LETTERS FROM LA SPEZIA

Dear Mom and Dad!


How are you guys doing!? Hope all is well there! Sounds like things are going well so that's good.

Dad thanks for your email; It was a good prep for this weekend. I'm stoked for general conference, it's going to be so great. It always is!

I am sorry to hear that Brian can't play basketball with that league .... but I understand how you both feel. It's hard for both of you but he is young and doesn't fully understand the financial stress so don't be upset at him if he is a bum for a few days. He will get over it and all will be OK! Just support him and help him to be happy! It is way cool that he made the top level team though! Man he must be a baller then huh? That makes me happy!

Things here are going well. This week seemed like a long one, but all went well except for yesterday! I hate when people don't show up for appointments! All is still on for our baptismal dates. They are for Oct 15th and Oct 29th. The 15th is Victor who is our super legit African brother. The 29th is Nicolo' who is a 12 year old baller! We teach them Monday nights and eat dinner with him and his fam. It's super sick! Then one Monday we had a chance to play xbox with him! We played Fifa 2011( soccer video game). It was so cool! I won of course! :) Nicolo's family is super solid and both should be baptized with no problems (i hope!)

I had the chance to see Anziano Barnes. The capi came to our district meeting this week so he was there! Don't worry i got a pic! They should be coming back here to La Spezia next week to interview Victor, so I will get a few more pics wit him. It was cool to see him.

Oh guess what? Speaking of pics.... I finally got your letter!! The one that had a little note for Anziano Winward too with the 2 memory cards? I finally got it! It was already open so I think someone probably went through it because it was a bit thicker. Nothing was missing so that's cool. I will be sending my memory card home soon!

Regarding Christmas, I don't need a big Christmas/birthday package. Maybe just a few sticks of deodorant and a few razors. That's it. I really am OK and I don't need anything else. We will talk more about things I need/want on Christmas! (less then 3 months!!).

I had a chance to talk to Alli for a while (who got my phone from the Anziani in Siena)! It was so cool to hear a friend's voice! :) We just caught up and we might be able to meet with her study abroad group in Cinqueterre for a bit! It should be great!!! We will get pics no worries!!! :)

About transfers I've actually thought about it a lot this week and I am actually really happy that my companion and I are still together. Anz Winward is a really nice guy and means well. We still got stuff we are learning from each other and we have a lot fun together!

As I said before I am really excited about this weekend. Conference weekend has become one of the best weekends of the year for me! It's a great time for us to receive personal revelation for the things going on in our lives. Plus it's great for our investigators to get answers to their prayers! I know it's going to be awesome! You guys should definitely go into it with some questions.... and if you watch it with an open heart and mind the questions will be answered! It's kinda like magic!!! ha ha I love it and it works! It is always nice to get a nice little spiritual boost! Everyone could always use a bit of that!!

Well I gotta go... I hope you guys have a great week!!!! Have fun! Love you guys so so much!!! :)

Love anziano bona

PS.... Facebook anziano bos and tell him to email me!!!! ha ha


Letter to Brian:

You are very welcome my friend!I love you so much...sorry that I couldn't much more for your Bday! Get something you like! I want you to be happy! T

he work is going really well, we are having fun and my companion and I are doing really well. The last few days have been kinda different because some people didn't show up for the appointments we had but we are keeping our heads up and we know everything will work out.

Great job with your school grades! Keep up the 4.0!! It makes me so happy! Don't forget school is so important but also work out...so you don't end up fat like me...ha ha just jk!

Mom told me about basketball...well you made the really good team and that is awesome! That means you are a good player. I also heard that you can not play because it is too expansive. ($1300! wow!).I 'm sorry dude! Please don't be upset at mom and dad, they already do so much for both of us and they love us so much...but they need the money to pay for cars, house, food. You know we are not the richest people ... They didn't say no to be mean but just because they can't afford that. They love you ..I understand how you feel because I would be upset too...just try it to see it from their point of view! Again they love you and they are so proud of you! You are so good at basketball so keep at it....High school basketball is cheaper, so you just need to keep practicing! Don't give up...keep getting better and better and in the long run you will be fine!

I love you bro...you are so awesome! Have a great week ! Don't forget conference! I hope you had a great Bday!

Love you, Anziano Bona

P.S Mom sent me pics of your birthday! I saw some cute girls there :-) Do work Bro ! Ha Ha! jk!!!

Ciao

STAYING IN LA SPEZIA (ONLY 23 WEEKS)

Hello mom and dad!


It sounds like things are going pretty well! I'm happy to hear about brian and that all went well with his mouth... that's cool.

I will just answer some q's you had for me really quick! We are in a branch here. We use buses for transportation and i don't like that because I've pretty much been on bikes my entire mission and now this change is just weird. I am terrible about getting around because i dont know what bus goes where. Thank heavens Anz Winward is bravo with that stuff.

