January 29, 2014

Ok so in our Livorno apartment, the wiring was really old.  We lost power to a couple of outlets for a while and we had to run an extention cord across the apartment to our fridge.  If we wanted to run the washer, however, we had to unplug the fridge and run the cord to the washer for an hour.  It was crazy for a sec.  But then we requested an inspection and senior couple came to take a look and they sent an electrician a little while later who inspected it and got a few things running.  But he said the wiring is super old.  Then last week, President Dibb called me while I was doing email and told me to pack up and go to Pisa the next day until they could fix the wiring or until they could find a new apartment.  The other Livorno Anziani are currently living and working in Florence and they don't come back.  We sleep in the Pisa elders' apartment and ride a train to Livorno everyday.  Luckily the branch president has worked it out with the members to get us lunch so that we can come early in the morning, and work the whole day through.  Otherwise, we would only work there in the afternoons.  We are still only over the Livorno branch, but it sure stinks to have to travel back and forth everyday...I guess it's only 15 minutes.  Not too bad.  Besides, how many people get to say that they haved lived in Pisa?

This week we were able to get ahold of a less-active that we had been trying to call for weeks.  Anziano Scott has only seen him once or twice in his four transfers in Livorno.  He let us come over.  It sounds like he has had some encounters with another religious organization and has been attending their services because they are closer to his house.  We had a really good lesson with him.  He told us about how he hasn't come to our church for a while because he didn't feel worthy among all of the "persone brave".  We reassured him and bore our testimony that that is what the church is for.  To help the people who aren't perfect to become clean again.  We used several of the 10 points of how to begin teaching and asked lots of good questions.  He has told us that he will come to church on sunday.  At the end of the lesson he had a friend come in and he seems interested in hearing a message from us.

Hey so we are now working with a less active that is DEAF!  Kinda cool right.  ASL and LIS are kind of different. LIS is Italian sign language.  Lingua Italiana di Segni maybe?  I'm sure.  I try to sign a tad...but I can't remember much...terrible. A member is learning it as we teach her so that he can talk to her.  It's been a cool experience.

Well sorry for the long email...I really didn't even say anything cool...hmmm 

Well gotta go!  Love you all!  Ciao!

-Anziano Cody Petterborg

January 22, 2014

Ciao tutti!
What the?  January is almost over!  That was fast!

So last P Day we got up early to go to Siena.  It was pouring, but we rode to the train station anyway.  When we got there, we were soaked, so we decided not to go.  That was thought out well, no?  But no worries this week we went to Siena and it was awesome!  We went to the Duomo and Piazza del Campo where they do the big horse races.  It really is a pretty city. 

This past monday, we were making calls after lunch but our phone was acting really weird.  We couldn't call anybody without having problems talking to them.  While this was going on, one of our investigators was trying to call us like crazy, but we couldn't answer the phone to talk to her.  We headed outside and decided to worry about it later, but then I had a thought to go to that investigator's house that had been trying to get ahold of us.  So we went because we only had finding work planned for the afternoon.  When we showed up she said, "Oh che sorpresa! Avevo bisogno proprio di voi!"  She has been going through some tough times in her life right now and she asked us for a blessing.  We also shared with her some scriptures that we thought might lift her spirits.  I think it worked.  That same evening she came to our Family Home Evening and she seemed very relieved and even seemed to shine a little.

Get this.  So on sunday, the branch president called me into his office.  I'm going "What's happening?"  He tells me, "Don't worry, I've already talked to President Dibb and he knows what's going on."  I was like, "What in the world is going on?"  He said, "We would like to call you to be the Young Men's President of the Livorno Branch."  What do you think of that?  Crazy right?  I have the same calling as dad!  Cool right?  I am super excited to work with the young men a little.  It will be fun.  Anziano Scott is my first counsiler...my only counsiler.  It will be fun.

So my mission president just called me and it sounds like we get to work in Pisa for a few weeks while we are waiting for a few repairs on our apartment.  We still get to work in Livorno.  This will be an adventure.

Well gotta be on my way!  Love you all so much!  Thank you so much for everything you do!  Keep the faith and fight the good fight!  Ciao!

January 15, 2014

Well we started another transfer this week.  Thus, begins transfer 6!  Bring it on!  I'm still here in Livorno for at least another 6 weeks.

