September 21, 2011

Wow, lots of cool information this week, That is so awesome that Josh is going on a mission! I've been praying so hard for this! Just amazing! When is his availability date? I'm so curious where he will go! Do you know if he is going to school this fall?

Way funny to here about Newton and Wright being in Miranda's FHE group. I know Newton, Not Wright. Small world indeed.

So transfers news came in the other day, Anz. Weller and I are staying the same out in Ferrara. I'm very happy about this, Anz. Weller and I are so tight. So another transfer will be awesome. Never done 2 before. I think it will make it go that much smoother. So Duque is being transferred up to Vicenza. To be with... none other than my old MTC comp Anz. Taggart. Funny huh? Anz. Parker is coming here to be ZL. He has been a ZL in Milano... Not much else is happening. Remember my friend Anz. Free? He is training this transfer. Pretty sick.

Ferrara has been really good lately. We weren't able to go to church this Sunday because there was a train strike, so we went to Bologna ward. It was fun to see some cool old members but I really just wanted to be in Ferrara. This Monday we taught some super cool people on the trains To and from Ferrara. Awesome to know that the Lord is sending us people to teach wherever we are. A sweet, older sister member has really taken us under her wing out in Ferrara.  She has been feeding us and giving us a place to come and rest on the long days out in Ferrara. She is so amazing. Makes us the best meals and just opens up her home for us. I dont know where we would be without her help.

Right now we have really just been trying to expand our teaching pool, and seeing the members out here. Trying to activate and bring people to church. We still hold church in a member's home but the members are looking for a building as well as an apartment for us. I
really just want to move out to Ferrara now. So these days are just filled with lots of Finding work. It has been very interesting to see that many people know who we are even though the church hasn't been in the city for several years. We are meeting old investigators and less actives on the streets. Ferrara is a lot friendlier than Bologna.

Send my Love to everyone and Justin. Sounds like soccer is going pretty good for him. 

Love you Mother.

August 30, 2011

Wow, lots of information this week! crazy stuff. So cole Got his mission call! Finally. I've been waiting to hear that for like 2 months. But that's awesome. Is Tacoma, Washington in Grandma's boundaries? Thats cool! tell him congrats for me and good luck! Are you going to invite his mom to the lunch thingys then? Yeah I wanted to ask you if you had befriended Paytons mom/Family, I love Payton and am really interested about his mission. He will be an amazing missionary and I'm not just saying that like everyone does. He is a really spirtitual kid, dispite his soccer field countenance. Like me also.... haha Good old time on the soccer field. 

So thats crazy to hear about the your new calling!  What does it exactly entail? I know the Lord will help you. And using the Book of Mormon is an excellent Idea! Reminds me a lot of something we have been using for Recieving Personal revelation! exactly what you need! Its called (PLV) Stands for Preperare La Via, (Prepare the Road) To Preperare La Via you need to Pregare(Pray) Leggere(Read) And Venire in Chiesa(come to church). These three things will help us to receive revelation. For investigators to help them gain a personnal testimony in the Book of Mormon and thus the Church and it can help you to receive the nessecary revelations for your new calling.... A General Conference talk comes to mind when I think about this... In Elder Neil L Andersons first conference talk as a newly ordained Apostle, he said that when President Monson Interviewed him for the calling he told him that "the Lord shapes the back for the burden that is placed thereupon". I know this is true... I know that he shaped the back of the prophet Joseph Smith so he could accomplish the great work and responsibility that was given him. Throughout the ages of time, God has always helped his faithful servants, from Moses to Joseph to the common missionary, God always shapes the back for the burden that is placed there upon. I know that God will help you mother. If you do your part, which I know you will, God will always do his. That's the blessing. God will always keep his side of the bargain. Best Of luck and let me know how everything goes.

Last Pday The Zone leaders were out of town so it was just my companion and me in the city. We had heard of wars and rumors of wars of an enchanted place known as Ikea on the other side of town. So we got on a bus and searched for it! long story short we finally found it
and had a great day trying out chairs and couches! and also... Ikea is the one and only place in all of Italy with unlimted fountain drinks.... You know how much soda I can put down... So after that we had a lot of sofa trying out to do... It was a lot of fun...

I havent gotten the CD, I dont think it made it. I have obtained a vast collection the last month or two... All I really want is Shawshank Redemption Soundtrack... Thats all I need.


Thanks for you letter this week. Have a blast at Bear lake! and the new School year!

Love Anziano Mendel

August 17, 2011

Caro Madre,

Hey Mom! happy birthday for tomorrow, I hope the letter I sent will arrive tomorrow morning. Hopefully it will! So this weekend we don't have a baptism, He is going to take some more time to teach and have more opportunities to come to church, I still think he will be baptized it will just take a lil more time.

