May 30-2013

Reggia

Jesse in Reggia

Reggia 

Ok I'm going to start out by talking about the work in Caserta this week.We have been working with this one woman that has known the Anziani from  English course for about 1 year or so. They taught her when they met her and dropped her when she stopped making progress. We decided a few weeks ago to just take it slow with her and read the Book of Mormon together. This has made all the difference. She is now reading all on her own and we are just beginning to help her realize what the holy ghost feels like. She reads everyday and tells us how wonderful of a book it is!

Then there is another couple from English course that we teach. They are progressing really really fast here. We still haven't gotten them to come to church, but we talked about the spirit for the first time with them. They said they feel a really calming feeling when they are with the missionaries. I explained to them that it's not just these young men that bring this feeling instead it is the holy spirit and that they can feel it more as the read and come to church. They are committed to come to church this week. 

We had a baptismal date set for another investigator this saturday, but it feel through because she wasn't ready. We will keep working with her and helping her get ready we just don't know when she will be able to be baptized.

It was a really full week of lessons. 

For p-day we went to the Reggia again with the elders from Bari, They needed to come to Caserta to do some Permesso stuff and got to pass the p-day with us. It was so huge. This is the palace where star wars 1 was filmed. This place honestly put the Vatican to shame. 

I'm just loving caserta. I'm so lucky to be here in the Napoli zone. As long as vesuvio doesn't blow it's top while I'm here. 

Vi voglio bene

cia guiaèu (Napoli dialect)

5-22-2013

Hey sorry it's late today, but better late than never. so this week was really good. Tons of teaching and tons of people on the street. I can't even tell you how many times we've been in the right place at the right time to meet and talk to someone about the church. We even got a guys phone number to come to his house and talk about the church. Things are really looking good here in Caserta for the church. We have strong new converts and some really bright potential members here. 

So the time has finally come. My comp doesn't want to run in the mornings. I have gained 2 pounds here in Caserta so far. I blame it on all the pizza that I eat. I still try to work out in the mornings, but it's not the same as running every other day. 

So the Kellys are going home next month. They gave their last zone conference last thursday. I'm really sad that they are leaving so soon in my mission. They really have been amazing leaders. I would be nice to have them here for a few more transfers, but they have a family to go back to and the new president and his wife I'm sure will be just as wonderful as they are. 

Dad will be jealous of my P-day today. I hiked Mt. Vesuvius and looked out over pompeii and Napoli. It was one of the coolest feelings ever. I was standing on top of a 20 years due volcano that already destroyed and entire city as a missionary. How cool is that? It was a very short hike because you drive most the way. I think it's something you will want to go see when you all come out. 

Thats all for this week.

Anziano Faggioli  

Mothers's Day SKYPE 5-19-2013

Jesse is looking great, feeling great, loving the mission.

We got to talk for a really short hour.

His Italian is coming along really well. 

This is a Happy Missionary!

Caio Anziaano Faggioli.

5-8-13

                                           

Can I just start off by saying that that progress board of my mission
really really scared me.... I can't believe I've already done 1/3 of
my mission. Try not to send me another at least until the one year
mark.

Caserta is awesome. Right outside the station is the royal palace
where the royalty of Napoli all lived and it is huge. So to help you
guys immagine better what it is star wars 1 was filmed there. In the
scene where they are at the palace in naboo that is in Caserta.

The work here is really good. We have tons of investigators. There are
a few that don't make any progress, but we are going to keep visiting
them every once in a while just to sort of keep the door open just in
case they change their minds. 

It was really weird to go to church this
Sunday. Its a branch, but everyone does their job and everyone is very
involved in missionary work. My only resposibility on sunday now is to
translate because it's a half and half branch. In Brindisi I was
always really busy during the meetings either teaching, giving a talk,
piano. Here I can relax a little and focus on investigators. 

So far
all of the members thought I was Italian even after I had talked to
them for a while. I think I have made tons of progress with my
language. 

Anziano Burton is pretty cool. He is already learning Italian pretty
well. 

Our ward mission leader is really cool too. His name is Fratello Ward and
he served in Finland. He learned Italian and helps us a ton with
the work. He always is at lessons and bringing people to church. 

Today is my first P-day in Napoli. I'm really excited to finally get
to see it. Napoli is a lot bigger than I expected it to be. Mom is
probably going to die when she reads this but to cross the street here
you don't look at the cars or they wont stop. You just start walking
and they either stop or go around you. It's such a crazy city.

