Week 47

Ciao fimiglia!  

How's it goin?  Thungs here are gudu like the little indian kid's brother that got lost.  

"Guduuuuuuuu!"

Anyways we had a good week full of work.  Right now in our area we are trying to meet with a lot of people but unfortunately like our second week here we had like 7 bidoni.  So now we're just kinda trying to recover from that.  I would say that this area has a lot and a lot of people that have potential to be interested.  We just need to meet with them and get things going.  We have been able to meet with this lady named Ch... who is the sister of a member.  We have had two really great lessons with her and her brother.  We even asked her if she would be baptized because she told us that she knows the Book of Mormon is true.  She said that she had already been baptized in another church.  So the next time we re-did the restoration that the Sorelle had done before and really focused on authority.  It went super well there was a really strong spirit especially during the first vision.  We then invited her to pray.  We'll see how it goes.  Pray for her because she really needs to find a job otherwise she is gonna have to move to Germany.

Basically the two important things we are doing this transfer are building relationships with members, meeting with potentials, and make area book calls to send the privacy notice that the Church wants us to send.  That way a whole bunch of people won't get whiped out from area book and their salvation will still be a posto and stuff

Other than that, this week we were able to do some really good service on Saturday.  We went to a member's house and painted the whole thing.  Pictures below.  It was a good time.  We are thinking of looking into some other good service opportunities.  We wanted to go this week to the Caritas which is like a soup kitchen and see if we can volunteer there.  

But yeah that's basically what's goin' on.  Oh yeah the other week Anziano De Feo came and spoke to us.  He's from southern Italy.  It was really really cool.  An interesting thing he told us is that our calling as missionaries is a part of the atonement of Gesù Cristo.  He didn't say that it's linked to the atonement or that it is possible because of the atonement he said it is PART of the atonement.  That was interesting.  He talked a lot about our calling it was really special.

Anyways how are you guys doing?  From Mom's email it sounds like all is well so that makes me gappy.  I meant what I typed.  To answer some of your questions Maham I do like Ravenna it's a nice city.  Probably Venice was my fav.  You don't get a prize for guessing correctly.

The other day I was asked to give a blessing all'improvviso in English.  I'm not used to it in English but it went well.  I've given my fair share of blessing out here in the field and it's always a really cool experience for me.  I don't think I've written about them.  This one was for a member named L... who's brother had just died.  I was prompted to tell him that he will see his brother again.  It was tender and all that.  L... is awesome.  He's from Liberia but talks like he's straight from the US.  He told us that he is the usher for sacrament meeting (it's a thing that Italians do.  They like to have an usher for sacrament meetings it's kinda strange)  but he was so pumped to tell us that he was able to be the usher he was like, "yeah for real man!  I'm the USHER!!! for real!!"  It was funny.

Well that's about it for this week.  I love you guys.  Hopefully I'll be able to call today.

Week 46

Ciao Famiglia!  How is everyone?

I'm really sad that I missed Dad's birthday run that sounded like a lot and a lot of fun.  If I was there I wouldn't have let Dad win  I hope he liked it though and I hope he liked my video that I sent.  It took like 17 takes to get it just right.  

Yeah Maham I remember when we went on missions for FHE and I totally faked all of you guys out by tricking you into thinking that I had done my mission in like 2 seconds....  Legend!  By the way about this whole serving a mission thing, I think I'm gonna just do everything I need to do still really really fast and then come home early and say "I did it!"  That would be the biggest prank of the century right there.  "So brother Tagg why did you come home from your mission early?"  "I finished it all early "

But yeah I miss those days too even if I don't remember a lot.  I do remember 'Super-Dog's Lost Mother' though.  Honestly, you guys make fun of Max's super power but pensandoci sleep-power would beat super strength, lightning, and acid in a heartbeat.  I also remember playing 'Cowkids' with Evan.  Sometimes those games of 'Cowkids' would last days.  Or we would just pretend like a day had past by laying down, "falling asleep" and then after like three seconds one of us would make the sound of a rooster crowing and it would be morning time again. Good times!

