Merry Christmas/First Baptism

December 26, 2012

First Baptism

We had a very Merry Christmas yesterday and got to Skype with Anziano Benson.  He looked so good and is doing great. He said they did have the baptism on the 21st and that it was an amazing experience.  Something he will never forget. He went over to some members houses on Christmas Eve and feasted on octopus and squid spaghetti and he said it was delicious.  He said he would recommend we all try it some day.  He said they then ate over 20 different appetizers and then got to the main course of lasagna.  He said it was all so delicious and they were so happy that the members are so good to them.  On Christmas Day they went to some other members to skype and they really took great care of them.  I will try to attatch a clip of the skype if I can get it to work in the next few days but today Anziano Benson sent us some pictures from his first baptism and also from his visit to Switzerland last week.  It was just the best Christmas gift ever to get to visit with him.  He sent us this quick note today.

Buon Natale Familia,
So Anziano Merrill is going to Torino and my new companion will be Anziano Memmott. Anziano Memmott is coming from Prato in the Firenze district where I served when I was in Siena so I’m really excited. He’s a good guy.  Anziano Smith and I did splits with him back in September and he loves to joke a lot so it will be good fun. Tomorrow is transfers so I will be going to Milano to pick up my new comp! I will leave you all with some of the most recent pictures :) Buon Natale! I miss all of you and it was so good to Skype with you all yesterday! Well enjoy yourselves and eat some cheese ball for me!




Switzerland !!!

Love, Anziano Benson



Switerland is Beautiful!

Christmas Money"Haven't Found Anything to Buy Yet!"

Switzerland or Bust

December 19, 2012

Ok, so I’m so sorry but super fast. We are on our way to SWITZERLAND!!!! I’m so excited! Swiss chocolate here I come! So I’m a little rushed. So sorry about it. I feel bad because there is a ton of stuff going on this week. Baptism is moved to Friday December 21! At Milano 1 chapel. Super excited! His name is M____________. He’s got an awesome name I think haha. He is an awesome guy and has a huge love for the gospel. He has been to church an impressive 10 weeks in a row. I’ve never had anyone do that, ever! So I’m very blessed to know this man and his desire of real intent to be baptized for the remission of sins following the example of Jesus Christ. I will tell more on Skype after the bap! 

Well, we are all ready for Christmas and I’ve got plenty of junk food haha. I think I might be all junked out before Christmas. I even bought myself a Pandoro which is a huge Italian cake that is super super good. Look it up on the internet. It’s famous here at Christmas and it’s a tradition.  

You’re all the best and I love you so much! I will get you some pictures from the Swiss Alps today! Merry Christmas and remember the Christ in Christmas and what you can do to give not to get. It’s so weird to be away from home for Christmas and for the first time ever I’m not thinking about myself but only about other people. For the first time in my life I think I’ve found the true meaning of Christmas.

Well I’m off to catch the trains. Love you all and talk to you next week!

Love Anziano Benson

Good News

Hello!
Hey good news! Randomly all 3 packages showed up! One of my packages got opened by the Italians and checked. I’m sure they took a little candy and then taped it back up and left the rest. I really was glad to finally get something haha. I was so excited and thank you so very much. I was so thankful because the gloves that I bought were not cutting it. It’s just too cold. Winter is full on here and we got snow and negatives here Negative C that is not F. But humidity is terrible! So cold! So thankfully I got my packages. Loved the candy.  Man I miss American candy. They think Italy does everything great but the truth is they could learn many things on making candy and pastries. Kind of a bummer to learn that we do it better haha. Oh well enjoy the world in its fullness.. Eh don’t worry about not getting anything here for Christmas, really. I think the money in the account is much better. I will figure out something to do with it. For the first time in my life I don’t know what to do with $$$$, I don’t really want/need anything. Nothing here seems cheap enough. It’s all out of the sky prices. Soccer jerseys are like €80 or $100 US dollars so I think I’ll just get some cheese and crackers and be Wallace and Gromit haha. Everyone just sells wine and cheese and that’s it around here haha, so looks like I’ll just stick to that. . I will definitely find something to buy. Maybe some snow boots because my toes are falling off.

