Tante Belle Cose (Many Beautiful Things)

September 19, 2012

 

Well before I forget to answer your question, most people think we are Americans but that’s just because Anziano Smith and I are the 2 Mormon missionaries walking around in Siena with super white skin and white shirts and ties haha. But many think we are from Italy because we sound like natives when we speak. Pretty cool!

Well this week was full of random events! We went out and found an unknown less active and it was awesome to talk to her and help her out, especially since she is pretty lonely out living alone in a really small town. Also we did companion exchanges and I got to go to Prato (just outside of Firenze) for a day which is the China town of Italy and is way awesome! haha I loved it, it was crazy! But now I’m back in Siena. We got bible bashed a few times..normal and also talked to some crazy people... it happens, and had a lot of fun as well.

We have had some good times here in Siena and every day I learn more and more about the gospel, in what way I can improve, and also how to work in unity with my purpose as a missionary and the will of Del Signore Gesù Cristo. Transferimenti are coming up soon and I will let you know what happens. Anziano Smith and I are just working as hard as we can for 2 more weeks and waiting to see what will happen. He’s been an awesome companion and I have learned a lot from him. I know I was placed with him because I needed him to help me out. He’s a great example and has the most positive loving attitude about this work. I could not have had a better trainer. I think we will find out soon if we are keeping the car but nothing yet from president. What a blessing it was to have a car though. I got to see many more things that most missionaries never ever get to see, not only that but also tante belle cose that the tourist never see either. We got to see the pure raw untouched countryside’s of Toscana of endless grapes and wheat all because we had the opportunity to visit these members who sacrifice a lot to come to church every week. I converted the gas prices and the gas here is about $6.50 a gallon. It costs like 80 euro to fill up with 10 gallons its crazy! Makes it really hard on the members to drive an hour to church and back but they do it anyway regardless because they know they get blessings for it.  

P.S. Sorry mom but mission rules we don’t eat dinner. No one eats dinner because lunch is 2 hours Long. If you didn’t know every store, restaurant, shop closes at like 11:30 for lunch and they all reopen at like 3:30. All the Italians stuff down a massive lunch and then take a nap haha. It’s a ghost town at lunch time, so president modified the schedule where all missionaries don’t eat dinner. Surprising I know but that’s what it is. At least it keeps me from getting fat. I’m really jealous about you all eating fresh salsa haha. To be honest the Tomatoes are good here but the home grown garden tomatoes can’t be beat. Plus I’m not dining every week at the 30 Euro restaurant down the street or at the local markets. We just go to the grocery store because everything here costs A TON. So we just go the local Cheap-Co and eat the normal produce. Food here is amazing....if your here on vacation and eat out every day, which is not us.

Oh also I found a suit! Anziano Smith found one in the closet and it happens to be my exact size! Super nice and its bullet proof! Brand new, never worn so that was super exciting that I won’t have to buy any suites if I wear one out. Well that’s the randomness of this week haha. Love you all!

Talk to you soon.
Anziano Benson

La Mia Testamonianza Italiano

September 12, 2012 

 Hello la mia Bella Piccola Sorellas! Come Stai? Grazie for the pictures. To answer some of your questions: we usually eat granola for breakfast, or nutella on bread sometimes.  Although I am in Italy and the food is good, I still have to cook and I’m not a good cook so I am missing Mom’s food. We eat pasta everyday and it gets a little old but better than actually cooking something time consuming. Unfortunately there is zero Mexican food here. Beans don’t even exist which is really annoying. I would kill for some Mexican food right now. We don’t eat dinner here in Italy. The mission as a whole works through dinner so we just eat a really big lunch and then go and work till 9:30 at night. At times I get super hungry but at least all the pizza and pasta isn’t making me gain a ton of weight.  I’ve actually lost weight since the MTC. 

