Baps and Naps - 1/29/18

We played zone calcio today.

Our friend "D" was baptized on Saturday!

Hey guys!

So this week was crazy! We tried to work as hard as we could, but I sadly came down with some kind of sinus infection monster. So we had some recovery naps mixed with the fact that allllll of our toilet paper was converted into tissues and we have gone through it very fast. Who knew I had so much crud in my head. 

Anyways there were also some baptisms! One was D from Perugia. I did his interview last week and he was baptized this last Saturday. He is clearly a convert and is excited to be able to baptize his daughter soon. How great a blessing we have to have another convert to build the church with us. Then we also had EZ from Terni, who was baptized. Anziano Huntsman baptized him and afterward EZ bear-hugged him. The Spirit was strong there.

Also this week we found out that SN had never gotten confirmed nor received the gift of the Holy Ghost. So this next week we will prepare him for baptism so he can be baptized the 10th of February. Because just like Joseph Smith said, “You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half--that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost.”

So that’s kinda it for this week. Sorella P and family are being awesome and making super great progress. We are hopeful for her to set a baptismal date this week with us. 

I love you all!

Anziano Ridd

Perugia Priesthood - 1/22/18

Church in Todi

Hi again!

This week we had some fun experiences. We went on Friday morning to go serve a member that lives 30 minutes south of us. He is an older guy and burned his hands really badly, and because he is a widower right now, he has to everything on his own. We came and gave him a blessing and then helped him bring in his wood so he can keep his house warm. He also lives in a beautiful place, so we got plenty of pictures while we were in the area. 

Perugia is poppin’ right now. You can bet by summer this place will be a BIG branch. I’ll give the thanks to the fact that we have correct vision and have been working so hard. I love being with the awesome guys that are serving up here with me. This week we had 36 people in church. That’s a pretty big deal. We have really grown, even if some of those people were guests.

Then after church on Sunday, SM, the amazing new convert, asked me to be the one to confer the Aaronic priesthood to him and ordain him to be a priest. As always, it was a very great spiritual experience and I know that SM will be a great instrument in the hand of God. 

Furthermore, I did the baptismal interview for D. He will be baptized next Saturday as he is very much converted to the gospel and cannot wait to get to the temple with his family. With more friends and family to follow him, including his newly 8-year old daughter, he is going to be a great leader to his loved ones. 

With all this, we could say that Perugia is growing. I would say that maybe the missionaries are growing more, however. We learn new things everyday and our vigor and zeal for the edification of God’s kingdom on earth keeps growing. What a tender mercy to be able to serve Him and gain such a love for the saints of Italy.

I love you all, and hope you have a great week!

Anziano Ridd

One of my favorite families here in Perugia,

featuring D (soon to be convert) and his 8-year old daughter 

Todi

Anziano Anderl and Anziano Ridd

Cathedral in Todi, where we traveled to help bring in firewood
for a member who burned his hands.

4th Quarter - 1/15/18

Anziano Ridd with his new companion, Anziano Anderl

Hey guys!

The last transfer calls are in. The results are as follows:

• I remain in Perugia and get Anziano Anderl from Holladay, Utah as my companion. Anziano Hughes went to Lecce.
• Anziano Osmond is now in Rome and is replaced by Anziano Wagstaff from Holladay, Utah and he will be with Anziano Allred.
• Anziano Huntsman and Becker remain.
• Anziano Daniels is down to Cosenza and Anziano Smith has come to replace him. 
• Sorella Holmes came up to Terni.

This week was lit. I love my new companion. He is a stud and is in the same group as Anziano McConkie. I also like Anziano Wagstaff. He is a beast and plays basketball. Anyways, I’m very excited for this last transfer of the mission. 

The way I look at things, this is the fourth quarter…the last part of the game. Just as many basketball legends, we make (Michael Jordan) or break (LeBron James) the game based on how we work in the fourth quarter. If I give it my all till the end and perform like I need to, then the joy of victory will be had. I know that there is a purpose the Lord has me in Perugia at this time. I also know that it only can be accomplished if I decide to put it all on the line and serve with all my heart and mind. I love the mission. 

