Ragusa: Round 4!

Dear Family and Friends,

*Transfer Calls*

-Anziano Draghi: "Hey Son! How are you doing?"

-Me: Hi Dad! Great, come stai?

-Anziano Draghi: Bene bene. So I just wanted to tell you that you will be staying to continue to train Anziano Mars. Keep taking good care of my grandson. 

-Me: Sounds good to me 

-Anziano Draghi: Okay good luck. I love you son! 

-Me: Love you too!

(I have the best father in the mission :) )

Quindi, transfers have come and gone and I am still here in sunny Ragusa with my own "son" Anziano Mars as was expected. This will be the longest time I have ever stayed in a city and also I am now the oldest person in our district of missionaries here. My how time has flown and the tables have turned.

But before the serious stuff, let's reminesce on the good stuff. August is coming and that means week/month long vacation for almost all Sicilians so the missionary work is starting to become a little more stressful for me, but it also gives us a lot more to be creative and fun with how we do it. Like always, we did a lot of walking in the usual spots and I am seeing the Lord's hand more in our work. On Monday, we met Elias (who calls me AnZaino Price) from Nigeria who had never heard about Mormons but wanted to know about our "doctrine" and he promised us that he was going to come to church. Sadly, he never showed up but we feel it is more likely because he couldn't find it because he basically gave us his word. We also met Lorenzo who shared with us his life story about moving to Ragusa and believing God didn't exist because he didn't hear his prayer to save his dad from dying (crazy stuff!). I love testifying simply that God lives and loves us because it's a simple truth I hold dear to my heart. 

So other random events included getting asked by a group of old Sicilian men on the bench (milestone!) to explain to them what reincarnation is (turns out they were actually talking about the resurrection), and then subito a man, Francesco, came up to us complaining about how ugly our English Group biglietinni were because it made Italians look like they came from South America (we changed them!) and somehow that was related to Hollywood being racist but we got his number and want to help him understand more about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon later hopefully. 

We actually were blessed this week because there was so much cool wind in Ragusa! It was like there was an air conditioner blowing onto the hill of Ragusa. It was heavenly! We saw the wind especially when we visited Salvo at his summer house in Scioglietti doing home teaching with Fratello Magrograssi Jr. where we ate really good pancakes with real maple syrup! (Never thought I would say that in a sentence!). 

Other news: Our English Group threw us a small pizza party and it made me love them even more! Also we helped GianPaolo who stopped us on the road search through family history records since he was on a trip from London here to learn more about his family history. We also threw a small after church pranzo/genealogy ward activity and the members liked the cheescake I made so that was a nice compliment haha. Sebastiano is progressing well and we took a leap of faith with him. We normally call him in the morning to wake him up for church but he promised to pick us up without the wake up call. So we did, and up to 9:10, it looked bad but he came in just in time and was one of the first people there for church! His testimony is growing and he is finally finally recognizing the Holy Ghost's influence in his life so that is definitely a good sign! We also met a random member who is a refugee from Sierra Leone in the park and helped him find the church again so that was unexpected. Anziano Mars has reached the point where anything that happens no matter how unexpected is just what Italy is like.

I have to admit though...missionary work is hard! It is really hard to give up youself as a missionary everyday. One of the biggest things I have learned from this time training with Anziano Mars is relearning how missionary work is hard again from the eyes of a greenie. It's hard to wake up everyday at 6:30, it's hard to walk outside for most of the day when it is hot, it's hard to talk to random strangers and almost always have them say to you, "non mi interessa", and it repeats. I've reflected so much these past few days and I have seen how far I have come in one year to believe and feel that all this hard work is so worth it and more that it has turned into only blessing, not burden. It's hard to honestly explain why we do this sacrifice but I can say with all my heart that I love love love doing this work of salvation here in Ragusa. And like I say to Anziano Mars like Anziano Draghi said to, "Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven".  I try to tell myself everyday, "Don't stress, don't worry, just tell people about the joy of having Christ in our lives, and all will be well. It's hard to explain to Anziano Mars, to ya'll, and the people of Ragusa. It is something only understood once it goes through you and changes you ultimately for the better. And based on only what happened this week, missionary work is just a blast!