So surprise surprise. I managed to get hooked up with a member here who is an American. He went back to the states for Christmas with his whole family... so I managed to sneak some goods back with him and he is sending you all a package :)Don’t open till Christmas. I also mailed an explanation of who gets what in just mail letter style. Protect what I sent you mom because it’s the best you can buy here in Italy! The girls got there’s so just take it and run. Quality not quantity is what I got you and Dad. And girls I just got you some yums haha. Shhh don’t tell the kids. Just put it randomly under the tree and without and markings and see what happens when they find out I sent an entire package haha. All the way from Italy, well kind of. But anyways there you go, Merry Christmas! I did get grandmas letter and I have been enjoying learning about the Savior everyday! It’s great.  Thanks Grandma.

The work is accelerating and YES we are having a baptism!  M______ is 100% locked in. We had a good number of suspicions about him and that he wouldn’t actually commit to challenge 100% but this week he bore his testimony to us and told us that he’s joining for a lifelong commitment to the church so we agreed that he’s ready! We confirmed that he has devoted his life to this promise and covenant and he will be baptized on December 22. Merry Christmas! I honestly couldn’t ask for more. That’s all I want for Christmas is a baptism. Santa came early for me I guess. We also had a miracle referral from the Lake Como Anziani and we got this super awesome elect guy and his family. He is honestly one of the nicest people you will ever meet. He even drove 20 min to pick us up which never, ever, ever happens. Usually people are like “Hey come over,”and then we go all the way out to their house in a rain storm and they kindly are not there, then they hang up the phone on you when you try to call, so let’s just say this guys is amazing. He has real intent, it’s just a matter if he wants the blessings of the gospel or not. He has 2 super cute little daughters who are just like Bre and Anni. 5 and 11 years old and they know a little bit of English so they try to talk to me from what they learned at school. Haha such a great family. The wife is super nice, but she works a lot at night to help the dad out since the economy here is terrible and there is just poverty and homeless people everywhere. Super sad. You would think that it’s not like that, but there are just endless people searching for work and don’t find it since they can’t speak Italian. Many immigrants are here since it’s the only country with open borders to migrate. So well it’s a mess. But I’m thankful for what I have and we are being blessed at this time with so much. The work is getting better and we went from teaching 2 lessons to 10 lessons a week and we are getting stuff done! Also since we didn’t have any work to do we went on a reactivation spree. We reactivated 1 family, 1 man, we are working with another family right now to get them back to church, and in the other family we have 2 more to help as well. Most of them have been coming more often, but not consistently. We are so blessed and I think I should say I didn’t reactivate them but really the Lord did. He just put the missionaries there to help these people and really I didn’t do anything. I just invited them to change and see the blessings they are missing out on.

 We were going to go to Switzerland today but we couldn’t go because some of the other Anziani who planned to go didn’t have enough money. But we might go next week if it’s still good weather. I get to Switzerland free since I have a train pass for all of Lombardia which is Milano all the way north to Lake Como I can use any train or bus. Glad to hear all is well. Any snow sticking yet? Well that’s about it and things are going good. I love you all and will talk to you next week.

Anziano Benson

I Love the People Here

Decmeber 5, 2012

Family, so good to hear from you.  You asked about Thanksgiving and the gravy and well, the ward wanted 3liters of gravy and well we just couldn’t buy €40 of roast so we decided just to make some brownies and they all went crazy for them because there is nothing even close to them here. We had a lot of fun and they even made some pumpkin pie for us Americans. Hahaha no way!? Well as for Christmas I have no idea. Usually we can Skype but we do it from a member’s house and seeing how we don’t have any member appointment for Christmas it might not happen. I actually don’t know what we will do. We don’t even have a way to call so you guys might not get to hear from me except email. No fun...

