Ragusa | week 7

 Ibla

 Cathedral of San Giorgio in Ragusa Ibla

April 20, 2015

This week i am emailing home from my phone which is a touch which has

definitely seen better days. Please excuse the disorder and probable T9

mistakes.

Last Saturday was my last transfer call of the mission, and i found out

that i will be finishing my mission here in ragusa with  Anziano Brandon.

We have been together now for 4 days, and i honestly could not be happier.

He has been out for 3 months and came down from Rome 2 where the assistants

live, and he also had a great trainer. So, he has brought a lot of

enthusiasm and energy to help me finish strong which is exactly what i

needed.

I have seen time and time again on my mission that when i am truly intent

on working hard and being obedient i am blessed. That is exactly what has

happened the past few days. Yesterday in church one of our members brought

a coworker to church out of nowhere, and he really enjoyed it. Last night

we ran into him on the street, and he invited us over on Tuesday. It was

such a miracle to me.

There was also another man who walked in the church right after we

finished, asking for a book of Mormon in Russian. He recently read it

in Italian, and it fascinated him so much he wanted a copy in his

native languge. As a missionary i have worked hard to find those who

are seeking truth, but it seems like they have always found me as soon

as I am ready.

The biggest highlight of the week was teaching Marco with iolanda (one

of our members). Iolanda was baptized a  year ago and is preparing to

leave on a mission this winter. We taught the restoration together,

and when we closed, Marco thanked HeavenlyFather for sending him these

3 missionaries to teach him the restored gospel. It wasn't until that

moment i realized 2 18 year olds and a 20 year old were teaching a

grown man with a family. Something i have realized on my mission is

that it really takes humility for someone to admit they don't have all

the answers and seek more spiritual light and truth...especially from

young kids. Today for pday we will be with missionaries from England,

France, Mexico, and the states, and Iolanda will soon represent

Ragusa. When i think of this incredible work we are engaged in i think

it may be part of what Nephi saw when he said, "i beheld the power of

the lamb of god, that it descended upon the saints of the church of

the lamb, and upon the covenant people of the lord, who were scattered

upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness

and with power and with great glory (1 Nephi 14: 14).

Buon  NBA playoffs

Anziano Smith

Ragusa | week 6

4.13.2015

This week I completed step number 2 of my death packet which included writing a legacy letter. This letter is for all the new missionaries to read on their first day of the mission from the departing missionaries. Keep in mind this is coming from a mormon missionary to future mormon missionaries and includes the beliefs and ideas of Regan Smith and not the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I assume full responsibility for what is written. 

"On my mission I have come to know many of the mysteries of God. However, these mysteries are only the simple truths are taught in primary. The greatest of these mysteries is that obedience to the gospel is the law upon which happiness is predicated. 

Growing up, my dad and I loved a burger place called Ted's Montana Grill. Sometimes my dad would try to be healthy and order a Wedge Salad instead of a Bison Burger. In reality, the Wedge Salad had about 60g of fat because of the blue cheese dressing and bacon, while the bison burger only had about 40g of fat. 

In 325A.D. the adversary introduced the Wedge Salad to this country at the "Creed of Athanasius" and the world has believed it is the healthiest thing on the menu ever since. However, it cannot bring them the satisfaction or fulfillment for which they are searching because it is not in harmony with true doctrine. So...they have quit. They tried a diet with no success, so they went back to eating burgers. This is why Italy is one of the most secular countries on the face of the earth. It is full of all manner of iniquities (mafia, prostitution...bari spiders) which you will soon witness for yourself. 

However, Italians are truly incredible people. They are searching for something they don't even know is on the menu. When you tell them about it, they won't even believe you. It will be a complete mystery to them. It is a mystery you will never be able to convince them of on your own. The wedge salad tastes good, they like it (if they still eat it), and it is the tradition of their fathers. It is the chain that Satan veiled the whole earth with as he laughed and his angels rejoiced (Moses 7:26). 

The ONLY WAY for you to break this chain is to become an instrument in the hands of God as Ammon when he went to the Lamanites with his brothers (Alma 26: 14-15). He was able to become an instrument because he learned for himself the mystery of obedience. It is a pre-requisite for you to learn the mystery of obedience before you can help anyone come to know the mystery/truthfulness of the restored gospel. 