For transfers we are staying together. We got a lot of the stuff my companion needed all figured out or we just delt with it. This next transfer will not be as crazy with that type stuff!

Just as a fyi I never got anything that was supposed to come to the appartment. Could you send me another memory card so that i can send mine home? I got pics in there from forever ago. Send it to the home address. Just put it in a normal letter like usual.

Alli emailed me. I didn't get a chance to get back to her because we have been busy! The work is going pretty good! We got 2 baptismal dates at the moment. One with Victor, our african brother and the other with nicolo'. He is a son of a less active family that we reactivated. They are so super good. Both dates are set in October so it should be a good month.

There really isn't much to report on this past week. We got a little sick this past week with little fever but nothing too serious. Guess what!!!! Justin Barnes (an elder from our ward) is going be the new zone leader here in the Firenze zone! ha I'm stoked. I should be able to go on a scambio with him and we will see each other.

I know that this email is short but I can't find anything else to say! Next week will be longer. Overall things are going well. Just business as usual. I'm excited for Conference next week. a spiritual boost never hurts!!! In fact it's always needed! I love you guys tons! I hope all goes well this week! Can't wait to hear from you guys next week! vi voglio bene!

love anziano Bona


Letter to Brian

Dude! I saw your pictures! You look very good bro! I am glad you like it! We are working hard over here and doing work! We got 2 baptismal dates at the moment for October! We hope that it will work out! Life is good! I am glad you like school...keep up the 4.0 grade and do all the sports..why not? JUst make sure you love it! I love you and i hope you have a nice day and a good week.

Love you Bro,
Anziano Bona

LOVING LA SPEZIA

Dear Mom and Dad!

How are you guys doing? I hope all went well this past week! Dad I hope you had a good birthday and a good time at the concert! ;) ha ha Ya' I heard about football games :( Bummer! Matteo Kennedy was at our ward last week and he told me all about it. He is super bravo. He's a chill kid ha

 

ummm.... No I didn't get any packages or anything at zone conference or in the mail :( I don't know why I haven't gotten it yet! but I did see Anz Bushman and he brought me my charger so I got it and I charged my camera! So now I can start taking pics again! ha ha I love pics and I got a lot to catch up on! ha ha

 

That is sick that Alli is down there!!! That would be so cool to see here! ha ha I'd freak, it'd be so fun!

(Alli is doing study abroad and is in Siena -her and Robert are friends and went to school together)

 

This last week was a lot better then last week. ha Thank heavens! We still had to use some of our time running around and stuff but overall it was just better. Sunday was 9/11. I brought my mini flag with me to church and put it in my front pocket so everyone could see it. We went to Paulo and Sharon's house and some stuff for 9/11 was on TV. We ended up watching it for like an hour. Then we talked about how lucky we are to have the gospel in our lives to help us during hard times like that! How lucky we really are.

 

Monday we had zone conference in Modena (do you realize how far away La Spezia is from Modena!!!???) It was actually really good. We talked a lot about the Book of Mormon and how it is the answer to everyone's problems! Any question we might have we can find the answer in that sacred book. It's true! :)

 

And dad, you are right general conf is coming up soon. We need to all prepare for that! Last general conf helped me out so much, and I know this one will do the same! It is my last one here in Italy. How weird. But I'll be honest ha I don't watch it in Italian ha it's just so much better in English! If all they have is Italian then of course I watch it in Italian but if they have both I go English every time. Their voices are just to legit. ha

 

So yesterday I had a first for me in the mission. I went to Pisa and I got to give someone their baptismal interview. It was really cool experience. There was just a great spirit there and you can just tell and feel when the person is ready. His name was Lin and he is straight up Asian from China! ha ha It was cool!

 

So next week we get our transfer calls. I'll totally let you know whats going on. I do hope I stay because I really do like it here. The core members are so sick and the work is going forward. Sunday night we were at the branch presidents house Mauro with his wife Flora. She is amazing!!! Just like a pure ball of love and kindness! We were there 'till like 11 just talking and getting to know them and teaching them! It was great. I've been on a scambio with Anz Free (who is a straight up stud) and last night we went and taught Andrea and ate with him again and just chilled. It was so sick and on the way home I realized how great La Spezia really is. It is a great place! ha ha I do love it here and I know with time that love will continue to grow!!! ha ha

 

Well guys have a great week! I love you guys so so much! Can't wait to hear from you guys soon!!!

Love Anziano Bona

PS.... don't get to trunky! ;)

SIX MONTHS!

Yup, you read it right.

Anziano Robert Bona will be home in 6 months!
180 days!!
Friday March 9, 2012!!

and we couldn't be more excited!