Vi voglio bene!

Anziano Price

Just Keep Walking

Dear Family and Friends,

After all that happened to me this week, the lesson I learned the most is I am so grateful to be in Ragusa, especially with Anziano Mars. It's crazy to think that this week will mark one full transfer of me training. So much has happened that it seems to have just blurred into one event with small breaks such as sleeping and eating pranzos.

Honestly, this is the most I have ever walked though. If we aren't teaching, visiting members, or at the church, we are walking outside trying to talk to people. One day, we went to Vittoria, a city nearby, to visit a member, Sorella Ferraro. We hadn't been there in a while so the visit was definitely for Sorella Ferraro and we got the side benefit of eating her delicious powdered sugared donuts/ciambellas. But the next bus wasn't for a while so we decided to use the time to find other less active members to visit. We walked all the way to the edge of the city to this dirt road to find out that the house we were looking for most likely did not exist. So that led to us walking all the way back to the station and dying of exhaustion on the bus ride back. Anziano Mars commented afterwards, "I think we've probably done enough walking for the day." It reminded me of walking and getting lost back when I was a greenie in Pozzuoli.

But walking has its benefits. I feel like I am getting in better shape or at least conteracting the pasta and dolce we eat on a daily basis. Every day we either do a giro to the park, a giro to Via Roma and the park nearby, or just a giro everywhere really. Once we saw a crazy person yelling at a store window and the shop owner just rolled her eyes at him. We do our best to talk to people but they usually shrug us off because we are always there and they understand why we are here. Almost everyone we talk to expresses their frustration with the world and are searching for peace. We try our best to explain that's why we are here, to share the message of the peace that comes from Christ's gospel, but they usually stop listening before that point.

Comunque, we also had some great missionary moments! Emanuele read another 90 pages in the Book of Mormon so that was amazing! And we were able to talk more about the Restoration and praying about the Book of Mormon so that was a success! Also, Sebastiano has recommited himself to be baptized and so we are doing all we can to support him, remind him daily, and just be there for him. We actually have had some very personal and spiritual lessons lately so I have a lot of faith in him and feel like he has a lot more desire to make this commitment with God. Speriamo bene!

Other than that, it was normal crazy missionary things. In English Group, we teach this awesome student named Giovanni who always calls us "his boys". We had a little party after ward council for Nuria and Joseph, members here in Ragusa, and I experimented making a cheesecake. It was good but Fratello Lo Monaco said it wasn't cheesecake (which is good because I don't really like cheesecake haha). These members here just love to joke and are so so funny! We also helped Giorgio Lo Monaco with his service project. It was a little difficult without gloves and certain tools and so they left and came back instead with snacks for the snack break :)

We also went to Catania and did a scambio which was fun (I love Anziano Allen, the ward party we had, and even the finding), but really in the end, what I learned was how much I appreciate my companion Anziano Mars, and the city of Ragusa. Yes, it's hot, but a lot cooler than other places. Yes it's difficult to find people, but when the miracles happen, they are amazing and where are you going to find members this amazing! What companion will talk about his views on world politics, self driving cars, Google, and famous composers? I've never met anyone as complex and interesting as Anziano Mars. Sometimes, it is stressful and I don't believe I can teach and train someone. But everyday is an adventure and God nevers gives us a commandment that he he will not help us fufill if we truly desire it. I just hope I am doing my best for this city, these people, my companion, and especially God in the end. He is my support everyday and without him, I couldn't make it through the day, let alone two years in his service. I thank him for the opportunity I have to serve here and know that he lives, loves us, and only wants to bless us! I just going to keep walking and try to do what he wants me to do.

Vi voglio bene!

Anziano Price

Why I Love Italy!

