Im Dreaming of A White Pisa

(Anziano Wilkinson)

This week we have a seen the first real cold in Pisa! It got below freezing for the first time while I've been here and for a few days there was even a risk of snow! The cold has not been holding us back though; we've had the chance to do a few events with members of the church here to find more people to teach. For the most part we have focused on the family as the center of our finding efforts and it has been really great being able to connect with people on that topic, since nearly everyone cares about their family!

This Wednesday we also had the privilege of watching the first live worldwide broadcast for all the missionaries around the world. It was really a cool experience to receive that special training from the leaders of our church and it answered a lot of questions that my comp and I had! We're hoping to get a lot more work done here in Pisa in the next few weeks with the instructions we received from this conference!

I also got to do an exchange in La Spezia with my old companion Anziano Jensen. We had a fantastically busy day full of service and amazing people and I rode the train home quite exhausted. We got to do service for a group that is specifically for people with mental and social problems and it was a really cool experience. I had the strong impression while I was there that Heavenly Father truly loves all of his children, no matter their condition physically, mentally, or spiritually. All we did really was play cards with some of them, but it was a very fulfilling service, even despite fact that they were much better than me at the game we were playing! Busy days are the best!

I know that we have a father in heaven who loves us and cares about us. He wants us to succeed. He created a plan and provided a way for us to achieve his highest goals for us: our happiness. I know that the way he provided for us is the only way, which is though the gospel of Jesus Christ and his redeeming power. The love that he has for us is beyond measure!

Have a great week everyone and know that there is a god in heaven who cares about you!

-Anziano Jake Wilkinson

Happy New Year!

(Anziano Wilkinson) 

The past few weeks have been very busy for us. First of all, we survived the end of the year, the crazy Italians who shoot fireworks out their windows (which apparently is not that uncommon of a sight, I'll post a picture below), and the seemingly endless rain which followed for the entire week after.

We have seen a lot of progress in the people we are working with and have added several people to our teaching pool! One of those new is named Harish and he comes from India! He is getting his doctorate in mathematics at the University of Pisa and speaks fantastic English, but little Italian haha. However, apparently his courses are in English so his schooling is going just fine. He is fantastic and has made sure to teach Anziano Mattson and I how to properly eat Indian food. Who knew I'd learn the basics behind Indian cuisine while serving a mission in Italy!

While teaching him about the plan of salvation we asked him a question about what he believes happens after we die. He said he didn't have one anymore, but when he was younger he believed in the common Hindu belief of reincarnation. He said he stopped believing in reincarnation when he came up with a mathematical proof that proved it couldn't be true. Then he excitedly proceeded to tell us his proof. He's a funny guy for sure, but (although I'm not an expert on the subject) his proof seemed to make a lot of sense haha.

This week I've been thinking a lot about how I'm going to make this year better than any before (a hard task, considering how blessed I really am!). I think too often we think of New Years resolutions as things that apply to ourselves and thus we forget to think outwardly when we set goals for the new year. I think this may be part of the reason why basically 99% of New Years resolutions are not kept for longer than a month: they fail to see beyond ourselves and are thus too shallow! As I have been thinking, my thoughts have been turning constantly back to service. This year I want to serve more selflessly and seek actively for chances to help others; chances both big and small!

There is a verse in the Book of Mormon in Mosiah 2:17, which reads, "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." This concept is such a profound one and tells us many things, among which is that God truly does love us! He rejoices when we are served by others and when we serve others because he knows that service brings gratitude and happiness to both the server and the served. In fact, the wording of this verse would seem to imply that he gets just as much joy from our service as the recipient!

The more we serve, the more we make those around us and ourselves happy. The more we serve, the more we please our Father in Heaven and in turn we are all blessed more! Service brings happiness and is by nature selfless (because serving ourselves isn't really service). So on that note I invite you all to join me in setting a goal to serve more and do so more selflessly this year! I know that as we do this that we will all be blessed and will find ourselves very uplifted by the year's end, and everyone else too!

Have a great week everyone, happy New Year, and don't forget to look for opportunities to serve!

-Anziano Jake Wilkinson

A Roman candle being shot out of a window.

We found a Chevy.  And it was a pickup truck no less!

Happy New Year!

