tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46793368414297007032024-03-13T10:17:56.695-07:00Anziano Burton 2013-2015Follow Elder Ky Burton through his best two years in northern Italy, serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-54761109303744403592015-01-21T03:30:00.000-08:002015-01-21T07:30:01.111-08:00Final Blog From Italy<i>All these deaths are really saddening. </i> [Two missionaries from our area have unexpectedly passed away this month] <i>I'm so sorry for their families. It's hard to be happy when others are mourning.</i><br />
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<i>9:23?? Whoa, I wasn't expecting that. Lots of travel ahead, I guess. And I have a room!!? Wow, I wasn't expecting that either! Ha! Cool! I had a dream last night that after appreciating the carpet, I literally flew to my bed and cried happily into my pillow. Somehow I think it'll be even better in real life... even if I can't fly.</i><br />
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<i>I'm excited too. I'm so excited. But... it's hard to leave Italy. And this perfect school of learning. But I'll talk about that more in a minute.</i><br />
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<i>Whew. This is weird.</i><br />
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<i>Well, here I am. The last PDay. The last time sitting in a nasty, creepy internet point and writing too fast for 90 minutes to a sliver of the people I love. Yesterday was a great "last full work day". We taught 2 lessons and found a new investigator, which is pretty awesome for an opening companionship in a city like this. I'm proud. And happy.</i><br />
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<i>Yeah, you read that right, I'm happy. I'm really happy. But it's a... sad kind of happy. Hmm.</i><br />
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<i>There are so many things I look forward to in the next week. Tomorrow I wake up early and head to Milano Centrale. There I'll take a little train to the Mission Office where we'll get situated, interviewed, and then... I dunno, whatever missionaries do when they finish. I've never gotten this far.</i><br />
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<i>Then we'll eat and sleep and get on a plane and fly home. Ha! Just thinking about that makes me shiver and giggle. It's weird.</i><br />
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<i>I wrote a poem, and I think that's how I'm going to finish this final blog. Well, maybe I'll say some closing remarks after the poem, but... anyway, here it is:</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<a name='more'></a><i>Oh, Italy</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>An old and battered building;</i><br />
<i>A window full of meat;</i><br />
<i>A thousand jagged cobblestones</i><br />
<i>Smoothed by a million feet;</i><br />
<i>An old man getting angry;</i><br />
<i>A young girl full of smoke.</i><br />
<i>She blows a sigh as I walk by</i><br />
<i>And struggle not to choke.</i><br />
<i>I used to see it differently</i><br />
<i>And with a softer eye.</i><br />
<i>Oh Italy, oh Italy...</i><br />
<i>It's time to say goodbye.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I used to say "Buongiorno!"</i><br />
<i>to most everyone I saw.</i><br />
<i>I looked at narrow streets</i><br />
<i>And even balconies in awe.</i><br />
<i>I came here with a purpose--</i><br />
<i>I came here with a song.</i><br />
<i>I'm leaving now with something else,</i><br />
<i>Because two years are long.</i><br />
<i>I could say they passed quickly</i><br />
<i>And I'd only partly lie.</i><br />
<i>Oh Italy, oh Italy...</i><br />
<i>It's hard to say goodbye.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>For though I'm disenchanted</i><br />
<i>By its tongue or for its age,</i><br />
<i>And though, by now, this country</i><br />
<i>Feels to me a kind of cage,</i><br />
<i>And while I lack the hope that light</i><br />
<i>Will soon or ever shine</i><br />
<i>Again upon the nation born</i><br />
<i>Of art and bread and wine,</i><br />
<i>You've settled deep inside me</i><br />
<i>And become a part of Ky.</i><br />
<i>Oh Italy, oh Italy...</i><br />
<i>I'll never say goodbye.</i><br />
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<i>I've learned so much out here. But I think the greatest thing I learned is how important my relationship with God is. I'm glad that we're friends, that I'm literally His son, that we've gotten to know each other so well, and that we have an eternity to keep at it.</i><br />
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<i>My favorite scripture is John 17:3 - "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." Something like that. I lost my scriptures, remember?</i><br />
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<i>I love you. So does God. Get to know Him, eh? It's life eternal.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>For the last time,</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i>Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-77913675825150881552015-01-14T03:30:00.000-08:002015-01-20T19:25:52.129-08:00Fixer Upper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Oh, man. I don't know what to say when it gets down to the wire. This is my second to last email. Sorry if the lack of missionary-y stuff makes it anticlimactic. Believe me, it's boring on my end, too.</i><br />
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<i>Last night I could barely sleep. There's just so much coming.</i><br />
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<i>I feel a lot of love. I feel the love of God for me, for all of you, and for this whole big wonderful mess we're in. I feel love from my friends and family, and I feel tons of love for them. It's great, it's all great.</i><br />
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<i>I'm going to miss Italy so much. We went up to Città Alta and got a great view from behind the Fortress. Wow. Hopefully I get to the opportunity to send some pictures home soon. Maybe later today. We wanted to go to a cool island in the middle of a lake, but it's raining. Uffa.</i><br />
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<i>I'm freezing cold. I should have brought my new coat that I bought last PDay. I love it, dark grey peacoat, super skinny and European. I'll wear it home. In nine days.</i><br />
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<a name='more'></a><i>I'll finish this off talking about something I didn't talk about for the last two weeks but wanted to but forgot. Sorry, the cold is making my brain not work. My chest keeps shivering and my hands barely move right. How appropriate, then, that I want to write a few paragraphs about what I learned from the movie FROZEN.</i><br />
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<i>I loved the movie, it was absolutely adorable. We got to watch it for Christmastime. I don't know if it's just how starved I am for entertainment and animation or if it was genuinely that good, but I absolutely loved every minute of the movie. Olaf was hilarious, I died laughing at his Summer song. "Winter's a good time to stay in and cuddle, but then in the summer I'll be a... HAPPY SNOWMAN!" BAAAHAHAHA!</i><br />
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<i>Elsa's "Let It Go" was obviously fantastic. Apparently all of America agreed with me. Every greenie sister than comes into the field is crazy about Frozen. Jed told me in Skype there was some kind of Frozen Fever that took over the States for a while. I'm glad I missed that, I got to enjoy it normally.</i><br />
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<i>But here's the eternal, spiritual lesson that I learned from that adorable movie that's been churning in my mind and connecting a lot of mission dots. It comes from the trolls' song "Fixer Upper", when the mother troll says these powerful words (or something like them):</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>We're not saying you can change him, 'cause people don't really change.</i><br />
<i>We're just saying that love's a power that magical and strange.</i><br />
<i>People make bad choices when they're mad or scared or stressed</i><br />
<i>But throw a little love their way and you'll bring out their best!</i><br />
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<i>That is so, so true. A beautiful, eternal truth. Do people really change? Well, they can change what they do, but who they are is eternal. We have existed forever and we will continue to exist forever. The point of the Plan of Happiness is to help us live forever and like it, close to the people we love. And what is love? Olaf teaches us that, too: putting someone else's needs above your own.</i><br />
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<i>Wow. I love that. If you're mad or scared or stressed, or you know someone who is, learn to love. Find love, give it, drink it in and share it. Get it from God, from your family, your friends. Forgive, let it go, move forward, make your own good choices. Love is such a strange, powerful magic, and I'm glad I got to learn so much about it here in Italy.</i><br />
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<i>God is the best teacher ever. I hope you're learning as much from Him as I am.</i><br />
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<i>Love,</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i>Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-71534021809772445212015-01-07T02:30:00.000-08:002015-01-09T15:31:45.166-08:00Love Light<i>Sorry, here's a really short one. I'm in a terrible position squished super close to the keyboard and I can barely type. Ugh.</i><br />
