Robert's Mission Call 12 03 2009

Monday, January 31, 2011

LOTS OF FINDING WORK

Dear Mom and Dad!!!

It sounds like things are going rather smoothly at home and for that I'm thankful!

Last p-day was super chill!!! I loved it! The Da Vinci painting was so cool! And we found this super legit gelato place that is the best thing I have ever had!!! It's legit!!! When we come back I'll take you guys to it!

OK so this is how Milan works. There is us. Then there is another coppia in our apartment. Then there are the sisters, and all of us are in Milano 2. Then there are the capi zona (zone leaders) in Milano 3 and another coppia of sisters and that's all the missionaries in Milan. it's not that we are in a place where work has never been done it's just we're in a place that doesn't get done as much.

But ya' the work for us is going good. We are still 100% every time we go out we get inside a house and teach about Joesph Smith. We have found a good amount of people but it's still a bit to early to know if they are solid or not. We did find this lady yesterday morning who is studying with the j-dubs (testimoni de geova) (Jehova Witness) and she said she is just looking for the right church. So she's way interested and stuff so that's chill. J-dubs always getting in our way. They love arguing with us. Don't worry we are nice.

But honestly it's been really cool to see Anz Strobelt and I do work together! We are both doing well with the language and teach alike so it's chill. We have told ourselves we are not going inside without finding new investigators and it's worked out so far! We are gonna try to keep up this energy all transfer.

Today we are gonna go out and chill down town and look at all the nice rich stores!!! ha ha They have some sick Nike stores!!! So tempting 'cause everything is on sale right now!!!!

Wow go Packers!!!!! And hopefully the Jazz get on their a game!!! And ya' if you could send me some of the razor heads that would be really nice :) and I'll see what I can do about that. I have been keeping it up better out here in Milan. No I haven't got the memory cards yet! I hope I do though soon!

But ya there really isn't anything super cool to tell you guys. We just do a lot of finding work and talk with like a billion people a week. It's really cool :)

I love Italy!!!


About that book thing... um... just do whatever you think is best cause I really don't know! ha ha

but um.... ya' guess what? I love you guys!!! And all is going well! Tell everyone at home hi!!! and that I love them too. Sorry my letters aren't to cool... i don't have to much to say!!!
I hope you guys have a great week!!!
love you guys!

vi voglio bene
anziano bona

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

MILANO - I LOVE IT

Dear Mom and Dad!!!

first thing is first... my new address is

viale monza 169
20125 milano (ml)
italia

Thanks for your emails! Dad I loved the message from Pres Monson. It was super legit and super true!! Charity is key. It's really hard to have but super important as well!!

It sounds like things are going really good at home as always so I'm happy for that!! but, I'm bummed about the Ravens but it's OK there is always next year! Though it stinks I'm gonna miss the super bowl next year too! :( oh well I'm doing much more important stuff at the moment! :)

I'm glad you guys got and liked my my pics and videos! Anz Weller and I had a lot of fun :) I love that kid.

OK so now a bit about Milano....

So... my comp is Anz Strobelt. He is starting his 4th transfer and is from New York! He's a really cool kid. We get along really well. We think we are gonna have a really good transfer! One thing that I found out right when I got to Milano is that we are also opening a coppia here in Milano 2. So basically that means that we are in a part of the city where no work has been done and we start from 0 (zero), like no investigators nothing.... ha ha so that means a lot of finding work for us!!!! ha ha But the thing is, we work so good together!!

Every time we have left the apartment we have been able to get into peoples houses and get new investigators. We are now both bringing our A-game and are seeing miracles happen! We have told ourselves that we are not coming home without getting into someones house and teaching them about the restored gospel and that's exactly what we have done!!! We have had some really good lessons and we just teach so well together! I'm excited for the work that we are gonna do this transfer!!!

We started off and we were getting rejected all day long and stuff but then I was all, come on we need to have a good attitude so the Lord can lead us to His elect and then that's what happened!!! Attitude is really key too!!

