Week 4 - Bus Caught on Fire, Soccer, & Future Baptism

Ciao Tutti!

I hope everyone is having an awesome time back home!  This week was pretty interesting.  Although, I do think I'm starting to get into the rhythm of things here in Italy...maybe. 

As far as the mission work goes, we have one baptism this coming Saturday for Stefano.  Last Saturday, I went on an exchange with our Zone Leader, Anziano Ferrero, to interview Stefano while my companion and his went to Latina to do a "Mostra", or show, and invite people to a church service we would be holding in Latina the next day.  During the interview, Stefano asked me to baptize him...I'm freaking nervous!  My first baptism!  What if I accidently drown him?? AAAAHHH! Although, I hardly did any of the work.  Ginolfi is the one who started teaching Stefano.  Stefano and his friend Massimo (a strange kind of inactive member) asked me to baptize Stefano since Massimo can't.  I couldn't understand all that they said, but Massimo said it was because he just really likes me and I am "bravissimo" or "really good". haha so yea...I'm super excited, but really nervous :D

That Sunday we held a church service in Latina.  We had an attending audience of about...one.  Rosalba was the only one who showed up, but it ended up being really good because we were able to have a really good discussion with her.  The Bishop was AWESOME and really helped answer a lot of her questions.  The Spirit was very strong in that lesson, and during our mini sacrament service.  I know she felt it too...because she kept saying so.  Also, turns out that the name of Rosalba's husband is Lino, and he called while we were with her.  He asked if I wanted him to take anything back with him from my family when he comes back.  Guess when he comes back?  July 2nd!  I should have said yes, but for some reason I hadn't thought anyone was planning to send a package...and I totally forgot it was my birthday!  So, if you DO end up finding him.  Maybe you could send the package with him?  But seriously, I don't really need anything.  The best gift would just be extra money to buy ties and some slacks here in Italy...and snacks :)  And I wouldn't mind cheez-its or any kind of AMERICAN snackfood because the snacks here are not as good.

Oh ya, I also played my first game of Calcio (soccer) here in Italy.  Some of these guys are really good!  I looked like a fool in a skinny blue shirt and short shorts that I borrowed from a member, but we all still had a good time.  We played with some kids that were in the park that day, and they kicked my butt!  I would have taken pictures to send you guys, but I forgot my camera in a member's apartment along with my backpack.

Also, yesterday, our bus caught on fire.  It was really exciting, and we all had to get off the bus and wait for another one to pick us up.  Yay for Italian ghetto public transportation!

Well, that's all for this week.  Tell everyone I love them!  The work is great and the church is true. :)

Week 3

Dear Family,

Is everyone getting married right now? Geez!  Tell Bryan that he had better not get married while I'm gone!  If he gets engaged...just have a REALLY long engagement so I can come to the wedding. ;)

Anyway, this week has gone by really fast.  Can you believe I've already been out here for a little over 2 months?  A whole 1/12 of my mission is gone already...where did the time go?  There is still so much to do!

Anziano Ginolfi and found two more investigators this week.  A mom, Rosalba, and her daughter, Nancy.  Rosalba's husband is in Utah right now.  Apparently he has relatives who live in Highland, and Rosalba wanted me to ask if any of you knew them..but I feel really dumb because I can't remember the guy's last name!  It's Jake something...so if you know a Jake who is married to a woman who is sister's with a man who is married to a Rosalba who lives in Latina...let me know! haha I know that's not much to go on. (Basically, they are in-laws).

Other than that, my companion and I have just been running around a lot this week trying to make it on time a million different appointments...while somehow fitting in shopping for food and a small bit of finding.  We also went to FHE with the Fresta family this week.  We have been doing that every Monday since I got here.  I freaking love their family!  They are super cool and really patient with my inability to understand a single word they are saying.  I also get to play guitar with Carmello and his brother Masimo.  They are hilarious!  I know I'm probably not supposed to pick favorites...but the Fresta family is definitely my favorite family in the ward.