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<i>I saw Mattia Modugno on Sunday! His girlfriend (fiancee!) lives here in Bergamo so he came to visit for the New Year. He's like the bread around the sandwich of my mission. He's also my Italian brother and we love each other a lot. It was so great to see him. I think I'll see him again today.</i><br />
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<i>It was Anziano Hillyard's birthday yesterday, so we took some cool things (funicolare) up above Città Alta to a super nice restaurant with the greatest view of the valley. Oh, it was phenomenal, and the plate I ordered was so good. I'm going to miss that... I'm probably going to miss everything.</i><br />
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<i>Two more emails after this. I'll fill these two last weeks with light. I have come to love light and understanding more than anything, especially when it comes to other people. We fill each other with light through love. Beautiful, isn't it? I almost wish I could write a song.</i><br />
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<i>Love,</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i>Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-4668407499547873322014-12-31T08:35:00.000-08:002014-12-31T08:35:16.679-08:00Italian Snow<i>This week was better than last. Christmas was nice -- even if it never really felt like Christmas, but I'm glad I got to Skype my family -- and then on Saturday it SNOWED! One of the only things I wanted to see and hadn't yet was Italian snow. It was beautiful. We walked through centro and took the funicolare to Città Alta. I was in heaven: huge, slow snowflakes falling among the ancient buildings and brave evergreens, while adults dared to finally smile and children shrieked and danced in the streets. I'll admit I did a bit of skipping and giggling as well. Okay, a lot, actually. It was a dream come true, okay?</i><br />
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<i>Thanks for your faith in and prayers for the work here. When I saw Anziano Horrocks in Milano during transfers, he told me to find a man that he found a year ago while serving in this same branch. We did find him in the Area Book and were able to meet him yesterday. He's a worried young father with great morals and lots of respect. I'm excited to help him find a testimony of the Book of Mormon.</i><br />
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<a name='more'></a><i>Sorry for the short blog, but my hands are freezing and it's hard to type. (Other missionaries are always flabbergasted by how fast I type. I get in three times as many words as they do during our 90 minutes. Thanks for letting me practice for hours back home!) </i><i>I feel like I'm looking at the first rays of light, long before a sunrise. I know the beauty and warmth is coming, but it's still a good ways away. Three and a half weeks, to be exact. I'll admit it's exciting, but also scary. I have no idea what this next "day" of my life will bring. All I know is it's getting close, and I have a lot of people who love me to help me, not to mention 2 years of lifechanging experience and a loving God in Heaven.</i><br />
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<i>Happy New Year, everyone. 2015 has long been a symbol for "the rest of my life". Thanks to these two long, hard years full of understanding, light, and learning, 2015 is brighter than ever.</i><br />
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<i>Buon Anno,</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i>Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-2230926509489811382014-12-24T16:48:00.000-08:002014-12-24T16:48:17.001-08:00A Truly Magical Moment<i>Buon Natale!</i><br />
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<i>I got an onslaught of other envelopes from a bunch of people out of the blue, so I'll be busy responding to all of you kind folk over the next few weeks. Thanks for the Christmas love and well wishes! They are returned wholeheartedly, e per lo più in italiano.</i><br />
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<i>We caroled several times this week. I might pop up on YouTube somewhere: I stood up on a little stone column in centro and sang O Holy Night at the top of my lungs. Passerbys took videos and the whole piazza got silent to listen. A truly magical moment for me.</i><br />
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<i>But now we're all sick, ha! All four of us in the apartment have caught a little cold. We finally taught our first lesson as a companionship this week, and I think the work will pick up a bit after the holidays. That's a nice thought. For now we're trying to rest and get our voices back so that we can talk to our families tomorrow.</i><br />
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<a name='more'></a><i>My companion's name is Anziano Hillyard. He's from Idaho Falls, is tall and lanky and quiet, and we get along great. Maybe I'll get the chance to send some pictures from the church later today. If not... well, one more month isn't gonna hurt anybody. I've always liked words more than pictures, anyway.</i><br />
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<i>One more month. Huh. That's weird.</i><br />
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<i>So things are going well here in Bergamo. I'm happier than I thought I'd be. I miss my dear friends in Reggio and often wonder what might have been, but the members have been very kind to us here, I've already gotten to sing for District Meeting, Sacrament Meeting, a Talent Show, and while caroling, and it's good to meet new people and make new friends. Maybe that's the most amazing thing about friendship in the end: it's not a </i>substance<i>. It doesn't run out. It's infinite, and we can share it infinitely.</i><br />
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<i>There are a lot of eternal things, and they are by far the most important. Remember that you and I are eternal, too, and that we matter. Let's make sure we're all aware of that together this Christmas Season.</i><br />
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<i>Con tanto affetto,</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i>Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-90026050598036370192014-12-17T03:30:00.000-08:002014-12-17T12:52:28.960-08:00Sing Up in Città Alta<i>I had tons of emails today and I'm technically out of time already. But I'll write as fast as I can and answer some of these questions.</i><br />
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<i>First of all, thanks to everyone for the kind words based on last week's email. I got lots of compliments, encouragement, and love. I appreciate it more than you all realize, so thank you.</i><br />
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<i>Here are my mom's words: </i><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">So, tell all! The good, the better, and the best. Living quarters, companion in three adjectives, ward level, dinner menu, favorite line to say to strangers, areas you will be most effective here, just pour on the details.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Good</span>:</i><br />
<i>Going to Milano for transfers was super fun. I got to see Anziano Kessler! I freaked out as I walked up to him. He saw my smile and laughed, "Okay, just don't start crying!" And we hugged like father and son. He's headed to Ancona! I hope he says Hi to Paolo for me.</i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Better</span>:</i><br />
<i>This city is gorgeous, especially Città Alta, which is in MY area! Yeah, of the 12 ways that Bergamo is divided, I happened to get the most gorgeous part of the city. It's old and... just super cool. Look it up.</i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Best</span>:</i><br />
<i>The guys I live with here are amazing! Everyone's so different, so fun, and I think we're all gonna get along really well here. So that's nice.</i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"></span></i><br />
<a name='more'></a><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Living quarters</span>:</i><br />
<i>Super tiny, but really nice. Close to our area. Unlimited hot water, which is almost unheard of in Italy. Yay!</i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Companion in three adjectives</span>:</i><br />
<i>Witty, quiet, and FILM-GEEK! Woo hoooo!</i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Ward level</span>:</i><br />
<i>There are 2 wards here and 1 branch. We're in the branch. The church building is huge and in a really cool place. We take a tram to get there. We also have a center for the GANS (youth) here in the city, really cool.</i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Dinner menu</span>:</i><br />
<i>Ha! Yeah, we don't eat dinner in this mission.</i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Favorite line to say to strangers</span>:</i><br />
<i>"Buon Natale!"</i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Areas you will be most effective</span>:</i><br />
<i>I'm gonna try to sing up in Città Alta. The members of the branch are thrilled that I can play the piano. I guess it's been a long time singing a capella.</i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Details</span>:</i><br />
<i>I'll get to that next week.</i><br />
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<i>So things are looking pretty good. I'm still a little emotional thinking of Reggio and I get jealous if I think of all of them hanging out at Bishop's house for Christmas, but I can tell that this is a great place to finish the mission and it'll give me a good opportunity to keep working and use everything I've learned. Which is a lot, I'm realizing.</i><br />
