Christmas

Hope everyone had a great Christmas! I had an amazing time with my family. I had a blast this last week. We had two mission Christmas Conferences. They were so much fun. They were pretty much mission Christmas parties. It was amazing. I was with my friends and we were celebrating the birth of our Savior. What is better than that?

This has been a great season to reflect on the gift that Jesus Christ really is. I have pondered and teared up many times this last week. How amazing is it that we have a savior! Heavenly Father wanted us to return with Him and have the same eternal happiness He has. So He created a plan for us. He created a world for us. And He sent our fist parents, Adam and Eve. As a part of His plan, they partook of the fruit. Because of that we could be born, learn and grow from mistakes and now experience happiness. He gave us the opportunity to choose to do good and follow Him. But also with that, sin and death came into the world. Misery and sorrow. All of us would pass through this, and all of us would make mistakes and sin. Heavenly Father knew this was going to happen. So He provided a Savior, Jesus Christ. He overcame sin and death. He has overcome every effect of the fall of Adam. Because of Jesus Christ, we can return. Because of him, we will live again. we can find forgiveness, healing, love, joy and happiness. He overcame sin but he also overcame everything. We don't have to be miserable. We don't have to be stressed. We have a Savior. A Redeemer. A loving Father in Heaven who knows us. So He sent His son, to help us. This life is supposed to be joyous. And because of Jesus Christ, it can be.

What a beautiful time of they year where we get to celebrate this amazing gift being born into the world! I testify that God lives and loves us. Jesus Christ also lives and it is through Him we can find our happiness. I love you all!

This week was fantastic. It was really cold. Thursday was a snow day,! It snowed and rained freezing water then everything froze too! Our car doors were frozen shut haha. 

We went to the airport to drop off some departing missionaries. It was weird because those were the Sisters I came out with. But man this week was jam packed of stuff. So many good things. 

I ate this hot sauce called king pepper. It is 500 times hotter than a Jalapeno. It was the hottest thing I have eaten in my life. I cried for 20 min. I didnt mean to my body was just freaking out. If air touched my mouth it burned. My body was freaking out haha. Man that hurt so bad. Most pain I have ever been in ever. It was great. 

But I am doing well. This week is going to be so great. It's Christmas week! I love Christmas. Such a great time of the year for everyone to remember our Savior Jesus Christ. He was born, He lived, He died, and He rose again. Jesus Christ lives. It is through Him we can find healing and happiness. This I know to be true. I am a changed person. My worries have gone away. I am not stressed I am not angry. The promise is real "My yoke is easy and my burden is light". 

Love you all!

Jesus taught others and so can you!

Good afternoon! This week was very good. We had the opportunity to be taught from the director of proselyting in the missionary department. I learned a lot more about how I can be more effective and how I can better teach repentance. 

We applied what we learned and saw a lot of miracles. Inviting others to repent and come closer to the Savior is amazing. One of the people we are teaching has had a big change of heart this week. His wife and kids got baptized 6 months ago. His whole countenance is changing. He wants to change and be a better man. He desires a happier family. We invited them to pray together as a family and taught about how that is a commandment. 

He was so excited to keep this commitment he made to God. Sincere and authentic prayer is the one sure thing that will change the trajectory of our lives. It is when we can create a relationship and communicate with God. I know He listens. The power of family prayer is the one sure thing to keep happiness in a home and love in a family. I know from my experience with my family, that family prayer will change the lives of the children and parents forever.
Love you all!!!

Dec 5, 2016

Well, things here have been great. I am now on the west side of Cincinnati. I am having a blast. My two companions are hilarious and we have so much fun together. 

We have really been seeing the hand of God in our work. After an extremely busy week, by the grace of God, we were able to reach our goals. Heavenly Father really does want to bless us. He wants to grant us our righteous desires. And something I do know to be true is that when we are obedient and faithful He will pour out blessings on us. In my case more than I think I really deserve. But He is a loving Father. And it's great. We rely on Him and have fun and we get a lot done! Things always seem to work out somehow. 

Funny story: we were trying to get dinner one night and we tried 4 different places and for various reasons, we couldn't go. Then... I was peer pressured into a hard decision. I didnt want to starve so I had Mcdonalds for the first time in a year and a half. I tried to go my whole mission without it but that didn't pan out. Oh well haha. 

Love you all!!

Elder Verdoni

Letter to Mom - asked what his new responsibilities were:

I love the Christmas season! We have helped people set up lights and trees already. It is so much fun. 

Hmm, responsibilities? Well, criteria wise we are to run a model area and baptize. We minister to Zone Leaders and help them fulfill their responsibilities. We also minister to all the missionaries in the mission. We are to teach love and bless. To live the vision President Welch has set and show how it works. We also assist President Welch in all his responsibilities. We spend everyday in the office helping with the affairs of the mission. We are some pretty busy people haha.

This week was crazy how fast it went by. The day of transfers we had to pretty much run around the mission giving people stuff they forgot and left behind. But pretty much we are missionaries to missionaries and it's great. The Lord really blesses us too! We don't have very much time to proselyte but yet we have so many people to teach. We receive so many referrals and Heavenly Father literally brings people to us. It is actually pretty weird. But I love it. I love being here. We get t literally help everyone in the mission with stuff.

                                    

 

                     

 

#LIGHTtheWORLD

Nov 28, 2016

Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you guys for all your support and love. This week was fantastic. My thanksgiving was awesome.

So Ball State kicks all the students out of their dorms for the break so after Tuesday we did not see a single soul until Sunday. It was so weird haha. We did a lot of service for people and went to other missionaries areas to help them. 

But other than that, I'm being transferred again! I'm going back to Cincinnati. I am sad to leave, I have some of my greatest memories here. But I know it is Gods will. I love you.

