fast offerings, but to follow the spirit. Also that we need to believe when we fast, that there will be blessings that come from it. Fasting won't mean anything unless we know that there is cause behind it, and effect in the future.

Larry M Gibson also quoted something very profound. I don’t know who originally said it, but it really stuck out to me. "Teach the gospel every day, and if necessary, use words" It is important to share our beliefs by telling others about them, but it will leave a much bigger impact on others, if they see us LIVING the gospel.

Last bit from the parts of conference I saw is from Elder Clayton of the 70 about believing in things. We must first have the need or desire to believe, and then let it work in us. But further more we need to CHOOSE TO BELIEVE. If we make the decision to believe it WILL work, we will receive the answer we need to hear, I can testify of it.

I know this gospel is true and that everyone is an IMPORTANT child of our Heavenly Father, and that he knows each and every one of us personally!

Have a great week everyone