If you counsel with the Lord and pray for charity with all the energy of your heart, it will be a joy instead of a burden. I promise. 

There are more people pulling for you than you know - ex-missionaries, your family and friends, your mission president, the Italian members, the prophet, angels, your Savior, and your Heavenly Father. 

As you witness the joy that comes to the Italian people by obedience to true principles, you will see chains break as they come to "know the the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.", and your witness of the this gospel and this work will be undeniable."

As far as this week goes, we were truly blessed. We have an English course student named Marco, who has been a very close friend of the missionaries for several months now. He is working here in Ragusa, but his wife and kids have been living in Malta for some time for work and school. I actually met Marco in Malta at English Course about 4 months ago when he came to visit his family. Anyways, we were able to meet him on Thursday for a lesson for the first time since I have been in Ragusa. I knew beforehand that he was a really special man because of his humility and sincerity, but that was confirmed to me as we taught him. He truly wants to come closer to God and is willing to act on that desire. He came to church on Sunday, and everyone in the ward absolutely loves him. They already know him, his wife, and his kids because they use to come all together before they moved. Sunday night around 730 we were walking by the church and we saw Marco sitting outside in his car reading the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. He told us he had some free time and felt that he should come to the church to read some. We went in together and read 2 Nephi 31 and Alma 32 back to back. It made my whole day. We asked him to say the closing prayer, but we forgot to go through the steps of our how pray first (address Heavenly Father, express gratitude for blessings/love for him, ask for blessings, and close in the name of Jesus Christ). The end of his prayer was one of the most epic things I have ever heard. Instead of saying "in the name of Jesus Christ, amen" he said "ti abbraccio, amen" which translates to "I hug you, amen." He is pure gold. 

Anziano Smith

Ragusa | week 5

April 6, 2015

Ill start of this week by venturing to tell a quick story of my mission to fix the shower since I arrived in Ragusa. So my first shower here consisted of mild temperature water dripping out of two of the holes of the shower head with no pressure. It literally took 25 minutes to shower with that quantity and pressure of water...so I called Fratello Chines who is in charge of the apartments for the missionaries in Sicily. When he came to check it out, the water started coming out a little more, and he said that was the best our shower could do without drilling a new device into the wall right next to our shower which would take a lot of work...so we agreed to deal with it. A couple weeks later I mentioned to President Waddoups that it might be a good idea to fix it, so the prolonged showers would not interfere with our study time in the morning. So, it was approved and finally installed this week. The two primary problems were fixed. Our water is now warm and the pressure works great. However, the new missile shaped device pointed towards our shower also seems to work as a fan blowing air on us as it provides pressure and heat to the water. Although there is a chilling effect, at least we can shower faster and thus get to our studies on time. I consider this a great success. 

On a more serious note, Easter Week was wonderful for us as we had opportunities to share the message of the Resurrection of the Savior with many people. On Tuesday after English Course, we shared the church's Easter video "Because He Lives." When it finished, everyone started clapping. I thought it was a little strange, but then I thought of Mosiah 18:11 when the people clapped their hands with joy after Alma had taught the people about the baptismal covenant. They were desirous to accept it. There were about 25 students, 1 of which was a member of the church. Usually at the end of corso, the 1 member who comes or one of the missionaries offers to say the closing prayer, but this time one of the students offered to pray vocally for the first time ever. I know she volunteered to pray because she felt the Holy Ghost which gave her the desire to pray to God. It brings me a lot of joy to hear someone pray vocally for the first time. I have heard it quite a few times on my mission, and the feeling is a great joy every time. 

(...Literally 2 seconds ago someone just walked in the church and asked if they could come to English Course. Thats another reason why our english course is so legit, is because everyone who comes always tell their friends about it. Almost every week at least 2 or 3 new people have come because they have heard about it from a friend. I have received like 4 member referrals my whole mission, and like 29473 non member referrals from english course. Service is the best.)