Live long and prosper.

Elder Verdoni

Nov 21, 2016

Good morning! Well, this week was fantastic. 

Perfect example of Indiana's weather. Beginning of this week was perfect sweater weather, like low 60's and high 50's. Thursday and Saturday got up in the 70's, it was awesome - Great day to walk around. Saturday, it snowed, high of 40 and cold winds - no sun at all. 

Sunday was colder without snow - Haha what is this? But I love it. It just reminds me of how great the summer is. 

See there are many blessings in everything! We had an amazing miracle this week. Last transfer she met the missionaries before me and really wanted to talk with them because she really loves the Book of Mormon play. After about a month of not being able to meet she texted and set up an appointment. 

Elder Palmer is such a good missionary. He started off the lesson by asking what she wanted to learn or get out of meeting with us and she opened up saying that at first, she wanted to meet with us because of the play but then she had a crisis in her life and knew she wanted to meet with us. 

Someone close passed away and she realized that she didnt have a connection with God. She loved the idea of a loving Heavenly Father and the purpose of families. She did not have a solid one growing up. Anyway, by the end she told us she felt like crying the whole time, then she cried, because she found so much truth that made sense to her. 

We both were led in what to say and ask. We listened to her and the spirit and taught to her need. It was great! It truly built my testimony that God prepares His children to hear the message of the restoration. God really does love his children!

Love Elder Verdoni

Hello!

Nov 7, 2016

Hello friends and family! Things went great this week. I was working on my positivity and enthusiasm and that really changed things for me. I don't believe in a God who would put on this earth to be miserable. I believe in a loving Heavenly Father who put us on this earth fully knowing we would have trials, but wanted us to have joy, so he provided a Savior. 

Life will have downs, so get over them and be happy. No use in being down. Forever is made up of a bunch of "nows". Don't let the things of the world make your 'nows' miserable. Choose to be happy even when the circumstances may not seem like they would allow. 

"The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives."- Russel M Nelson

If we focus on the Savior and the Great plan of Happiness, we will find joy even in the middle of opposition and trial. I love you!!!

Elder Verdoni

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A Lesson of Humility and Forgiveness

Oct 31, 2016

Hello family and friends. I hope everyone is having a fantastic Halloween. and for those who don't celebrate it, I hope your normal Monday is normal. jk I hope its great too. 

Well this week was a great one. Weather was perfect. We didn't have a car so we walked everywhere, it was great! I love walking places, I really do. But man we saw some great things, the work is picking up. But as I was walking on campus the other night I remembered this story I had experienced and I thought I should share it:

Way long time ago when I was with Elder Lemieux, we knocked on this one man's door. He came outside and started talking to us. Then sooner than I could blink this guy starts bashing (arguing beliefs, trying to disprove) with us. He started arguing and everything. I was angry. I let my pride get the best and I wanted to prove to this man that I knew more about the bible than he did. So I argued back. I pulled out scriptures asked q's. But man this guy was determined. 

I had had enough. The Spirit was not there so I told him I was done talking to him and started walking off his porch. He followed behind very closely yelling at me. I clenched my fist and was ready to swing because I thought he was going to hit me. I turned around and He continued to talk, then I said some very unchoice things which left him only to be even more mad, curse, then head off inside. My companion was dumbfounded that I had been so dumb.

I got in the car and I was very angry. The first thing I did was laugh about the whole situation. But on the inside I was torn. For the next couple of weeks I joked about what I said and did to this man. But I still felt horrible. The jokes did not make it any more light than I thought they would. Months went by. But by now the guilt was worse. In my mind I had ruined this mans view of Missionaries. I believed that he would never talk to another one again and therefore never hear the beautiful truth a Loving Father in heaven was trying to give His son. I had got in this mans way to feeling true peace happiness and love.

I couldn't take it anymore. It had been months by now. I told my companion we had to go somewhere and I explained the situation. I needed to apologize. Driving towards his house was hard. My palms were very sweaty and my heart was beating very fast. I didn't want to go. But I knew I needed too. Well I got to his house. I sat in the car for a while. Then I got out. I stood at his lawn, took a deep breath and walked up the steps to his front door. It was open. I knocked. He came out. We sat down, and I apologized. Sincerely. And he did too. We ended up having a very good talk. We even shared a few laughs. We had a very good talk and left on good terms.

The guilt was gone. My burden was lifted. Humility is the key to repentance. And repentance is the key to happiness. Love you!!

Elder Verdoni

Ball is life...Ball State

Wow this week has been an adventure! MY new area is in the Muncie Young Single Adult Branch. It's a blast. My proselyting area is Ball State University. Pretty much all day everyday we talk to college kids. It's is fun. Very different than what I am used to though.

Ball State is in Muncie, Indiana. I'm back to Indiana. It was homecoming weekend so you best believe there were parties all weekend. The institute building is literally on Frat row. We are surrounded by frat houses. It's legit, but yeah tons of beer haha.

Cool experience though, we found this guy on campus who kept asking us a ton of questions, almost like he was trying to bash with us. So we set up a time to talk. We go to the return appt and he has a list of q's. Now he was really trying to cross us in our words. as we kept talking and trying to defend and explain, 

By the spirit I was able to realize that he wasn't trying to bash at all. Here is a kid that has been trying to search for truth. So I decided to bear my testimony. Then Elder Palmer bore his. The spirit filled the room. The countenance on this man changed. He then said "now I know that you both are 100% about what you believe. And now I want to read the Book of Mormon." I couldn't believe it! The Spirit touched his heart. It was amazing. 

Well I love you!!!!

Elder Verdoni

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 Homecoming week!

 Saying goodbye in Montgomery