(Anziano Wilkinson)

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and enjoyed spending lots of time with family and eat lots of good food! It was exciting for me to be able to skype my family and catch up with them a little more face to face, or rather, screen to screen! My companion and I had some great food and had the pleasure of trying some new Italian dishes, and some old classics; the main dish was lasagna. As typical in Italian culture, this lovely family wouldn't let us leave without stuffing ourselves full of food. Hey, no complaints here! We also got the chance to watch a Disney movie, so my comp and I chose Frozen since neither of us had seen it.

After the big holiday we hit the pavement again and have begun to find lots of new people to teach, which is an exciting way to start the new year! As usual we're setting goals and making plans to make this new year a great one. Which for me includes learning how to cook Italian food better! I've decided that I will make a Ragu (back in the states we call it red pasta sauce with meat in it) on New Year's Eve since we have to return home early that evening. Apparently Italians take their New Years parties pretty seriously. I'll let you all know by next week next week if I live through it! But for now, have a great New Years, set some awesome goals, and achieve some amazing things!

-Anziano Jake Wilkinson

Christmas is almost here!

(Anziano Wilkinson)

The exciting day is almost upon us and the countdown is getting smaller and smaller. Christmas is almost here! There is probably not a more exiting day of the year for a missionary! I can't wait to skype home to my family soon; they're probably just as weird as ever, but I still miss them to death and can't wait to hear their voices!

So with all the Christmas spirit people have been feeling, we've started to accumulate a lot of lunch appointments (which made the grocery shopping really easy this week). So we're pretty excited for this opportunity to fill ourselves with some good old Italian food! And also were excited for the chance to bring a nice Christmas message to each of their homes, because Christmas is a missionary's favorite topic to talk about! (Or, at least, it's my favorite haha).

So a few weeks ago I was struck by the accounts of the savior's birth that are contained in the book of Luke and in the Book of Mormon. They talk about the same event but from radically different perspectives and yet the power behind both accounts is tangible. So for Christmas this year I invite everyone to read Luke chapter 2 and Third Nephi chapter 1 and ponder upon the importance of the birth of a savior! I know that a savior was indeed born for us. I know that he suffered for us and I know that he died for us. And last of all he rose from the dead that we too might have the chance to do so as well! I am so grateful for his gift to us and I rejoice at the wonderful opportunities that this opens up for us! We have a savior. His name is Jesus Christ. Find him and learn of him; there is no more rewarding venture in the whole universe!

Merry Christmas everyone and enjoy the festivities!

-Anziano Jake Wilkinson

A taste of Africa

(Anziano Wilkinson)

This week went by unusually fast, which is ironic because the days that count down to Christmas usually tick by very slowly in anticipation of that glorious day haha. Unfortunately I won't be having a white Christmas this year since it nearly never snows in Tuscany, in fact, we we'd be lucky if we even need out coats that day; we rarely use them as it is!

This last week was the first of our new transfer and we are beginning it with a newly Awakened Force... Okay, lame Star Wars pun. But really, we are working harder than ever and making successes everyday! One of our investigators, named Jonathan, is a fantastic man from Nigeria and has been making great progress lately. He is only just beginning to come to a full view of the beauty of the gospel and each week he draws closer to our Heavenly Father! He had us over for lunch last Sunday and we had some traditional Nigerian food, eat in the traditional Nigerian way: no plates. Apparently, they place the serving dish in the center just eat from the same dish, which sounds gross, but in reality it's not as bad as it sounds. I'll put some pictures of us eating with him and his friend Alfred.

This week, I was struck by the thirtieth chapter of 3 Nephi in the Book of Mormon, which is only two verses long. It's very short but it packs a lot of power into the few words that are said. Basically, in writing this chapter, Mormon digresses form his abridging of the history of the Nephites and takes a moment to pour his heart out to us, the future readers of his work. He feels earnestly to warn us of what we are going to face in our time and to warn us not to do as his own people did. He urges us, in pleading words, to repentance and to cast from ourselves any ungodliness and beckons us to follow the example of our loving Heavenly Father.