Love you all. I hope you have a great week!

Anziano Ridd 

New Year, New Opportunities...and I’m 21 - 1/8/18

Anziano Ridd turns 21!

Celebrating a shared birthday with a church member - such a sweet family to
share a birthday cake with Anziano Ridd!
Buon Compleanno! (Photo credit: Mariachiara Pagano)

SM was baptized, and lots of Young Single Adults came to show their support and friendship!

Hey guys!

This week was jam packed full of great things. Honestly, it felt like the beginning of a new hope. The beginning of new energy and new enthusiasm. I hope you guys also feel that with the new year here. 

Let’s start with the fact that I’m now 21. We had a great experience at the P family’s home. LV, one of the daughters, turned 20 on the same day, so we celebrated together. It was nice to eat cake on my birthday again - hahaha. 

Following this, we had the beginning of greatness. SM, our18- year old friend and investigator, was baptized. It was an amazing service. He had YSA (young single adults) from Rome, Terni, and Perugia there to support him, and he bore strong testimony after he was baptized about the restoration of the truth. I feel like his testimony is a strong, blazing flame. Earlier in the week, he taught a lesson with us. He truly gets the purity and simplicity of the gospel. He was the first baptism of Perugia thus far. (More to come soon).

After that, we went to visit Sorella R ~ a great member who lives pretty far away, but has need of the sacrament. So we visited her, and her spirit and testimony are so strong. She told us how she has been striving to view all other people as God would see them, so that she can love more fully. She is a great example to me. 

As for me, the transfer calls come tonight. This is my last transfer. This is the time of making goals. This is the end in many senses, with the sad passing of President Monson, and the end of the mission coming. But I see it as a great beginning. I want to be better. I want to serve more, and give it my all. I think all of us have things we want. Sometimes we discourage ourselves though, and say we can’t get them. I think when we realize our potential, we also realize we can do anything that we put our mind to. All it takes is some really solid plans for those righteous goals, and DAILY recommitment to them. I hope we all work toward something in the coming days and months so we can develop in the years and decades ahead. 

I love you all! Happy new year. God bless President Monson.

Anziano Ridd

New Year, Baby! 1/2/18

Terni Center

Perugia Center

Happy New Year! 

I hope everyone had a great week! This week for us was pretty good!

We started off by spending the day after Christmas (Santo Stefano, a Catholic holiday), delivering cakes to all the group (church) members and singing carols to them. It went great and they loved it. 

Then this week we also did a scambio with the zone leaders. Once again, Anziano Daniels and I did work in Terni. It was fun and we enjoyed the work we did together. Sadly, my dear friend Anziano Huntsman is not feeling so great, but he is recovering. He is still hilarious as ever, even when he’s not feeling well. 

We had a pretty cool gesso we did on Saturday night in the center of Perugia, and had some decent success talking to people about the Gospel. Due to holidays, many people have been pretty closed. 

This week we picked up GR as a new investigator. He is Ecuadorian and is a cool guy. His parents were Mormon and his brother is too, but they don’t live in Italy. His wife was is less active, but currently they are baptized in an evangelical church. It’s an interesting situation, because we originally thought he was a less active too. His wife seems like she might not want us there (strange because she was LDS) and he is pretty interested to hear about priesthood and prophets, but believes anyone who believes in Christ is saved. So I’m excited to teach them more, to say the least. Especially because they are expecting a baby in a month!

Over this past week I’ve recognized how strong I have grown in my testimony of modern day prophets. By study and prayer over these 2 years, I know that their words are the words that God has for us in these days. I know He’s called them and they are inspired. I know Jesus lives, and He directs this church through them. The Holy Spirit constantly confirms this witness to me as I read and study their words. 

Give it a go; try it for yourselves. Go study the words of modern day prophets. Apply their promises, and you will see blessings come from that obedience. (Click here to read/listen to talks from church leaders from the latest General Conference).

I love you all! Make goals this year! Follow Abe Lincoln’s mom’s last words to him, “Be something!”

Anziano Ridd