Anziano Orso Letter November 19, 2014

Ciao Tutti!! dont worry im still here and alive!! i have been really busy with the work here.....and figuring other things out. but im doing good! here is the update for me!

City: Pesaro (still...)

Comp: Anz. Cortes (hes from New Jersey)

Transfer: 12

District: im still the district leader...but my district changed. we got put with another city called Rimini, its a really cool city. much closer than Ancona

this past week was really awesome! i got to go back to Firenze!! wahoo! we had a conference with a member of the 70 Elder Fingerle....he basically talked to us about what elder bednar said in a world wide broadcast....about using technology to push forward missionary work. and we were all thinking "are we getting ipads??" but thats not that case haha. our mission isnt ready for that yet haha. but its a good idea to have us use the members to do it themselves...so we are going to do out best to have our members share mormon messages...and post stuff from conferences....im just hoping that they translate more messages for us. the have some but not any of the new ones....so its kind of difficult. technology can be a blessing or a temptation...it all depends on how we use it. 

then this sat i will be going to Prato (which was my first city!!) because we are having a stake conference!! it has been over a year since i have been there...im really excited! ill let you all know how that goes next week. 

the branch is doing good here...this place is like another family haha. i have so many families its ridculous haha. but thats whats so great about missions, you realize we're all part of one eternal family! 

who are we teaching?: his name is christian.....he has a bapt date and we are preparing him for that, hes about 25 and hes from nigeria. but he is a kid whos mind of the world. but our big focus these past weeks is to prepare our priesthood holders to get the Melchisedic Preisthood. because we have a lot of eligble men....they just need to learn and prepare themselves. 

how im holding up? im doing good, id be lying if i said i dont get stressed or frustrated or disappointed. but i have still so many moments when i can say im blessed, happy and grateful. these past two weeks i read the whole book of matthew. it was really good! all of us are fishers of men, we must all develope charity, we must humble ourselves and become like a little child if we want to learn and do the things necessary to enter in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus Christ was a perfect Man, Teacher, Leader, Example, Brother, and was the Son of God. i know that he lives and he atoned for our sinces. im grateful for the light he brings into my life and missionary work. im far from perfect and still make mistakes...but i know that through him we all can be cleansed, find peace and joy and return to our heavenly father. 

-Anziano Orso

Anziano Orso Letter October 22, 2014

un miracolo, due miracolo, tre miracolo.......e continua ancora!!

this week was really interesting! more than last week!! therefore i have something to talk about this week!

we have this guy named ricky who we found on the train and have been teaching for about a month and a half...hes really cool and pretty elect. he has met with the missionaries in the past so he knew a lot of stuff! anyway we gave him a bapt date for this sat. but we gave him tht date a month ago! and hes is ready....so hes we're having a baptism!!! wahoo!! we're so excited(: and anz. moa is going to baptize him!! its going to be his first one!

this week i did a scambio with anz. stringfellow, hes fresh out of the MTC so hes been in italy for about 5 weeks haha. its so funny and he makes me laugh so much...just because hes new and getting into the hang of things. makes me remember when i was a greenie and all new haha. we had a serata familiare with almost the entire branch! it was so fun!! i laught so much i couldn breathe. and scambio was funny too becuse i dont think stringfellow really knows how to ride a bike...and if he does not used to riding on a bike in traffic haha. becuase he crashed into me three times and almost went right into the middle of the intersection.....it was interesting haha. 

tuesday we had inglish class, it was really fun because i have made really cool friends with the students...so we just  talk and play games and stuff! we played a game where they had to make up a story...and i made them tell a story about me. so what ended up happening at the end of the story i was stranded on an island with hayden penattiere.....it was so so funny, we ended getting married at the end. i love my inglish class students haha. and the coolest miracle....so my fault but i forgot to turn in a rimborsment so i had to b careful on what i bought this week. well one of our students bought us groceries!! how awesome was she!! it was a huge miracle and a amazing thing to do (: so awesome!

so today has been the coldest day since i have been here....this morning it rained....then it got really windy and hailed....now its its really sunny outside! but its still really cold!! good thing i have my jacket and scarf (: (scarfs arent gay in italia so hop off) haha. i like them a lot, because they keep my neck warm and cozy.....plus you have a pillow if your tired haha. 

the mission is awesome!!! i count my blessings everyday and so happy for this chance i have to serve the Lord! Temples are amazing!! and its as close to heaven on earth!! life lesson i learned this week: i never completely understood how the spirit is so strong when your in the service of your fellow man. charity is really one of the biggest attributes of christ that works miracle! and this experience will forever be with me. 