Its good to hear that you are recovering well and hopefully will soon be back on to normal life. Take things slow and do it right. For me. But I'm sure things get a lil stir crazy. I made the apple syrup the other day and it was delicious. Just what I needed to satisfy the craving. Don't worry about the CDs, I haven't gotten anything yet but don't worry, I've added to my personal library a ton in the last transfer or two from my comps and district members so no worries.

So changes for me and for Bologna apartment, So I got another companion, crazy how many changes that President is making these days. But there is nothing that I can do about it just role with the waves. So my new comp, Anz. Weller, His name is Ryan Weller, ya sounds a lot
like Ryan Wells. Kinda wierd. He's about my height maybe a lil shorter, probably like 180lbs, he's from California, Bay area. He hits his year mark tomorrow. So transfer 8, he is really good at the language and a really bravo missonary. Really good. I'm really excited for this transfer with him, He is a great teacher and there will be lots of opportunity for growth. Its only been a few days together and we have already had some very strong spiritual experiences. I'm expecting really good things for this transfer.

We have been teaching a lady named ****** for some time now and she has not been able to progress much because of her work. She is a house nurse and only has Saturdays off, So we have been seeing her just about every Saturday for some time now. Well miracle this week, we found out that she is changing jobs and should be able to start coming to church this very upcoming Sunday. Doesn't sound like that big of a deal but if she can start coming to church consistantly she will be baptized for sure. She is the most elect person I think I have ever met. Just so ready for the gospel. Our lessons with her are always so powerful and full of love on both sides. We taught her the Word of Wisdom and the law of chasity this last week, Usually the hardest things to teach but she was totally down for both of them and really already had a testimony of these commandments. I hope and pray she will be able to make it to church this week. That will mean everything.

We went to Modena yesterday for a leadership training with Bologna and Firenze zones. It was really good and spiritually uplifting. We talked alot about the doctrine of Christ and then the assistants stressed the importance of the "How To Begin Teaching" points in Preach My Gospel and using faith in Jesus Christ to start lessons off with new investigators. My companion and I were asked to give a presentation/testimony for the assembly of missionaries on the Start Chart,  a program that this mission does. It's pretty much Preach my Gospel, but it's a Chart with 12 weeks on it and has 2 principles a week, (Faith, Word of Wisdom, Tithing, Repentence) just gospel principles and we do four, two minute drills a day, where we teach our companions, using the principle of the week, an inpired question, a scripture and testimony. I shared an example that happened a few days before in a lesson when my tongue was tied and I didn't really know what to say next after my companion had finished talking and it was my turn to say something. The principle of the day was "God is our loving heavenly father", so when I didn't have anything to say that came to my mind because we had done our 2 min drills that day, I testified that she had a loving Heavenly Father and that was exactly what she needed.

Well I love you Mother so much, Get better soon. And try and find out if Cole got his call or not yet... I'm still crazy curious about that. Sorry my letter isn't really personalized today, Didn't have much time. Love you always have a great birthday!

Great Week, July 28, 2011

So this last week has been a pretty good week. One of my favorite in the mission by far, mainly because I did another scambi with my good friend Bona in Ravenna again and those are always amazing. We have so much fun together and also we had an amazing P-day! We went to the Republic of San Marino, and it was just beautiful! I loved going up the mountain city and through the castles and towers of that gorgeous country. Don't worry I took tons of amazing pictures and they are being uploaded to MobileMe as we speak. I had a great time there. The weather was nice and we were in a big group of really close missionaries so we just had a blast. I bought a watch too, a San Marino watch. its pretty sick, I cant decide if I want to wear it on my mission or just wait til I get home to... I got a great deal after bartering a lil. It was only 30£.

So Anz. Rich and I set a baptismal date with an investigator we have been teaching for a few weeks now, He is really awesome. He is always really punctual and came to church dressed like a baller! So I'm really excited for him right now. He is in a really good spot to get baptised. He's really interested, has a job, is married. The only problem is that he's not very good with Italian so we teach him in English and have to translate for him in church but thats okay. Maybe coming to church and being associated with some members will help him learn. So I have high hopes for him. His baptism if everything goes well, will be the 19 of August. I hope he is ready. I can only do my part and then the Lord has to take over and do the rest.

I have a really funny story to tell, I actually knew that Lance Cannon served in Bologna before your email and it's a crazy story how... So after Chruch on Sunday, the 4 missionaries serving here in Bologna were invited over to lunch at G******** 's house along with half the ward it seemed like. It was kind of like a ward party. So me and the other anziani just kinda retired into the other room away from all the madness while everyone got the food all ready and we were just talking and I looked behind me to the shelf and saw about 10 huge picture albums. So I grabbed one, opened the first page and there is Bishop Cannon staring at me in the face! It just caught me by such surprise to see him and his family, I saw Lance and some of his mission photos and then the photos when G********* went to their house... Hah! 14 year old Brinn with braces. And young Chase. I had a good conversation with G*********about it too! Just crazy that the first one I open and the first picture I see was a family from my ward in Utah.
Fratello S******** is now the 2nd counselor in the Bishopric here. 