Anziano Benson In Siena

Ok some random details. You will like this. haha. Ok we have a palm tree in our back yard and its awesome because I’ve never seen one before and there are about 10 lizards living in the back yard and I love to see them in the afternoon. Ah man Grandma and Grandpa are really close to Italy.  It sounds like they will have a good time in Germany and Switzerland.
It finally has cooled off here! It’s been pouring rain and I’m loving it! I don’t like the heat! I’m from Idaho! I am loving Siena. Time is starting to go fast.  I’ve been out for four months already. Crazy! I’ve got 3 weeks left untill transfers which will be done the same week as conference. They usually call 3 days before the transfers and then you’re gone. I’m hoping I can stay another transfer with Anziano Smith.  He is a good missionary and we get along well.

Siena Duomo

The work has picked back up again and we are having some very good success! There are Atheists who love to tell us God doesn’t exist and others say that what we are trying to accomplish is impossible, but I am here to tell you none of those things are true. The work in Italy is just great. Nothing can stop the work from progressing and I know that is true. There are many other religions here too. We all have our agency but at the end of the day we have taught them in their streets, taught them in their cities, and in their homes and I say unto you “are the fruits of our labors few? I say nay they are not!” (Alma 26:29-31) Yes it’s hard but our labors are not few.
Well there are lots of change ups in the investigators but we haven’t found that one who has committed to progress all the way to baptism. We have lots of hope and it really is possible. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter how many people you baptize because it’s not my baptism anyway, it’s the Lords. He gave us the opportunity to find these people and change their lives. When he leads us to the right person at the right time they will be ready for baptism. For now we must continue to teach and invite people to make commitments.

Inside Siena Duomo

This church is true.  This Church is so True!  If you ever doubt, question, have objection or think this is not the one and only church; only way to salvation, then all you need to do is ask if the Book of Mormon is true.  For if it is true, then Joseph Smith was a true prophet and also in these days we have a living prophet who still leads and guides us.  Everything we now know has come from prophets so if you are not sure about your testimony, I would “exhort you like Moroni to ask God the Father if these things are not true(Moroni 10:3-5) This is your salvation, your agency and your time here on the earth so choose what you may and do what you may, but one day we will all be held accountable with what time God has given us.  For now is not the time for spiritual weaklings! We are as the Army of Helaman.

La Mia Testamonianza in Italiano
Io so che Gesù Cristo vive ancora, e che lui è il Figlio di Dio. Lo scopo di Cristo era che lui sofera  i nostri peccati cosa possiamo entrare nel regnio di Dio. C’ era un'apostasia renda necessario di avere un restorazione, tipo in questi giorni, abbiamo un profeta,  il solo vero profeta che guida la sola vera chiesa. La prova di questo è nel Libro di Mormon.  Lo e’ la prova di queste cose. Se facciamo uha pregnira possiamo sapere queste cose per certo.  In queste cose ho ricevuto una  testimonianza in , nel nome di Gesù Cristo,  il hostro salvatore, e redentora. Amen.

I know Jesus Christ lives and that he really is the Son of God.  His purpose was to suffer for our sins so we can enter the kingdom of God. There was an apostasy making it necessary to have a restoration.  In these days, we have a prophet, and one true prophet to guide the one true church.  The proof of all this is in the Book of Mormon.  Through a testimony of the Book of Mormon we can know these things for certain.  Through these things I have received my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Great to see all the pictures! You all are such a great family and it makes me happy to know that at the end of the day my family is preparing for eternal life. Well love you guys and hope everything is going good. For now here are some pics. Of the Siena Duomo! Just amazing isn’t it?

