Dec 28, 2015

woo ya

Merry late Christmas! Hope you all had fun! Christmas was a blast over here. It didn't snow though :/ just lots and lots of rain. Got to Skype and call my fam so it was a lot of fun. Wow the kids have changed a lot. It's kind of insane. But that was cool.

This week was good. Tuesday we had an awesome Christmas Devotional. I had to get up at 4:20 am and couldn't take a nap at all cause I had to drive lol. I eventually got to bed around 11pm. But that was a lot of fun. We had like a talent/skit show and then a primary program thing, lunch, and a devotional! It was so much fun.

Christmas was great! We went to our Branch mission leaders house and had brefix there. The Sisters gave us socks and made a tie out of Christmas paper lol, then we all talked! After that we went to a lunch/dinner at a members house. And then Michael called! (My brother on a mission in Liberia) It was a lot of fun.

It's kind of funny, so with mission vehicles we have a certain mile limit for the month, and we have been over it for a week so we have been walking everywhere! And we live at the top of this huge hill and everyone we teach lives at the bottom. It's about 45 walk to get down and about an hour and a half to get up. My legs are in good shape. We have been doing this for almost a week, but we have only had to walk up the hill once (starting about halfway.) Every night Heavenly Father has provided a ride for us. Sometimes they were random people, less actives, or members. It's been amazing.

Can't believe I've been out here for over 6 months! that's insane. It's so much fun out here though. I've changed so much. I love who I am. I've definitely come a lot closer to my Savior Jesus Christ. I trust Him with all my being. I can rely on Him for all my strength. I hope you all remembered why we really celebrate Christmas. I am so thankful for all of you and your examples to me. I love talking with all of you. I miss you and love you all!
Elder Verdoni

Dec 21, 2015

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Well Im in Kentucky! It's pretty sweet here. Everyone is a UK fan (University of Kentucky) and everyones favorite color is blue. No joke they bleed blue over here. I love it so much here. One of the main reasons is that I drive a Silverado! After 6 months of riding a bike my prayer was answered and I drive a truck. Well only for a little bit, I may or may not have been in a tiny accident so my driving privileges may or may not be suspended haaa. :D but its all Gucci. (meaning good)

It is so hilly over here, lots of hills. And the people here are great. It's amazing, my companion and I are both pretty new to this area so we have been doing all that we can to find people to bring the gospel too. And God is providing. He is bringing the elect and prepared to us. It's truly amazing. We see so many miracles everyday. I do miss Fort Wayne but I prayed fervently that heart would be brought to Maysville and I am falling in love with this place more and more. I know that Jesus Christ is my savior. He is my rock and my salvation. He is my Strength and my support. I have trusted in Heavenly Father and the Atoning sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ and will trust in them forever. I love you all.

Elder Verdoni


Letter to Mom
But hey I'm in Kentucky! It's completely different than Fort Wayne.  There is no such thing as flat. I'm right next to the river so our area actually covers some of Ohio too! so I'm officially a tri-state missionary. We have the largest area in the mission. It's so big. I went from pretty much the top of the mission to the bottom lol. (location) It's so much fun though. I'm second half training Elder Grover. Meaning that he has been in Maysville for a transfer already. He is a pretty solid missionary. I serve in the Maysville branch. It's a good branch. We get fed at least once a week I've heard. But we have two meals on Christmas, don't worry. But it's great! love you!

His grandfather was in Maysville for a zone conference as a missionary about 55 years ago!

 My two boys

The truck/my love

Dec 14, 2015

Oh my goodness I'm leaving Fort Wayne!! I am getting transferred. I'm so nervous haha, but so so excited. Fort Wayne is my home. I will find out where tomorrow. Haha sorry I never know what to email about on transfer days I'm always so nervous. I will be training again!

This week was really good. We had interviews with President and sister Porter on Tuesday. That was really nice.We had an amazing District meeting Wednesday. Trained on church. but oh my goodness I'm leaving I cant think right now haha.

Sorry I have no time, but I love all of you!
Elder Verdoni

Saying good-bye to Elder Taylor

Dec 7, 2015

Merry December!

Hope all of you had a great week! I can't believe that is already December! It's warming up here actually, which is weird. It got up to 50 the other day. 

