Easter celebrations in Italy

Italians celebrate Easter with huge chocolate eggs. I mean BIG. Around the size of a football. And then they get bigger from there. We found one that was 15 pounds of pure chocolate and it cost 50 euro. And then I found one that was as big as me and it cost 360 euro! haha! And then they have Monday off. It's called Pasquetta (Little Easter). Its really awesome. :)
I really hope you are doing okay and having fun. :) I sure am! 

   Love you!

    Love always, Anziano Rigby

Buona Pasqua

Photos is this post are  compliments of Susy D.  from Palermo...thanks, Susy!

   Hey there, everyone!!! :)

   Well we are finally moved in and ready to tear-up-the-town! Me and Anziano Burnham are really excited about this great opportunity to serve in Monreale. We both have been praying and searching to know how best to go about sharing the gospel with the people here. We talked about it this morning, and we both feel that it will be important to become friends with everyone we come in contact with. And also to learn about the history of the area and the people here. So last night, after cleaning, we went out and started walking around the city. We were in a piazza and there was a statue that was very impressive so we asked some people if they knew the meaning behind it. They didn't, but it was the perfect in and soon we were talking. They were from Bangladesh but have lived here for 4 years. They were very nice and we became good friends. One was 17 and his name was Simon. As we were talking, a man came up and asked us if we could light his cigarette. We told him that we didn't smoke and he walked away. Simon was really excited and gave us a fist bump.  Haha, he then proceeded to tell us that he doesn't smoke either! All his friends do and his dad does, but he doesn't like it.  It was really cool to see this 17 year-old boy standing up for what he knew to be good.

   We live in this way cool villa with a family in the ward, the Boscias. They are awesome!  It is the dad and his family, and then his parents, his great aunt that is 91 years old (!) and his uncle, I believe. They all have their own house and we are right in the middle of all of them. We feel like family.  Haha!  His mom and dad are really funny. They don't speak a lick of Italian! It's all dialect. Haha, it is awesome.  I already love this place. The people are so nice, and it's nice and quiet!  And we're in the mountains. :) I will send you some pictures.

   Yesterday we cleaned the house and we had a lunch appointment with the other anziani with some of their investigators, Seesay and Hawanatu. They are from Sierra Leone, and they are the coolest people you will ever meet. They fixed us fried rice, couscous, and then fufu (it is a kind of flour you mix in water and then you eat it with a soup).  They made us a delicious fish soup to eat.  Haha, I wasn't gonna ask what else was in it, but it was good!  VERY spicy.

   Well I don't have anything else for now.  Everything is good!  I love you guys!

   Love, Anziano Rigby

Anziano Rigby and Susy

Palm Sunday

Helloooo!

   Hey guys!  This week has been pretty weird!  Haha.  So first off, we got a call from the President and he said that we were getting transferred to Monreale!  So within the next week or so we should be moved in.  It takes a while to get from there to Palermo with the buses for some reason (2 hours). And where our house is, the bus doesn't pass.  You would have to walk a good half hour.  So we got permission to buy bikes!  That's why I pulled out some money last week.  I hope that's okay... We tried out the trip on Saturday... 50 minutes from Palermo to the new house!  Did I mention it's up hill both ways?  Haha, just kidding, just one way.  :)  Woo-hoo!  Our legs are going to be in shape really soon! Haha.

   Well, our investigator pool has pretty much vanished.  Maybe it's a blessing because we're moving, but it is sure frustrating sometimes!  But that means I have no one to tell you about... Sorry.  Right now we are doing a lot of finding, finding, and more finding.  So that's really cool.  :)  Umm, I don't know what else to say... haha!  Susy says that Ashley is really nice.  She thinks you're awesome!  It also sounds like you were able to see quite a bit of our activities these past couple weeks.  Aranchine, FHE, and now probably P-day! 

   Well, I'm doing well and I'm sticking in there.  Some days are tiring and what not, but it's important to remember the importance of the work.  Keep up the good work back home and stay safe!  I'll talk to you next week!  Love you!

   Love always, Anziano Rigby  

Conference!

Hey everybody!

   Alright I don't have a lot of time!  I'm sorry!  Haha, this week was awesome!  The Lord is here and this is His work!

   This last week we were doing some finding and we stopped this lady on the street who looked a little sad.  At first you could see that she was down about something and she had had a bad day.  I asked her what made her happy in life and she responded that she didn't know.  As I opened my mouth I started talking about God and His love for us.  I told her that God loves each of us personally and He wants us to be happy.  We asked if we could meet again to explain how we can find this happiness and she was very open to it.  It was really cool for me to see the change of her countenance from when we first started to talk, to when we left.  She was smiling and the Spirit was there.  Testimonies are key.  It reminded me of how we are asked to bear simple testimony about simple truths.  It is so much easier for the Spirit to be present when we do so! 

District from the MTC, together again at a mission-wide conference in Catania
 a couple weeks ago (missing a few).  Photo borrowed from Elder Kelley's blog.

   

Conference was excellent!  I really felt the Spirit of their messages.  I was also reminded of the things I need to work on.  It is a never ending battle between natural man and the Spirit.  No matter how good you are, no matter what you did yesterday, you need to keep looking forward and keep doing the right things.  I am studying my notes and am praying for what principle I need to work on bettering right now.

   Haha, for conference I got a little excited. I made a pie, cinnimon swirl cake, and those peanut butter white chocolate Ritz things.  But it turned out good because some investigators and less-actives came, and so we had some treats. :)  The work is going well.  It is slow right now because we are having a hard time finding solid people to teach, but I have faith as we work hard and do our best we will find those who the Lord has prepared.  Maybe He is just teaching us a lesson right now... haha :)

   I love you guys! And keep up the good work! Always strive to share a principle of the gospel.  It is very simple.  We call it a QGC (quality gospel conversation) - introduce a principle, bear simple testimony, and invite them to act (come to church, visit lds.org, pray).  It can go on.  But it's that simple! Just listen to the spirit!  And you will be led say that which will touch them.  Don't be afraid of messing up because if it is out of love, you will never look silly.  :)   I love you!

  Love Always, Anziano Rigby