These words were truly meant for us, written hundreds of years in advance. These are the words of a prophet who witnessed the complete distraction of his own people and wished with all of his heart that it might not happen again in a future generation. He pleads with us to lay aside sin and take up righteousness, knowing that it is too late for his own people and hoping with all his heart that his words will reach our ears in time for us to act upon them. I stand by his words and likewise invite everyone to repent and taste of the goodness that is gospel of Jesus Christ! Especially now this Christmas season, I invite everyone to listen to and act upon the words of Mormon, the ancient prophet, "that ye may be numbered with [God's] people". What a great joy that would be!

Have a great week everyone, hear from you next week!

-Anziano Jake Wilkinson

Christmas and Lights

(Anziano Wilkinson) 

So this transfer I get to stay in Pisa with Anziano Mattson! That means I get to spend Christmas here! I am counting down the the days till I get to call home and say Merry Christmas to my wonderful family! This week we have been having lots of success with showing the members the "A Savior is Born" (È Nato un Salvatore) campaign and inviting them to share it with everyone! This video, along with the opportunity to bear testimony about the savior, brings the spirit strongly every time! It is very uplifting and we hope also inspiring enough for the members to want to share that feeling/video :). This week we have been working with members a lot with this video and it had been great to visit them and help them become motivated to share it!

This week while I was reading in the Book of Mormon I found something that really stuck out to me. It was 3 Nephi 18:24, which begins "Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world." This is a concept that we are taught over and over and one that we should always be working towards every day, but sometimes we wonder what exactly we need to do to "hold up [our] light[s]". The next part of the verse explains perfectly that answer to that question when it says, "Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up--that which ye have seen me do." Basically, Christ is saying in this verse, that we hold up our lights by holding up his example, and he doesn't mean just telling other people about his example, he means living it, he means doing "that which [w]e have seen [him] do". This is such a wonderful concept! Christ's life and example was absolutely full of light; people would see his example and would want to "glorify [his] Father who is in heaven." We too should hold up the light that Christ did and we do so by mimicking the life he lived, because his life was perfectly full of light! This week, seek for ways to mimic the life of Christ so that you too can hold up the light that he held up. I promise that when you do, you will find greater joy each day and you will begin to feel the love and approval of our loving Heavenly Father in greater amounts. Imagine Christ in your shoes, imagine how he would act, then do it! It really is that simple and is more rewarding than we can even imagine.

Have a great week everyone, drink lots of egg nog for me, remember Christ this Christmas season, and hold up your lights a little higher, starting now :).

-Anziano Jake Wilkinson

Hiking In December!

(Anziano Wilkinson)

The week we had a great time visiting the Cinque Terre and hiking on some of the most fun trials I've ever seen to some of the most beautiful coastal cities I've ever seen! It's absolutely gorgeous and I'm so glad I went and saw them! It is a bit strange though to be perfectly comfortable in just a T-shirt and Jeans in December, but I can't complain! I'll put some pictures at the end of this post.

This week we had some great success working with our members, especially now that the church has just brought out the new Christmas video "A Savior is Born". It's an amazing short little film that is a powerful recitation of the words of Isaiah prophesying the birth and mission of Christ. I highly recommend everyone check it out!

This transfer is only four weeks long because our mission president wanted to avoid having transfers fall so close to Christmas. Our next transfer will be eight weeks long, but it's just strange to think that this transfer is already ending so soon. Who knows, I could be on the other said of Italy in only a week! I'll be sure to keep you all updated

With the Christmas season nearing and with the coming of this new video, I have been thinking a lot about what it means me when I hear the words "A Savior is Born". That's an interesting phrase that is very unambiguous in meaning, yet it begs a lot of questions like, 'why would we need a savior?' What does it mean that we have a savior? For me that means we get to try again no matter how many times we mess up. It means that no matter how unfair life may get, we have the means to make things right, and even make them better than they were before. It means we have a perfect example and a friend that understands us perfectly, always. It means we are never alone.

A savior was born, and because of this, and because of what he did for us, we have the potential to become more than we could possibly make of ourselves. That's what it means to me that we have a savior! The Christmas season is about giving, and the best gift of all was Him. I invite everyone to visit the website for "A Savior is Born", think about what it means to you that we have a savior, then share it with everyone you know!

Have a great week, remember the savior, and enjoy some good old Christmas music for me!