The work in Bologna is alright right now. Still, doing door to door contacting has rendered no success whatsoever, we have gotten in once all transfer and it wasn't like that in Pisa at all.  I sometimes bring water and sometimes not. There are places where we can get water like fountains and things like that in parks, I usually bring some sort of bottle with me. The heat is still hot but not as bad as it was in early July. I hope it doesn't shoot up like it did then, It gets so humid here sometimes it starts raining and there aren't even clouds in the air. Crazy. The City is huge and packed but honestly now it's not that busy because everyone leaves. Italians love their vacations, they all go on month long vacations from the months of July through August. My first sunday we had about 60 or so members at church. Next week I think we will be lucky to get 15. With deodorant I have 1 and a half left. So for sure enough to get me through the summer and into September. Ya I have seen the University of Bologna. It's cool. It's not really like a separate campus or anything like that. It's just right smack dab in the middle of the city. The students are pretty wild sometimes. Yeah we have a bus pass that we have to buy every month to take the bus around. it costs 36£ a month.


I'm glad to hear you had a great time going to New York and the church history sites! Sounds amazing. 

Love Anziano Mendel

July 20, 2011

This week has been pretty good. Just missionary work and crazy heat. It's actually not too bad right now here. It rained last night and cooled everything down. I've been doing some scambi this last week. On Saturday I did a scambi with Anz. Dunshee. We were here in Bologna working with his investigators. We had the opportunity to give a priesthood blessing for an older guy here in the Bologna ward. It was a cool experience. I didn't give the blessing but I did the anointing. There is a special verb in Italian that is kinda of hard to use for anointing and I kinda botched it but I think God knew I was trying and accepted it.

I just got back from a 2 day scambi in Ravenna again with Anz. Bushman. He was in the MTC with me. One group ahead of me. It was pretty good. We had a lotta of cool experinces together. We were doing some Casa and knocked on a door where an abnoxious kid answered and then the dad came and at first was really cold to us. We told him we were
missionaries from the church... and told him we had a message about the family..... He asked us a really wierd question at the door. He said "Voi Credete che chi sono gli Angelli Sulla terra Oggi" (Do you believe that there are angles on the earth today) It caught us by surprise at first and then I said yes. Crediamo quello. He then let us in. We walked in and saw a lil girl in a high chair with some disease like down syndrom, He said "Here is an angel on the earth."    I don't know the actual phrase. They told us what she had but it was in Italian so I didn't really understand the super long medical term. Anyways, we had a super powerful lesson about the importance of the family with them and kinda went straight into the Plan of salvation, pre life and resurection in particular. It was a really spiritual experience. They really loved their daughter and asked us if she was in their lives to punish them or to bless them. We shared our message of peace and purpose of coming here to recieve a body and that everyone has different trials and tests. We left and have another appointment to teach them on Friday. I wont be there for that but I have high hopes for them.

Love you mom, Thanks for everything! I'll attach some pics next week hopefully. I dont have the stuff with me now.


Trevor

July 6, 2011 Hand written letter

Hello, sorry its been awhile since a hand written letter, I just don't have a whole lot of time between missionary work and sleep.  But today I had some time because I had to go back to Pisa from Bologna to pick up my Permessso Di Sorgiorno (permission to stay in the country). So Anz. Rich and I had to go and take first a train from Bologna to Prato, from Prato to Firenze and then Firenze to Pisa.  Lot of travel.  It took awhile because we only take regional trains because they are the cheap ones.  So we got to Pisa today and went to the Questura.  We had to wait forever but I got my Permesso, (green card) and I have some good news...it doesn't expire for 2 years. Usually the Permessos they give to missionaries are only for one year so you have to go through the renewal process all over again and its a real hassle.  So I'm super happy I don't ever have to deal with legal stuff again on my mission and I won't be deported.  I took Anz. Rich around to see the Tower and the River of course.  We got some pictures, ate at my favorite pizza place then I said good bye to Pisa for a long time. It was sad but just another one of those facts of life that we love so much.  I'm on the train back to Bologna now.