We have already had some crazy times together! We got the cops called on us 6 times in one palazzo but luckily we got into a house so they couldn't do anything to us!!! ha ha It was awesome!! This dude tried to kick us out of this one palazzo and I wouldn't leave 'cause I told him we got stuff to do and we have permission legally to be here, he like started pushing me and then I just walked around him and then he wanted to fight me, it was really funny. I don't know why I always get the people that wanna fight! I told him I wasn't gonna fight him and then he started calling me a bunch of bad words and stuff and then i just laughed at him and walked away. Man some Italians are crazy!!! ha ha But we have still done some really good work out here and are going to continue to do so. I think we found like a good spark and now I've pulled my head out and now ready to do good work!

A really cool thing about our apartment is is that we have a bench press in there so we work out in the mornings now! Time to get back into shape!!! ;) ha ha. and yup the tie is still the same and always will be!!!! :) but um... you can send some snacks.... :) that's always fun!!! ha ha and like the normal face wash stuff. Nothing special just like whatever you want! but ya I'm pretty good on ties!!! for now! ;) ha ha

Today is p-day right so this senior couple who are serving here named the Lisonbees got us tickets to go see the painting of the Last Supper so we are gonna do that! They are also taking us to lunch so that's cool too!!! I'm excited!!!

Oh in our apartment there is me and Strobelt, then we got Bartholomew (not my old comp but a different one) and he is training this kid from England named Anz Wilkonsin. They are all super chill and we get along and are having a great time!

Thanks for everything guys!!! Send me everything :) ha ha
I love you guys so much and am thankful for everything!!
I hope you guys have a great week!!!
Love you guys tons but I gotta go now!!

vi voglio bene!!!!! ciao ciao!!!!
love forever!!
anziano bona

Saturday, January 15, 2011

GOODBYE ALESSANDRIA

Here are the last pictures of Anziano Bona and Weller
together in Alessandria.
They had a lot of great experiences together.
Anziano Bona will always have very fond memories of his time there.





Milano-Duomo
they had to go there for Anz Weller's tooth ache.
Little did he know that this city would be a part of his immediate future.
The Malara's home for Christmas

Anz Bona and Nonna Angela
on Christmas Eve

Anz Bona and Weller

Torino on p-day

Torino

P-day at the Egyptian Museum in Torino
(it really is an amazing museum!!!)

keeping good company.....ha ha!

Torino - Egyptian Museum



Eliana
(the contact that they were working so hard with-
we still pray for her and that she will decide to
get baptized)


Alessandria



Downtown Alessandria









returning back to snow covered bikes is not always a fun thing!


Who said Italy was warm???

Doing "Villa Casa"

(basically they go to villa's and do casa
hoping that someone will want to hear
their message-the only problem...the houses
are far apart and it takes a long time)

No he's not in the Mafia...he's cold...BRRRRRR!




Pondering



Reunited with Anz Mosley
(Robert's trainer)

(oops...out of order)
Merry Christmas!

Anz Weller, Anz Bona, Anz Mosley
(son,father, and grandfather)



Good bye Alessandria.....thank you for 4 wonderful months!
I hope to return someday...soon!











































Friday, January 14, 2011

TANTISSIMI AUGURI ANZIANO BONA
BUON 20TH COMPLEANNO
TI VOGLIAMO TANTO BENE
HAPPY 20TH BIRTHDAY
ANZIANO BONA
WE LOVE YOU!
(I know it's a day early, but...)

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

HAPPY 20TH B-DAY AND MILAN HERE I COME

Dear Mom and Dad,
Thanks for the birthday wishes! You guys are awesome, I love you both so much! Yay for 20 years old right? My teen years are over! Just about... Zio Pino came and took me and Anz Weller to lunch!! It was awesome!! :) I love him! It's really cool 'cause now we can actually talk and communicate really good! We went to the Chinese restaurant! I love that place it was really yummy! We had a great time! He also gave me a watch for my birthday! He is so nice! So that's what happened this morning and it was really cool!