Dear Family and Friends,

Right now we are driving home from  Noto, a Sicilian city known for its Baroque architecture. It was well worth the hour long trip and Sebastiano's crazy Italian driving to see some more beautiful buildings, an amazing Duomo, and eat a great arancino and probably the best granita(almond and pistacchio flavor) I have had yet. I don't think I will ever get tired of seeing the rich history and culture (i.e. old buildings) that I just love, especially here in Sicily.

As you maybe can tell, I love Italy! Especially Ragusa! That's one thing I realized this week is how much I have put into this city and how I have only received more in return. Anziano Mars' quote has been "Everything's better in Italy!" and I can only agree. My love for Italy only continues to grow every single day I giro these as a missionary. Of course, our other motto is "Benvenuti ad Italia" (Welcome to Italy) which we say whenever we witness something crazy or something unexpected happens (which is usually a daily occurence since we are after all in Italy). For example on saturday, we witnessed a lady crash her car in a parking lot by slowly running into the only curb which easily could have been avoided.

So in general, we struggled to accomplish our purpose as missionaries but still tried our best with cicumstances including crazy heat, nobody really willing to listen to our message, and lack of appointments (which honestly is very normal except for maybe this crazy heat). Now you might be wondering, "How can you love a place that seems so hard?". There's a lot behind that question that I will try to sum up but really it comes down to this fact. Christ loved all of us so much more, and I think we are also easily more difficult to handle.

My love begins with the food. This week nothing felt better than to return to the apartment around 1 o'clock, boil a pot of water, cook sauce, and eat a great plate of pasta. Anziano Mars and I are very Italian and basically have only eaten pasta for our pranzos for about forever. It is a nice feeling to have worked hard enough and earned what you are about to eat. Of course, it's not always that good; I am still learning. But it's just sooo good when it is done right! And not just pasta, all food is good here! We bought a 13 kg watermelon just because we could and it is so good!

The city and architecture are also amazing! The feeling of walking up and down narrow winding streets not made for automobiles is exilirating. Sure it is hot and your shirt is usually soaked with sweat, but then you look at an old Duomo and you remember, you're in Italy! I would even say it is more the landscape. The rolling hills surrounding Ragusa are beautiful! When I see them, I always try to reach out as if to touch them because I don't want to forget them.

But in the end, my love for Italy is my love for these people and their culture. ​​Who made the food, the buildings, the language, the culture? These people, whether it is members, investigators, or the random people we meet, are Italy for me! We had a lesson with Emanuele and brought Carmelo Guastella as a member/Sicilian translator in case. Turns out Emanuele read 90 pages in the Book of Mormon but was having difficulty understanding it all. Carmelo successfully yelled his testimony in Emanuele's ear (because he can't hear well), and we tried to actually explain everything, but Emanuele proceeded to tell us so many life stories again. He loves to talk so much! If we didn't have Carmelo there to yell and interrupt Emanuele, we might not have made it home on time. Italian conversation culture is fascinating.

The bishop's family had us over for pranzo and it was absolutely amazing and fun! But at the end of the meal, they bluntly encouraged us that we should start bringing desserts to meal appointments so more people would invite us over, and then suggested we trying making cheescake. Well I've taken their idea and hopefully we can apply it haha.

Other highlights are Fratello Lo Monaco's dedication to holding correlation despite his desperate need to take a nap, Giuseppe saying prayer for the first time, Sebastiano opening up and recommiting himself to baptism, and helping with an Eagle Scout Project. We are helping clean up this small park with lots of overgrowth so it's actually really cool.

I also got to play my violin in church with Anziano Mars. We just improvised A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief because Anziano Mars is more used to the organ. It was beautiful and I loved playing again. Someone asked me where I got my violin which of course brought up the story of Siracusa. My love for these people honestly is indescribable and I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to meet new people and share my love for them and this gospel. I guess that's just the miracle of the pure love of God and Jesus Christ.

Vi voglio bene!