 I have to say, the first weekend in April and October are by far my two favorite weekends of the year, and the one in April doesn't have anything to do with the Final Four anymore. There is nothing that brings me more peace and joy than listening to and then following the counsel of God's Prophets in General Conference. As I am nearing the end of my mission, it naturally causes me to reflect on my service for the past two years as a missionary - the ways I have grown, the blessings I have received, and the knowledge and testimony I have gained. There is no greater blessing, knowledge, or lesson I have learned on my mission than the principle of grace that President Uchtdorf taught in the Sunday Morning Session of Conference. When I was a kid, I had a picture of what my mission would be like: teaching lessons all day everyday, working with perfect companions to teach the friends of all the members, and being full of joy all the time. That is the reward I thought missionaries got for being in the Lords work full-time. In reality, nothing has been quite that ideal other than probably the food. I have learned that the mission is an opportunity to follow the Savior Jesus Christ and do what he would do if he were here. There are moments in which I have done all the things I dreamed I would do, but they have come "by and by" like Alma described (Alma 32:42). More often than not, missionary work is difficult, and it is sad to see so many people make fun of or reject the message that could bless their lives so much if they would listen. All it is for us a missionaries is an opportunity to get the slightest glimpse into what the Savior felt on his mission as he was "despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not" (Isaiah 53:3). Not only the Jews who crucified him, but each one of us has turned our own way at some point in our lives for which he had to suffer. That understanding naturally brings love and reverence for what he did for us. That love and reverence will lead us to obey his commandments rather than just expect it for saying we believe in Him. The mission has also helped me gain a great sense of gratitude for the sinless life of Jesus Christ. I mess up so many times every day. I can't comprehend how he lived without ever messing up once. More than living perfectly, he performed the Atonement so we could change and become like him through his mercy and grace. It is available to all who will come unto Him and be baptized by the priesthood authority restored through the Prophet Joesph Smith. 

 I truly do know that every good thing I have received in my life and on my mission is not because I deserved it or earned it, but it is because of Gods grace and mercy. With these lessons in mind, I have recommitted myself to offer prayers pleading for forgiveness and thanking God for his mercy and the gift of His Son rather than just asking for what I want or think I need...like an ideal shower. 

Anziano Smith

Ragusa | week 4

 Elder Smith with Elder Anderson in Catania eating aracini

 

20 pound easter package full of sweets from one of Regan's best friends Francesco! This made his week!

3.30.2015

Today I am a little short on internet time. We came to Catania this morning for a zone soccer game/bbq for pday, and it was a blast. We rented a really nice soccer field for the 14 of us then grilled out 9 pounds of sausage and 9 pounds of horse meat on the Catania Anzianis balcony. I know it sounds really wierd, but horse meat is absolutely delicious. We have a really great zone and I am looking forward to working with the Catania Anziani tonight and tomorrow morning. 

Things in Ragusa went pretty well this week, but I have finally come to learn that when we are planning out our days we can never fully count on the public transportation. On Tuesday we went to a nearby town and planned on taking a bus home at 1. That bus was a no show and the next one to Ragusa was at 4. On Thursday we took another bus home in the afternoon that was over an hour late. A friend of the bus driver asked why he was so late, and he resonded "Its 2:30, I just finished lunch!" 

Anyways...aside from poor public transportation and horse meat, I had a great week. I was able to go to Gela to do an exchange with Anziano Jorgenson. Anziano Jorgenson has been out about 6 months but his language abilility, teaching skills, and spiritual maturity all exceed mine. He and his companion came to Gela together about 8 weeks ago with no one to work with really, and there are only 8 members of the church there. In the past 8 weeks they have found 14 people who they are now teaching. It was such a blessing to go out and work with him for one night and the next morning. His faith and hard work really inspired me to finish my mission as strong as possible. Speaking of the end of my mission, I received my "death packet" in Palermo two weeks ago at mission conference, and I began working on it this week. One of the assignments in it is to list 30 blessings I have received on my mission. I reflected on it a lot this week, and yesterday I completed my list. I never realized how much Heavenly Father blessed me on my mission until I really pondered about it. Some of the most special blessings we receive are not easily recognizable at first. I was filled with gratitude as I read over my list again last night noting that most of the attributes and talents I have developed on my mission are preparation to serve in different and even more meaningful ways going forward. It helped me realize that going home is not an end of missionary service but a beginning.

