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.