-Anziano Jake Wilkinson

Thanksgiving

(Anziano Wilkinson)

Okay, so they sadly don't celebrate thanksgiving in Italy... But there is still great food here so I can complain too much! Last week we hadtransfers and I met my new comp Anziano Mattson! He is a wiz withanything mechanical and he loves to get his hands dirty working on fixing things. He is a really hard worker and is always trying to dowhat's right; he's a great guy. We get along well and make a good teamwhen we're working together to tackle the tasks before us. I can tell this will be a good transfer!

So now that I'm back and settled in Pisa we are hitting the road with more determination than ever to utilize our time well and help as many people as we can. We're especially working hard to involve the members in our work and just uplift the ward in general. It's been a fun transfer so far and I can't wait to see what lays in store for the rest of it!

The weather is finally changing here in Pisa and we are breaking out the jackets, sweaters,and scarves. It's so sad that it's getting cold now, but I suppose we've evaded it long enough so I can't complain! The only problem is is that it comes with a lot of really cold rain, which isn't exactly the funnest but we survive haha.

Recently I was reading in the fifth chapter of Luke and I came across the story of Christ calling Peter to be an apostle. Before meeting Christ, Peter and his fellow fishermen had been struggling in their efforts to catch anything despite the long hours they had been putting in. But after listening to the Savior give a sermon, Peter began to regard Christ as someone to be respected. At the end of his sermon, Christ tells Peter to thrust out to sea and cast his nets in the water to catch fish. Peter's response was a humble one and an important one, in which he said, "Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net."

How often to we find ourselves in a similar situation to Peter? The situation where we try our best to do what's right (in Peter's case to make an honest living) and despite our best efforts we find little success or, in Peter's case, none at all. Many time we lose hope and become doubtful when our efforts to do something prove fruitless. But we should never forget to have the humility to do just as Peter did and trust in the Lord.

Many times the Lord withholds success from us so that we can turn to him more fully and give our trust to him. It is many times our humility which unlocks the windows of heaven to pour out success upon us. For Peter, by having the humility to trust in the Lord's instructions he pulled so many fish that it filled two boats to the brink of sinking and stretched his nets nearly to the point of breaking. This same blessing of success is outstretched to us as well if we humble ourselves as Peter did! No matter how fruitless our efforts to do what is right seem at times, I promise that our efforts are not forgotten by the Lord. Instead of complaining when blessing don't come immediately, we should humble ourselves in the face of hard times, follow the Lord's council, and say to him as Peter did: "at thy word I will [keep trying]".

So if hard times happen to have washed up in your lives, I invite you to ask the Savior what he would have you do and have the humility to do whatever it is that he instructs. I promise that as you make this a pattern in your life you will find that hard times will turn into huge success, sometimes so huge that you won't even have room enough to receive it! So whatever it is that is giving you difficultly this week, don't give up on it, just keep trying to do what is right and the Lord will bless you with success.

Have great week everyone and enjoy thanksgiving!

-Anziano Jake Wilkinson

(Anziano Wilkinson)

Back to Pisa

We got transfer calls this past week and the news is I'll be going back to Pisa again! My new comp's name is Anziano Mattson and I will be meeting him there tomorrow. All I know about him at the moment is that he is going into his fifth transfer. It'll be interesting to see how we manage since we're both still pretty green! It's crazy to think that I'm already done with my first two transfers and am therefore finished with my training. I still have so much more to learn to be able to feel comfortable with the language, but then again I'm not sure I will ever be satisfied with it haha.

We worked hard in Livorno and I grew really close to my two companions Anziani Brown and Jensen. Both are amazing guys, full of laughter and desires to work hard! I learned a lot from them and with them and I hope to get the chance to serve with them again sometime in the future!

I've really enjoyed the past few weeks that I've been in Livorno. It's really opened my eyes to to how much the Lord supports us. I've had many conversations in Italian in the past few weeks, a thing I didn't think was possible after only four months of studying a language. But not only that, I have seen hearts change and ears open with the words that we have said. Not because of our ability to speak eloquently, or even intelligently, but because the spirit spoke for us where we lacked. The Lord does not expect us to be perfect, he only expects is to try, and when we try our best, he magnifies our efforts!

Sorry for the short email, I don't have much time to write today! Anyway, have a great week everyone!

