Hello everyone!

   I sure hope you had a good Christmas! Mine was a flash of light and a blink of an eye and then it was gone. It was really weird. It didn't give me much warning and then it was here. And then it was gone. Haha, now I can look forward to the next one. It was great to see all of you! Everybody is looking great and I am so, so, so happy that you are all safe...MOM.  Don't scare me like that, Non si fa questa cosa!  But I am very happy you are all well, for the most part anyway. It helps me know my prayers are being answered.  I pray for you all every day and night. And I have heard of the miracles that are happening in your favour. 

    This week for work was slow, but successful...I think. We were able to meet with our investigators and teach them, and we were also able to see Dexter, a less-active member. We watched Finding Faith in Christ. He really enjoyed it and we were able to bear testimony of the power and authority of Christ. We also watched it with one of our investigators, David, because he had been refered to us from Germany and apperently that is how they talked with him and why he was interested.  So we watched it and he enjoyed it a lot! Afterwards we talked about faith and why it is so important. He is from Nigeria, and the people I have met from there have all had a really strong testimony of faith.  So it was cool.  Haha, if you want to grow your testimony in faith, just go hang with the Nigerians for a week and you'll have it!

   We met with Miguel and his mom, and taught them about the birth of Jesus Christ and how much God loves us. And it was really good. His mom is less-active and she hasen't been able to come to church for a long time. We are trying to meet with her more often because she really likes the lessons and wants to participate.

   Other than that, we did a lot of finding and no one wanted to listen. You just have to keep your head up and try again!

   Thank you guys for all you do! Yes, I received your e-mail ashley.  Haha, we will for sure have to sing when I get back. Per Forza! Alright, well you guys are awesome and I love you to the moon and back.

   Stay safe and remember the importance of the gospel.  It can help you get through some tough stuff.

   Con Grande Amore, Anziano Rigby 

Hello fam :)

   So yeah, We will Skype on Christmas day. Would 4:00 be okay with you? That would be 8:00 in the morning your time? And if not that time, it would be between that and 6:00, so 10:00 your time. We are going to the Perigos for Christmas. They are an American family in our ward.  So it should be pretty good. The husband is actually Italian and apparently he LOVES to eat on Christmas. So we will be eating, and eating,...and eating. :) 

   And wow! Thank you for all the presents! Haha, it was a pleasant surprise when they came. And I love the Nativity.

   This week we had the Ward Christmas party, and we also went caroling!  I played some songs at the Christmas party which was really fun. And then yesterday we went to the Spanish Steps to sing to people.  It was way cool!  We sang for two hours straight.  I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty tired afterwards but we were able to get a lot of people's attention from it.  While we sang there were others handing out biglettini and talking with people.

 Other than that, I don't have anything really.  I will talk to you on Wednesday!

   Love you guys!

Love always, Anziano Rigby

December 16, 2013

Questions we asked Elder Rigby:

1.  Do you guys hang up stockings by the fireplace just for decoration? No, We don't have a fireplace, and we don't have stockings. The tree is about the extent of our Christmas decorations. 

2.  What is the Italian word for Christmas? The word is Natale! And Santa Claus is Baba Natale.

3.  What is your favorite thing about the Christmas season in Rome?  Hmm, I'm not sure.  I haven't really seen anything cool here yet for Christmas. They don't celebrate Christmas like we do.  Oh!  They have these really cool nativities that they set up. Those are pretty cool.

4.  Are you having opportunities to do any Christmas musical numbers anywhere? Yes!  This coming Thursday we are having a Christmas party, and me and Anziano Barone are playing Winter Wonderland together (me on guitar and him on the bongos). And me and Sorella Pace are doing Still, Still, Still (her on the violin and me on the guitar), instrumental only.  And then I might sing and play a song by myself, who knows.  Haha.  We also are going caroling a couple times this week. (Italians don't know what it is. The only people who do it here are the gypsies begging for money.)