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<i>Love and Christmas cheer to all!</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i>Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-37600954439784817692014-12-10T08:36:00.001-08:002014-12-10T08:36:43.210-08:00It's So Hard to Say Goodbye<i>Here's the last email I'll be sending from Reggio Emilia. On Saturday we got transfer calls, and I was surprised to learn that our companionship is being closed. Both Anziano Smith and I are going to different cities while Anziani Stoll and Vaclaw will take over all of our work and serve with only the sisters here in Reggio.</i><br />
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<i>I'm going to be really honest in this email, so those of your with weak emotional constitutions may want to click over to YouTube and watch cute cat videos instead.</i><br />
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<i>I can't believe this is happening. My first emotions were all just sad. A few times I've felt angry, but only at myself. If we had found more, taught more, and baptized more, would the companionship have stayed open? I don't know.</i><br />
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<i>I've made dear, dear friends over the last six months here in Reggio. And I only have six weeks left. I thought surely that I would stay here to finish the mission. Instead, I'm being flung from Roberto, Marco, Godfrey, Festus, Emanuele, Sebastian, Vescovo, the English class students... Sorella Quinton... Anziano Stoll......</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>And all right before Christmastime.</i><br />
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<a name='more'></a><i>They'll all stay here. Anziano Smith will continue on to beautiful Verona, my favorite city in the world, where he will continue into the second year of his mission. The rest will stay in Reggio and celebrate together, laughing and eating and enjoying the beautiful lights in Centro and the love of the members I've worked with for so long.</i><br />
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<i>Me? I'm headed to a city I'll barely get to know, with a bunch of people I've never met, just to trudge lonely through the holidays and freeze up in the mountains until I slide back down to Milano and get on a plane.</i><br />
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<i>I keep asking why, and I am getting answers. Maybe there's someone in Bergamo I need to meet. </i><br />
<i> And I keep hearing that Bergamo is an absolutely gorgeous place, so that's nice. And in all reality it's only six weeks, so it's not that big of a deal. It'll pass quickly. It's just the timing, I guess, and the feeling that God is so </i>aware <i>of what he's doing to me.</i><br />
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<i>He is. I'm sure He knows what He's doing. And I'm glad that the mission has brought me to that trust. I've learned so much from my friends here, especially Anziano Stoll. He may be one of the best friends I've ever made. He has such a love for Christ, and for everyone. It's so hard to say goodbye.</i><br />
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<i>I really changed here in Reggio. I'll have to tell you all about it one day. It's amazing, really, how much about the way I think and believe and feel has totally changed for the better.</i><br />
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<i>And maybe that's the point in the end. Maybe we learn the most when we're the least comfortable. God noticed that I was getting too comfortable here in Reggio and learning less than I can somewhere else. So He's booting me out. And while it might smart at first, I bet I'll gleam something beautiful out of it in the end. There's beauty in everything. Gather light.</i><br />
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<i>This was a lot longer than I thought it'd be. Anyway, I love you guys. Say an extra prayer or two as I try to discover what our God in Heaven has in store. One more door... one more day... one day more.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Addio, Reggio.</i><br />
Anziano BurtonDionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-57244227492421362782014-12-03T03:30:00.000-08:002014-12-04T20:05:41.266-08:00There's So Much to Love<i>Thanksgiving went fine over here in Italy. They don't even really know what it is, so we tossed stuff about gratitude into lots of lessons and English Class. That was a lot of fun, getting our students to think about and express in another language what they are grateful for. Even in difficult circumstances, there's so much to love.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Love has been more and more important to me. I think I really learned about love in November of 2014. I'll be grateful forever to Heavenly Father for the lovable people He put in my path. Those feelings were missing.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Now it's suddenly December, and you can tell in our apartment. We're singing Christmas songs like nobody's business. Anziano Vaclaw, the new guy in the apartment, is a really good singer and an excellent harmonizer. He and I are like songbirds, singing about sleighbells and winter wonderlands as one of us hangs up laundry and the other makes a sandwich, ha!</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<a name='more'></a><i>Everyone's telling me how close I am to finishing. It doesn't feel all that close... until I look at a calendar. Even so, eight weeks is a long time. Lives change in a fraction of eight weeks. Hopefully I can continue to change for the better and inspire someone else to do the same.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I'm praying a lot lately and thinking about how we communicate with God. I think He's always trying to talk with us. It's not that we need to get better at talking to Him, but listening to Him. Lots of people get that mixed up, I think.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The weather is grey and cold and cloudy. Yay! Everyone but me is talking about how much they miss the sunshine. For me it just reinforces my idea of living in Seattle someday.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I love you guys, and I believe you love me. That's an amazing feeling, and I hope it never leaves. Honesty and trust are crucial in communication. That's another thing I've learned a lot about out here: sharing ideas. I remember when my mom was going back to college and taught me about filters of communication. That has taken on a huge meaning here in Italy. I'm trying my best to communicate my observations with others through many, many filters. I just want to understand, and to help others understand. Maybe it'll be easier in English.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Ciao tutti,</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i>Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-43955211378968304642014-11-26T20:52:00.001-08:002014-11-26T20:52:46.057-08:00Look OutI've been writing lots of songs lately and thinking about words. It's amazing how we can string together a bunch of lines and curves and communicate ideas beyond images: we can share emotion, questions, answers, and who knows what else? Music is eternal.<br />
<br />
My gut hurts. I think it's stress. I'm trying to zen and let things go and just keep going. F'naaa. It's hard. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited for life back home, but the last thing I ever want to do is leave Italy. Conflict. I guess there has to be opposition in all things.<br />
<br />
Not much to say this week. Thanksgiving is coming up. I'll just write a list of what I'm thankful for.<br />
<br />
I'm most thankful for God, and that He talks to me.<br />
I'm thankful that I'm learning how to hear Him better.<br />
I'm thankful for all the things I've learned out here.<br />
I'm thankful for family and that I know what it means now.<br />
I'm thankful for friends, and that they mean everything to me.<br />
I'm thankful for love, because it's the reason for every good thing.<br />
I'm thankful for music.<br />
I'm thankful for stories.<br />
I'm thankful for moments where life feels like a movie.<br />
I'm thankful for sacrifice, and what it teaches me.<br />
I'm thankful for all the missionaries who have reached out and loved me.<br />
I'm thankful that I got to help other missionaries.<br />
I'm thankful for the families that made me feel at home.<br />
I'm thankful for understanding and wisdom.<br />
I'm thankful for light.<br />
I'm thankful for the internet.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I could go on forever, but I think that list is pretty comprehensive as far as my current thoughts go.<br />
<br />