Pictures

(Elder Anziano)

Getting Better

(Anziano Wilkinson)

Well, after all the doctors visits and resting, my companion is starting to get better, yet no one has any idea what is actually wrong with him. However, he is doing better and we have been able to return to almost completely normal work now! Anziano Robinson still can't ride bikes though, so we're on foot or in bus wherever we go for probably the rest of the transfer.

In the midst of all this mess of stuff we happened to miss my culture class, which I guess is part of the process to get my visa, so I will have to make up the points by taking an Italian language course. While this will probably take much longer and be a lot less painless, I can't complain because it means more practice with learning Italian! And who knows, it could also prove to be a great way to find people ready to hear the gospel!

This week I was reading in the Book of Mormon and the footnotes led me to Luke chapter 14 verse 27, which reads, "And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple." This verse is quite blunt and unmistakable in meaning. Christ, the speaker in this verse, is basically telling all those who profess to be His followers that if they aren't willing to endure with Him through think and thin, then they aren't worthy of His association. That lesson in of itself is a powerful and important one that anyone professing Christianity needs to be well acquainted with. However, the JST on this verse continues, revealing further knowledge: "Wherefore, settle this in your hearts, that ye will do the things which I shall teach, and command you."

The phrase "settle this in your hearts" reminds me of the council that I've heard everywhere since before I can remember, particularly when discussing elements of the Word of Wisdom. The council always boils down to something of the effect of, 'don't wait for temptation to befall you to decide to choose the right, decide now and decide once to deny temptation and then stand by that decision.' According to this verse in Luke, this council applies to much more than just the Word of Wisdom. It applies everywhere. "Settle this in your hearts, that ye will do the things which I shall teach, and command you." Simply put, Christ is commanding us to settle in our hearts, or in other words to 'decide now and decide once', to "do the things which [He has taught] and command[ed]" us.

When temptation comes (be it in the form of laziness, telling a lie, or whatever sin it is that "doth easily beset [us]") we should never have a moment where we allow ourselves to rationalize or compromise, our decision should have already been made that we will choose the right! So I invite you all this week to follow the Savior's council to "settle in your hearts" the decision to follow and keep His commandments. Decide to choose what is right before the need to choose arises! I promise that as you do so you will find greater strength in conquering temptation and you will feel more powerfully the love that our Heavenly Father has for you personally. I have seen these blessings come to me many times as I've kept this council; I know that our Heavenly Father loves us and he is always waiting eagerly to bless us for our righteous choices. Make Him proud this week!

-Anziano Jake Wilkinson

Our Christmas Gift to Christ

(Anziano Wilkinson)

Well, I've officially completed my first transfer in the field! It's crazy to see how fast time flies. At this rate I feel I will be home before I know it, but at the same time it feels (like it should) like I just started! I think clocks run faster in Italy than in the states...

This week we received an invitation from our mission president to read the Book of Mormon from start to finish by Christmas Day, all the while marking references to Christ's attributes and ministry. He is calling it our Christmas gift to Christ, which I kind of really like. Studying the Book of Mormon with an emphasis on Christ like this has really helped me to feel strongly the spirit that the book truly brings. Each time I read from the Book of Mormon I feel the truth of it testified to me in my heart and in my mind, not because of what is actually being said, but because of the shear truth and divinity of it. I think this is a great way for us to show our love for the Savior more abundantly; what better way than to study of Him and then go out and do our bests to serve Him each and every day?

We also watched General conference this week! In English, thank goodness! I really enjoyed the talks that were given this year. However, most noteworthy to me was the spirit that the three new apostles brought in each of their testimonies. It is clear to me that those three men are indeed called of God and that they truly wield His power as special witnesses of Christ. It's so wonderful to me that we have prophets and apostles on the earth today, leading the church of Jesus Christ. I know that they are each chosen of God. Is truth is a really special one that is surprising ply unique to our Church, so go share it with someone this week! Go tell a friend about how we got to here from a living prophet last weekend or that we got to sustain three new apostles! This doctrine is exciting! I invite you to go share your excitement with those who don't yet know about it!

Have a great week everyone and don't forget to live what we just learned in General Conference!

