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