  

And I will be calling next Tuesday, I believe to set up the time for Skype. We aren't allowed to use members' computers so we will see what we can do.  But I think we will do it on Christmas day.  I just don't know what time. We are trying to figure it out. Soooo, yeah.  You might get a call next Tuesday!

December 16, 2013

Hello everyone! 

   This week has been good.  It has flown by, and I can hardly believe it is almost Christmas.  It sounds like a lot is happening!  And it sounds like its pretty cold!  haha.  It also sounds like the choir concert went well.  I am glad.

   We have continued to teach Miguel and he is progressing well. We are praying for him and his baptism. 

   We met with a family this week from Nigeria. The dad's name is David, and the wife's name is Heli. They are really cool. We did a lesson zero with them and they really liked the Book of Mormon. They said that it's really important to study and read to know for yourself.  So that is what we invited them to do.  We are supposed to meet with them this coming week and see how it went.

   We also met with the husband of a member this week. We asked his wife if we could come over and teach him.  She said she would talk with him and give us a call.  She called us and gave us the okay.  So we went and tried to talk with him just to see what he believes and to get a starting point. He would not have any of it.  He talked the entire time and would not let us speak.  He has done some "research" about the Church and has compared our Bible with other Bibles, and he has his own idea about Jesus Christ and what he did.  It didn't go very well.  But as I have looked back on it, it has helped me grow my faith.  Every question, or point that he brought up, we had an answer for.  But when we would try to answer the question he would change the subject and talk on something else. And we would have the answer for that too!  But he would not listen.  It really helped me realize that I know this is true, and also that there are some out there who truly are not ready, or don't want to be. It was pretty sad to know that he doesn't want to listen or change.  Even when his wife is such a strong member.

   That is really all I have this week, nothing much has happened.  I hope you are all well.

   Love you! And I'll talk to you next week, but not through E-mail on Monday.  I think our Skype session takes the place of it? We'll see :)

   Love Always, Anziano Rigby

Some pictures borrowed from President and Sister Waddoups' blog:

Elder Rigby with his new companion, Elder Barone

Happy!

Re-enacting in the Nativity at Zone training

"A few of the guys I was in the MTC with." 

(left to right) Elder Rigby, Elder McMillan, Elder Busdicker, Elder Kiser, And Elder Bee.

"Boise State pin I found in the death closet...represent!  Haha."

"Christmas presents!  hahaha."

Hello ya'll,

  Wow, that is kind of sad to hear about Bounce (editing note: he is referring to a business we are closing).  I feel bad that I didn't do more while I was there to help with it and stuff like that.  I also feel bad about being such a bum before the mission.  Haha, I could have gotten a lot of stuff done... around the house, with school, at Bounce... everywhere.   It sounds like you had an awesome Thanksgiving! That is way cool.  Haha, yeah we had a pretty good English course Thanksgiving dinner thing.  I was never able to find sweet potatoes, but I'm still looking.  I hear they are out there somewhere...   

  Today there is a sciopero  (strike) with the transportation.  They have them every couple weeks or so, but this one is supposed to last for 5 days or so.  So it should be fun trying to get places...haha, vediamo (we will see)...

   Yes we will be able to skype for christmas! It will either be Christmas day, or the day after Christmas. Which works best for you guys? The thing is we are going to the Perigos for Christmas day (they are an American family in our ward).  And then we are going to Valentinas for the 26th, but we will get it figured out. :) The recorder did get here! I'm gonna try sending some stuff :) 

  So for work...

    Miguel is having a hard time right now. He has had to start working on Sundays and now he is not able to make it to church.  But he still wants to be baptized really bad.  I have never met a person with such a desire, or such a kind heart.  I know I'm the one teaching him, but in reality he's the one teaching me.  I have been praying for him every day and for guidance in how to teach him and how to help him. When he first told us the news I was heart broken, as was he, but I told him to pray that night for comfort and guidance, and I did too. The next day we met with him and he told us of his experience. He prayed and remembered one of the Anziani saying that you can find answers to your questions in the Book of Mormon.  So he read and found a couple versus that really helped him and it was really what he needed at that moment.  And I also felt that everything was going to work out.  Because his heart is in the right place and he really wants this for himself.