Anyways things here in Ravenna are going well.  It's been a little rough because we have gotten a tonnnnn of bidoni (cancellations) this week.  Literally I think everyday we had at least one appointment that fell through.  But hey, at least that means we have appointments that can fall through amIrite?  We've always been super busy though so that's really good.  

This week Anziano Mosteller call me and asked if I wanted to do a musical number with him for the mission tour which will be tommorrow.  Kinda late notice and it's kinda a hard piece, but I'm sure I'll be fine.  The only thing is we can't get together and practice until the day pf the concert.  So yeah pray for me.  It'll be fine though.  Something unusual did happen when I was playing last night though that Dad should probably know.  I was practicing for the piece and then this member came who also plays the violin and wanted to play with me.  I ended up playing the violin for a long long time and afterwards my hands were acting weird.  Ya know, like from before the mission when my right hand would get this kinda twitch?  it was like that but both of my hands.  It bascically felt like both of my hands fell asleep or cramped up a little and when I relaxed them they went all weird.  IDK.  could be just a cramping up of my hands but it seemed to be the same thing that would happen before the mission but worse this time because it was both of my hands.  So that's what made me worry a bit.  Don't worry too much you guys it wasn't that bad.

I'm sorry that Audrey had a bad experience at school.  Tell her to just getoutfromwayfromroundemboys.  Tell her also that I love her.  Also tell that to Brynbo.  But don't tell either one that I told the other one.

Anyways that's it for this week.  I'll try my best to call this week but it might be a little difficult this time.  I'll let you know.  I love you guys!

Ciao

Photos:
1 A brawl in the church (jk self defence activity)

2-4 Photos with the Branch.  They are awesome!

If you notice in one of those pictures the little kid in front is using the force on you guys so be careful.

Week 45

Ciao Famiglia!  Come state?

How is everybody doing?  Here things are doing really good.  I really like serving in Ravenna it's a cool city.  This past week we have been working super hard.  Every night I go to bed really super tired.  I kinda like that feeling.

The work here is actually a little bit good.  Not amazing because we are white-washing (starting fresh in a new area with no referrals to go off).  But it's pretty good for being here just one week.  We have met twice with this guy named L... and I think he has a lot of real potential.  He even has asked some questions about baptism!  but at the same time he has shown some signs of not wnating to be rushed or in fretta so I think we stilll need to wait.  He's a kinda quirky person. Also he's super nice.  He told us that he used to study with the Jehovah's witnesses and that they treated him really bad and made fun of him and hit him and even have been stalking him a little bit.  Those dang J dubs!  I don't know about the stalking bit.  Seems extreme.  

But yeah right now he's our main guy.  But we have a lot of others with real potential too.  We've been make a tonnnn of calls because we need to cantact literally everybody in our area book and talk to them about this document that the Church in Europe needs to send to them.  It's a new document that talks about personal data privacy and what the Church does with the personal data it collects.  So we need to inform everyone of this and send them the document or hand deliver it before the end of september or else everyone who didn't recieve it will be deleted.  That's right, cancelled.  The Church is doin' an order 66-type thing and there gonna send swat teams in and tanks and just wipe em all out.  President Nelson's really changing a lot huh?

This week we talked to a guy from Napoli and I felt like a greenie again.  I understood maybe like 50% of what he said.  The rest of it wasn't Italian.  He was speaking straight dialect.  Even when he said his name I misunderstood him and thought he said gelato.  His name was Gerardo

But yeah that's the gist of things.  How is everything going in Mrlnd?  Mom said that Eliza's braces are tightened and so she has to peel her apples off of her apples to eat them.  BRYNBO! IF YOU PEEL THE ENTIRE APPLE OFF OF AN APPLE THERE'S NOTHING LEFT.  

Also I laughed pretty hard at the image of Flubba gimping around like little brudda because her foot get's stuck in her collar all the time.  I miss her shannanagans.  Keep her alive ok?  

