Rubik's Cube!

Hello Everyone!

It has been a really good week here in Bologna. We have seen the Lord's hand and he is blessing us every day.

Thursday was a good day. We had a lesson with one of our investigators, Samir. and then we had English class and we made brownies for them, which they liked a lot.

On Friday, our district leaders from Ferrara came and we had a scambio. I hosted Anziano Love here in Bologna while Anziano Horrocks stayed there in Ferrara. It rained that day and all of our appointments fell through, so we did what we do best, talk to people about the Gospel, in the rain. It was good. We met plenty of people who at least politely listened for a bit and had a open mind.

On Saturday, we had a lesson with Samir again and that was really good. Then it stormed and Bologna flooded a little bit. There was a bunch of thunder and lightning too. All of the other appointments fell through on that day too.

On Sunday, we went to Church and then had a lesson with Samir again.

On Monday, we put up a bunch of English class flyers and had a lesson with a man named Nadil. And then we did a lot of finding work.

Yesterday, we had some lessons planned, one of them with a member and both fell through and the meber came to the church and we decided to show her the object lesson that we were planning for the investigator. She loved it and it was an extremely spiritual lesson. It was a much needed boost to our teaching and I feel that it went really well. The rest of our day was finding and we got let in during casa by this really sweet Italian catholic family. We gave them a Book of Mormon and they said they would read it. We are going to pass by them again later next week.

That has basically been my week. I have been working on letters, so when I get stamps, I will be sending those out.

Also, I now know how to solve a rubik's cube....

I love every one and I hope that they are all well.

Love Anziano John Colin Cook

Wonderful Week in Bologna

Dear Family and friends!

Another wonderful week has gone by and I am very excited to have the chance to tell you all about it. Bologna is a giant city and could honestly eat Piacenza for a light snack. My new companion Anziano Horrocks and I are responsible for the Eastern half of the city and already we have a lot on our plates. Bologna, to me seems like Downtown and Eastside Olympia decided to marry LA and move to Europe. It's wonderful. Bologna is a university city and I get the feeling that the local university would make really good friends with Evergreen back home. I see a lot of Revelution/Political Reform/Overhaul literature everywhere.

My new companion is named Anziano Horrocks. He comes from Nephi, Utah and is one of the new 18 year old missionaries. It's pretty cool. He is super mauture and already know a ton about how to be a missionary and is way organized! It rocks!

Living in four is really cool! We live with our zone leaders who are also responsible for the Western half of our city. They are called Anziano Hill and Anziano Hess. They are really funny and really good examples we have a lot of fun together.

Well, I suppose that I will start telling you about my week...

On Thursday, Anziano Iacovelli and I woke up at 5 to be at Milan at what we thought was on time and we ended up being like an hour early so we waited in the station for the other Missionaries. After not too long they all started showing up and there were a bunch of joyful reunions as there always are at transfers. Anziano Iacovelli and I said our goodbyes as I joined the other trainers and headed to Cimiano. After all the trainers had been briefed they brought in all of the new missionaries. I certainly was a sight to behold. There we 35 of them! Which is a lot considering that I came in a group of 8. Companionships and areas where announced and a common phrase during that meeting was "I've never been to.... but we are going to have a great time!"

The promise has proven true. After the meeting, we had lunch and then rode the train for three hours from Milan to Bologna. It was really fun! We talked to people and had a lot of fun. The zone leaders met us at the sataition and took us home we unpacked, agreed on a good place to split the city and got to work. We went out to do some casa and found a guy named Vito who let us in. He seemed guardedly willing to give a little ear to what we had to say. We left him a Book of Mormon and asked him to read it. He agreed. We also got wildly greeted by some innebriated Germans and their French wives they talk to us a lot and I think it might have been a little much for Anziano Horrocks.