Write down some of the things you're thankful for this year in a journal or another special place. A thankful heart is a happy heart, and this time of year helps us look outside ourselves. One thing that's been bothering me is how self-focused many Italians are. Hopefully I can find the ones that God has taught to look out. He always looks out.<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Anziano BurtonDionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-54925455778444494982014-11-20T03:00:00.000-08:002014-11-23T14:52:12.964-08:00Sento Qualcosa!<i>I heard that President Eyring went to the Vatican. That's so great. The weird thing about Italy is that there is not much communication from region to region. There's really no such thing as an "Italian", just Veneti and Napoletani and Siciliani and Romani. </i><i>The members of the church here are an amazing example of strong family life. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Sorry for not having emailed yesterday, but we went up to Verona for the conference. We ended up only having about 10 minutes to practice as the choir, but they were all talented singers and the performance went fine. The conference was fantastic, all about increasing every area of performance by just 1%. It looks like nothing at first, but if we continue with 1% increases in every field, the eventual improvement is dramatic. Elder and Sister Fingerle came from Germany for the presentation. They were wonderful.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>After the conference, there in Verona, I saw and heard from a few families I used to visit often, just about a year ago. They remembered me by name and were so happy to see me. I nearly burst. I love Verona and its wonderful people.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>There's a family here in Reggio I'm falling in love with, too. They're from Venezuela. The uncle, Elviro, is a member since two years ago. The father of the family and his 9 and 7 year old children are not yet members. We've been working with them as a family and I've been experiencing some of the best moments of the mission. I loooove family, and I love children. I especially love when little girls say a prayer, look up at their father, point to their chest, and say, "Sento qualcosa!" I feel something.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>It's true. It's so true, and she knows it. She felt it. So can I. I cried on the bike ride home.</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<a name='more'></a><i>I'm happy for Jed and his new responsibilities</i> [as a home teacher!]<i>, I'm praying for Audrey and her probation within a probation, I think of Gentry every day and love her more than 10 Veronas, and I thank every friend, church leader, and agent (wink) that write to me words of love and encouragement that God asked them to give a troubled soul.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Love is so important. I'm learning so much about love here in Reggio Emilia. I saw so many missionaries that I love in Verona. It's the best feeling ever.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Love,</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i>Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-87043875378620354302014-11-12T18:08:00.000-08:002014-11-12T18:08:01.359-08:00Normal<i>I can't stand the wind. It's funny you'd write about it, Mom. The other week it was super windy here in Reggio and I remembered how windy it gets back in Pasco. Yuck. They say it'll snow here during the winter. I sure hope so -- I haven't seen la neve in Italy. I had a dream it snowed. My dreams are getting more and more realistic lately. I wonder if that's good or bad. It's sure boring.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>It's really weird to think I'll be bilingual when I come home. Er, I already am bilingual, I guess. It's cute to read through my first journals. All I ever talk about is how badly I want to understand and speak Italian. Now, as long as the conversation stays in regular territory, I can communicate as easily as I do in English. My dreams frequently feature Italian. It's all the things I wanted in the first months, and now it's all so... normal.</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<a name='more'></a><i>That's one tough thing about the mission, I think. I am living a literal adventure. And yet, after doing it for so long, even the most bizarre experiences are like... "Meh. I've seen it before." And it's true! I've seen so much crazy stuff out here and met so many people that everything kinda blends together.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>That's not to say I don't love every minute of it. Sure, the mission is hard sometimes and can be boring other times and is even scary or stressful, but what I mean to say is that right now it seems normal. One day I'll look back at all this and say, "What? I did all that!?"</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>This week is rainy and grey. Yay! We ate lunch at Roberto's house yesterday, one of my all-time favorite investigators. Well, he's more of a friend than an investigator, but he recognizes the positivity we bring into his life. Light. Everyone needs it, and they love it when they recognize it. He's a sixty something year old man with the mind of an Einstein and the soul of a six-year old. I love him, he's the one who gave me a typewriter. The food we eat at his house is to die for, and our conversation is lively and interesting. He even prayed at the end of our meeting after we talked about the prodigal son. It's beautiful to see people's faces after they break down and say a prayer, ha! They surprise themselves, I think, with how real it feels.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Next week we'll go to Verona. Yay! Big things coming up for the Italy Milan Mission.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Love,</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i>Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-7974841447469426642014-11-05T10:39:00.000-08:002014-11-05T10:39:12.215-08:00There Ya Go<i>The autumn days are cold and wet</i><br />
<i>In Reggio nell'Emilia.</i><br />
<i>The other elders here regret</i><br />
<i>The weather unfamiliar.</i><br />
<i>But I, from rainy Washington,</i><br />
<i>Pretend to be at home,</i><br />
<i>Even though my farming town</i><br />
<i>Is drier than a bone.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I just made that up right now. Guess I've still got it, ha! Reminds me most of English Class. We've gotten to the point that people come just to hang out with us Americans, play games while they conversate in English, and hear the nice, feel-good spiritual thoughts we offer at the end of every lesson. We've done classes on poetry and autumn lately, so there ya go.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I can't think of anything interesting that happened this week. Oh, except TRANSFERS. Heheh. Anziano Vaclaw is awesome. He fits in super well and has a little bit of each of our personalities. Plus he's a really good singer, so we're harmonizing all over the apartment. It's great.</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<a name='more'></a><i>I'm not the District Leader anymore. At first I was really upset by that, and felt that I had done something wrong: it's not often that someone stays in the same city and has that position flat out taken away. But Anziano Stoll and I had a nice conversation about it where he helped me realize that someone else needs to the experience now, and that President (and the Lord) trusts me to be a good missionary without any kind of special title. So here I go, back into a world without responsibility (heh... yeah right).</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I bought a super awesome sweater at H&M that I love. This will remind me of Italy for as long as it lasts. It's amazing how much we place our memories into objects, songs, or cities. All I have to do is think the word "Verona" and a flood of delicious emotions and experiences come back. Memory is amazing and so important, especially in the gospel. Remember, remember...</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>We're going to Verona in a couple of weeks. An Area Authority is doing a tour and our Zone is headed up there. I've been assigned to call missionaries in </i>five<i> surrounding zones to organize a choir. I have a week to decide who's in it and we'll have 30 minutes to practice before the meeting. Uh oh. Wish me luck. Sometimes it's hard to be knows as the Musician.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Love,</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i>Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-51943227360664857362014-10-29T05:00:00.000-07:002014-10-30T10:54:24.408-07:00Another 6 Weeks<i>(deep breath)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!</i><br />
<i>HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!</i><br />
<i>HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR GENTRY AND JEEEEEEEED!</i><br />
<i>HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOOOOUU!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I'd sing it in Italian, but I don't think you'd understand. Besides, the origins of the word </i>auguri<i> are super creepy.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Anyway, happy birthday, little g and Big J! It's weird to have both of your birthdays in the same week, but also super fun. I can't remember when either of you were born, but I do remember how much I loved you both as babies. Why, I still love you both as much as I love babies!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Gentry's 16 as of yesterday (I think you'll get my letter on Halloween, g. Sorry it's late!) and Jed's turning 14 on November 2 (that's the last day of my 14th Transfer, so for one day we'll both for 14!). I can't believe how old my gorgeous little siblings are getting, and that they're just gonna keep on growing until Jed's on a mission in France and Gentry's taking her kids to soccer. Ha! I'll probably be recording a new song...in Mom's basement.</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<a name='more'></a><i>Here's all the Transfer News: I'm staying here in Reggio with Anziano Smith for a third transfer. </i><br />