OK so now for the news about last night....

Transfer calls came and...... I'm out! I'm getting transferred. I'm heading to Milano! I will now be in the big city! I'm stoked its gonna be way fun! I'm gonna be with Anz Strobelt and he will be starting his 4th transfer. I'm excited! Anz Weller is staying here and will be with Anz Gammel. That's pretty much the big new for the week!

Anz Weller and I have had a great week. We got back on course and found a lot of new investigators!

We really don't know whats going on with Ortu or anything 'cause he hasn't called us and he won't answer us but its OK. Eliana is alright. She's pretty sad that I'm leaving but its OK. We are going over to their house to say goodbye and so I can tell her one last time she needs to get baptized!!!

I don't why but I don't have any memory cards right now! I have one but it doesn't really work it's so weird! So next week once I get you our new address please send me one asap! thanks! :)

I'm glad things are going good at home! Brian is a baller! Mom you're working a lot... and dad is ripping his pants... ya that sounds about right! ;) Ha Ha! Everything is still all the same at home! ;) ha ha jk! love you dad! ha ha

I didn't get anything from Anthony but I'm glad he's moving back to Utah, that'll be good. I love that kid he's a good guy. But hey guys sorry I gotta keep this one short. I got a lot of stuff I gotta do!

But ya I'm out to Milano!!! I'll tell you guys more and how everything is going next week!!
I love you guys so much!!! Have a great week!

love
Anziano Bona
ps... thanks for the sport updates :)

MILANO HERE I COME!



We got news today from Robert that he will now be serving in Milano.
Here is a small tour of the city....

Thursday, January 6, 2011

A NEW YEAR

Dear Mom and Dad!

Thank you guys for your emails again! I'm glad you guys enjoyed my little thought! ha ha I thought it'd be nice to say hi! and I should be sending home another memory card today. It has a few videos and around 200 pics or so! Hopefully you guys get it around this time next week! Hope you enjoy them! As for the other memory card I would probably wait till transfers and then send it in a letter, 'cause I don't know exactly when the next zone conference thing in January is!! So just do it that way.

So.... let me know who wins the big game!!! It should be close to the playoffs for pros. I'm glad the Jazz are still ballers!! ha ha

So let me answer the questions real quick....
Coolest thing I ate was this cheese crazy thing with prosciutto in it. We got it in Milano yesterday:) I'll explain later why we were there ha ha
Best experience... going to Milan...
Coldest weather... don't the temperature but really cold! ha ha and yup we are still on bikes.

So basically it was a really rough week for the work, again. We started last week with 3 baptismal dates and now we have 0.

Today that man Ortu is getting kicked out of his apartment and we are currently doing a fast for him 'cause we really are looking for a miracle cause there is nothing that we can do...

The kid in the wheelchair has basically fallen off the face of the earth. We haven't seen him in 3 weeks. They won't answer our calls and are like always busy when we pass by.

With Eliana we are at a stand still.... there is not much more we can tell her to help her- she knows everything... so we either have to drop her or she needs to start progressing in some way!!! I guess we will see this week how things go!

And nope people still don't wanna talk to us! They rarely do! But for all the Italians it's still holiday season and don't wanna be bugged. Next transfer will be better 'cause there will be less crazy stuff and be back to normal!

We are definitely being tried right now. It's been pretty rough lately but its OK. We know that if we endure well that the Lord will bless us and eventually we will start seeing good work being done. It's just difficult because it would be so easy to get lazy and not want to do anything when all things fly out the window, but its OK. Piano Piano (slowly slowly) we are turning things around. There has just been so much random stuff stopping us from working.