I hope everyone has an awesome Easter week and enjoys General Conference this weekend. If you havent seen it yet, you must see the church's new video for Easter "Because He Lives."  I certainly felt the Spirit as I watched it, and I am looking forward to sharing it with everyone at English Course tomorrow!

Anziano Smith

Ragusa | week 3

Great picture from Sister Waddoups blog! 

The best gelato in the world according to Regan!

3.23.2015

3 days of this week were spent traveling to and from mission conference in Palermo and learning from our leaders there. It seems like my whole mission wherever I have been serving has been the farthest area away from where the meetings are held. Im not sure why, but every time zone conference rolls around, its like Im going on a mini 3 day vacation. I thought having to fly from one country to another (Malta to Italy) was a bit absurd, but taking buses from one side of Sicily to the other proved to take even more time. However, it was probably the prettiest bus ride of my life. Sicily is such a beautiful island. My first Sunday here in Ragusa I was talking with the Elders Quorum President, and he asked me if I knew what God did after he finished creating the earth. I said, well, He put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He said, he did something before that. He kissed Sicily. It made me laugh so hard. Sicilians are definitely proud of their island. 

Mission Conference was wonderful. Elder Texiera of the Seventy visited with us, and he gave a remarkable training. He is one of the 3 area authorities for Europe. I spoke to his wife after the conference, and she said that they do 3 or 4 mission conferences a month in Europe and that is Elder Texiera's favorite assignment as a General Authority. He is certainly very good at inspiring missionaries, because he inspired all of us. I felt a strong desire to improve as a person and as a missionary in many areas. He trained us for about 2 hours without any notes, and he talked covered so many topics and told so many stories. Hearing him and Elder Kearon last year were such special experiences. Their knowledge of the gospel, personal experiences, and passion for the Lords work is contagious. It seriously runs in their blood. I cant wait to hear from Elder Bednar next month in Rome!

At the end of this week we had two great experiences. The first was on Saturday night at the Moores home. They are a member family from Nigeria who invited us over for dinner. We just so happened to show up at the same time as another couple they are friends with. Im not sure if they planned that out, but it sure went great. The 6 of us ate some African fried rice, and then we explained that we wanted to share a message before we left. We showed a Bible Video which naturally led into a conversation about their faith in Jesus Christ. We were able to share the message of the Restoration and the Moores shared their testimonies of the Book of Mormon and the Prophet Joseph Smith. I love the Moores.

The second unique experience of this week actually happened this morning. We got a call last night from the Sorelle because the husband of a woman they visit was in critical condition in the hospital. He was having heart problems and the doctors were not able to figure out what was going on. He wanted a priesthood blessing, so we offered to go visit him and his wife in the hospital this morning. Fortunately the nurses let us have some alone time with him in his room. After talking for about 15 minutes, we explained about the power and authority of the priesthood and how it has been restored by a living prophet just like in Biblical times. We laid our hands on his head and blessed him. We promised him that he would soon return to full health and go back home. It was a very simple blessing, but I felt so much peace inside, and this couple was extremely grateful. On our way walking out of the hospital several people were whispering about us, and some people started laughing. I used to get embarrassed sometimes, but I have seen too many miracles on my mission to ever be embarrassed of wearing my suit and tag everywhere I go. It reminded me of a scripture I have heard a million times: Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity (1 Timothy 4:12). 

Anziano Smith

Ragusa | week 2

3.16.2015

Ragusa has become one of my favorite cities I have served in my whole mission in a very short period of time. This week we were able to see a lot (Ibla, San Giacomo, Modica) and also meet a lot of awesome people. 

One of my favorite parts about Ragusa is that it has the most modern church building I have ever seen in my life. It was finished 1 year ago, and the members clean it spotless every week. It also has accessories that I have never seen before in any of our churches such as magnets on the walls and backs of the doors to keep them open, a touch pad feature on the all of the locks to make locking and unlocking the doors less irritating, and a very high quality sound system throughout the church. However, my favorite part by far is the basketball court in the parking lot. It is probably the nicest goal I have seen my whole mission. 