On Friday, we did a lot of finding work namely in a park. We did not talk to a single Italian. They were all Romanian, Ukrainian, Albanian, or otherwise Eastern European. I wished them all Happy Easter because their Easter was going to be happening soon. We also taught English class. This time we get conversational instead of basic. that was really fun. They are all super nice.

On Saturday we attempted meet with Vito for the appointment we set up in our first meeting and he wasn't at home so we decided to try and do some finding around the area. We ran into a guy named Karim who seemed really interested. That was really awesome.

On Sunday we had Church and it was really good! All of the members came up and introduced themselves to us. They are really happy to have a second companionship in their ward. They were all extremely excitited to have us.

On Monday we had a lesson with Karim, who listened to us but seemed equally interested in teaching us everything there was to know about Islam. Anziano Hoorrock's kept whispering "What is he saying?" and I kept wispering back "I'll tell you later"

Yesterday, was really fun. We finally had a lesson with Vito and there was a huge change in him. He went from refusing to pray because he had nothing to thank God for and didn't think that a belief in God was a totally mature thing to do. To sitting on the edge of his seat asking a lot of questions and saying a prayer full of thanks and praise to God and accepting a baptismal date. Woah! Also some Anziani from Ferrrara came for scambio so we had a lot of fun together when we came in for the night.

Today for P-day we went and climbed the Bologna tower and saw the most amazing view of the city from the top! It was fantastic! I met a bunch of tourist from everywhere who were super nice.

Tomorrow, we are going to Rimini for zone meeting and then there will be English class!

Well that has been so far the week in Bologna!

Love always,
Anziano John Colin Cook

PS: I sent a bunch of Piacenza postcards out yesterday! Look out for them!

Also Happy Birthday Gideon!!!!!!!!

Train in Bologna!

Dear Family and Friends!

 

I hope that your week has been fulfilling and wonderful! This week has been really awesome for Anziano Iacovelli and I and I feel like the next week has its adventures coming up.

 

Well I suppose that I will start with The Meeting we had in Milano with President Texiera of the Europe Area Presidency and another Member of the 70. It was a really uplifting spiritual experience and Anziano Iacovelli and I were really enriched and enlightened by what we learned.

 

On Thursday we had a few lessons and It was really good. It was my first time riding the Bus to San Nicolò and I was so surprised by how quickly we arrived because usually it is a 45 minute bike ride invololving a frightening bridge.

 

Between Thursday and Sunday, Not a whole lot happened.

 

There was Stake Conference on Sunday in Verona and that was really a nice thing to have. It was really good to see Anziano Thompson and a bunch of other missionaries and members that I know. The Church rented out part of an events center which was pretty funny because on the same day there was a ComicCon or Anime Convention or something because there were a bunch of people dressed in crazy costumes all going to the same building. It was a bit comical.

 

On Monday, we got transfer calls and I bet you are all thinking... all'ora? Well... The Lord has called me to.... TRAIN (I'm serious this time)... In Bologna (Pronounced Bolonya). I will be opening a new companionship there. I have'nt heard much about it but I will keep you posted about all of it later.

 

Yesterday was a really full day. We saw Sorella Libè who cried to know that I was leaving. And talked and talked and talked. I'm going to miss her. I hgave her the home address so that she could write a Christmas card when I return. She is a sweetie! We had a lesson with Regina who is from English class. We watched the Restoration film with her in Portugese and it was amazing! Anziano Iacovelli and I felt the spirit really strongly and at the moments when we felt it the strongest, we would look over at her and she would be nodding emphatically. Afterward she said, "you have to show this film to everybody! This is what I have been looking for my whole life!" She cried and in her prayer thanked God for finally answering her prayers. It was so beautiful!

 

Today we cleaned and packed and got some postcards and eggs to make dessert for later. We went and briefly visited Sorella Libè, make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread and saw a huge shouting communist rally on the way to the internet point but it was way less scary than the May Day events back home. We have English class tonight and then more packing.

 

Next time from Bologna...

 

Love always,

 

Anziano John Colin Cook