Miracles: so sunday was full of miracles!!! Ricky had to come to church to be baptized this week! last week we mat a member from the UK who was visiting her boyfriend, sunday he came to church and asked for a book of mormon, and we got a referal from a member in another city that wants to come with us to see this family!! and then the lady who brought us groceries!! heavenly father blessed us so much this week!

vi voglio un sacco di bene!! ciao!

Anziano Orso Letter October 9, 2014

che bella era la conferenza de generale

another amazing week in the Pesaro Italia! i love being in this country!!! words cannot describe how much my love has grown for these people here.....even though at times it may be difficult i truly love these people. and thankful for every opportunity i have to serve them. this week was really busy! had two scambios with missionaries! i went to Ancona and Ravenna! so cool and loved every minute of my time there.

not much really happened this week!!! just went and did missionary work to be honest! we set a goal to talk to a lot more people to get more investigators! a huge blessing this week was Ricky our bapt date came to conference! wahoo! it was really good and we really liked it.

cool story this week! there are a lot of people here who smoke....so i made a goal to get cigarettes from people...but tell them its bad not just ask for a cigarete. well this guy we were talking to agreed with us and i asked if i could have his pack of cigarets and on the secong time i asked he said yes! wahoo! made my goal lol. dude gave me a whole pack! crazy! but i saved his life a few days lol. 

the work here is amazing!!! me and my comp had a really good correlation with our ward mission leader...its tough at times because our branch is the smallest branch in the entire stake! so its a lot of work for us....but we helped him realize that its not just us that can do it.....missionaries and members need to work together! it was really good. he told "wow anziani i really feel the spirit telling me that everything you've just told me we need to do" it was a really good meeting....and i felt the spirit really strong. because as missionaries we are in a city for a while...and we give all our heart into the city, people, and members....and we want them to be really good when we all leave, we say leave the city better than you found it. 

conference was stupendo!! i loved all the talks....how cool was it that we were given the translation in english for  few talks this time? i love how the church is letting speakers talk in their own native tongue!! now more people are probly going to be able to talk! the church is growing! my favorite part was how they talked about the importance of having a profet! and how we all need to sustain and support him, i know that thomas s monson is called of God, and we all need to know that as the world changes Gods laws dont....and conference helps each of us everytime remember that. but also shows us that the changing in the world can be used for pushing the work of the Lord forward!

i have had really amazing lessons this week with our simps! where the spirit has been so strong and we all share our testimonies! and they lessons have ended with baptismal dates(: wahoo! i mean who can so no when the spirit is so thick your whole body is numb and relaxed haha. i can really see myself stretching here! probly one of the most stretches i have in my entire mission. of course i can always improve everyday... im far from perfect. but the changes i have made in my life and the blessings i have seen from it is amazing! and i thank Heavenly father everyday, and all your support for this. im a changed person....im still Dominic, but im becoming the Dominic that Heavenly father wants me to be and who i know i need to be. missionaries are amazing! the church is True! Italia is beautiful! how lucky are we to have the full Gospel! vi voglio un sacco di bene! ci sentiamo!! ciao!!

Con Amore, Anz. Orso!!

Branch President Di Nuzzo

Me, Fratello Falchi Simone, Anz. Moa

The Italians are tired of all the cavities :) haha

they asked me to model for the church ...

This is the outcome. haha

Zone Meeting. Love this zone!!

Anziano Orso Letter October 1, 2014 (finally got a letter to post)

Ciao a tutti!!! che cambia della stagione.....non mi piace!!

ciao amici miei!! man this week has been crazy!!! being sick for almost a week we have busy trying to see all of our investigators that we havent been able to see. that was the worst sickness i have ever had on the mission...but im all good now! one of the things that i have realized is how important it is to stay healthy on the mission....and give your body the rest it needs. because if your just pushing yourself a lot that fine...but when your push to much...then you get sick and you cant do nothing....so its not worth it. but im grateful for the blessing that my banch president gave me.....1. first blessing i have gotten in italian 2. i felt the spirit really strong and i love our branch president so much!!! hes a really awesome guy!