Allison is coming here?!!!!!!!!! (Sorella Astel. A girl from our ward that lives 5 houses down. Anziano Benson grew up with her)I’m so happy haha! that’s awesome! I just laughed super hard when I heard she is coming. I don’t even know what to think anymore. Who next, Katie Chase? haha I’m not sure what’s going on but I guess there is something in the water in Idaho Falls huh?

 

Hey I’m glad you get to meet Anziano Smith’s mom! I miss Anziano Smith and I’m sad that I won’t get to see him again until I get home but he’s done his time and he’s off to college! He said he would come see you guys when he’s in the area.

As for the packages I got nothing so. Bo non lo so?

Italians go all out for Christmas
They hang lights up on all the streets.

As far as the work goes, it’s getting better. I think there is some improvement that we can do on our end of the deal, but we are building up some potential investigators to see. Mxxxxx is still going good and he will get the priesthood in 3 weeks so he can baptize this 8 year old. Super awesome! We just need him to keep reading the book of Mormon and he will be set! We may not have any other investigators but hey at least we are baptizing! It could be worse and we could have absolutely no one... but instead we have at least someone who is ready. Busto has really just put me to the test. And I think I failed that test, but that’s why we have the Lord because my best isn’t enough and sometimes you just have to work hard and do all that you can and let the Lord steer the ship. It really is tough when you go weeks on end of no one having interest in the gospel, and I don’t even understand why it is that way. But I will say that once you find those elect Italians they give everything to the church and they don’t lose their testimony. The opposition is hard here because Satan knows that these are some of the most strong believing people in the world. This is where Christianity has reigned since the time of Christ and everyone has a belief in god here. They just don’t know how to find the truth in the world of confusion between religions. Nor do they want change. But I love the people here even though they yell at me and use words that I don’t know what they mean haha. And of course there is the occasional Jehovah witness who try to bible bash us which is pointless. But life goes on. Well hope you are enjoying the holidays. Don’t work too hard. Love you all.

Anziano Benson

"And a Child Will Lead Them"

November 28, 2012

Milan Ovest Zone

Well this past week has been a little better. We had some good interviews with president. I think we just need to keep working hard. Still need some more investigators but another day in the life of the missionary no? So we had a cool story this week. Our investigator who was preparing for baptism, is very good friends with a family in the ward. This family has 3 children in it and a mom. They are very nice kids and know a lot about the gospel. One of them is 8 years old and is preparing for baptism. We teach our investigator at their house every time, but he was having a hard time and didn’t want to read the book of Mormon, and he just didn’t have a testimony so we didn’t think he was ready. And he told us that he didn’t want to read the book of Mormon and we told him that he couldn’t be baptized if he didn’t read. So basically we decided to cancel the baptism. But, then the next day in church he came up to us and said that he wanted to be baptized as soon as possible because this 8 year old asked him to do his baptism, and the only way that he would be able to do that is if he was first baptized himself and held the priesthood. So, long story short we will have his baptism on the 22 of December and then he will be baptizing this 8 year old in the near future! More or less around then. Merry Christmas no?! haha I’m so excited it was just great to hear that he now wants to read the book of Mormon and will do whatever it takes. I guess it’s true in the scriptures when it says “and a child will lead them.”
Other things going on. Hmm it’s just pounding rain! Man it just won’t stop. It’s raining more than Seattle and that’s saying a lot! It’s raining so hard I feel like Forest Gump in Vietnam when he says sometimes rain even seems to come straight up from underneath. Haha. It’s not stopping either. I’m rather cold! 

Random Accomplishment of the Week:
So you all know of the BIC crystal pens right? Well have you ever actually used an entire one? Usually they get lost before it’s even possible to use it all. Well you see I have had this pen since senior year in high school, took it to college, and brought it on the mission and I used an entire BIC pen until it wouldn’t write anymore! took 2 years. I’m super proud haha. I have a picture to prove it! Enjoy the random event. Also me feeding a squirrel. I know you’re jealous...