Bologna is a lot different than Pisa but I like it.  Much, much bigger and more foreigners.  It's also a Bus city so I'm not riding bikes anymore.  I'm in the process of learning to navigate myself around.  It will take some time to learn such a big city as this.  Living in 4 is better than I thought.  Sometimes its annoying but most of the time so much better.  It keeps us all on task like leaving the apartment on time and staying out til we are supposed to.  So it's Anz. Rich and me and Anz. Dunshee and Anz. Duque.  I love them all.  Anz. Duque is a really good cook and he loves to cook so he cooks for all of us a lot.  And also they are zone leaders so they are always going on splits which will bring other elders to our apartment.  I'm excited for that.  Also in my district is the city of Ravenna with Anz. Bona and Bushman.  Bushman was my first zone leader in the MTC who I loved so much and Bona is now my district leader.  He is so funny and chill.  But also really spiritual and serious when it comes down to our investigators.  I'm excited to scambi with him this transfer.

This Monday for District meeting Bona brought an American Flag and we all said the Pledge of Allegiance because it was the 4th of July.  Did you have a good Fourth of July?  What'd you do?  Did you make my favorite cake?  Do you remember what my favorite cake is?  I hope you had a great holiday and that the summer is going good for the family.

Summer in Italy is kinda brutal.  It's super hot now and the members and all of our investigators all go on holiday for summer so it's super hard to do the work.  My companionship in Bologna was just opened up last transfer so there is not a lot of things happening yet.  We have some investigators bur I'm not sure what will happen with them.  Also we haven't developed many member relationships yet which is clearly the way to go about missionary work.  I tried to start some this Sunday at a picnic we had after church.  its just a long process.  My Italian is really good right now, I think.  I have a long way to go but I think I've made tons of progress my first 2 transfers.  All the members were really shocked when I told them I've only been in Italy for 3 months.  So that's uplifting and encouraging.

So my new companion is really sweet.  I like him a lot.  I'm excited to work with him.  He's really chill but still knows and wants to work.  He never laughs at my jokes though....Haha (not a big deal).  I'm glad I have the chance to serve with him.  He's on his 11th transfer so he's pretty "old".  I like the way Anz. Rich and I teach together in the few opportunities we have had so far.  We have pretty good teaching chemistry.  I look forward to good things this transfer.  I hope I stay with Rich more than 1 transfer too.  Life is good for me.

Bologna apartment is super nice.  We even have a dryer, so we don't have to hang dry our stuff.
I want to end with my testimony that I know this church is true.  I know that missionary work is so important and I'm glad to be involved with it right now in my life.  I know we have a Savior and Redeemer in Christ and that only through Him can we receive remission of our sins.  I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I love my family.  I've been using your tips on Prayer like you counseled.  Thank you so much.  It's helping a ton.  Thanks for everything.

Anz. Mendel

My Bologna has a first name.....

So Bologna is good. It's a lot different than Pisa but I'm positive I'll be able to learn the city like I knew Pisa. I'm really sad to go but it was necessary. I dont quite know why it was, but President sent me here for a reason and I'm gonna try to figure that out.

  

University of Bologna, the oldest university in the Western World

I already wrote a letter and it's in the mail with a lot of details about my experiences in the last week. So that's already coming. But I'll share a lil.

 

Living in 4 is really different but really fun at the same time. We are all really tight already and things will only get better. I'm really young in the mission compared to all my roomates here in Bologna. But they say they are really impressed with my Italian for being in my 3rd transfer. I'm happy with the way my Italian is right now. I still have a long way to go to become 100% fluent but I feel I've made a ton of improvement.

 

So my Companionship in Bologna was just opened last transfer so there is not that big of a teaching pool yet. So we do a lot of knocking doors, just a lot of finding work. We have some investigators but I'm not quite sure how interested they actually are. As well as we have some who are really flakey with appointments so that just spoils our day. I do hope for good things this transfer here though. We made our transfer vision a few days ago, and put 2 baptisms on it. So I think with the Lord's help we can reach that this transfer. So I'm excited for that.

 

I really like my new comp. He's really chill and we get along well. It's gonna be a great transfer working with him. I hope we do more than 1 together too. One transfer is just really short to have a new comp every time.

 

So Other missionaries..... its all in the letter.. They are all older, Anz. Rich 11, Anz. Dunshee 11, Anz. Duque 12. And Me 3.

 

Sounds like you had a good time/ tiring time in Idaho. Cant wait til all those kids are grown up at least a lil more and its not such a crazy event to get together. That will be a crazy time for the family when they are a bunch of teenagers. yikes. But I'm glad you're home safe and all. Going back home is always my favorite part of vacations....

 

Its in the letter, but Bologna is huge. Much different than Pisa. But I like it. it will take some time to get used to but im up for the challange.

 

Speaking of dieting, thats what I need to do now... There is a scale in Bologna and right now I weigh 205 so the same as when I left but the issue is I know I have lost muscle weight and I know my belly is bigger... More blub down there. Not good. It's not too bad though. That's good that Justin and Davis are trying to eat right. I will try to echo that.

 

Anziano Mendel