   It goes along well with what mom was saying about prayer and the nessecity of it.  I have learned so much about the importance of prayer here in the mission.  It really does make a huge difference in your work, and your ability to work.

   Well, I better get going if I'm gonna try to send stuff.  Keep up the hard work. 

   Love you all!!! Talk to you soon!

   Love always, Anziano Rigby

Elder Rigby and Sorella Picirillo as Piligini

"I know my hair looks funny. Haha, We said I looked like someone from Who-ville."

Pictures borrowed from Elder and Sister Andrew's blog:

Thanksgiving dinner at English Course

Pilgrims and Indians enjoying turkey together.

Roma 3 missionaries at a baptism

Hello everyone :)

   I hope you had a good week, it sure sounds like you did!  I had a pretty good week too.  Not much has changed and not too much has happened, but that's alright. 

   Yesterday we went to Valentina's to have lunch and to help put up their Christmas tree, and all the rest of their decorations.  It was really fun!  I really enjoyed putting up Christmas stuff.  It kind of helped it feel like Christmas. And then we had some really good hot cocoa. :)

   This week in studying, I have been reading the book of Helaman.  I have been trying to re-read the Book of Mormon before Christmas and it has really helped to strengthen my faith and knowledge of the scriptures. And I just read about Samuel the Lamanite, and Nephi. Samuel had gone to teach the Nephites and they had rejected him. So he was on his way to another city when the Lord told him to turn back. And he immidiately turned around and went back. While, in the meantime, Nephi was teaching without much success. And then Samuel got on the wall and told of the signs, and the coming of Christ. At which time many miracles happened, and many people were converted. And who did they go to, to get baptized?  Nephi!  I think this is way cool because they probably didn't know each other personally, and they were from different people and different backgrounds. But they both taught the same things, and because of Samuel's faith and courage there were many people that were converted to the gospel. And because of Nephi's patience and steady work, and worthiness, he was able to baptize all those who came to him. They were two seperate people that followed the Lord, and who the Lord was able to use to the changing of hearts, and saving of souls. And we can be like that too.

   Our work is going well.  Miguel is still coming to church and reading the scriptures. We are supposed to meet with him tomorow after English course. We are not able to meet with Daniela, Valentina, and Milagros this week because they are too busy... I am really hoping that we can find a time that they can meet with us regularly.  And we just had a man call us this morning saying that he has a Plan of Salvation pamphlet that he read and now he wants to come to church, and he wants a Book of Mormon!  I just about dropped the phone when he said that.  So we are meeting him Thursday after English course. 

   All in all, the work is moving along. My Italian is still pretty bad, but I'm working on it. I was telling Anziano Barone how just this last week I taught the Plan of Salvation in Italian for the first time. Not because we don't teach, but because there are no Italians in this area.  So it is taking a lot of will power to speak and learn Italian.

   Well that's really about it. Tomorow we have a specialized training which should be fun.  I hope you guys are doing well, I love you and think of you everyday.  Have a good week.

   Love Always, Anziano Rigby

Q&A:

Did you have a Thanksgiving activity or dinner?  Yes we had a thanksgiving activity with our English course. It was really fun!  Sadly, I was not able to find any sweet potatoes but thats alright. I'm still lookin'.

How is the language coming along? It is....Idk. It is quite frustrating sometimes. Specifically when I see those who came in with me speaking way better then me. The thing is, we are in an area with a lot of English speakers so, more often than not, you are speaking English with people. So it is really hard for me to learn because I'm not forced to speak it. So I am really trying to just speak it more and to study really hard. But I can get the point across and I can understand most of what people say.