Super Mocio Bros

Copy the url address below ad paste it on your url address bar to be sent to a voice recording of Anziano Toronto as he discusses the missionary labors of this past week. 

https://soundcloud.com/user-565039128/anziano-toronto-2018-06-25-weekly-recap

Various Pics featuring:
Maxwell
Christian and Maxwell
Vitalii and Sons, I'll talk about him in a future email...
Rome Temple scaffolding free😍😍

It's A Sunny Sunny Day

😎Carissimi,

Start Filling the Font:
There's no better way to leave and area than with a baptism, and Christian is giving me the opportunity to do just that! Though mentioned just once or twice in previous emails, Christian is a friend Maxwell brought to church his 2nd or 3rd week here, and he has been slowly, steadily plodding on towards baptism, ever since. This week he decided to quit plodding, and take a leap, and was interviewed on Saturday, and couldn't have done better. His testimony of the need for modern prophets is strong, and even stronger is his belief in the Book of Mormon. Oh how we love this brother, and can't wait until Saturday and Sunday to see him take the final hop, skip, and a jump right into our swimming pool-resembling baptismal font!

Let's Go out to the Park and Play:
Parco Capodimonte is just about the greenest, open space you can find in the Napoli extra urban area, (except for Carney Park of Course), and most of our zone took advantage of this oasis this morning and afternoon. We had a little picnic of sandwiches, and enjoyed a little relaxation. Anziano Vance and I noted that the beauty of P-Day, is that when, almost accusingly, your conscience asks you why you're not doing street finding, you can stick your tongue out, blow a raspberry, and go back to playing long-toss with a football. It's a truly beautiful thing!😅 Among the activities enjoyed were, "Sciaccia a Sette," an improvised game resembling a volleyball pepper circle, in which players take turns passing the ball while counting up to seven. On the seventh hit, players near the ball seek to smash and hit others near them, while those being aimed at respond in a variety of ways, such as cowering in fear, sprinting in the other direction, or bracing themselves for impact, hands hoping to catch the incoming smash. Needless to say, it's a fun time. Last but not least, though it's not fall, and Turkeys are out of sight and mind, we had our own Bowl Game of sorts. 10 or so Anziani participated, and the varying degrees of athleticism made for an interesting game, yet it was great, I'll never complain about some good old pickup football! #QB1 (actually with the condition my arm is in, it's more like QBench😂... If only coach woulda put me in 4th quarter back in the glory days. Woulda been state champs, no doubt in my mind)

I wish there was more to say, but for now there's not much besides a heartfelt Happy Father's day to Jonny J, and so many other exceptional fathers who have made all the difference in my life. Here's to hoping I am on my way to becoming half the father I had, cause boy those size 13 shoes are big ones to fill #StillTallerThough... I love you Daddio, or "Babbo" as our Napoli natives affectionately would call you. Actually, probably Babbone, given your size... Comunque the gratitude, though not easily expressed through words, is real, and again, heartfelt!

Vi voglio bene,

Anziano Toronto II 🇮🇹

"The Brothers" feat. Peter, I.K., Maxwell, and everyone's favorite Nigerian/Italian at heart

"Anotha One..."

Carissimi,

Zone Conference:
As DJ Khaled might say, "anotha one..." That's right friends we've made it to the 12th installment of listening, learning, and being edified. Anziano Ferrara, Sorella Palacios, and I had the chance to train the zone, focusing our instruction on the concept of becoming disciples of Jesus Christ. We taught of the story found in chapter 4 of Matthew, where Christ calls his disciples to follow him and become fishers of men. Likewise we challenged the Anziani and Sorelle of the zone to become fishers of men. then taking inspiration from Elder Holland's classic General Conference address, "The First Freat Commandment," we spoke of Peter's experience with the risen Lord and his call to renewed, reinvigorated discipleship. The essential taught truth was that the Lord needs disciples, and he needs them today. He needs missionaries who will preach his gospel, and defend His faith. He needs those who love Him, truly, truly, love him. We called them to love him more, and to love the process of becoming his disciples, no matter how difficult at times it may be! That was a message I needed to hear more than anybody, so it's a great thing it was repeated on Sunday.

Stake Conference Broadcast:
On Sunday, we had the chance to tune in to a Europe Area broadcast, in which we the Zone Conference messages were driven home. Elder Hallstrom began his remarks with the story used so movingly in Elder Holland's classic, that of the exchange between Christ and his senior Apostle. Elder Hallstrom encouraged all listening to choose to be on the Lord's side, and to do so, today! Shortly thereafter, Elder Uchtdorf spoke of Becoming Disciples of Jesus Christ, I kid you not! As they spoke, I looked over and smiled at Anziano Ferrara. In the mission, we call "spidey-senses", the gift of the Holy Ghost, and boy were we grateful to have both, as we found ourselves "in-line" with the brethren, which, as President Pickerd often reminds us, is always a good place to be.

