February 1, 2016
What a week! The mission is one heck
of a roller coaster.
This week we taught Janus again. My
comp had a pretty sweet inspiration to ask him during the lesson if he wants to
serve a mission. I had just earlier had the thought: "man Janus should go
on a mission, too bad he's not even close to ready so we can't bring it
up". But it ended up being a great conversation; definitely glad it
happened as it is the perfect answer to his tough family situation right
now.
Weird experience. This week I went
to Terni for a scambio [exchanges] with my zone leader. It is a BEAUTIFUL hour
long train ride. While I was there I met Marco Petrollini, who is featured in
one of my favorite “I'm a Mormon” clips. He was just as happy as he is in the
video. He and other faithful members
remind me why Italy is getting a temple.
We were out finding at one point and
walked past a park with a bunch of guys doing "parkour" [picture
special ops guys doing an obstacle course]. I've seen videos of this before,
but it was cool to see it in real life. By that I mean, people doing some of
the cool moves and tricks in real life, but also the reality that not everyone
starts out perfect- most of the guys there just cracked us up as they performed
some of the most ridiculous, lame "tricks" ever.
While I was there, my companion was
back at work in Rome, and apparently Mauro accepted the invite to be baptized!
Asking questions is something that I've learned is so important. Previous
missionaries who had taught Mauro a year ago had been kind of wimps, and, when my
companion asked as we had planned why they thought we came to visit them, his
less active wife responded that we were there to bring spiritually uplifting
messages. Thankfully, they cleared that up with a nice message about our
purpose, and our next lesson will be the Restoration.
We got a text from Jean Pierr. He
told us it might be better if we met when school ends... In June. My companion
and I are very worried that his mom is part of this. She means well for him,
but she seems very occupied with his grades in school, and he currently has a
tutor coming over for a few hours a day three times a week. Yesterday he agreed
to meet one more time, we'll need some big time prayers that it will go
well!
Liu is doing better, he's found some
more work recently (a blessing of the spiritual steps he's taking in my mind).
Sadly, he too said he may be leaving to find work elsewhere. I've never cared
more, prayed harder, or loved as much the investigators we have right now. It's
so hard, but I try to look on it always from the positive light. If they accept
the message, they have gained so much. If not, it's not like we've hurt them.
We can (usually) only do good here. (I say "usually" as I am reminded
about when I stuck out my arm to block the metro door from shutting this week
so my companion could get in too, then it malfunctioned and we cost all 200 or
so passengers on that train about 20 seconds).
We have some incredible members.
Yesterday with the Salerno family I was shocked again at the guts some of them
have, hearing about how they preach the gospel on the buses or at work. Also on
that note, we had a nice surprise when a member brought a 22 year old Romanian
named Gabriel to church! Of course the combined third hour about genealogy
taught by the high priests group leader and a senior missionary probably wasn't
the most entertaining thing he ever listened to, but he said he'd come back
next week and today we'll get in contact with his friend that brought him to
see how we can get involved.
Love
Anziano Cannon
I have been terrible about getting
pictures, it's hard because I think we are only allowed to take pictures
indoors or on Mondays. Here's my district though. Quick note about the senior
couple: they are the BEST. The Memmots have spent almost their entire retired life
serving missions. Elder Memmot worked with Mitt Romney during the 2002
Olympics. They are great people and we missionaries really appreciate
them.
February 8, 2016
Good week, we got our
hot water back and found out Anziano Saffer and I are staying another transfer
here!
Liu had a pretty cool
dream this week involving the picture of Christ's second coming that's right
out in the main area of our church. The members are really being great to him.
The only awkward thing this week was when they consecrated a big bowl of oil
for the ward priesthood holders to use during priesthood. If you try to put
yourself in the shoes of a non-member, that's a little weird. Thankfully
Fratello Rossato totally singled him out and was like "seeing as we have
an investigator among us, let's explain what the priesthood is." Haha but
it was no big deal at all, quite helpful actually.
I know we are supposed
to become super mature and spiritual during the mission and all, but I'm not going
to lie, if the Jehovah's Witnesses who proselyte here challenged us to a
winner-take-all calico [soccer] death match, we would totally take them on and
wreck them. Don't get me wrong, there are some really great members of their
church, but most of their people we see are like 65 year old ladies.
We taught Mauro this
week! Fabio had given us a really cool idea about illustrating the Restoration
using a cup tower. Unfortunately, it didn't work out quite as we had planned it
and I ended up having to basically say "As we can see, Christ's church was
much more perfect than this cup tower". But it ended up being really
good. If investigators don't feel the
Spirit when you tell them the first vision they usually never will. And he did!
It was pretty emotional for him and he accepted a March
26th baptismal date. I've also been really blessed to feel a love for his
14 year old stepson Dennis, who is a member. He is at a crossroad in his life
and needs the family to be all together and active in the church for things to
go well for him.
Oh my word this week
we went to Villa Pamphili!!! It is the COOLEST PLACE EVER. You just enter this
amazing park with these massive trees and walk on these super wide sand/gravel
paths with a bunch of (actually decent) runners and an occasional biker. You
walk past these beautiful Roman statues, and all the sounds you are used to
from the city are gone - just birds chirping and some church bells ringing. The
whole thing is kind of elevated so at one point there is a nice view
overlooking Rome and St. Peter's. Even in just natural beauty alone, for you
Oregonians I will say that this beats Lithia Park. But we didn't go there on p-day.
It was actually for finding on a cloudless morning that was a warm 20 degrees
[68 degrees Fahrenheit]. We found one guy to do the Restoration with;
unfortunately he was a little too open minded in the end to accept it as
truth.
I'm sorry to everyone
and especially my mom for no pics, later today we are going to see some stuff
with a less active who needs help.
Love,
Anziano Cannon
[A few picutres of Villa Pamphili downloaded off the internet.]