-Anziano Wilkinson

PS, I found out that there is an aqueduct that runs through Pisa!

Bruised Thumbs

(Anziano Wilkinson)

So in light of my companion's concussion, we have had to take it easy

this week by staying inside a lot more than usual. So naturally I have

had a lot of time to study! Part of my studies have centered on Jesus

the Christ, from which I continue to grow in understanding of who our

Savior is as a person.

One chapter in the book is centered entirely on Christ's boyhood and

growth. One thing that Tallmadge emphasizes in this chapter is that

Christ, just like everyone else, learned line upon line, precept upon

precept. Nothing was ever simply handed to Him on account of His

divine sonship; He was required to attain wisdom and knowledge in

exactly the same way we are, by hard work and patience.

With this in mind it occurred to me that, while He was entirely

sinless and spiritually perfect, Christ was not perfect at all things

temporal. That is, He was not by default that best at everything He

ever did. In mortality, He probably wasn't as good at swimming as

Michael Phelps, or as good at Basketball (had it existed) as Michael

Jordan. He probably couldn't beat a world champion Chess player at a

game of Chess and, who knows, He may not have even been a straight A

student had he attended Harvard Medical School (although He was

clearly a very smart individual). Christ probably wasn't a perfect

carpenter when He began learning the trade and He probably had His

fair share of splinters and bruised thumbs.

Christ was perfectly sinless, there is no dispute about that, but that

doesn't mean he was a superhuman from planet Krypton. For me, thinking

about Christ in this light makes Him a lot more relatable. I think too

often we lose sight of the fact that Christ experienced life in just

the same way we do and that He wasn't arbitrarily lead through life or

given whatever He wanted without needing to put in sincere effort on

His end. He stands shoulder to shoulder with us in being able to

attest that life is not an easy experience.

Anyway, that is a bit of what I have learned this week, maybe it's

false doctrine, maybe it's not haha. In the end the important part is

that Christ was sinless and that because of this He was able to take

upon Himself our sins and pay the cost for them that we might not have

to if we came unto Him. I know this is true and I am so happy to have

the chance to share this truth full time for the next two years!

Have a great week everyone and don't forget to invite a friend to

conference this week!

-Anziano Wilkinson

Commozione Cerebrale

(Anziano Wilkinson)

This week has really been an interesting one. You know what they say,

it's all fun a and games until someone gets hurt! We believe my

companion has a minor concussion (hence the title of this blog post)

from playing a little too much soccer a few days ago. As a result, we

are confined to very few options for the next few days while he

recovers, Sorella Dibb's orders. I'm perfectly fine though, so don't

worry about me!

We met some really cool people this week on the streets, on the

trains, and just about anywhere else you can think. It's kinda fun to

just go and talk to people that you've never met before, especially

for me now that I can mostly understand them with a bit of effort!

However, I still say some pretty goofy things like when I mispronounce

the word for "suffered" and say something to the effect of "Christ was

deep-fried for our sins". Fun stuff!

We tend to have the best conversations with people at the oddest

moments, like when we go to snag some pizza (it's super cheap and

super tasty here, it's amazing) before heading back to the apartment

at night! In that specific instance we ran into a Sri Lankan couple

who was vacationing in Italy for their 48th anniversary and they were

very interested in our message about Christ. They spoke English too!

It's always neat to run into people who are prepared to receive our

message, even if they are tourists!

I've learned a lot about talking to strangers about the gospel just in

the past few days, in particular I realized that you can look all day

and you will never find a perfect moment to talk to someone. Something

will always make every situation sub-optimal, like a car horn going

off or a dog barking. When it comes to perfect moments, they are

nowhere to be found, perfect moments can only be made. And the only

way to make perfect moments is to just jump in and trust in Heavenly

Father! And that's the case for talking with anyone about the gospel!

If you take the leap of faith, the moment will be made perfect for

you, because Heavenly Father really, really wants that person that

you're talking to to hear the gospel and get the chance to receive it!

He loves them and he will make due with whatever nonsensical sentences

come out of your mouth. Trust me, I am well acquainted with

nonsensical sentences!

So I challenge you all to go and talk to someone about the gospel! The

best part is you don't even need to worry about what to say; the words

will be given to you through the Holy Ghost as you take the leap of

faith! So go try it, because there is great joy in doing so, in being

an instrument in the hands of the Lord!

