November 20, 2013

Ciao tutti!

Everything is good hear in Verona still.  We found a few new investigators this week and I think the work is really about to take off.  It'll just take a little bit of work of course.

So last P day was a beautiful day!  We went down to a park in southern Verona and we met up with a less active member and played Frisbee.  It was really fun!  And a beautiful day for it!  

So this is my miracle that I would like to report for the week. The other day, Anziano Burton and I were out doing street contacting.  We found an African man who actually stopped to listen to us.  As we were telling him our spill, he actually asked us to slow down a little.  I guess we are so used to trying to talk as fast as we can with Italians, that we didn't really realize that maybe the words we were spitting out were just being recited.  It got my attention and I realized that I need to make sure that I'm treating every person that I meet, as a person.  I think as I try to be attentive to their needs, the spirit will be able to more easily bear witness of the truthfulness of our message.  We did slow down a bit and re-explained our message.  We asked him if we could see him again and he accepted.  We also asked that when he knew these things were true, if he would be baptized.  Like a smart person, he thought about it.  He told us yes...when he knew that our message is true.

Well I think by next week, I will know where I'm going to.  Yep, I think they're finally kicking me out of Verona.  I love it hear and I love the members.  To me, Verona is missionary work...because that's all that I've seen.  I'm excited to get out and explore another city!  Gotta go!  Love you all!  Ciao!

-Anziano Cody Petterborg

I wanted to add to this email something that Cody shared with me about serving in the Archives in Verona. I will also add a few more photos.  Sandi

Well I'm a little nervous to leave Verona, but also really excited and relieved.  I think I'm mentally tired and bored of this place.  I have the whole city basically memorized haha...that's kind of cool to say.  The weather has been up and down.  We haven't had any snow yet, but it has been raining a lot and occasionally it gets windy.  Today looks like a nice day.  The sun is shining and stuff.

So I went to the archives to help the senior couples a couple of times this week.  It's really fun work.  We bring books down from their huge library on the sixth floor and clean them on the first floor.  We use a brush and just scrub all the dirt, mold, and pidgeon poop off of them.  Then the senior couples take pictures of the insides of the books that are filled with names and dates.  Then the pictures are uploaded to be indexed.  It's pretty cool!

It means:   "So.....nothing...like...I don't know"

View outside my apartment...very Italian!

Working at the Archives

The destroyed book!

Ready to work!

November 13, 2013

Ciao tutti!

Well I reached my 5 month in Italy mark yesterday.  It's hard to believe that I've been here for 5 months.  The Italian is coming slowly.  I just need to practice a little more.  It's getting a little colder, but we still have some beautiful days here every once in a while.

So I want to share a spiritual thought this week.  Every time we go to a member's house we share this thought with them.  Elder Ballard, in general conference asked us to reach out to one person between now and Christmas.  We don't necessarily have to share the gospel with them, but if we can let them feel the love of the Savior, what a wonderful gift that would be for the Savior.  In the Book of Mormon, we read that through the small things, are great thing brought to pass.  I know that if we pray to find this one person and are willing to act on the promptings we will receive, we will bring a person just one step closer to their conversion.

Well I better go! l love you all! Buona settimana!

-Anziano Cody Petterborg

What a goof!!

Butter Lovers POPCORN!!

November 7, 2013

Hello everyone! (Changed things up a bit this week)

Well the work is slow here in Verona still, but I have a feeling deep inside that it's going to pick up real soon.  Yesterday, we had an incredible Zone Conference with Elder Texhiera of the seventy.  He gave us a lot of really good advice and I think we will be able to find more investigators with the tips he gave us.  

This week, are ward had a Halloween party!  It was really fun!  They played lots of games.  During the day I had a scambio (exchange) with Anziano Modugno.  We went and bought some masks at a nearby grocery store.  After the party with the ward, the other coppia (companionship) of Anziani got home first.  We snuck into the apartment quietly, turned off the power to the whole apartment, and then ran in with our masks and scared them to death! Haha it was great!  Afterwards, we took some pictures and even created our own Halloween costumes.  It was a lot of fun.

Today for P Day we went to the American Base in Vicenza.  It was a great time.  We bought a bunch of American goods and one of the Senior couples that works on the base took us bowling.  It was very fun.  We even got to eat taco bell.

This past sunday, our ward did a fast for the missionary work and the missionaries.  In sacrament meeting, Anziano Burton and I did a musical number.  I played the violin and he accompanied me on the piano.  Then during the meeting, we bore our testimonies.  After church, the ward had a big lunch all together.  It's been amazing how much unity we have seen already between ward members and missionaries.  We were invited over to lunch two or three times just on that one sunday.  I think that as we work together with the members here in Verona more and the members learn to share the Gospel with their friends, the work will really pick up here in Verona.

Well I'm sorry for the long email...I guess I was just trying to make up for the last one.  Love you all! Got to go back to work!  Ciao!

-Anziano Cody Petterborg

Vicenza Air Base Trip and Waiting for the Train

Verona Ward Halloween Party

October 30, 2013

Ciao tutti!

Work is still going well in here in Verona. Our new convert is amazing and is already doing missionary work of his own! Our members have really been helping him to feel welcome.

 

This week we recieved a referral from a member. It was quite far away and the first time we tried to get there, we got on the wrong bus with the wrong tickets. We talked with our members about helping us get there. It was amazing. Our members came together to make sure that we got to this family's home. We had to get about 3 different rides but we got there. The people took us to the house even stayed for the lesson and bore powerful testimony. I'm super grateful for members who are willing to give up their time to help us out.

Well love you all! Hope all is well! Sorry for the whimpy email this week. I'll try to be a little better next week.

-Anziano Cody Petterborg

I thought I should share this from my personal emails the last couple of weeks from Cody:

It's always a mad dash during internet. We have an hour and a half to do everything.  The only place that we can use internet are these sketchy internet points.   I feel bad that I don't send more spiritual thoughts home, but I don't have time to think of any haha.

The guy that we  baptized is pretty cool. He's from Nigeria. We've had some really good experiences with him. He has a testimony, but I just hope he continues to build the kingdom here in Italy. It's hard when you don't speak Italian. The ward has been super good to him. They've helped him out a lot! 

We were invited to do a musical number this sunday. I went to that member who makes violins just to see if he had one that I could borrow...guess what? He is letting me borrow a 200 year old german violin to play. Whoa! It's soo cool! I love being able to pull it out and practice. I'll let you know how the musical number goes. I'm playing More Holiness Give Me! 

Anziano Cody Petterborg

 

New Sweaters... aww yeah!!