<i>This is the first time I'll be with a companion for so long, so it's a good thing he's so harmless. Anziano Stoll is staying (yay!), and Anziano Espinosa is going to Genova. That's one of the prettiest cities in the mission and we're all really happy for him. He's been in this same Zone for a year already. We'll miss his personality, which is forever tied to this city for me, but he's going on to bigger and better things.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I love our Bishop and his family here and I'm starting to get to know them better. I'm glad I have another 6 weeks at least to continue that. It's weird, though, that I only have one more transfer call that matters. It's unlikely that I'll go to a new city in six weeks just to spend my last six weeks in a brand new place. But we'll see.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Anziano Vaclaw is coming in to serve with Stoll. He was in Kessler's group, so I know him a bit. He has a little of each of our personalities, so I think he'll be a great addition to this crazy District. We'll also get a brand new sister! Sorella Quinton is training! We're all really pumped for that.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Okay, out of time. Have a great week as I head into my 15th Trasffnweobjiwfrrr... (faints).</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Breathing,</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i>Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-37667277530387767852014-10-22T18:41:00.004-07:002014-10-22T18:41:59.874-07:00Be Where You Are<i>We had a fine week. The weather has been mostly cold, with one grueling exception. Yesterday was too hot for comfort in comparison to the autumn chill settling over northern Italy. Hopefully that doesn't happen again. It's delightful today, even if my slow-moving fingers don't agree.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Parma, the city just 10 minutes away and that makes up part of our area, was flooded last week. Lots of missionaries went to help clean up the mud that had devastated lots of the buildings and streets. Thanks for previous engagements we didn't get to go, but I'm glad that there are so many missionaries and members available and willing to jump at the chance to serve.</i><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<i>A cell phone tower was struck by lightning in the same storm. It killed all cell-phones in the area for two days. Maybe I already wrote about this, I don't remember when it happened. It was such a shock, though, how differently the world spun without cell phones. I was surprised at how handicapped we all felt by the loss -- especially members and folks on the street, but even us missionaries who feel like we hardly use the phone at all.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>It's amazing to think that just 20 years ago (or even 10 years ago, I guess), the cell phone was nowhere near the center of our social attention. Now a cell phone may as well be a person's soul, or so it seems. I'm glad the mission is teaching me to be the master of my tools, rather than the other way around. One phrase rolling through my head since the cell black out, as I watched people scramble around for some sort of solution on the streets, eyes glued to the screens in their palms as they nearly ran into poles, bikers, and other distracted human beings, is this:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Sii dove sei<i>. Be where you are.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>That's a motto I hope to adopt for the rest of my life. There's nothing wrong with cell phones or technology or anything like that. In fact, they're all wonderful, helpful things, geared towards our heightened rates of progress! And yet we must be careful that we act, and not be acted upon.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Love,</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i>Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-48575561886538005992014-10-15T06:42:00.000-07:002014-10-16T06:43:01.100-07:00Eterno is my Favorite Word<i>Well, I can't say I'm a huge fan of football... but I am a huge fan of light. I'm basing almost everything I do and think about on the symbols I realize God has presented us in Light and Seeds. I'm guessing Water and Earth are going to because important to me as well, but maybe that'll take a trip to Japan or something.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>For now, I'm grateful for the light I have already received from God, especially that bit that taught me "there is as much to learn as the eternities will allow". And that's a beautiful concept to me, because I have come to believe that progress IS happiness.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>We had lots of rain this week. So much that something was flooded in Parma and thousands of phones in this section of Italy stopped working for two days. It's amazing how much society has centered itself around our feeble technology. It seemed like half of life essentially shut down. And though it was a little nervewracking not to be able to contact the District or our investigators for two days, there was something very... relaxing about not having instead communication access. I can't imagine how people lived in the 1800s... or even in the 1980s!</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<a name='more'></a><i>So this week was marked with lots of personal study and reading (I've developed such a love for reading out here), lots of rain and AnzBurtonish weather (which makes me so happy while others seem to get down), fun English classes (we made them do Who's Line Is It, Anyway? type improv, ha!), and a trip to Modena for an interview with President. I got lots of mail from loved ones that I'll reply to throughout October.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I'll finish off with a couple of great quotes I read and wrote down this week:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Though argument does not create conviction, the lack of it destroys belief."</i><br />
<i>- Austin Farrer</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Christ says, 'Give me all. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it....'"</i><br />
<i>- C. S. Lewis</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"...religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens."</i><br />
<i>- George Washington</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"In this probation, we have evil to contend with, and we must overcome it in ourselves, or we never shall overcome it anywhere else."</i><br />
<i>- Brigham Young</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Fill your spheres with light, brothers and sisters, and God will trust you with a bigger sphere. And that cycle with continue forever. Eterno is my favorite word.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Love,</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i>Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-91202549003385631112014-10-08T07:24:00.000-07:002014-10-08T07:24:33.569-07:00Better Leads to Best<i>Yes, Mom, GenCon was wonderful! We had several technical difficulties since the missionaries were suddenly in charge of everything, but we got it worked out and ended up listening to many beautiful talks. I was thrilled with the foreign language speakers, and there's no way I could pick a favorite (although off the top of my head I'd say it was Elder Christofferson's on Justice and Mercy. <a href="https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/free-forever-to-act-for-themselves?lang=eng&media=video#watch=video">watch it</a> Amazing!) </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Unfortunately we don't get to watch the last session on Sunday Afternoon because of the time difference and the missionary schedule. I've heard it was good, though. I love Conference. Weird to think that this was my last one in Italy. I've already done four of these? Unbelievable. And the next time I'm inspired by modern prophets, it'll be in the comfort of a home. And I'll get to watch the whole thing. Weird to think about.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>How goes the work, you ask? Well, what can I say? It goes. Things are happening. Good things are happening. The District is having fun and working together. We're enjoying the Fall weather rolling it and pulling on our sweaters and thicker socks. I love that the bugs go away and the clouds keep it cool. Goodness, I love Autumn. Weird to think that last time this weather came around I was in Verona. I love Verona.</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<a name='more'></a><i>We're working on filling people with light. That's the District Vision I came up with for this transfer. Jesus Christ is the source of infinite light, and we are on a journey to gather as much as we can (I loved that talk, too, gathering celestial light. <a href="https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/receiving-a-testimony-of-light-and-truth?lang=eng&media=video">read it</a> Gorgeous!). As our sphere fills with light -- truth, intelligence, knowledge, love -- we are able to shine bright for those still dim. No one can force another to gather their own light and fill their own spheres, but we are able to teach and invite. We're trying to find the ones who will react to those invitations and teach those who are willing to receive us. I don't know how many there are, but I believe they're out there.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Those are some dense paragraphs. I think I'll close out with my very favorite line from Conference, <a href="https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/choose-wisely?lang=eng">see it</a> and one I hope to run through my mind with great frequency:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Will this make you a better person?"