Love
Anziano Benson

Another Amazing Week

September 6, 2012 

This week was a week of straight up miracles. We set 3 baptismal dates in the last week or so and it’s been a big eye opener that if you have the faith anything can happen. We were in the park the other night and it was almost time to go home and I was trying to talk to people while Anziano Smith was on the phone setting up appointments when a stranger approached me and started talking to me. He said he had 2 book of Mormons but hadn’t read them. We talked a little and he wanted to meet up another day so we were really excited! Met him the next day and he said that he had been praying to know the right path in his life and he wanted to change. He said that he saw us, the missionaries, and felt that he should come over and talk when he was in the park. He is our third baptismal date and we are trying to help him understand the apostasy because after he met with us he went to the Duomo last Sunday. We will see what happens haha. Other baptismal dates a wonderful Italian women, and a 14 year old elect amazing young boy who has a (saco) of faith! We are really praying that these people will hold fast and continue forward with their baptizsms. I really want to find an Italian family too. The branch needs some more priesthood to help the members, so we are on the search for the elect! I really have had some time to rethink who I am and who I want to become. Well maybe in terms of who I want to become but I don’t know what I want to become. I’m lost as far as school goes haha I don’t know what I want to be anymore but whatever I’ll figure that out another day. Well, I sent my letter home yesterday and so you will get it in a week. You might be shocked but it’s all truth... You can put my testimony in the front of el Libro di Mormon that I sent you haha. Also Dallas finally wrote me and Britton. Good to hear from them! Is there an address for Drake?

Very good week and I’m super glad that we are so blessed. Everything is going good and the time is starting to go really fast! Glad to hear Riley is starting up! I might actually train one of his friends by the time he gets here, but no word if I will yet. Conference was good and we love hearing from President Wolfgram.

Well I do have to say Mom; Italy is cool in Florence and Pisa and those places, but sometimes they are a little overrated tourist traps. Siena is where it’s at! Also my surrounding area where we drive a few hours to see members. That’s Italy in the pure untouristed areas and where the true beauty lies! Those are the places you want to see, and you can have a tour guide who speaks the language haha. But I do have to say everything here costs a ton of money. So if you want to go start saving now! Well we did a Duomo  p-day today and it was really cool!

Well sounds like you and the Smiths are best buds now haha, just letting you know that it is really weird for us to think you guys all talk and are going to see each other. You guys are now family according to Anziano Smith haha so if Dad ever goes to D.C. they will probably make him stay with them. Well love you guys and talk to you soon!

Anziano Benson

Week of Miracles

August 29, 2012

Week of Miracles!

We had a blitz which means we had 2 Anziani come work with us in Siena so double the work. I’m short on time so this will be brief. But in the end after losing a baptismal date we gained 2 so now we are preparing 2 investigators for baptism. We also gained 5 new investigators and this doubled our appointments! Crazy and we are having huge success after the blitz!

Today I am on my way to Milano and we stopped in La Spetzia, Cinque Terre, and Genova! We are on our way to Milano where we have a conference.  While there, we are meeting Anziano Sexton my comp from the MTC and his companion Anziano Scheurn who just happened to be Anziano Smiths comp in the MTC.  Hopefully we will get a chance to play some calcio later. I have just seen the most beautiful part in all of Italy. The Sea and Cinque Terre! 300 foot cliffs with towns built right into the rocks! Incredible! Words can’t describe! We did a 2 hour difficult hike right along the cliffs and it was so amazing! Well we are off to buy some focaccia bread in Genova! Love you all and here is a ton of photos from to Palio and today.

Love Anziano Benson

PS good luck with school sisters love you all



 Vernazza



 "Words Cannot Describe"

Anziano Smith, Anziano Benson and Matteo

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Oca Contrada Flag before the Palio

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With the Winning Contrada Flag after the Palio

Our Sweet New Siena Calcio Jerseys

Our Favorite Pizzeria in Siena "Can you Believe this View?"

Win Some Lose Some

August 22, 2012

Palio was awesome!  I’m going to skimp on the details a bit and leave it at that but there are not too many words to describe it haha. I hope you got to see it on the internet! It was a lot of fun but also a little too crazy for my taste. Waiting 4 hours in the hot sun next to a bunch of smokers and shirtless half naked people really isn’t that fun to see 90 seconds of horse race that I couldn’t even see because there were too many people in the way with their ipads and cameras in my face. Almost got trampled by the winning Contrada and lots of other stuff haha, but all in all it made for an amazing pday, and well I’m not on vacation so it’s back to work. Starting to see Dads point of view haha. There’s work, there is play, but there’s always just more work to do and that’s the way life is.

