August 29, 2012 Hello Everybody

I know that my subject lines are just getting really boring.  I will just start number in a couple of months.  

First and foremost.  Transfers and I am still here, dont worry.  I love bergamo with a passion.  I love the places around.  I love the people.  there are tons from Bolivia.  They are just the most sweet people in the world. And Italians are just awesome like always.  HAND GESTURES like CRAZY!!  I will teach you MOST of them. There are so that arent the greatest to learn but when the memberst tell you what it means, it just happens to stick in your mind...OKAY dont do that one.  Its great though how much of a support they are for us.  The members love the missionaries here and its really sweet when they just love to have us come over and teach them.  they are just wanting to have the spirit always in their home.  They love the missionaries.  WE LOVE THEM!!  

Our new district is SICK!!  Just saying.  We got a new anziano here in Bergamo.  he is from Silverdale Washington.  I dont know if you know where that is Dad.  I dont.  

We found tons of new people to talk to and teach, some of the lessons havent happened yet so I dont know if they are going to be really elect or anything but its really good becuase all the Italians are coming home from their vacations so we can start finding some more of them.  And they are all happy too becuase they just spent 4 weeks at the ocean.  I would be happy to.  Dont you think...  YEAH!!  

Natacha is doing really well.  She really wants us to teach her kids too and tell them why she is studying with us now.  She has kind of bounced around with churches but we are going to really help her family know.  that is tonight.  I am bringing cookies too.  I am going to bribe them.  You know how I do.  hahahha.  I am just kidding.  they should like the cookies.  

I love the mission.  I really am enjoying everything..  I am learning how to cook different things and everything. I just splurged on some italians ties so now I am set.  Its good stuff.  I love Italy.  

Love 
Anziano Treadway

August 22, 2012 ...Here comes Transfer 5

Hey everyone, Transfers is this week and nothing is happening to me except getting older in the mission.  We are staying together anziano Thomas and I.  I am happy about it.  I really love the guy.  We are so alike.  Its so much fun to do finding work and such.  5 transfers.  Thats a lot, but not really when my last companion is going home.  Anziano Mauldwin is finished man!!  I called him yesterday.  He sounds so ready, but its okay.  I loved that kid.  He was great.  All the baptisms are doing really well.  Loretta, Fransisca and Gabriele are all active and coming every sunday.  its so good to hear that.  

The work, NATACHA IS BACK!!  Its good to have some investigators to teach.  we are going to dropping all of our africans soon.  None of them come to church.  Its really hard to have them make progress when they dont come to church.  ITS the most important thing.  It needs to happen or they dont grow or change.  I need some solid people with cars.  Pray for us.  Finding work is not that bad, we are venturing into places that have never been seen.  Its great because people really start to listen more becuase they have never heard or seen anything about us.  Its really good.  

We are probably going to be moving apartments here.  That would be good.  Our apartment is a dump.  But I will let you know really quickly if we change addresses.  Umm.  Not much else really happened here this week.  We are just chugging along like the little train that could.  I love hearing from all of you.  Family and friends, keep me going.  You are all amazing.  

I love you all.  Sorry that this one is super short.  

Love Ben

August 15, 2012 Hey Yallllllllll

It doesnt mean anything.  I was just thinking about Cowboys when I did the subject line.  No in fact I saw my MTC companion the other day. Anziano MONEY!!!  i love that kid, and he is a cowboy.  Ecco, the connection.  Now.  THINGS ARE GOING GREAT!!  I am really living it up here.  Things are better than ever.  I am in Italy, I have an amazing companion and I have just amazing friends and family at home and on the mission just supporting me like nothing else.  Really good stuff.  i am so happy that I could be out here serving the Lord and showing you all that this is possible.  we can be good examples and we can really help people every day.  that is the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I am really feeling as though the people that dont have the gospel are lost and we are the ones going through the forest with a machete and torch and saving them, and then pointing to our buddy Thomas on the tower and saying, that guy is the boss.  And Jesus Christ is standing next to him helping him tell us where to go.  (Sorry, I used this example to teach an african that there is an importance of a living prophet. )  GOOD STUFF