We are finding more people to teach and have one almost progressing investigator! He is loving the Gospel so much. Thursday we did weekly planning as a zone and then afterwards we set our baptism goal . It was a really spiritual experience. I know with enough faith we can hit this goal. We all felt the spirit and we know that God set this goal. It reminded me of Moses a little. The spirit that told Moses to split the red sea is the same spirit that told us this goal. 

This will be an amazing white Christmas. after that I played the mission song on the piano and everyone else sang! That was pretty good. I'm actually getting a lot better at piano. I retaught myself how to read notes, and the funny thing is is that I barely have anytime to play haha. 

Transfers are next week! super excited. So don't send anything after Wednesday because I might move. I will find out next Monday. 

Love you all!

Elder Verdoni

Letter to MomI miss the temple lights so much honestly. (Mesa Temple lights are beautiful) Oh also tell the Relief Society thank you for the package! I loved it so much! 

Oh and really cool. We have such a good relationship now with our members in the ward, especially the Bishop and his whole family.  Also this Guatemalan family, love us. It's so cool. Brother "R" went to Guatemala and brought us back hand made ties. And "WC" is an older member in the ward and we have been helping him out a lot, he gives us food and also Christmas lights and a Christmas tree!

Elders in Action

Sleeping under the Christmas Tree

Nov 30, 2015

Yes my week was good. I got to experience what a tripanonship feels like (3 Elders.) One of the elders had to be with us for a day and a half. It was really fun. So hard to focus.

Thanksgiving was a blast. So in the morning our ward had their turkey bowl. It was so much fun, three straight hours of football. They had us four elders as captains. My team was the championship team. It was a blast. I ran into bishop multiple times, but he still gave us assignments so I think he forgave me.

Yeah, so we had three dinners that day, that was rough. rough. It hurt, but it was good. One was at our recent converts house, the "F's" then right after that we went over to a Polynesian family in our ward, and then directly after that we went over to an investigators house. I thought I was going to die. I slept great though.

On Saturday we went to the Indianapolis temple and did baptisms with "C" and "K". Later that night I assisted in the baptism of one of the sisters' investigators. Elder Dahl performed the ordinance, I just stood in and helped her up. It was pretty cool.

Church was good as always. Love you!
Elder Verdoni 

 Multitasking 

 Elder crossing?

 Squirrel!

Nov 23, 2015

It finally snowed on Thursday! 3 inches I think. But it is cold cold. Not Arizona cold like the 60's and 50's lol. The hottest it got yesterday was 27°. Today has a high of 38° so it's warming up. Oh but the snow is so beautiful! It is so nice. Except that it is a wet cold and not a dry cold so when the wind blows and its 17 degrees outside, it pierces your bones. But its fun.

Thursday my life changed. It was one the greatest experiences of my life. Elder Randall K. Bennett of the Seventy came and visited our mission. He didn't plan anything he was going to teach us but he studied the scriptures diligently and he and his wife had constant prayers that he would say what God wanted to say. It was amazing. So spiritual. He and President Porter taught and both their wives. Our mission is unlike any other mission. Elder Bennett at the end said with tears in his eyes, "There is not a better mission president on this Earth. There is not." I know that I was called to this mission. President Porter is the most inspired person I have met. Our mission is changing. The windows of heaven are opening on this mission. The promises that have been made to us by those holding priesthood keys and those under the direction of keys will come to pass. I know it. There are going to be big big miracles happening very soon in the Greatest Ohio Cincinnati Mission. My life is changing.

There was a point where Elder Bennett asked us to share what we were feeling. So I stood up and shared that I felt a lot of hope and relief because so far my whole mission I have been trying to control the work and control the things I couldn't. And all I was seeing was my failures. But now I understand that all I need to do is focus on my faith, do the things I committed to do, and as I do that, He will work through me. And He looked me in the eyes and said "You are not a failure." For the next 5-10 min It was all directed towards me. In fact he said that if he had a 17-18 year old daughter he would tell her to hang on and wait for me, lol. So yeah a general authority trusts me with his daughter haha. But besides that, I felt the Spirit so strongly and I felt the pure love Heavenly Father has for me.

My life changed, I know who I am. I will not be the same when I get back. I know that my Savior lives. I know he will always back me up. I will always make my next step in coming closer to Him. I love my Heavenly Father and I love Jesus Christ. And because of that I will be obedient. I will serve them. I know this work is true. I know miracles come as you follow the counsel given by those who hold the Keys of the Priesthood. This mission is changing, I am changing.

