Snippits from Anziano Orso's emails to us (few and short)

from March 18th

this week has been really good! very busy week for us as zone leaders....we have to do 5 exchanges....2 zone tranings....and we have general conference. and ward activities....this transfer is going to fly! but we have a lot of stuff we want to do for easter! the church is going to release a new video so im excited! we are also having a conference with anz. Bednar!!! im so excited! i have never met an apostle before (: Our mission is now getting ipads.... -__- but i wont be here to use them because i go home 4 weeks after the conference...and they have to do a lot of things first before the give them out. but its cool....how can i be jealous of something i never had right?

sorry i dont have a lot of time! but thanks for all the prayers! hope all is well with you!! i pray for you often too! let me know how it goes with tories mission call! thats so excited! ti voglio bene!! ciao!

from March 4th

Its true anziano andersen is getting transfered!!! it seems the time has gone by so quick! these past three months flew so quick! we have some of the best memories of my missiion together....but im really excited because he is my flight buddy haha. hes going off to be a district leader and im staying here as zone leader. my new comp is anz. tolman...i dont know much about him....solo that hes from idaho and is going into his 13 transfer. im starting my 15.....this is the transfer i get my customs letter haha. im really excited though about this transfer! we have a lot of stuff to do! and there are a lot of new people in the zone that im really excited to know! and some of my favorite missionaries are getting transfered into the zone haha! so this should be a really fun transfer! 

so it was not a good week for us work wise! we got dropped by almost all of our inv. so when my new comp. comes we are going to have to start from the bottom....they all had weird reasons...but in the end it was their agency...we still have contact with them and will do the best we can to keep givving them interest. 

other than all has been good! thanks for all the love and prayers! have a good week! ti voglio bene! ciao!!

Anziano Orso Letter December 17, 2014

mi sto abituando....

so this city is really weird and something im not really used too....its really cool i have a car but i have to wait to drive until i have consiglio....we are also really busy all the time which definietly a change for me. but me and my comp work really good together. are teaching is very well and we just know how to get things done. we are both really good with the language and being outgoing....its a really cool experience. and we get  a long really well. so i found out i know his cousin by the way....trey branham whos in costa rica. so its a small world haha. but i do have to admit we get a trunk fest going on sometimes because we both go home at the same time haha. and we're from arizona so we talk about home a lot haha. but its okay...it doesnt get us distracted from the work! 

so this week has been just me learning how to be a zone leader. which im really excited about...most importantly its just more numbers haha. but its cool! being a district leader has helped me a lot with all this stuff. so it was sad saying by to everyone in pesaro...i miss them a whole lot :( because i came here when they opened a companionship of sisters....so honestly i havent had the biggest welcome here in this ward.....everyone cares a lot about the sisters and im just shunned.....in a way its kind of depressing but im not letting that bring me down...im just trying my best to build a good relationship with the members by myself.

the weather is of course cold. wet. and cloudy all the time.....its a huge bummer! but im not a lone when i complain about the weather haha. my apartment is really cool and fun! we all get  along so well and its a blast! we joke all the time. also the sisters in the ward are so cool also! one is brand new and is learning italian...which makes me laugh sometimes because i used to be like that....it really shows how much progress i have made in the past year and a half. 

things are getting ready for natale! which is going to be fun! we're having a dinner on saturday which should be really fun! its my chance to make good friends with all the members. its crazy to thing this is my last city! which is what we all think...its not certain but we can most likely assume this will be my last city.....im so happy to be a missionario here in italia! i have loved every single minute of my mission and i am going to continue to push forward the work as best as i can. 

a cool miracle we had was two people from brasile came and we tought them already two lessons...and they came to church for the first time! we had 4 new people in church this past week! it was such a cool miracle! i know this church is true and when we work hard heavenly father will bless us, i know he knows us better than we think....and if we put our effort in he will make up the rest. vi voglio bene! ciao!!

#condividerildono  #sharethegift BUON NATALE!!!

Anziano Orso Letter December 10, 2014

Ciao how is everyone!?!?! so here are my stats so far in the mission!!

Transfer: 13/16

Companion: Anz. Anderson

Leadership: Zone Leader

City: Muggio' (Milano)

so much has happened and im thankful for all that i have learned this past 6 months here in Pesaro! im grateful for the lord and the blessings he has given me her. i know we serve is by inspiration. i love my mission i know this is the true church. im in my last 6 months of my mission and im going to continue serving with all my heard might mind and strength....because really the end isnt the end, missionary work is a never ending thing! love and miss all of you!! Buon Natale! ci sentiamo!! ciao!!