Well nothing much has happened this week so I am just going to be writing about how I am and just going without much of a plan.  I hope that is okay, it will give you a little taste of Ben, not just Anziano Treadway.  i hope the introduction really helped you see me, can you picture me saying that to someone and using hand gestures to an African that is just so confused.  It was pretty sweet.  Anziano Thomas was digging it.  He was cracking up and I was like telling this guy richard.  BY THE WAY RICHARD IS THE MIRACLE MAN!!  I was thinking for a while that there was nothing going on.  I was feeling that there was no miracles in my mission.  I couldnt see anything.  I was getting really frustrated.  And we havent had any new investigators, and then one night I prayed to help me see miracles.  The next day we were teaching Richard, the prophet lesson and he said, I want to follow this man.  And I was just hit so hard by the spirit that this man is the miracle.  he has been reading the book of Mormon every single day and praying.  He was going to come to church but got sick.  But this guy has been just so amazing.  The spirit was just like"Ben, this man sitting here is your miracle, you will baptize him, and he has been here the entire time."  I didnt see it.  I was being such a closed person and thinking that this wasnt going to be going anywhere.  BUT NO!!!  He is going to get baptized and he has been wanting to change his life.  I cant believe how fast the Lord answers prayers.  Its so true.  he is just waiting for us to ask.  and it may not come immediately, but something will just happen and you will be like OHHHHH thats what I was looking for.  

WE GOT 20 LESSONS!!  Just a little pump up for Anz TREADWAY!! Happy about that.  

Okay we have a CD Dad, it sounds exactly like Allison Krause.  I was just thinking about one time that we were driving home and trying to figure out the lyrics. she has a wonderful voice, just pronunciation is just a little bit off.  That is okay though.  In todays world, all you need is a good vioce, and even then that isnt needed.  You should see it, some kids thought that they would enter some talent show and do some italian rap that they cam up with.  They sound really retarted, they are like yelling with some really deep growly voice, but then they stop and say thanks and they just had the highest most girly voices ever.  It was hilarious.  

Yeah so that is about all.  Okay, my finger will be the reminder of my mission for the rest of my life.  Its going to leave a really nice scar.  REALLY NICE AND BIG!!  I took the stitches out my self hesterday.  I didnt want to go to the hospital this morning.  Its all good.  I didnt it with some pretty clean toenail clippers.  hahaha.  Missionaries do the darndest things.  I have been loving my time here in Bergamo.  seriously so much fun.  I am learning so much about my savior and how the atonement works.  PUT IT IN ACTION!!!!  I love you all and want the best.  

MATT!!  i got your letter buddy.  I will be sending one your way next week monday.  I love you man.  

Josch! I love you man.  I havent heard much from you But I know that you are just killing it out there.  

Michael HENDRIX!!  Dude, I love hearing how much you are baptizing.  Keep it up

Dealio!!  I miss you man.  You must be having a ball.  I know you are just baptizing like a freak.  

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH AND WANT THE BEST FOR YOU GUYS!!  You are all the best.  not just you four but everyone else.!!!  

Go BYU!!  Go GIANTS!!  Red Sox, you guys are killing me.  

B-Rad, write me

LOVE 

the one and only

Ben

August 8, 2012 I Really Want a Poppy Seed Muffin

Another week.  The time is just flying by. I cant believe that we are rolling through august already.  Its going so fast.  sometimes i just want to stop and hold on to it but I cant do that. which is hilarious, the harder i work the faster things go.  but i just want to work harder and harder and serve even more, but it just means that i am going to lose the time faster.  strange paradox of the mission. 

Okay so good news.  Just recently Italy has recognized The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Saints as a church instead of cult now.  hahaha.  But this is good, it means, if needed the church can request money, it wont ever happen. We can do service now for Italy.  And most of all, the marriages done in the temple are also counted as legal marriages.  Before the Italians had to get married in the courts and then they had to go to the temple within 2 days for the sealing.  But now a sealing is just seen immediately as legal.  So good for the Italians.  I am very happy.  