Last P Day we made another trip to Firenze.  This time we went to the Ufizzi.  It was really cool.  Did I ever talk about our last trip to Florence?  I can't remember if I did...so I'll tell you anyway.  We saw Ponte Vecchio, we climbed the bell tower and dome of the Duomo, and we went and saw the statue of David.  It was all super cool!  There's so much to see in Firenze.  We'll probably make another trip, but our next target is Siena.

This week, we had one of our beloved investigators come back from Australia.  He's been there for about a month and we are so happy to have him back.  Before he left, we were very close to setting a baptismal date.  He just had a couple more obstacles to jump.  On our first meeting after his return, we were dead set on getting that date.  We set up a lesson to talk about faith and setting goals for the new year.  Before we had even started into the lesson, he told us about the things that he has been reading about in The Book of Mormon.  He told us about how he had been reading about faith and how faith brings us to action.  Well that tied in nicely!  It's like he sat down and planned out the lesson with us! We presented our lesson and invited him to be baptized.  He told us that it is a goal for him this year and he really wants to, but he has to fix some things with his family before he can commit to a date.  We're very excited.

Well I love you all very much!  All is well back in the states!  Ciao!

-Anziano Cody Petterborg

Gennaio 8, 2014

Well we've begun our new year.  Hope you've all come up with some really
great resolutions.  I think I have a couple of good ones, but, of course,
they're all related to missionary work.  I will be in Italy for all of
2014!!  Weird right?  I'm excited.

Well last P Day we didn't do too much.  We played some games in the morning
and went for a bike ride up to the top of Montenero.  Montenero is a tall
mountain on the south part of Livorno that allows you to look over the
whole city and the coast.  It's really pretty!  We got there just in time
for the sunset and it was gorgeous.  Perhaps the best part of the day was
coasting down the mountain at an excting pace.

The other day walking through the park, we stopped a guy and talked a
little about faith.  He was really open to talk to us.  He told us about an
experience he had when he was in a coma.  He told us that he saw a bunch of
his friends and met a man "con una barba" who told him that he had to go
back because there were things he had to do still.  He was quite interested
in the Plan of Salvation.  He told us that we couldn't see him until the
end of the month but we are looking forward to seeing him.  At the end of
our encounter, he let us say a prayer with him and I think he really
enjoyed that.

Well that's all folks!  Love you all!  Buon capo d'anno!  Auguri!  Ciao!

-Anziano Cody Petterborg

January 1, 2014

Buon anno!!!  Auguri!!

So I didn't have a chance to write last week. It was a really awesome Christmas though!  We woke up and made a huge breakfast and then we went and ate a huge lunch with a member!  I was so full!  Then I got to talk to my family on Skype!!!  That was so awesome!  And probably the best Christmas gift of this year!

As we were trying to keep ourselves busy on Christmas eve, we had an investigator fall through but we decided to pass by a less active. When we got to the house, she wasn't home but her husband was. He isn't a member but he let us in. We got to read with him Luke 2 and the story of the birth of Jesus. According to me, the miracle is that he actually let us in on Christmas eve where the rest of the world is going crazy.

Well I wish you all a happy new year!  I love you all and I guess I'll talk to you next week!  Ciao!

-Anziano Cody Petterborg

This is a small portion of my (Hannah's) letter that I received from Cody. I did put the translation just below it for you all to read! :) --

Okay so since I didn't get to speak any Italian to you on Christmas, maybe I'll write you my testimony in Italian...I guess you can translate it later.

Ahem...

Voglio portare la mia testimonianza che io so che questa chiesa è la chiesa di Gesù Cristo.  Quella scrittura che hai condiviso è la mia scrittura preferita!  Gesù è la pietra angolare! Se noi construiamo su di sè, nussun delle tempeste di Satana può farci cadere.  Quando abbiamo niente, dobbiamo ricordarci che ancora abbiamo Lui.  Il Libro di Mormon è la prova convincente che Cristo è il nostro Salvatore e soltanto mediante la sua Espiazione possiamo essere salvati.  Amo il vangelo e l'opportunità che mi ha dato di diventare una discepolo meglio.

Well there you have it...can't guarantee that it is 100% correct.

(I want to bear my testimony that I know that this church is the church of Jesus Christ. That scripture that you have shared is my favorite scripture! Jesus is the cornerstone! If we build on him, we gain no storms where Satan can make us fall. When we have nothing, we must remember that we still have Him. The Book of Mormon is convincing proof that Christ is our Savior and only through His Atonement we can be saved. I love the gospel and the opportunity it gave me to become a better disciple.)