Guess what? I hit 250 km on my bike so far in 4 weeks. That’s averaging about 40 Miles per week, in the rain. I think I’m riding more that you are Dad! haha just kidding probably not. Well thanks for being so awesome Dad and make sure you keep the girls in line haha. I’ll talk to you next week.

Anyway, I heard Matt Tolson got his mission call to Germany! That is so awesome! I’m stoked for him! Also, Jerikah Reid got called to New Hampshire! I’m so excited to hear so many people going on missions!

  

Happy Birthday to Anni! Hope you are having fun! You’re getting very old now. 6 already?! That’s so crazy! Love you lots and make sure to clean your room and mind Mom and Dad. haha.

Love you all!

Anziano Benson

Making Gravy

November 20, 2012

Well this week we had to change pday to Tuesday so I won’t hear from you guys till next week. Well other than that, not much has changed in the last week. Our bap date is rescheduled for sometime in December but we need to ok it with him still. He’s been working a lot and we couldn’t see him last week so now we have to push it back more. The work has just been hard here. We aren’t having a lot of success in finding people to teach. I’m not sure how much longer I can go doing all day finding and not having a single person listen to you. Its hard to believe that in the last 6 weeks that there is not just one single person searching for the truth. But I guess we just haven’t found who we are looking for yet. I’m searching for what the Lord wants us to do here but so far I haven’t been able to see the path ahead. Sometimes you just don’t understand the higher more perfect ways of God and you just have to go along with it rather than fight it. At the end of the day at least God loves us. To put it into perspective we worked all last week and had zero success with finding anyone, the part that gets to me is I could of sat at home and did nothing the entire week and had the same result. But I didn’t sit at home at all. We did 4 hours of street contacting and 3 hours of knocking doors. Every day for a week. I’m exhausted. Thankfully the weather has been rather nice so that makes it not too bad.
 

Well, other news is that our ward has asked us that we make gravy for Thanksgiving. That will be good fun. We are doing a ward party and it should be great! I sent a few pictures. We had a good time playing some futsol last week, and I had a chance to take one last picture with with Anziano Smith before he leaves for home. I'm glad I had the opportunity to say goodbye.



One Last Picture with My Awesome Trainer
Anziano Smith Before He Goes Home in December

 Tell grandma B that I actually read the stories you gave me of the journal entries of Dad, Grandpa and so forth, and that I would like some more stories about my ancestors. I read the story about Robert Harris and I loved it and I want more stories to read. Talk to you next week.

Anziano Benson

Still in Busto

November 13, 2012

Still in Busto and I’m with Anziano Merrill. No changes for now, next transfer should be pretty interesting so we will see what happens. President Wolfgram always keeps you on your toes with surprises so it’s pretty fun. Yes Riley (Anziano Salmon) got here today but he won’t know who is training him or where he is going till tomorrow. Neither does his companion.. So I really really hope that Riley goes to Milano 1 because he will do companionship exchanges with me here in Busto! But chances are not likely ha-ha, but I’ll see him eventually. (Anziano Salmon is from our ward and according to his Mom, Riley is near Venice-Nowhere close to Anziano Benson)  

Well our investigator is going strong and we have a bap date for Nov 24. He is doing good and we are just working on helping him receive a testimony on these things. He believes them but hasn’t asked God if they are true. Super important that part is. Anyways we might push back the date but nevertheless we will baptize him for sure!

Today we had an awesome P-day. The Milano church has a futsal court outside and so we got together a ton of Anziani and played some futsal. Anziano Smith was there with his old comp, Anz Thompson from Idaho Falls, and a couple others from the surrounding area of Milano. It was super fun and I also said goodbye to Anziano Smith since I probably won’t see him until I get home. He is just such an awesome person to be around and a great companion. It was good to see him. He wants to come see you all when he comes to visit at BYUI, he will stop through to see you guys. Anyways work is going ok, not fantastic, but it’s going. So it’s all good. Well have a good week. Any snow sticking around there yet? 

Ciao

Anziano Benson