</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Every single choice we make should lead to our personal progress. That question is a great way to analyze whether or not a choice will push us forward or pull us back. Ask yourself frequently if your choices will make you a better person, because better and better leads to best. Be ye therefore perfect.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Love,</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i>Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-57132570925197097452014-10-01T07:36:00.000-07:002014-10-01T07:36:50.766-07:00Moving Forward<i>A fun thing: I saw your car this week! It drove down the street I live on. Exact same Volkswagon Passat, even down to the color. It was really weird, because you almost NEVER see cars with a trunk here in Italy. My gut flipped.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I'm so excited for GenCon this week! I've been pumping myself up for months... pretty much since last April. I love everything about October, it's my favorite month for lots of reasons. Especially because it starts with GenCon! And it ends with my favorite Holiday! And somewhere in there is the birthday of a very special someone who I love so very very much!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Things are going well here in Reggio Emilia. A lot of our investigators are really starting to love and trust us. I'm convinced that there's something about colder weather than pulls people closer together. Maybe that's why I love the winter so much, because I'm way more interested in the warmth of a person's heart than that of the sun. Besides, I hate being sweaty.</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<a name='more'></a><i>I need a haircut. Interviews with President are coming up. I'll have to renew my temple reccomend, which is really exciting. I can't wait to attend the temple again in 2015.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I did a scambio this week with Anziano McKinnon. It was an amazing and enlightening experience, serving a day with your MTC companion more than a year of experience later. We've both matured a lot, even though we joked around like a couple of little kids sometimes. We talked about some silly arguments we had in the MTC and told each other lots of mission stories and lessons learned. It's incredible how much people change and grow, and yet they're still them. There's just forward and back, forward and back. Anziano McKinnon has taken huge steps forward, and I'm proud of him and his success.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Make sure you're moving forward, too. It seems like I'm surrounded by progressing people right now, which is a wonderful feeling. You choose every step you take, don't ever forget that. Prepare yourself now for a glorious future, because it's coming. And it's coming fast.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Love,</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i>Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-18044303957887892612014-09-24T10:12:00.000-07:002014-09-24T10:16:32.194-07:00Bingo.<i>Oye, what to write this week. Things just blur together. I'm sure I had some cool experiences.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>We casa'd into a group of 4 college age kids who actually listened to our spiel on the Restoration and accepted a return appointment to receive copies of the Book to read for themselves. That was pretty great.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>English class was fun, as usual. We had everyone write letters to each other while I played nice songs on the piano. They actually loved getting to practice reading and writing. I love letters.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Anziano Espinosa and I did a scambio this last week. An appointment of ours was cancelled, so we suddenly decided to hop on a tiny train that passes through the itty-bitty towns surrounding Reggio Emilia and get off when we felt like it.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>We landed in a super tiny city and started walking around. A young boy I guessed was Albanian was standing on the sidewalk using his phone. We started talking to him and he didn't seem very interested. Then I started speaking the little bits of Albanian that I knew from Anziano Hallulli, and he seemed to like that.</i><br />
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<i>We ended up teaching him about the Plan of Salvation after asking, "If you could ask one question to God, what would it be?" His response: "What comes after this life." Bingo. We taught him.</i><br />
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<i>We're going to bring him an Albanian Book of Mormon soon so that his mother can read along. He was 14 years old. Makes me think of Jed. I love families.</i><br />
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<i>We went out to have lunch with a member who lives a long bus ride out of town, but he wasn't home. So we crossed the street and ate a pizzeria instead. Ha! It was delicious, I'll miss the pizza here so much someday.</i><br />
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<i>It's getting cold, which is wonderful. It also makes the hot days that pop up every once in a while even less bearable. But I'm glad to be pulling out the sweaters and long sleeve shirts. That means General Conference is coming up! Wooohooo!!! I love GenCon!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>So the work's moving along. We have yet to meet with our new ward mission leader, but I think he's really going to do his best and make some cool changes. I'm excited to see what differences rise this transfer compared to the last. I'm especially happy to have Anziano McKinnon (my MTC companion) in my District now. That means I'll get to do a companionship exchange with him. Talk about a big circle!</i><br />
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<i>I'm trying to read the Book of Mormon in Italian before I finish the mission. I'm behind on the schedule that I made for myself, but it's amazing how much I learn from studying familiar things in another language. Makes me wish everyone had the chance to learn a second tongue. If you ever get the chance, take it! It's an amazing experience.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Life is an amazing experience. Sometimes it's a slow, sad ride, but other times it's delightful and inspiring. Right now, for me, it's somewhere in the middle. But I'm looking up.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Molto amore,</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i><br />
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<br />Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-43874370523181091662014-09-17T09:59:00.000-07:002014-09-24T10:43:05.374-07:00Doing Good<i>You may or may not notice that I'm writing this rather late. We went to the mountains today to check out a castle. It was a great adventure, but also a long one that included missing trains and surprising separations. All is well, and I'll certainly sleep well tonight.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I'm glad my family got my most recent letters. My mom asked me how I am -- just like that, "How are you?" The simplicity makes me think she's worried, but maybe I'm reading too deeply into things.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I'm doing... good. Not well, but good. I mean, I'm actually doing good things. Not all the time, and not as good of things as I probably could be doing, but I do notice day by day how much good I am able to do for others. It's amazing and humbling and beautiful. I feel closer to God.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I love Mormon messages. Anziano Espinosa has downloaded tons of them and we watch them in the apartment frequently. Some of the more recent ones are terrific! Especially "Hope of God's Light." <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w49_1a9X0Q">video</a></i><br />
<i></i><br />
<a name='more'></a><i>Anziano Espinosa also crashed on his bike today. He hurt his wrist pretty bad and ripped off a lot of skin. I've been warning him to be more careful on his bike for 2 transfers. I guess that if you don't listen to the warning from his servants, God gets a bit louder. Ha! He protects His own through many means.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep. Nothing is changing in Transfers... which I'm okay with, I guess. It's getting to the point that my last changes are coming. Next week I'll be in my 14th Transfer. Yeesh. We have a new Zone Leader and one new sister in the District, so that'll spice stuff up enough to get a few new flavors. We'll see how another six weeks in Reggio has in store for me.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Love,</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i>MOM: </i><br />
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<i>Have you read or listened to Cleon Skousen?</i>Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-76158805544798441942014-09-10T03:30:00.000-07:002014-09-12T14:39:36.433-07:00Prepared People<i>This week was nice. It got hot for a few days, but rain swept in last night and cooled my world down. I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful for so many things.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>An investigator I really love -- the same one who gave me the typewriter -- came to church for the first time this last week. I was thrilled to see him, and he was touched by several testimonies borne.</i><br />