Thur. we finally recovered enough to go outside and meet withs some of our investigators. but it was tough to be honest....no energy to ride my bike haha. but we did it...and it was good.

fri: we did our weekly planning and went to go to see our inv. in a city called Fano! which a really cool old italian city.....they have one famous road that leads to Roma! its kind of like our Route 66. and there are a lot of old buildings and castles there...next time ill take fotos and show you guys! it was really cool. we also went to the doctor.

sun: we had church! and i had to give a talk....i thought it was good haha. i gave a talk on the prophet jospeh smith! and my comp gave a talk too haha. i swear every sun. me and my comp are part of the sacrament meeting haha.....either hes talking or im talking haha.

mon: we had district meeting! which i have to say im really freakin excited for this transfer!! all the anziani are so awesome!! and this transfer we are doing a harry potter themed transfeR!! yup you heard right haha. this is my third transfer as district leader in the same city! so to keep me excited and coming up with new ideas i need to be creative haha and all the 4 houses are in italian of course...we are in italia! haha and i did an exchange with anz. Beaulac who is from canada....and hes from the part that speaks french....so he tried to teach me a few things.....i didnt succeed haha.

tues. we had our inglish class and thats pretty much it.....we call that Pday eve and its when we get excited ha party it up alittle haha

today: we went to a country....yes i said country named San Marino! its this little country in the middle of italia haha. its so cool!! but all the rules of italia dont apply there....and the day we went they were having a little festival! they were changing their president.....so we saw their new president and they had a marching band and eveyrthing haha. it was a really cool experience.....too bad the weather wasnt really that great. but theres always next time haha.

anyway thanks fgor all the prayers!! im better now and ready to continue doing the work of the lord!!! i love everything about my mission!!! i couldnt ask for a better mission. and i love all the members and all my inv. hope all is well at home!! ciao!! Dio vi benedica!!

Anziano Orso Letter September 3, 2014

Ciao!!

Che Tempo abbiamo avuto questa settimana!!

ciao!! how is everything!!! this week has been a little chaotic!! but it was really good!!! so for the weekend we had a lot of rain.....so it was a huge bummer for all of us, because we're not fans of going around in the rain everywhere. but it was okay. this sunday was really good!! we had a few talks in church that were very spiritual....and then we went to the branch presidents house for lunch....hes really awesome!!! and then we went to the villajuans later that day and they gave us dinner.....most meals i have ever had in a day! so far since i have been here. then monday we had zone conference. and we went (drum roll.......) Firenze!!! wahooo!!! i missed it so much!! its such an awesome city!!! one of my favorite cities in all of italy!!! and the best part was i got to ride first class on the train!!! i tell you traveling in style is the coolest things....and we got complimentary drinks haha. it was really cool. yesterday i did an exchange with anziano pugsley, which i have alreay done one with him in milano!! it was really cool because him and i are a lot alike haha. so it was a fun scambio, we taught english class and did all that good stuff. and then our branch pres., took us to go get gelato! so good!! im in love with gelato!! and pizza! its going to be weird going back to america and not eating food like this. so im going to have eat as much as i can these next 8 months! so we think anz. moa is going to be transfered :( we'll find out in about two weeks!! this transfer is flying! its insane!! 

our teaching pool is good, we had a simp come to church for the firs time last week!! wahoo! his name is christian! he was really cool, of course we know it takes time to do stuff. but its all good. everything will work out. we are seeing him later this week. the other day we got yelled at by an american....:( he started making fun of us and telling us we're pathetic and that we should go home, and that we are bunch of horrible people...and what we are doing is a loser thing to do.....but its okay, because he was bashing us, and then i asked him....well what do you believe, and he said i dont, im athiest....and i said well that why you dont believe in anything we say. it was better to not argue, because i believe in god and he doesnt....so we wouldnt ahve resolved anything. but its cool!! moments like these grow my testimony.....and i know God exists! and that knowledge and testimony i have no one can take away(: 

 Vi Voglio bene!!