Hot, Hot Hot! We drink more than 4 liters of water in a day easily and the water here is not very good. It’s drinkable but it has high calcium content causing kidney stones in long term so we have to pack bottles of water home on pday... fun! Not haha. But everything is all good and we are finding joy in the work. I’m finally adjusting to life here and the language is always in progress, however I would like to say I have achieved what could be called fluent. I can speak, understand and write most of what I want. Granted I still have tons to learn, and I still don’t know a lot of words, but I have achieved what I didn’t think was possible and the language is no longer a struggle. Now it’s just a matter of finding new ways to say things and learning infinite nouns haha. And yes my spelling is getting worse and worse in English! That’s a good thing though!

Update on the work
Well you win some and you lose some. We’ve lost and gained investigators. We lost an elect last week and we gained one. Our first lesson with our new investigator is today and we now have a baptismal date with a newer investigator-although we are not sure if the baptism will happen. There are a number of ridiculous problems I can’t begin to explain, but we are praying hard and placing it in the Lords hands because it’s past our abilities to help here remain here and we are doing our best. She is elect though and we are continuing to prepare her for baptism! Other than trying to teach a few Catholic Priests about the book of Mormon, we didn’t know they were priest’s haha, and almost getting mugged this week all is good! Wish we could get some rain. Signore Elnebawe moved to Egypt so no more free pizza haha, he was the owner of a pizzeria. I’ll get a picture of him for you all. He’s CRAZY! Haha-Love that guy.

Well I love hearing from all of you and at times I can’t say everything I want, I do read everything and care about everything you guys do. Thank you for the Pictures! Anni already looks older! Good luck on soccer Ellis, and Dad have fun on your century ride in Utah with Uncle Buddy.

Also I might get a Siena calcio jersey because they are half off so watch the bank for me if I buy one ok? They are £40 so not too bad for a long sleeve official jersey. And they are sponsored but Monte dei Paschi di Siena, first and oldest bank in the world as they invented banking in1472 crazy huh?!

 Love you all!

Il Palio!!!

IL PALIO!!!!

Ok, so sorry to say, but we don’t have time to email after the Palio so you will not get any pictures until next week. We don’t live in the contradas unfortunately, the neighborhoods are only divided within the city walls and we live about 5 min outside the city so we don’t belong to a contrada. However, you can be baptized into a contrada for £80 haha but I think I will pass. One of the members in the ward lives in the L'oca Contrada so she has converted us into rooting for them haha. The L'oca Contrada is the most winning neighborhood with 64 wins I think. The Palio happens 2 times a year and it has been going on since the 1600’s.  The contradas are actually like the LDS church. They have young men’s, relief society, and many people take care of the elderly by visiting them each day. The neighbors eat and party together for weeks on end before the Palio and after. Whoever wins eats dinner together however many times they have won. L'oca ate 64 days in a row after they won the last Palio. The sad thing is that L'oca got in a street fight with the rival neighborhood so they got disqualified this year. Oh well. Anyways there are a ton of people here to see it and we are very excited! They live eat and breathe the Palio and it is life and death for them!  Some of them have a blood donation center for each contrada and they do tons of other stuff. I will be sure to let you know how it is! If you want to see Siena go to Google maps and use the street view to give a real life 3D picture of the streets here. Type in my address to see my apartment and we have a palm tree in the back yard haha and a fire pit.

Well it sounds like back to the old grind for all the sisters! I had a good laugh about dad backing into a guy at work; at least it wasn’t mom or Ellis haha. Well I miss you guys and hope you are doing well. I hope Uncle Richard is doing great and tell him Rooster J is out here workin hard! I’ve actually talked to a few Catholic Priests haha-on accident. It was rather awkward and we asked them about the Book of Mormon and then they just said no thanks and left.