Last pday while the Sorelle were emailing, I was able to shoot for 2 hours on a good goal with a good ball for the first time my whole mission. I almost felt like I was at home for the first time in forever. It felt so good to shoot again...even though I was terrible. Our pday ends at 6, so we planned to leave the church at 5:30 to go get some stuff from our apartment before we went out to visit some people Monday night. I was really sad when it was 5:30 cause I just wanted to stay and shoot hoops all night. But we left. 

At 6, Francesca (awesome lady who brings us food to our place all the time) called and asked if she could bring us over more food (3rd time in 8 days to be exact). After she gave us the food she asked us what we were doing the rest of the night. We told her we were going to visit a friend named Gianmarco down in Ibla. When we told her we were going to walk, she said we were crazy cause it was raining outside, so she offered to give us a ride. In the car, she asked us who Gianmarco was and when he was excpecting us. The truth was neither of us had ever met him, and we did not have an appointment set. He was an ex-investigator we found in the area book we decided to pass by. She called us absolutely crazy for wanting to walk down to Ibla (30 minute walk downhill, 1 hour walk back uphill) in the rain to meet someone we didnt know or have an appointment with. But I knew we werent crazy, because the night before we prayed during daily planning as to who we should visit. We looked over about 12 peoples records and felt good about Gianmarco, so we chose his name. She reluctantly dropped us off, and we soon found out that he had moved. We started to walk  back up from Ibla to Ragusa which is a hike. 10 minutes into our walk uphill a lady stopped us and asked if we wanted a ride up to our church at Ragusa. We obviously accepted and soon found out that the missionaries invited her 18 year old son to play basketball with them 1 year ago and they were really nice to him. We got in her car, picked up her son from a tutor and they drove us back up to the church. This woman and her son asked us in the car all about our missions and our beliefs and we talked for about 10 minutes in the parking lot once we got to the church. I could feel the Spirit so strong. 

When we finished talking I realized we were standing right where I was playing basketball until 5:30 and how I didnt want to leave. Sharing the gospel with that mom and her son brought me more peace than I have ever felt on a basketball court. It was so clear to me that Heavenly Father knows what will bring us the most happiness, but he will never force it upon us. He wants us to choose it. I realized that when I seek his help as we did and Sunday night, make a plan, and then follow through with faith, He is always with me and miracles happen. That is why he asks us to trust him and lean not on our own understanding. That is a lesson I will never forget. 

We had a lot of fun this week too. We had a member take us and the sorelle to Modica which is a town nearby with some of the most famous chocolate in the world. I have never been a dark chocolate kind of guy, but that has definitely changed. They had 20 different types of dark chocolate to sample for free, and I tried them all then bought 4 huge bars of it. I ate them all in 2 days. We also had an English course student take us out to pizza for his birthday. English course is a really cool thing, because we can make such good friendships with people in a normal way...probably the only normal way to make a friend as a missionary. Gabe has been coming for a year or so I think, and he is way nice to us. He took us out to a really nice pizzeria Saturday night, then he came to church Sunday morning as well which was great.

This week I did something that I have never done before. I was going through the area book and looking for old friends of the missionaries who we may be able to contact again. I turns out the the Sorelle use to live in the apartment that we live in now. There were a lot of people who the sorelle taught and their information was left in our house. I found somewhere between 15 and 20 people who were really good friends of the sorelle, but never met the anziani. As missionaries we are always looking for people to serve and teach because that is what we do 24/7, and right now we dont have that much work. However, I had a feeling that I should give all those people over to the sorelle for them to contact. When I did that, I got the same feeling that I got on Monday night when Carimina and her son dropped us off at the church. I thought of the covenant when we make with God when we are baptized to lighten each others burderns. Even though I dont understand how, I came to realize that when I lighten others burdens, I am lightening my own. 

This week at District Meeting, I had everyone take a turn reading this quote by President Monson. We read it 6 times. "There is no higher end than this, that we should choose to accept his discipline and do his work throughout our lives. Nothing else, no other choice we make, can make of us what he can." I know that this is true. I also know that this is Gods work. I could feel that when I realized I was happier teaching than shooting hoops. I also knew that this was Gods work and not my own when we gave the Sorelle those names of people to go see. Im so grateful that we have a living prophet who guides us today just like all the prophets we read about in the Bible and Book of Mormon. 