 

 Mi Trasferisco..... :( sento cosi' cosi'

yes my time here in Pesaro is done and im going on to my next big and great adventure! i have been called to be a Zone Leader in Muggio', which is the Milano Est zone haha. so im going back to milano...but its going to be in the either zone! so im excited! and my comp is going to be Anz. Rick Anderson! if you rememer him from the MTC and he was the one who i was told about before i left on my mission. even in the MTC we said dont worry we'll serve together as zone leaders haha....crazy to think 18 months later its happening haha. so this is going to be fun Transfer! im excited for the new risponsibility. also being his comp helps me  alot because switching right before christmas is difficult so now im not so worried...and i get to do a scambio in my old city again with the AP which is Anz. Miller who i served with in milano already...so when we do our scambio its going to be like old times haha.

this week has been busy with saying good by to all the members and trying to leave my city better than when i found it...which i can confidently say i am proud of what i did in this city. 

there is  a new church video about christmas which is really cool! im so excited and i invite all of you to go on it and check out what really is the true meaning of christmas! im grateful for my savior and for all that he did and does for me. im greatful for the plan of salvation and i know exactly where my grandma....its hard saying good by...but actually what i heard from someone yesterday....its never goodbye its Ci Vediamo (see eachother later) because its true! i love this gospel, this church, my life has been changed and im ever grateful(:  vi voglio bene!! ciao!!

mormon.org/ita/natale      go check it out!!!

-Anz. Orso!!!

Anziano Orso Letter December 3, 2014

Ciao!!

HO COMPIUTO 21 ANNI!!

mamma mia i cant believe i have 21 years haha. its really crazy!! so much has happened this past year, in tanto age is just a number, the importance is how you act. you need to take the experience you have growing up and everyday and use it to better your life. but i im so excited, growing up i would expect to be here in italy for my 21st birthday haha. im so blessed to be here!! but i have been so busy! man what a week!

okay so for Thanksgiving (il giorno di ringraziamento) we had a little party! it was really awesome!! especially since i planned the whole thing in two days haha. and i made a Pumpkin Pie! it was like the one that moms know how to make, but being in italia and having to do everything by scratch i think i did really good. except the crust was really salty...but everyone was very nice and said it was good anyway haha. i guess there's always christmas!!

we have been so busy lately its insane!! the last few weeks of the transfer have been flying! we found out this sat. if im going to get transferred....its  a bittersweet. i really want to see a new city! but i have build such strong relationships with everyone here its going to be really sad to leave. but i know God has a plan for me, and i know im need somewhere else in italy to help continue bringing souls unto christ. but who knows, i could stay here haha.

so i probably havent told you guys but im the second counselor in the branch here, we dont have enough people for another counselor, and because im older as a missionary and in age i have been second counselor. but last sunday was the first time i had to sit up at the podium haha, it was really weird lol.

cool thing, we had a scambio this week, i was with Anz. Giles, and he taught me how to read and play the piano....of course its going to take a lot of practice...but i have the basics down and i can practice, so hopefully in 6 months when i get home i can play something...im also practicing my singing so i can stop sounding like a dying horse haha. hopefully i improve lol. then last night we had inglish class! it was really fun!

so i have made almost everyones dream when they come to italy, beside coming to italy, i have made good friends with 2 pizza places! haha, they are so awesome! im going to miss them! haha im so thankful we live in  a world with Facebook haha, we can always have contact with our friends from the mission(:

i love being a missionary! i couldnt picture myself anywhere else in the world! i love being  a representative of Jesus Christ, i love wearing his name on my chest everyday, and being called Anziano Orso haha. this past year a half has been so crazy, and i have grown and changed a lot! its really insane! and now im 21!! when did that happen, i feel like i just graduated high school haha. life goes way to fast to just be lazy and throw it away, we need to live life to the fullest and do the best we can grow spiritually and mentally, im grateful for my savior and his sacrifice. and im grateful for my heavenly father who cares so much about us, we just need to open our eyes and look at all the blessing he gives us. :) grazie a tutti, thanks to everyone for all that you do for me! thanks for the prayers and birthday wished!! i want a sack of good for your all!! ciao!!

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