1. Matching ties matching Backpacks
2. Snow!!

Twins! Back Pack & Ties

 SNOW!

Nov 16, 2015

The weather here is so wack. It bounces. Some days it's really cold and some days it's really warm(60's). Not sure why. But fort wayne has the most random weather. The other day it was like 40 degrees but with the wind it felt like it was in the low 30's, and we had to bike 20 min uphill in that. we were barely moving haha, It was Like biking up against a brick-wall. 

This week was good. We found a lot of new people to bring the gospel. We finally have a progressing investigator now too. It has been a while. I have just been on top of the world lately. The other night was one of the best nights ever. I have no idea why but I was just super happy. It was awesome. 

Ready for this next transfer. Finna Dunk Fort Wayne (means well done.) We have a new zone leader. He is really cool. 

Missions are great and horrible for the same one reason. How much you get to love people. As set apart representatives of Jesus Christ you truly can feel some of the love our savior has for people. I had a really hard experience with one of our former investigators. He used to be our most progressing and had a baptism date. But now he has completely hardened his heart and is very anti. This whole time I thought it was my fault and it was my responsibility. But after actual tears, I prayed to my Father in Heaven. I recognized that I did my best but couldn't do anymore. And I gave him up to the Lord. It was amazing. I do not have that burden that has been on my shoulder for months. I love my Savior. I know He knows me. I know He lives. I know I am a son of God. 

Elder Verdoni

Guess I'll just send an empty box for Christmas -mom

Remember their district shirt? Cats!

Nov 9, 2015

Transfers are tomorrow! I am staying though! I get at least another five weeks in Fort Wayne Indiana. I actually really love it here. It's so nice.

I got to drive on Wednesday! We went on exchanges and I got to drive the zone leaders van. First time driving in over four months. I only got yelled at for speeding six times, by a box not my companion. It's just getting colder and colder here. I'm pretty excited though.

I got to give a talk in church yesterday and it went really well. I talked about faith in Jesus Christ and the doctrine of Christ. I'm having a lot of fun out here with my companion. We periodically die laughing for no reason.

I love being out here. I know this church is the only true church of Jesus Christ on this Earth and that it is directed by a prophet of God who is led by Jesus Christ. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is true.
Elder Verdoni

Letter to Mom

So are you freezing yet? Did anyone in your zone get transferred out or new ones coming in?
Yes and yes! Crazy this transfer is over. We are both staying. Time has flown by.
There are a couple leaving. Elder Jacobs is leaving and so are a couple other elders, but they have been here for 6 months so that's expected. Also the ward is awesome now. We are getting fed a lot. There are these amazing Guatemalan families, the "R's"and the "M's". they are feeding us lunch every Sunday now. It's awesome. They forced us to eat a lot and take a nap on the ride home. It was so cool haha.

First pile of leaves I've ever been in

 Change of Seasons

Nov 2, 2015

Day light Savings is wack. Honestly I will never understand it. So weird. (We don't change times in Arizona)

This week was pretty good! We had zone conference and it was awesome. Not much happened this week unfortunately. Oh transfers are next week so there's a chance I might be moving but not really. 

It is getting colder and we should be expecting snow any week now! Yay so excited. I just can't wait until it's in the negatives. We are finding more to teach. It is going pretty well. 

Halloween we had to be in early and we deep cleaned our apartment, much needed. Other than that not much! love all of you hope everything is great! Love you!

Elder Verdoni

Letter to Mom

The week was good. It got pretty cold on some days but it's starting to warm up. We had zone conference on Tuesday. The main take-a-ways I got from it was the Importance of the Sabbath day and why there is a big focus in the Church for it now, and teach toward the temple and to be guides not teachers. It really helped. Wednesday we got to go on exchanges. That was so nice. It felt so good to be a junior companion for a day haha. No stress or worry. 

Saturday we picked up a new investigator "D". He is from Angola Africa (we teach a lot from that country).

Haha my shoes are messed up. For some reason I lean on the side of my feet when I stand and it wore them down and broke the waterproof seal. So they stink because they are wet. So yes I would love new shoes. 

Cool with an Umbrella

 Zone Conference 

 Saying Goodbye

 Really? 4 months