#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