Also HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADIO I love you the most and don't you forget it.  I guess I'll give you double birthday punches next year... so that's like what 200 punches?

That's all for this week love you all!  Ciao

Anziano Tagg

Attachments area

Week 44

Ciao Famiglia!!

Right now I'm on a train BY MYSELF going from Cuneo to Ravenna.  That's right.  I'm goin' apostate.  I've had enough of this 24/7 companion thing, so I'm going rouge.  

I'm kiiiiiidiing.  I'm getting transfered to Ravenna!  I was kinda sad to leave Cuneo.  The members are super duper bravi and I'm gonna miss them.  I learned a lot while I was there about missionary work and about the church.  

But now I get a fresh new start in a new area with a new comp which is always fun.  My new comp's name is Anziano Moss.  He's finishing the mission next transfer and so he will be my third kill.  I'm basically a killing machine.  President just sends me to take out the people on his hit list.  

I met Anziano Moss like a year ago when I went to Firenze to go to stake conference.  He's cool.  I never got to know hm really well.  But from what I hear he's a really good guy and a hard worker.  So that will be good.  

Ravenna is a cool city and it has some super freaking old Catholic churches that have some interesting murals.  I when there one time for P-day and I think I sent some photos to you.  It's in the Bologna zone which is the same zone as Pesaro so I know the zone a bit already.  It's just a couple cities up the coast fromPpeasaro.  I think it has a big branch probably a bit bigger than Cuneo.  But yeah I'll let you know all the deets when I get there.  

Anyways that's what's going on here,  What's going on there?  How is the fam?  how's Flubba doing?

That's about all I have time for because I'm about to get off the train.  I love you guys!  

Cioa!

Anziano Tagg

Week 43

Hey Famiglia!  

This week has been good.  It's been busier than normal which is always good.  We were able to get a lot done like visiting members, meeting with investigators and stuffs like that.  We were walking down the street one day and this guy named Luigi stopped us and said something like, "let's a go!" And then jumped literally like 10 feet up in the air it was insane how high he could jump. 

I'm kiiiiiding.  His name was actually M... and he actually did stop us but the rest is fake.  He said he's known us for a long time but hasn't talked to Elders in a while.  We got his contact info and continued to walk.  Then when we got home he contacted us!  That never ever happens.  He said he wants to meet this Friday so that's super cool I am excited to see where it goes.  And then also this week we are gonna try to meet with B... the other new guy.

I realized this week that one year ago tomorrow I left real life and entered... 

The Twilight Zone.  It seems like such a short time ago but at the same time I have done so so much.  It has actually been a year though.  That's crazy.  I have less than a year left because my year left mark was July 24 think.  

Anyways that's how things are going over here.  What's going on over there?  I heard dat Nathan got a job in Salt Lake.  That's super duper cool!  What does that entail?  What will he be doing? Is it gonna be like a permanent gig?

Alright that's it for this week! I love you guys a ton!  Until next week ciao!

Elder Tagg

Week 42

Hey Famary!

This week was pretty cool!  We were able to do a fun little activity after church were we just stayed and ate good food together.  We organized it because aparently the branch hasn't done an activity like this in a long long time and it helped them feel more united and as one I think.  We invited a bunch of non members.  Only Fr... and her son came.  Success!  Her son really got along with the youth in the branch and wants to play soccer with us all.  Double success!

To the activity I brought a tiramisu that was bomb.  I don't know if you guys know but I'm a pretty good cook.  When I get home there's gonna be a designated night of the week where it's gonna be Drewy's kitchen.  The Italians all made fun of me because I apparently used the wrong kind of cookie in the tiramisu and so therefore it was no longer tiramisu.  Bull.  They just have all their rules and stuff about what's ok and what's not ok to do in the kitchen.  I just say if it's good- it's good, amirite?  