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<i>There is a great treasure of knowledge to find in the Book of Mormon. One can read that book a hundred times and get new insights into the mind and heart of our Heavenly Father with each experience. And what an experience it is! I love the book and all I'm learning from it. I encourage those of you who want a stronger relationship with God to study it and pray.</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<a name='more'></a><i>Let's see, what else... oh, right we went to VERONA this week! We had a Zone Conference on Thursday. I dressed in my grey skinny suit and my new brown shoes and felt like €1.000.000. Nearly the whole zone rode together on trains to my favorite city in the world, and the conference was terrific. We learned so much, I got to see the Senior Couples I love, and I even ran into one of the members I used to meet with. A man also stopped me in the train station as we arrived, pointed to my tag, and asked, "Joseph Smith?" I ended up talking to him with Anziano Richardson, my awesome Zone Leader, about meeting the missionaries in Verona. He'd already read 1 Nephi. Prepared people are out there.</i><br />
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<i>I'm out of time, but one more funny story: On the way home after Verona, us missionaries got a whole section of the train to ourselves. And what did we do with that privacy? We sang folksy versions of hymns at the tops of our lungs, ha! It was a fantastic experience I'll never forget.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Love,</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i>Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-9275935235052496032014-09-03T20:06:00.000-07:002014-09-03T20:06:47.387-07:00I love September<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i>Wow, so Audrey's in Mexico, eh? I think that hits me more than it hits any of you who might read this, even Mom. I pray for her and wish her the best of inspiration.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjdy5Ha6CpJxg9OqGtZTpyzygRNBijMWVd2VNJFtQ7VLa7vEqcDVf9Y2QOHIpU97tIPFUiO6dsch5kvbXlG_Z_wwKVtStKtay-PRtYA6XSAC99AtqB6r4zoOZQtcniBrYNnkoKhwaX3M/s1600/photo+(8).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjdy5Ha6CpJxg9OqGtZTpyzygRNBijMWVd2VNJFtQ7VLa7vEqcDVf9Y2QOHIpU97tIPFUiO6dsch5kvbXlG_Z_wwKVtStKtay-PRtYA6XSAC99AtqB6r4zoOZQtcniBrYNnkoKhwaX3M/s1600/photo+(8).JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pictures! Sorry, it's been a while.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*drinking from the waters of life (or something) *</span></i><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">playing basketball for the last time in Ancona</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*the silliest apartment ever (me and Edwards on Carter and Espinosa, respectively) </span></i><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Long live Transfer 12.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*me at a cool well (Anziano Smith loves cool pictures. He's infecting me.) </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*</span></i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>weird 4th of July pictures in Reggio nell'Emilia *</i></span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">my birthday (WOOOOHOOOO!!!)</span></i></div>
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<i>I like what my mom said in her weekly email to me today: "</i>A mission can't be easy. I am so grateful it's not. Life is not easy.<i>" At first I lowered my brow at that, but the more I thought about it, the more I agreed. I am so grateful that the mission is hard.</i></div>
<i></i><br />
<a name='more'></a><i>All of the sudden I feel all emotional. All sorts of emotional stuff happened this week. All good things, I guess. I turned 21. I read tons of mail from friends and family. I wrote lots and lots of letters to send people. I had good conversations with my wonderful companion -- one of the most peaceful, creative, and tender hearted people I've ever met -- and a miraculous scambio wih my beloved Zone Leader, Anziano Richardson. He's half genius, half spiritual giant, 100% loving. And I love him with all my heart. He answered questions I've had since Ferrara without even trying. We love the deep doctrine conversations we have together, ha!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I also saw a Mormon Message <a href="http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=3267475157001">http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=3267475157001</a> during English Class (we always end with one) about bullying. "Stop It", said President Uchtdorf as we watched a high school bully go through a mighty change of heart when he realized his little sister was being bullied as well. 1 I thought of Gentry and cried, heheh.</i><br />
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<i>I dunno -- I can't say I'm the happiest I've ever been, but I can feel myself growing. It's a similar feeling to that which I experienced in my first months of college. The Lord is speaking to me as fast as I can understand His perfect language, and I feel like it's just starting to really click and become more natural. What a thrill to learn the tongue of angels.</i><br />
<i></i><br /><i></i>
<i>I love you guys, and I love September. It's a chilly day, and I couldn't ask for better. We're headed to Verona for a Zone Conference on Friday! I can't wait, I love that city more than home.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Love,</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9R51ELWZ4ZtqPmigtdPxQ3JnG3pBxEyCMWmmPfOpWRPXG4PzbT7VLvEKRtCXS6GeTUT3XmXGrscLBgiQhf34Tvcu0PATZJXF1rf602cJNmTR-5qlEb3oy1Njm6glwzfzqCpLVImmOHDo/s1600/photo+(7).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9R51ELWZ4ZtqPmigtdPxQ3JnG3pBxEyCMWmmPfOpWRPXG4PzbT7VLvEKRtCXS6GeTUT3XmXGrscLBgiQhf34Tvcu0PATZJXF1rf602cJNmTR-5qlEb3oy1Njm6glwzfzqCpLVImmOHDo/s1600/photo+(7).JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the new gang: Smith, me, Espinosa (not new), Stoll</td></tr>
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Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-39807051133530889982014-08-27T05:55:00.000-07:002014-08-27T05:55:00.274-07:0021<i>Wow, I love that MTC picture of Audrey! Great colors! That doesn't look like the MTC, though... I guess things change in a year and a half.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Yup, it's my last day of being 20. Starting tomorrow I'll be an adult... I guess. Ha! If you say so, society.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>This week was nice because of the weather, sopratutto. It's been cloudy and grey and cool and I LOVE that. It's like happy birthday present from God. Especially since it hasn't rained, and rain really ruins the work.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>This week has started well. We've met some cool new people to teach on the streets and invited tons to our fun English Class. We got to teach yesterday and did lots of games about phone calls. It's hard enough to communicate in another language face to face, but on the phone? Without facial expressions or hand guestures or anything? I remember how nervous I was in Padova with my first Italian phone calls. Now it feels like second nature. "Pronto!"</i><br />
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<i>I haven't gotten any mail for a long time, but the Zone Leaders went to Milano yesterday and are passing through Reggio in about 30 minutes with all our mail. We'll drop by the station and grab it. They said there were lots of letters and packages, so I'm guessing I got all my birthday presents. Thanks to everyone who sends me physical mail! It's like gold out here.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>An English Class student/friend of mine gave me the three volumes of Dante's Divina Commedia yesterday. I don't know how many of you know about my burning love for Dante and his masterpiece, but it was the most thoughtful gift I've received from an Italian and I was so happy. It'll be great to put on my bookshelf at BYU and peruse often.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I get to put in contacts tomorrow! I'm so excited! And then I'll have the perfect amount to last me the rest of my mission, and the mild weather won't bother me again. (Let's hope that's not just wishful thinking.)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Much love to all my family and friends as I turn 21. Thank you for following my Italian adventures so far. I hope you've learned as much as I have since last August, whether that learning came from friends, family, leaders, books, trials, successes, or straight from God Himself.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Love,</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i>Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-73460325332729919162014-08-20T08:14:00.003-07:002014-08-20T08:14:58.818-07:00Rung by rung<i>Thanks for the concern and prayers, those many of you who wrote to me about my lost scriptures. So far they're not back, and there's no trace of them. But hey, everything happens for a reason, I guess. Maybe somebody needed them more than I did.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Though this week felt really long, it doesn't feel like there's anything to write. Things are going along fine. Days fly by -- it feels like I'm jumping in and out of bed over and over, week by week. I guess that's what happens when you do essentially the same things for 18 months.</i><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<i>I do feel like lots of my prayers are being answered as far as doctrinal questions and deeper understanding. God is a really good teacher. I'm learning things step by step, rung by rung. I can't just leap halfway up the ladder, I have to climb it one rung at a time. I feel like I've climbed quite a bit over the last month or so, and that's always a great feeling. It's especially thrilling to go through journals and study notes and watch myself develop and learn in "fast forward", so to speak. Hard to explain -- guess you'll just have to experience it for yourself. So much of life is like that.</i><br />