Have a great week everyone!

-Anziano Wilkinson

Thinking of Him

(Anziano Wilkinson)

We had a very successful week this week, which was really cool! Also

the language is coming along well for me; I have gotten to the point

where I can read out of the Book of Mormon in Italian and not have to

translate in my mind what is being said! I don't have all the vocab

and I'm slow, but to me it's a big step nonetheless! Also, my brother

came home yesterday from his mission and even though I don't get to be

there with him, I still got to live a little bit of the excitement

vicariously through videos and pictures (yes, for all you single

ladies out there, he's still handsome).

Other than being very busy this week there wasn't much that went on

besides getting to go to Lucca this week. That city is very close to

Pisa by train and is super popular for tourism (I'm really not sure

why though, it's just like all the others, with the possible exception

of it having a whole museum devoted to ancient torture techniques,

which is... Interesting... But anyway, I digress).

We ride trains a bunch in my area, so we get lots of time to talk to

people on those trains. Often times it's tourists that we talk to

though, seeing as this is Pisa after all. But regardless, we talk with

them (in English when we can, thank goodness) and somehow always end

up giving directions in the end; here in Pisa everyone is a part-time

director of clueless tourists, including us haha. On the bright side

though, tourist season is dying down and with it the summer heat!

I've been reading out of Jesus the Christ whenever I can find time and

it really has strengthened my testimony of the Savior and

understanding of the gravity of His sacrifice for us. The book is

great and the doctrines contained in it are magnificent! Most

noteworthy though, to me, is that it has helped me to keep my thoughts

more fully centered on Him and His work amid countless things that try

to distract me every day, namely, learning the language as quickly as

I can. I've noticed that as I remember to make Christ the center of

every aspect of my day, every aspect of missionary work is enhanced.

Including learning the language! So on that note, I invite everyone

back home to turn your thoughts to the Savior more often each day.

It's a simple thing to do and yet I promise it will enhance your

lives! The more we remember the Savior and desire to keep Him in our

hearts, the more we will feel his support and strengthens power!

Have a great week every one and don't forget to think of Christ!

-Anziano Wilkinson

La Spezia

(Anziano Wilknson)

This week I did my first companionship exchange and I got the chance to go to the beautiful city of La Spezia (literally translated, the spice). It is a port city, the biggest in Italy I believe, and also is well known for it's brightly colored buildings. It's very close to the famous Cinque Terre and it is also, for you British literature buffs out there, where Mary and Percy Shelly lived out the final part of their lives; the home still stands today actually.

Elder Johnson (who I was on exchanges with) and I had a great time, seeing as we are both extremely interested in the sciences. Needless to say we didn't stop talking the entire time we were together!

This week I was studying chapter 3 of Preach My Gospel, which contains the doctrines of the five lessons that we are to cover with those we teach. At the very beginning of the chapter it says, "The lessons in this chapter contain the essential doctrines, principles, and commandments that you are to study, believe, love, live, and teach." It is a simple and frankly obvious statement, but it nonetheless stuck out to me.

I realized as I thought on these words that the five actions it mentions, "study, believe, love, live, and teach" are each individually necessary for success in missionary work as well as for the spiritual progression of any individual. Without all five of them, effectiveness as a missionary and/or spiritual progression is impeded or perhaps even halted. Even the removal or neglect of just one of the five would result in limitations and loss of effectiveness in the other four. For example, one can't teach the doctrines of Christ very well if one doesn't also actively love, live, study, and believe the doctrines.

So often as we study the gospel we find this same principle of interconnectedness between the doctrines and principles we teach. It's so amazing that this is so. For me it stands as almost a small bit of undeniable proof that this is Christ's church, led by an actual prophet of God, because no mere man could create a religion with as much revealed truth as we have without making it contradict itself. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this is the true church of God and I know that He has a prophet here on the Earth who leads that church. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ it brings me so much joy and I know that it will continue to do so well into the eternities. I'm glad to have the opportunity to share this joy with the people of Italy and I hope to make a difference in their lives by giving as many people as I can the opportunity to experience it as well! I invite you all this week to share with someone you care about the joy you have received from having the gospel is your lives! The joy that comes from sharing joy is beyond compare!