We also did this cool thing this week with a bunch of other missionaries from other cities.  We had them come to Cuneo and we all did a bunch of finding.  We call that a blitz.  But it was a special blitz because I played the violin.  That's right Maham, I used my violin skilz that you made me have.  It worked pretty well.  We were able to have some really cool conversations on the street.  Unfortunately, the Cuneesi are stubborn and don't want to learn more or give their number out.  Like seriously they will be really interested and say like, "you guys are awesome I really like what you do"  and then as soon as you ask for a number or ask if they want to learn more they shut down.  Out of the whole expedition I was the only one to place a Book of Mormon and get a number.  So yeah, pretty coo.  It's probably cuz I'm the most humble.  The guy's name was B... haha he was super nice.  We will see where it goes with him.  He said something interesting when I was talking with him.  He said that he was a Catholic but that he didn't really feel close to God anymore.  But he admired our church because he kept saying we had "la pratica" meaning we actually go out and we DO stuffs.  Then we were able to have a good conversation about how Heavenly Father expects us to act and do our part in order to grow.  And hen after that he said he would be lying if he said he would read the Book of Mormon haha.  It was just funny that he knew that in order to be happy feel close to God you need to activly step closer to Him but at the same time he wasn't willing to read a simple book.  But it all worked out in the end he took it and said he would read it.

So how are things at home going?  How's summer vacation?  Do you guys go to the pool often still?  I miss going to the pool in good'ol Olney.  But then again I can just go to the pool here in Italy I guess so it's the same, (joking). 

It's crazy guys I only have a year left

That's all for this week I love you guys a lot.  

Anziano Tagg

Pics

1 Dobby

2 Tiramisu

3 We did some service for this guy in the branch and he is an amazing baker.  He does decorative baking as well and this is a bunch of flowers he did all out of bread.  Pretty coo...

Week 41

Ciao Famiglia!  

Come state? Sorry this email is a day late but I ran out of time and didn't have wifi.

I read that email with the conversation you guys had the other day about me, that was hilarious.  Evan, I've never been to that dead body island but it sounds pretty dead.  Anyways it's good to know that you guys are thinkin' about me and that every time I drop my scriptures my wife gets uglier

Here everything is going well.  This week we worked really hard and we saw some cool things happen.

A little background/history: once upon a time Lorenzo Snow (the first missionary in Italy and also our ancestor) dedicated the land of Italy for missionary work on a mountain in Torre Pellice which is this tiny tiny little town way up in the mountains of Piemonte.  This place is also basically where the church started in Italy because while he was there Lorenzo Snow baptized a lot of people.  The majority of the people he baptized were called the Valdesi who were like a religious group who were persecuted a lot by the Catholic church.  After they were baptized though, they migrated to Utah and today a lot of their descendents are members of the church including my past companion Anziano Larsen.  That's that's right, my ancestor baptized his ancestor.  Boom.

Well this week we ended up going there to Torre Pellice!  Because we had to bring this lady a Book of Mormon.  Basically this American couple that had ancestors there went to visit Torre Pellice and stayed with this lady that lives there.  And later after they had left they emailed us missionaries and told us to head up there and give her a Book of Mormon.  They also told us to give her a letter explaining their ancestors' conversion story which is super super cool.  It was actually a small miracle that we found her just with the way things worked out and because we didn't have her last name and the chances of us finding her were pretty slim.  But we found her and gave her a Book of Mormon! ✔  It was a really cool experience and it was awesome to do missionary work in the place where my ancestor way back when did missionary work.  

So that was a really cool adventure/spiritual experience for me.  I hope you guys at home have had some spiritual experiences lately.  If you haven't then you are not paying attention well enough.

Other than that there's not really much in particular that has happened.  We are still trying our best to leave this Branch better than we found it.  I think it has improved since we have been here and tonight in an appointment with members they even said that, so that was kinda reassuring.  Sometimes it's hard to measure success out here but I would say that's pretty measurable.  

Well that is about it for this week's update.  I love you guys!  

Anziano Tagg