Buon bracketology!

Anziano Smith 

Ragusa | week 1

3.9.2015

This whole past week has been surreal. I dont even know where to begin. 

Overall, Malta was a really difficult city for me to serve in for various reasons, but the Lord blessed me so much in my last couple days there. President De Carlos son, Aaron, got a concussion and was in the hospital. He asked us to take Damyan to visit him and see how he was doing. We met up with Damyan just a few minutes before we went, and he said, "Ive got a feeling that we will be able to recruit Aaron back tonight." Damyan is such an awesome guy. Aaron really appreciated our visit, and said he would love to meet with the missionaries again when he gets out of the hospital. 

The OKeeffes also had a farewell dinner for me that was unreal. He made 3 different types of fish that I loved, and I dont even like fish. After dinner he asked for a blessing because he has been sick for the past couple weeks. It was a really special blessing, not because of us, but because he had great faith in the power of the priesthood. That is one thing I have seen on my mission. The most spiritual moments have been when other people have had great faith, then the Lord can use us as his instrument more powerfully. It is because of that that I know that blessings do not come from us, they only come through us. Priesthood blessings truly do come from heaven. 

The morning I left Malta, I wrote a letter to Anziano Rasband thanking him for our time together. Initially I felt like we didnt get too much done in our 6 weeks together. I prayed that I would be able to remember some of the contributions we made in building the church and strengthening the members as I wrote him. I flipped through my journal and realized we did much more than I thought. As I wrote down 7 or 8 of our experiences I had an overwhelming feeling that the Lord was pleased with our efforts. We visited the sick together, we served our members, we strengthened the new members, we invited a few less actives back, we taught people on the streets and in their homes, we invited 2 people to be baptized, and we gave 3 priesthood blessings together. We also had a lot of unforgettable funny moments together that I wont put on my blog for now, haha. 

The past 3 days in Ragusa have been equally exciting and eventful. Sicilians are incredible. My first morning here a lady called us and told us she was bringing us over some food to our apartment at 1030. She gave us pasta, 4 jars of sauce for the pasta, 2 fresh loaves of bread, 2 bags of fruit, a jar of nutella, and some parmagiano for the pasta. I thanked her so much and told her I would see her on Sunday. She then told me she was not a Mormon, she was just a really good friend of the missionaries. That was Friday. Today is Monday and she is bringing us food again to the church at 4. The kindness is kind of confusing, but I am not complaining. 

It was a real pleasure to meet all the members on Sunday as well. The lesson in Elders Quorum as well as the talks in sacrament meeting where very spiritual, and almost everyone personally welcomed me. There are about 60 or 70 members here too. After church on Sunday we were invited over to Sorella Rollos house for lunch. The food was obviously exquisite...again. But the best part was hearing her testimony and learning about her conversion story. She told us how she wanted to be a missionary to her friends and family so bad, but no one would listen to her really. She said that she felt it was almost impossible to be a missionary here. We asked her how the missionaries found her and how she was converted. She said that there was one day where she felt the need to come closer to God than ever before and she prayed sincerely for help from Him. The next day the missionaries knocked on her door. I have heard several stories like that on my mission. It is such a strong witness to me that "miracles never cease." 

I am also really fortunate to be with companions with Anziano Di Donato. He definitely rivals for one of the funniest companions I have had. Each night when we come home, he films himself for 3-4 minutes talking about what happened that day that was funny and he compiles it together into a 20 minute movie every pday called the "Ragusa Report" which is modelled after the Colbert Report. It is hysterical. He sends it to his ex comps to keep them posted on what is going on. 

Well that is about all for this week. I am extremely happy to be here in Ragusa, and it is kind of sad to think I only have 11 more weeks of being a missionary. I am going to soak up every single day of it, because I love the mission. I am also going to try to take a lot more pictures here in Ragusa with my comp which should be easier since I bought a selfie stick a couple days ago. It has come in handy almost every day since I bought it. Happy March Madness. 

Anziano Smith