Sorry it's short this week, but we will talk on Sunday. 

Anziano Faggioli

May 1-2013 Transferred

Well I'm am really pleased with the outcome of the transfer calls on Saturday. As a little hint to where I'm going Sean and Emilia are going to think I will die there. Last week I wrote you guys and said "I would really, really like to go to Napoli" well it didn't quite happen, but really close. A city called Caserta very close to Napoli is my destination tomorrow. I'm so excited!! There is going to be the best pizza in the world, an American base that sells rootbeer, Napoletani, and I am basically training! My comp has been there for only one transfer (a month and a half). Anziano Liccioli will be traning here in Brindisi. There are tons of missionaries coming in. There is a missionary here that has been in Italy for 1 transfer and he is already training because he is just a bomb. 

I taught my last english course on tuesday. The students were all sad that I was going. Pietro, one of them, was destroyed when he heard that I am going to Caserta. He is already trying to orginize a trip out to Caserta to come see me. They kept telling me that we need to come through Brindisi when we do our little tour of Italy. Anziano Liccioli keeps telling me how much he will miss me. He said anytime I find myself in Venice I am more than welcome to come and stay with his family. Surely we will see eachother again during the mission. 

 

The work is picked up a little bit. I did my best to make sure I wouldn't leave the other Anziani without anything to do. We found a new investiagator through referals, there is a woman waiting to be married so she can join the church that comes every week to all three hours and a less active member has come to church 3 weeks in a row now. I really hope Anziano Liccioli and the new guy find some real success here in Brindisi. 

Anyways have a good week.

Ti voglio bene

April 24, 2013

Soooo this email thing isn't new for me at all. We received the notice in the mission feild about two months ago. Which means you don't need to worry about the emails getting any shorter. I've already been emailing everyone.

 Alright on to the real business. Last week was zonce conference and I felt really weird because I am no longer the youngest person in the zone. There are like 6 greenies in the zone now. I also saw Anzinano Bennett and one of the first things he said was "can you beleive it's almost been six months since the MTC." That sort of blew me away. Where did all that time go? The interview with president went really well. He told me he was happy with the work that Anziano Liccioli and I have done in Bridisi. He said we have done really well for being two really young missionaries together so early.
 I'll be happy wherever pres decides to send me, but I really, really want to go to Napoli. I've learned here that I am a  southerner and want to stay south of Rome. Anyways I will know come Saturday where the destination is. One of the members told me last week after I got done playing the hymns for sacrament "I hope you never leave you've really blessed this branch." Even one of the english course students asked me for presidents number so he could call him and tell him I need to stay in Bridisi for the full 2 years. 

The woman we have been teaching is still preparing for baptism. She is even talking about sending her kids on missions when they grow up. That was the highlight of my week. I would have never thought that there could possibly be some missionaries out of Brindisi when I first got here. There is a less active family that we are still visiting. The father is Napoletano and loves to talk. We spent two hours at his house trying to share a spiritual thought. He is one of the coolest people I have ever met. He sort of acts like Dad a little bit. The reason why I say that is because he just barely had a surgery of some sort and him and his wife were arguing about him working out. She kept telling him the doctor said now and he kept saying "well I'm not doing too much"......sound familiar? 

There isn't much else to say. I'm just eating tons of pasta, pizza, gelato and all the other good stuff. It's amazing how I see even more every day just how perfect my mission is for me. 

I'm happy to hear about the Farewells. 

Work here is good. don't worry at all about it being hard. President Kelly at Zone coference told us about a meeting he had with president Eyring. President Eyring told him that he would be tempted to feel bad for his missionaries because Rome is one of the hardest missions in the world, but not to feel bad because the missionaries that go to Rome are the luckiest in the world. They have the opportunity to really grow and learn and come back strong men. So far this is true. I've learned so much and grown so much. I would not trade this mission for 1000 baptisms. I would not trade my mission for anything. It is worth way to much. I love my mission and I love Italy (southern Italy to be specific) . It's true I am the luckiest young man in the world because I am serving a hard mission. The lessons I learn, habbits I gain, and testimony I build will never be taken away from me. I wish I could describe better how I feel about being here. When you think about it being hard just remember how happy I am even if it is hard on me. 

Love Anziano Faggioli

Anziano Faggioli and Anziano Di Caro

       Anziano Faggioli and Anziano Bennett  (Former Companions at the MTC in Provo)