Other random news... I get to meet in a personal meeting with Russell M. Nelson. No big deal right? Haha. It’s for the Bishop and Stake President regional training. Like when Elder Anderson came to our stake last year.  Since we are in the Branch Presidency we get to go! We go to Milano again so I’m super excited! And it gets even better. Since we have a car and pday is the day before, we can go to Genova and Chinque Terre on the way to Milano! Score! We are the luckiest missionaries in all of Italy I swear. We also have p-days planned for San Gaminiano, Torrita di Siena, and Firenze again. We visited Castiglione della Pescaia for member visits and we also will see Rocastrada. Look up some of these places on Google images and the satellite maps in the internet and you will see why I’m blabbing about them. I’ve already seen more of Italy than most missionaries see in their entire mission!

Not much to update on the work here. We are losing a few investigators since they are moving to other cities, which is sad but we hope they will talk to the missionaries in the other cities. Anziano Smith gave me a haircut today! I was very nervous but he did a good job! Mom’s was a little better but hey for a free hair cut I give him 10 out of 10, and its companion trust building! I got a letter from Taylor, nd he is doing good- also from Britton and he said he’s training now so I’m happy for him!

Love you guys and I’ll talk to you soon.
Anziano Benson

"Mama Mia, Its Hot Here!"

August 8, 2012

So yes, it is true, they do say “Mamma Mia” here haha. It’s funny, but it does sound bad when the Americans try to copy it. Me being one of those people....

Anyway, the work here has just gotten harder.  President just informed Anziano Smith and me that the car will be taken to another area of the mission where there is a greater need for it in October. Our time in Siena is very critical at the moment-very fragile because come soon we will no longer have easy access to visit all the members, and less actives who all live an hour or more outside of Siena. I’m not certain what the future of the work is here, but now more than ever our focus is to make Siena a strong point and grow it outwards to the people outside of the city. We have changed the focus to working here in the city and making a big impact to increase the awareness of the church here. Many people have never heard of the LDS church but many people are open to change and they agree that there was an apostasy. It’s a matter of helping them have a desire to change. Change is repentance, invitations to be baptized, and reading the book of Mormon. Praying, and going to church are indications of change and repentance.

The work in Siena is coming along great and we are on the search for the elect. Sometimes you have to search where you never thought before. Like the other day we did escalator finding! Haha it was great, but it’s awkward when the person next to you gives you a bidone (rejection) and you’re on the same step as them. Usually you just take 2 steps down so you’re not right next to them haha. But we have found a new elect! Lucratzia is her name and she has soooo many questions. We are doing our best to answer them but it can be difficult. We have taught her the first lesson and have a return appointment. She committed to reading and praying about the Book of Mormon. Our spiritual weapon of choice!

But anyway, this week I was touched by your own story mom. I know how you feel. I feel that on a daily basis, but I promise you all hope is not lost. However I invite you to read preach my gospel chapter 11 if you want to learn how to be a better member missionary, which is what I wanted to focus on. Member missionaries are SO important. I can’t tell you how much I would kill just to have a few referrals but the members will not help you out. President Hinckley said the members could change the church faster than a million missionaries could. It’s so true. The key to the hearts of the people is through members.

For all of you who are members get a hold of a Preach My Gospel and read chapters 3, 10, 11! We need your help to assist others in coming to a knowledge of what we have! Such joy and happiness we have because of the restored gospel. I know that this is the restored church of Jesus Christ and that it contains the only way to eternal salvation. I know that the proper keys and authority were given to the prophet Joseph Smith and that President Monson now holds those keys in these days. We have an obligation and responsibility and that is to be member missionaries and invite others to come unto Christ and receive the restored gospel.

I am short on time but I love you family.  I did get your letters today! I was so happy and I will write back! Dad sorry for overspending but it was all for the mission not food! haha.

Ciao!
Anziano Benson

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