Vesuvio:
P-Day carried us, like Nephi's spirit, high on a mountain top, yet unlike Nephi's, the mountain we summited is well known for destroying an ancient, (and abominable) society. We were taken by bus to the base of the Volcano, and a short, yet steep hike later we were gazing into an absolutely gargantuan crater. Imagining the explosive force necessary to displace the amount of missing rock left me in awe, literal awe. Also, cannot be more grateful, (and I know I join my mother in saying this), that Vesuvius is currently a dormant Volcano, unlike it's Sicilian counterpart, which I climbed a time or two. Let's just say I don't want to be anywhere near Napoli when the day of reckoning comes, and Vesuvius returns to life in all it's smoking glory. For now at least, we can sleep knowing that day won't come until Anziano Toronto leaves in a few weeks, *quickly knocks on the closest wood possible*😁

Would have loved writing a masterful discourse on volcanoes, eruptions, and backsliding, (see Etna email pt. 1 for further detail), however technology again failed to preserve my draft, and so it is that the treatise on Vesuvian theology goes unwritten. I will say it was inspired by the shrines to both, the Madonna, and Padre Pio on the trail up the Volcano, and the two classic Mt. Sinai commandments, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing..."
"Of all the words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, it might have been."
-John Greenleaf Whittier
Oh what might have been... oh well, I'll content myself with that which I have written, acknowledging the fault, and the slightly juvenile jabs at Catholic idol worship, contained therein, they're written with love😊

Vi voglio un sacco di bene la misura del cratere di Vesuvio,❤

Anziano Toronto II 🇮🇹

The Big White Giant

Carissimi,

This week's highlights are brought to you by the Peanut Gallery; Making Anziano Toronto's mission a comedy, and more often a comedy of errors, since day 1!

Anziano Toronto, "Il Grande" -
I thought I was in with the hair cutter below our house as he gave me a tie after cutting my hair this week, but apparently he's a savage... As Anziani Vance and Hernandez went in for haircuts a day or two after, he looked at them, saw the tag, white shirts, and ties, and said, "Voi siete con il Grande Bianco Gigante, no?" Yes, he called me the Big White Giant friends... I'll take it as a compliment, except for the white part, I've been working on my tan pretty hard, so that one hurt a bit🙃

Miraculous Mario:
As we prepared to teach English course this week, we were pleasantly surprised as a Mother and her young son, whom we had stopped on the street walked in the door. That was a miracle in and of itself folks, we take them where we can get them! The class went pretty well, and after, as we always do, we shared a small spiritual thought with the students. Anziano Ferrara and I began sharing the story of Christ and Peter walking on water, making various connections as we went. We testified of how if we look to Christ, no matter the storm, we'll be able to accomplish miracles, and that when we fall short, when our faith doesn't quite measure up, His hand is extended immediately to our rescue, we need simply call on him and have faith to be saved. As we made all these spiritual connections, the young son, who's name is Mario, raised his hand, and when called upon said, "You know, I once did a miracle too, in the pool I walked on water!" Of course all the students busted out laughing, and so did we! He just kept grinning with the few baby teeth left to him, and acted as if walking on water was an every day occurrence. I paused to think how many of the Lord's miracles pass unnoticed, and how great a work he is accomplishing in our lives! May we all have the faith of little Mario, to literally, and figuratively walk on water!

Ital-American Memorial Day:
The culmination of a multiple months planning occurred as the Napoli Branch and Pozzuoli Ward gathered together Saturday afternoon to celebrate the American Holiday. We had a BBQ cookout, complete with hamburgers and hotdogs, and yet managed to keep things Italian by following it up with some pasta and risotto. After the food and a spiritual thought, we got schooled by the youth and ysa's in Calcio, your's truly doing little to earn his signing bonus, letting in a goal that Abraham probably could've stopped, and having a highlight reel that only featured members of the other team leaving him in the dust with their fancy footwork. I redeemed myself only slightly on the basketball court, and the tennis court, but I could only take the heat for so long. As Anziano Vance put it, "I saw a pillar of light, now I'm burned..." All things considered, it was a great activity, and the sunburn is slowly going away. We loved seeing members, both American and Italian bond over grilled meat and pasta!

Miracle Max -> Baptized and Confirmed Miracle Max
Saturday Night, after the Carney Park activity, Anziano Ferrara rushed to our apartment to change and get ready, cause we had Maxwell who was getting ready to follow the example of Jesus Christ at 7:00. We showered, (ouch! very, very burned), and hustled to the church to begin filling the font. We got everything in order, and Maxwell arrived just in time to put on his white clothes and start the baptism! It was an incredible service. Austin, who had brought him to church spoke on Baptism, and Sunday, a new convert of about 6 months spoke on the Holy Ghost. Both did a great job, I'm so proud of these brothers! The baptism went without a hitch, Maxwell bent his knees, I managed to get the words right, and he went all the way under the first time so I'd call it a success on all counts! After changing, he shared his testimony of how his life had been changed in the short time he has known the church, and of his gratitude to God for giving him the chance to hit the reset button here in Italy. He was confirmed the next day by our Branch President, and is one happy, new member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This stalwart convert built his rock on the Book of Mormon, and he has already begun helping others to do the same. What an example! WE LOVE MAXWELL!

We'll give you a break from the piano metaphors this week, but don't think you're out of the woods yet. There's plenty of key lessons we can still learn from Anziano Toronto's woefully inadequate attempts to play song after song.

All my love,

Anziano Toronto II 🇮🇹

Maxwell is in the middle in the bright white shirt!