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