Anziano Price​

Talking to Old Sicilians

Dear Family and Friends,

This week officially was my year mark. Yikes I'm old now in the mission! Luckily with age finally comes the wisdom. Really, the things I liked the most about this week was the fact that I just felt like a good missionary. Obviously there's a lot to improve on; I'm not done progressing. But the sweet assurance that in general I know what I am doing and I truly feel like a representative of the Lord.

The week really started with Emanuele. Remember last week when he came to church with a pamphlet? Well we spent about an hour trying to find his house in campagnia (turns out the street didn't exist on google maps). Upon arriving, he greets us to his home in the country wearing only underwear (Side note: Since it is very hot in sicilia, it is very common for the old men in their houses to not wear shirts and sometimes not even pants!). After learning about his long life story, we tried our best to share him the message of the Restoration but it was difficult considering he cannot hear very well. Fortunately, he loves to read and so we gave him more pamphlets and the Book of Mormon, and he promised to read it. Considering he is 88 years old and lives only with his friend/caretaker, Segio. He in fact is from Romania and knows Emmanuele because Emanuele baptized his cousins in the Catholic church when visiting. We still have no idea how he found out about the church. 

Really our goal for the  week was to improve our finding considering everyone has disappeared for the summer, going off the beach, or staying inside their houses, which honestly I don't blame them. But the Lord blesses those who work hard especially during these difficult times with miracles so Anziano Mars and I put out our faith and we walked the streets of Ragusa several times this week. And we talked to so many people! Obviously, almost none of them were interested in our message of Jesus Christ (a lot want to come to our English Group though!), but we certainly had some interesting encounters. Like explaining to an old man how we weren't Amish and how we can use electricity. Like talking to one lady who had a Westie and explaining how it reminded me of Auggie. Like a Iuri, a kid who learned English from playing videogames. Like talking to another old Sicilian who insisted we have 4 wives.

Actually, we talked to a lot of old Sicilians (because they make up a big part of the population here). One conversation that really touched me was with Gianfranco. While in the park, we first asked him if he believed in God. Before he could really answer, another old sicilian interrupts the conversation, jumping and wildly waving his hands. What he said, I honestly couldn't understand because it wasn't Italian but the hand gestures made it seem like he was excited and didn't think Gianfranco should have been talking with us.  After that one minute outburst, Gianfranco lets us sit down and we actually had a real discussion. He talked about normal things (politics, America, basically how things have changed since he was a kid) but he really opened up about losing his belief in God and also about losing his wife 6 months ago. My heart reached out to him as we shared the Plan of Salvation with him since he felt like there was no purpose to him living anymore, and nothing really changed in him but he thanked us for talking to him and said maybe he would come to church one day.

For me, the mission has really become a mission of miracles! Sebastiano continues to make progress and we are working with other potential investigators too! On Friday, we helped Fratello Dimartino clean the church (since he was by himself!) and I'm sure my mom will love to hear that I can definitely say I have improved my cleaning skills on the mission, especially mopping. Anyway, right as we finished, a potential investigator from the Area Book we had contacted said he wanted to stop by and see the church. We showed Salvatore the newly cleaned church and tried to give him a Book of Mormon but because he loves the Bible so much and knows it well, he doesn't feel like there can be anymore of God's word left.  But he was touched that after 10 years, we had saved his number so he promised to come to church one time. Nothing gets better than that!

Honestly, I can say that coming home tired and really sweaty everyday, I feel really good. I absolutely love being a missionary, especially being a trainer right now because Anziano Mars is awesome and we are working together really well now. Most of all. I am grateful for every opportunity to bear testimony of Christ and help these people at least know who "the Mormons" are. I made a promise to myself to work hard everyday so that everyone in the city can recognize the "Mormon missionaries" and we can try to befriend them. One day I specifically prayed to have someone stop and talk to us. Twice during the day, ragazzi who I had met before, stopped us and talked to us. It wasn't about religion, more about swear words or "Bruno Mars (sorry Anziano Mars) or drugs, although we certainly tried to bear our testimony of Christ. But I still know it was an answer to my prayers that God is watching over this work and is proud of all those who defend the name of Jesus Christ. The amount I have grown spiritually and emotionally from my mission is incredible and I still have an amazing year left in this great country. I hope you all too can feel the joy that comes from God's light and can find the time to share it like I try to do everyday.