Anyways, Thursday last week I got the FLU!!  I was out for the whole day and dying on Friday from being so achy.  I was not expecting it.  But it really hit me hard.  I was sleeping for like 15 hours on Thursday.  I really got rested up, but i was not eating or drinking anything. I was dying. But i am feeling a lot better now.  And unfortunately, this morning I cut my finger WIDE open.  i was washing the dishes and the cup broke right in my hand, slit it right over my thumb. I went to the hospital and got 6 stitches.  that was the first time EVER that I had gotten stitches.  CRAZY!!  The lady that did it, in very broken english, says " Okay I go, this is my first time ever doing stitches."  WHAT!?!  Excuse me, can I have someone experienced.  and then the best part, the doctor comes in and says, the phone is for you, and mid stitch SHE TAKES THE CALL!!  WHAT THE FREAK is this.  No wonder the hospital visit was free.  Anyways.  I am alright.  My thumb hurts. 

Everything is goin well.  Investigators are coming along. We are finding new people, its just getting them to church that is literally the hardest thing ever.  I dont know what else I can do.  I invite them.  THEY dont have cars, the busses dont work right now, Vacation for all italy, and so its really difficult.  But its going to be alright. We are working with 4 people that all have baptisimal dates. We havent seen natacha now for 2 weeks but she is coming back from Vacation this sunday and we are going to see her next week.  i really hope that she has been reading.  If so, things are going to be so great.  I dont know.  The work is going well here in Bergamo.  I really like the city.  Its really beautful.  

Umm what else.  BOH!  I dont know.  I love you guys.  I hope all is well.  

Love 

Anziano Treadway

August 1, 2012 Sitting here with my Fanta

 Let me just say that orange soda here is better than anything you will ever taste in America that says something about Orange soda.  I have never tasted such liquid before.  Anyways, i am sitting here with my Fanta.  I hope that you all are doing well.  My buddies, my family.  I am doing absolutely great.  I really enjoy my time that i have to serve the lord.  Its two years exclusive, but listen, it doesnt stop.  we all should be going out there.  Spreading the happiness that we found.  

So yesterday we went to Milano, Anziano thomas had a really bad ingrown toenail.  It was nasty.  Surgery was definitely needed on such a case.  So we spent the day in Milano.  It was not planned, but the coolest thing was that we got to eat at a sitdown restaurant.  I didnt think that I would ever get to say taht on my mission.  Its not everyday that we have enough money to do that.  Everything is all good with Anz T now.  Dont worry.  He is just wearing sandals, it looks finny doiung finding work. 

My week wasnt too exciting.  Just taught some people, we got 20 lessons, thats always sick.  I mean, an apostle said that if we teach 20 lessons, we will see some double baptisms.  I am seeing the miracles,  We set two more baptismal dates, one with Richard and one with Kingsley.  Two ghanains.  Super sweet guys.  I really am praying that they see the happiness and the truth in the message.  They keep wanting to pay us for praying for them.  I love the sincerity of the Africans.  I didnt thinkn that i woul dbe teaching so many africans.  But let me just say this, they are here for a reason, maybe it was to find work, but the are so willing to listen to the word of god, and the except that.  

I am wondering whats going on with Mitt Romney and Obama right now.  Its just being talked about all the time, people are asking us questions, but we dont know anything.  so whats going on?? 

Natacha, our batpismal date, went off to France for two weeks,  we are going to move her date.  She is just doing so amazing.  She knows that its true.  She just cannot wait to be baptized.  She has a huge testimony of Joseph Smith.  thank goodness.  Everything else follows after that.  She is going to read the book of mormon in France.  She said that she was going to try and finish it.  HOLY COW!!  She read the 8 witness testimony, and just loved it.  She said that she could testify of the truthfullness too.  I think that these next couple days are going to be really big for her.  If she can keep things going or not.  IF she does, her husband will see it, and he will be curious, its going to be great.  The ward is diong really good.  I am really loving my mission.  

I am just surprized how fast things are going.  7 months at home seem like forever, but here it just flew by.  Its just gone.  I now am older than any sister missionary that is going to come on a mission.  I will be home before any sister missionary.  CRAZY!!  I love it though.  I dont want it to end.    

VI VOGLIO TANTO BENE

Anziano Treadway