New Years eve we were in by 7pm and I was asleep by 10. I woke up at 12 though cause of all the fireworks and the strip club next door was having a huge party and it was so dang loud! ha ha! But then I fell asleep around 1. But ya' the next day all we did was clean all dang day long!!! It was nasty! You guys know how I feel about cleaning!! ha ha and Dad guess what... I cleaned the bathroom! Remember all the times you guys would argue with me and try to get me to clean the bathroom and I never would! Well i finally did it! I did the toilet and bide' and everything! So nasty but now its all nice and sparkly clean!! I was just thinking of how dad feels cause he does it all the time at home! Dad I'll help you from now on when I get back! ha ha!

Yesterday we got to go to Milano because Anz Weller had a tooth ache and the dentist in Milano speaks English so that's where we go. We saw the duomo and ate some food and I bought a tie and it was chill! It was fun for us but bad for the work 'cause it took all day long! But this week we are gonna work really had and make up for it! We have too!!!

Don't worry things here are going OK! We are keeping our heads up and working through our trails. I love the part in D&C where Joesph Smith is being tried then the Lord explains and tells him even if all these terrible things happened to you it will be for your profit and learning. And that's true for everyone! All of our trails are for our profit and learning! And that's what Anz Weller and I are doing! We are doing our bests to keep our heads up and learn from all these things!

Thanks for your emails! I love you guys so much! You guys are the best! Go mom for going to all of church and staying awake the whole time! ;) ha ha you guys are the best!

Tell Brian that he will never be a better driver then me! He might get bigger but never a better driver! ha ha well I gotta go! Have a great week! I love you guys so much! Until next time!
vi voglio bene!!! :)
Anziano Bona

POSTCARD

We received a postcard from Robert that he sent to us from their p-day in Torino:

Guess what??? I love you guys! I just wanted to send a card and tell you guys how much I love you!
I really wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you guys! I can't wait to be able to hug you all again.But until that day comes I have some work I gotta do! And I'm trying and doing my best!
Thank you for your support and everything.
Vi voglio bene!

PS: here are a few of my favorite phrases:
il cibo qua e' buonissimo! - the food here is wonderful!
la chiesa e' vera! - the church is true!
state bravi! - be good!
ho sonno - i'm tired
ho fame! - i'm hungry
sono figo! - i'm cool!

PSS: "REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU STAND FOR"
can't remember who said that (mom) but that person is so awesome and so right.

Love,
Robert

A QUICK AFTER CHRISTMAS NOTE

Dear fam!!
Well this email might be a bit shorter 'cause you guys know about everything that's happened! Not much has happened these past 2 days. Nothing special!

But ya' it was really cool to hear and talk to you guys!!! I loved it! And then after that we went and watched Tarzan! Man I love Disney movies!! So legit! And for next time skype is allowed it just depends if I can get to a computer with a camera on it! I guess we will just have to wait and see!

But ya Zio Pino can't make it. And I don't think I can do it next week. We have a lot of things we need to do, hopefully I just don't get transferred and stay for one more, but ya you're right it's really up in the air right now. I could stay or leave. It wouldn't be a surprise for either one. I'll let you guys know though!

There should be some type of zone conference /training stuff in January. Totally send a package that's totally cool. But ya send it kinda soon and to the mission office.

Dad thanks for the updates!!! I do miss sports and what not! Oh well it's worth it.
Oh my heck I can't believe Brian!! ha ha bless his heart! ha ha That's funny though they are all chill! ha ha I'm glad to hear that all is go in well.

For new years eve we gotta be inside at 7pm and on new years day we have to stay inside all day and clean the apartment. so i think we will be fine ha ha but ya I can see Italians just being crazy ha ha!

Midnight mass was awesome!!! Loved it!!!

Thanks for all you guys do! You're right time goes by fast! Almost 1/2 way done.... kinda happy but sad at the same time... ha ha hard to explain! But ya the mission is great :)

Happy New Years!!!!! Have a great week! Hear from you guys next week!!

vi voglio bene!!
Love Anziano Bona

ps.... Orange Chicken?! hahahaha Wow that's good! ;) ha ha