Until next week,

Anziano Wilkinson

La Spezia

 Siena

Confessions

(Anziano Wilkinson)

Okay, so I have a confession. I have been holding back about writing home about the food here in Italy because I wanted to make sure I wasn't passing judgment prematurely. It still might be premature, but I think by now I am pretty safe in making this assumption. You know that stereotype about Italy having great food? Well, it's absolutely true! I have had so many good experiences already with meals here in Pisa and so far and it only seems to be getting better with each passing day. One a side note I had my first authentic gelato this week and it was magical to say the least. Let's just say the likelihood of me gaining weight on my mission skyrocketed when I discovered how good it is here!

Other than that I am beginning to settle into the life of a missionary; no longer am I having to ask questions every minute about what we are doing and why. And my comprehension of the language is improving noticeably with all the practice I am getting. Also time is back to it's 'normal' pace with days flying by at unreasonable speeds instead of the slow crawl that it was moving at for my first week. One could say that things are going pretty well for us here.

This week I was studying a bit about prayer and I came across a little instruction box in Preach my Gospel on how to pray. It is very simple, it says first "address our Heavenly Father", then "Express the feelings of your heart", then "close in the name of Jesus Christ". I was struck by the fact that it grouped what is usually separated into two distinct steps (giving thanks and asking for things) into one whole, namely, "express[ing] the feelings of your heart". I realized then that when we give thanks to our Heavenly Father, it should be from the very core of our hearts. Our thanks should be every part of the main course as our requests, not just side dishes thrown in as part of a balanced prayer.

Prayer is such a wonderful concept; it's literal communication with our Father in Heaven. He listens to, cherishes, and even responds to our prayers. I know He does, I have experienced these things in my life time and time again and always to a greater extent when I speak sincerely with Him and when I remember my relationship with Him as one of His children. I would like to invite all of you to keep this in mind as you express the desires of your heart to Him; remember each time you pray that you are praying to no less than your loving Father in Heaven. I promise He enjoys hearing your voice, especially in sincere and heartfelt prayer, no matter how unworthy you feel you are, because He loves you. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I hope you all have a great week! Go share your testimony with someone for me! It is fast Sunday after all!

-Anziano Wilkinson

Italy at Last

(Anziano Wilkinson)

So as many of you already know, I have finally made it to Italy! And if my mom hasn't already told everyone, my first area is Pisa! After thirty-some hours of lugging my bags across two continents and an ocean, I have made it in one piece, thank goodness! By now I'm mostly over the jet lag and am settled in. We really hit the ground running when I got here, cycling all over in the hot, humid weather to reach appointments and what not. I was severely sore for the first few days and I have to drink my weight in water just to stay hydrated, but I can promise all of you back home, there are few things cooler than riding through the streets of Italy on a bike!

We travel by train a lot in this area; the ward boundaries are quite large (yes, pisa has a ward, thankfully!). So one of the prime ways to find people to talk to is on the trains. Italy is a tough crowd to talk religion with though; finding people who will listen to you, let alone who are interested in your message is very, very difficult. The work is difficult, but evidently not impossible, or else I wouldn't be here! My trainer is Anziano Robinson and he and I get along well; he's been a great help for me as I've tried to figure this place out. He's on his 12th transfer, so he's pretty seasoned already.

Sunday night we had an extremely heavy rain storm, which flooded a good potion of the streets and in particular, ours. The water even reached our apartment building and flooded the basement floor (we're okay though, we're on the third floor). Our bikes we're not so lucky on the other hand, since they were in our tiny little garage space. We had to wade through the water a bit to get them out or else spend an hour walking just to get to the church and then another hour to get back. It just occurred to me that I am completely understating the severity of the flood; I'll just post pictures. Oddly enough, this sort of thing isn't really uncommon in Italy I guess, since the emergency infrastructure is well equipped, enough to have cleared out basically all of the flooding within 24 hours. I'm not sure why they don't just fix the gutter system instead, but oh well; this way is for fun for missionaries!

But really though, we are having a great time in Pisa and I can tell that it is going to be a great experience! Until next week, Can't wait to hear from you all soon!

-Anziano Wilkinson