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<i>Not a very long email today, but I guess that's all right. I feel pretty good most of the time. The weather keeps changing from sunny to rainy. I prefer it grey. The Italians should be coming back from their summer holidays soon, so I expect the work here will start to pick up. Until then, we'll keep praying and doing our best, and I hope you do the same in each of your spheres.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Love,</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i>Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-88935908911011624742014-08-13T10:16:00.000-07:002014-08-13T10:18:33.096-07:00Baggy Pants and Glasses<i>Transfer weeks are always longer, it seems. I feel like I haven't written an email in ages. Quite a bit of "negative" stuff happened this week, but I feel pretty good right now. I'll just walk you through what happened:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>During a scambio (companion exchange) in Modena where my Zone Leaders serve, I lost my nifty little scambio bag that Anziano Treadway gave me on the train. It had all my needed toiletries in it, including my contact solution and case. Since Italy is famously the Land of Inconvenience, I wasn't able to find a case to put my contacts in for a few days. Thanks to sweat, heat, and allergies, they dried up really fast in my eyes and even started to shrivel.</i><br />
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<i>I threw them away. I brought just enough contact lenses to Italy to last me the whole mission, and I have a system to change them every 28th (so that I get a new pair on my birthday in August). So not to mess anything up, I'm going the entirety of August wearing glasses. It's super weird, I haven't worn glasses this many days in a row since I was a little kid. I look totally different since I recently cut off all my hair (too hot) and all my skinny pants wore out. I'm wearing baggy slacks and glasses every day. Keeps me humble, at least.</i><br />
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<i>You'd think I would have learned from losing my bag on the train, but just a few days ago we went back to Modena for a Zone Training Meeting. It was a terrific reunion where I got to see lots of missionaries that I love and we were all spiritually pumped by our awesome Zone Leaders, Anziani Richardson (future general authority, calling it now) and Cook, who was my District Leader back when I served in Ferrara. One year later, eh?</i><br />
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<i>So on the way back to Reggio from Modena, I was carrying all sorts of stuff, and I forgot something else on the train: my scriptures. That bound stack of ultra-thin paper that tells the story of my God and how I'll get to know Him. The volumes I've been studying, marking, and making notes in for the last 18 months of my life.</i><br />
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<i>As you can probably imagine, I was beyond devastated. I couldn't sleep, and I may or may not have bawled my eyes out on the kitchen floor. But I got to call Anziano Taylor (remember? District Leader in Pesaro when I served in Ancona. Love him!) who's serving in Milano to check the Lost and Found. We'll see what comes of it.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Anyway, I love you guys and I hope you try to find out the purpose for everything you do and everything that happens. Purpose is so important.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Love,</i><br />
<i>Anziano Burton</i>Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4679336841429700703.post-36174760360516242152014-08-06T08:37:00.000-07:002014-08-06T08:37:21.088-07:0013th of 16 Transfers<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>This week is a happy one, if unusually sentimental. The last six weeks have been some of the best of my mission. They have flown, as happy moments always do, and I can't believe I'm about to enter my 13th of 16 transfers.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>We were confused when the transfer call came, telling me that Anziano Carter would stay a fifth transfer in Reggio while I was being transferred to Brescia. We were puzzled, saddened, and tried to accept the news for over 24 hours until a second call came straight from the Assistants. They told us there'd been a mistake in communication, and that in reality I am staying here in Reggio while Anziano Carter is going to Brescia.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>We're both relieved at the truth, but the whole experience was just muddling. I was trying to understand why I was only staying barely over a month in this wonderful place, having hardly started to get to know the members and investigators we frequently visit. I can't explain here or anywhere else the strangeness of the feeling, especially when it was partly pacified and partly accented when the second call of apology and clarification came.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Either way, I'm staying here, and tomorrow I'll meet my new companion, Anziano Ty Smith. I don't know a thing about him, except that Sister Jackman in my district and the Assistant, Anziano Johnson, says he's cool.</i></span><br />
<i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></i><br />
<a name='more'></a><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And then Anziano Edwards is going home... sigh. I've really come to love every member of this district, especially these three wonderfully anziani I live with. We've had so much fun, have so many inside jokes, and have laughed all my troubles away time and time again.</i><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>You just can't explain the nature of a mission, and you can't understand it if you haven't been there. It's fun to change around, but it's also so heartbreaking. I guess we just move on and remember that there's really no such thing as "the end", now, is there?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I'll quickly answer the questions my mom sent me, and then I'll close off for the day:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Who are you teaching?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Not many people. We do have a number of Italian investigators who I love. One problem we have is how spread out everyone is. Trains, bikes, and buses take up so much of our weeks, and the humidity just saps us the whole time.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Where do you tract?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Tract? What's that? We use words like "finding work", "strada" (street contacting), "casa" (house to house, which is weird when everyone lives in apartments), and we call lots and lots of potentials that past missionaries have written about the Area Book.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Have you had flooding? The news reports Venice has.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Yeah, we've had a good number of crazy rainstorms that come out of nowhere and flood the streets. It's pretty awesome, and this region must be used to it because they don't seem all that affected when there are puddles of water all over the place the morning after. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Where do you meet for church? Ward or branch?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>We have a ward here in Reggio. It's comprised of all the members from Reggio Emilia and Parma, our neighboring city (Parmesan cheese, anyone?). Lots of people don't come for various reasons, but the active members are wonderful. The building is pretty cool--it takes up half of an industrious building that's also used as a T-shirt factory and the home of the man who owns the whole building.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What's your favorite part as DL? least favorite?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I loooove being District Leader. My favorite part is conducting the weekly District Meetings every Monday where we talk about how the work's going and I get to give training and spiritual thoughts and stuff to lift, inspire, and direct the elders and sisters in the group. We're in 6, four elders and two sisters, and we had the best district ever this last transfer. Now three of our members are leaving who brought tons of personality to the district, so we'll see how dramatically things change this next transfer.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">How is your companion?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Anziano Carter is amazing. He's definitely been one of my very favorite companions. He's a big guy but has the softest heart of anyone I've met in Italy. He's a thinker, which I love, and we've had some of the deepest and most meaningful conversations I've ever enjoyed. He really taught me a lot and helped me learn about myself. He's everything a good companion should be -- funny, caring, spiritual, humble, and hard-working -- and I was truly honored to serve with him. I know he has a beautiful year ahead of him in this powerful work of the Lord.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Arrivederci,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Anziano Burton</i></span>Dionnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05966286026893432299noreply@blogger.com1