Hey everyone,
So this week was one of the rougher weeks, just with everyone seeming to be
gone for the middle of August. Our bikes are being repaired and on Saturday it
was Ferragosto, a holiday in Italy, being the longest day of the year. Everyone
was gone, everything closed, and no buses. We ended up walking over 10 miles
that day. But there are still so many tender mercies of the Lord. Oh, also
transfer calls came and I am still with Anziano Mortezazadeh for another
transfer. We are excited, and think that there are some people in need of the
gospel from us.
The Esse family is still on vacation, but they return tomorrow, and we are
looking to keep them on track (Delfino, Pierre, and Prosper) for baptism. We
think they truly are a big help to each other.
We had a great lesson with Charles about sabbath day observance. We let all
worldly things take place on Sundays now. Shopping, partying, big sporting
events (I was a big failure when it came to watching sports) and other big
shows. We allow ourselves to think of Sunday as just a day maybe to go to
church, and then just another free day to do whatever. God didn't ask us just to
go to his house of worship on Sunday, he asked a lot more. He asked us to give 1
day in 7 to dedicate our thoughts, actions, and feelings towards him. To
restrain from everyday labors. Keeping the sabbath day holy doesn't come and go
in the 3 hours of church. We are asked to go about doing good, thinking of him,
study his council. When we have the attitude of making God the center of our
focus on Sunday, we become happy. We get more out of the day. It is a dedication
of our love and faith to him. Charles really liked that. He still wants to
receive an answer of where to worship, but he does believe in being focused on
God in his actions on Sunday.
We found a really nice man named Luigi this past week. He was talking about
our nationality and how we were serving missions and he wanted us to come teach
his family about who we were. We got all excited and set up a day to meet them.
My companion and I went to a train station in Gallarate, a nearby city, and
called him to see what stop he wanted us to go to. He told us a city up on the
north side of Lago Maggiore. It turned out to not only be out of our area, but
out of the zone limits. We were heartbroken, because we knew we couldn't go to
his house to teach him, but we knew the missionaries in that area would be great
for him. We told him our dilemma, and sadly he said that it was ok, and he would
call the other missionaries. Then he told us he is just staying in that city for
the summer and then would be returning to a city in our area and will be coming
to our English class after. We knew we were blessed for following guidance given
to us. If we would have left to see that family we might not have been able to
make a good connection with them, but I truly believe that because we followed
the teachings of our mission president we are going to be blessed.
So a lot of people canceled on us this week, we had long days of walking,
rainstorms, closed shops when we were hungry, but overall we were pretty happy.
We had some funny moments with people. One day we were on a bus and a guy walks
on with a beer. He looks at us and says "Mormons?" "Yes we are" "I'm drunk, do
you speak English?" "Why yes we do!" With that little questionnaire we started
to have a very casual conversation with him, and ended up giving him a couple of
pamphlets for when he sobered up. It was quite funny. He kept asking us strange
questions and then adding things that are only funny when drunk people say them.
Another day we were walking down the street and a guy yells as us singing "God
bless America" and then to top it off, we were walking on another street and
pass a guy and before we can say a thing to him he smacks his chest, right on
his heart and gives us a pleasing nod of approval. So despite having some rough
appointments there were always good, funny moments to be had.
In my studies I've been tackling 3 nefi, and I was reading something in
chapter 12 that hit me.
Perché egli vive🇮🇹🇮🇹🇺🇸🇺🇸
44 But behold I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse
you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you
and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for he
maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good.
There are plenty of "difficult" people in the world, but as God has
commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves, it refers to everyone,
regardless of what we do. The purpose behind it is for us to be like God. God
doesn't treat anyone lesser than another, "he maketh his sun to rise on the evil
and on the good" he wants us to use our "sun", our "light of Christ" towards
everyone, good and bad. We can't be like our Heavenly Father if we don't love
one another. It is not easy, but nothing is meant to be easy, or being like
Heavenly Father wouldn't mean as much to us.
I truly believe that Heavenly Father wants us to be an example of his
teachings. I know the truth of his gospel, and I'm here in Italy sharing it with
all who will listen, good or bad. I know everyone deserves to hear the truth,
and that the gospel blesses all of us.
Have a great week everyone!
Anziano Chase
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