Vi voglio bene!

Anziano Price

He Makes Up the Difference

Dear Family and Friends,

What a week! For some reason all the crazy things started to happen ever since I started training so I believe God really is watching over us in ways we see every day and especially in ways we don't see.

For example, this week we finally had the Ragusa Ward Musical. Well more like a musical that was organized by the ward to help with missionary work and also to build friendships with community members. We have been practicing for quite some time but the last few days before our performance certainly felt like crunch time. Fratello Lo Monaco, our amazing ward mission leader and "solves all our problems" member, needed our help so we helped with musical service and setup for quite a long time, which was necessary since no one else could help him but sometimes it felt we were not doing enough "missionary work" wise. It certainly was fun and good use of our time but I couldn't help but wonder, "is this the best use of our time?"

By the time it was Thursday, the stage was set, the props were ready, the microphones finally were figured out, and Anziano Mars and I finally managed to memorize the songs in Italian. We also managed to get our costumes figured out in time which is what I imagine a missionary to have looked like back in the 1800s. Before the play began, we greeted everyone out front and also had biglietinni and pamphlets out for people to look at. In the beginning, it looked like a good size of people. Then it got bigger! Turns out we had probably close to 150 come to the musical, with the chapel filled and people standing. Fratello Lo Monaco couldn't stop talking about the success it was, saying there has never been that many people in that chapel. And the musical was a hit! It really went well and was exciting with very few hiccups. I can' wait to ge the video because the songs are great and there were some really fun scenes, especially with Gaston. We couldn't stay for long after since it was close to 10:30 (with permission from our mission president) but we all received a certifcate for particpating in the theater course. Another great treasure I can take home from Ragusa.

We also had an amazing zone conference this week in Palermo even with the almost 10 hour round trip on the bus! Palermo is such a crazy big city and I hope to spend more time there in my future as a missionary. We were united with all the missionaries in Sicilia (and Reggio Calabria) and it was so powerful to see everyone. Especially my former 3 companions Anziano Albright, Anziano Moscon, and Anziano Draghi all in the same room! I haven't seen Anziano Draghi since I left Pozzuoli but I only feel greater love for him and so it was sweet to see him, maybe for the last time for a while. Overall we were given the message: "We have rested on some plateaus too long. It is time to move forward." I can't wait to apply this message and make the most of everyone of these days I have left. Every day I imagine in my head now, "This is my last July 3rd in the mission. Make it count"

At times this week, I felt like we weren't doing the right thing or not doing enough or a combination of feelings resulting in me feeling inadequate. And then God provided a miracle that cleared away that doubt every time. We spent two hours doing door to door before a play practice. We were about to go early but we felt prompted to ring one more palazzo. The first person we ring lets us come in if our message is only 15 minutes long. Turns out it was a student from English Course who later came to the musical! Anziano Mars and were shocked! One day we spent the morning setting up a tent without instructions for the musical for a long time. On the way back, a man asked us if we could help him push his car into a gas station which we gladly did for him. And on Sunday, after a long week, a man named Emanuele walked in holding a Plan of Salvation pamphlet saying we had given it to him. I didn't recognize him so I said we hadn't but one missionary had. He finally felt it was time to see our church and gave us his address and number after sacrament.

This is a mission of miracles! I love seeing God's hand create blessings out of my weakness and inadequacy. I feel so much love for him and continue to seek that same help I have seen time and time again. His love never ceases and I have never seen how much of that love he truly wants to give us until coming on this mission. Christ has walked through all our pains and sufferings, but I imagine he has also walked through all our joys and cheers of happiness. Thanks to this mission, my capacity to feel joy has already increased thanks to my suffering, so I believe that our Savior truly has the capacity to suffer with us and joy with us individually and infinitely! I know Jesus Christ lives and loves us so much, and is always there when we need him!

Vi voglio bene!

Anziano Price