My district at zone conference this past week. 

All the graffiti here in Rome. It's EVERYWHERE in Italy.

My companion and I practiced our graffiti skills during companionship study because we finished early haha.

A random picture of me... OUTSIDE THE COLLOSSEUM!!! WOO haha

Well, that's all for now!  I hope everything is going well at home.  Until next time!

Love,

Anziano Jared Burnham

Week 2

Ciao!

It was so good to hear from and see all of you when we skyped for Mother's Day.  It made my day A LOT better!

Anyway, not much has happened since then.  Anziano Ginolfi and I have mostly been running around getting things done, shopping, and finding.  We went to Latina this week to talk with some people we had met previously.  They are from California. The mom was baptized when she was younger, and the daughter doesn't know a ton about the church.  They are convinced that meeting us was a sign from above that they need to change what their doing and better their lives...I completely agree! haha We also were able to finally meet the mother's sons who we had not met yet.  They both are really chill guys and they seem pretty interested in what we have to say.  Or, at least, they seem to like us.  That is always a plus!  They also speak ENGLISH!! WOOO!!!

I also got to see my first baptism on the mission.  It was done in Ladispoli at the church there, and the new Sister was baptized in the ocean nearby.  It was sweet!  I took some pictures as well.

That's all for now.  I'm not sick anymore (thankfully), things are going good, and my Italian is getting slightly better...I think.  I still have no idea what people are saying to me...but that's okay.

Hope all is well back home!  Until next time...

Love,

Anziano Jared Burnham

Week 1 in Italy

Hey everyone!

I decided to start a blog for Jared (Anziano Burnham) to post emails and pictures that he sends home so his friends/family can follow his life while he serves his mission for two years in Rome, Italy. 

Of course, I'm not going to post anything too personal that he sends in emails to me or his family, but rather the stuff about his investigators, culture, people, etc... So without further adieu, here's week one :)

(After the first day of being in Italy)

"Ciao!

Hey, I am just sending this email to let you all know that I made it to Italy safely!  It was kind of a crazy experience.  Two elders missed the flight in Chicago, practically baptized the first person I talked to (Eve Franky) on the plane to Chicago, and when we got to Italy, 20 or so missionaries were stuck at the airport because the mission President didn't know when we were arriving...it was a mess!  Luckily, we got it all figured out and we all made it to the mission home before the night.

My first Italian dinner consisted of salad, homemade bread, and REAL lasagna.  It was great!  I found out that my first area is Ostia (a Rome suburb by the beach).  My new companion is Elder Ginolfi, and I meet him today.  Apparently he's a stud and used to be a quarterback before his mission.  This is his last transfer before he goes home...this could be interesting!

I also finally realized for real that I don't know ANY Italian...yay...haha

Anyway, the mission home is awesome and apparently super expensive.  It's an old three story home in the middle of the city.  I'm already loving it here!  I can't wait until my body adjusts to the humidity...and I can't wait to actually learn Italian :P"

(After the first week of being in Italy)

"I had a very interesting first week out here! My mission president is super cool.  He has really relaxed rules, because he believes in the missionaries being accountable to themselves.  Basically, if you are not feeling the Spirit, then find out why and change it!  He is really nice, and his wife is a sweetheart! 

 Right off the plane, I got sick.  I am just now today getting my voice back, and I stopped having a fever on Sunday.  For the first few days, I had a fever that breached over 101.  It was pretty bad.  With the humidity and the heat, I felt like I was constantly in a furnace!

Me, being the dumby that I am, I was too stubborn to not go out and do missionary work, so I didn't let my companion know I needed to stay in and rest.  I didn't want to spend the first week of my mission in bed!  So, with much praying, and a little witch doctor magic from one of the sisters (consisting of lemons, pepper, honey, and oils that reminded me of Mom) I set out and just sucked it up and went to work.

My trainer is Anziano Ginolfi.  He is on his last transfer here in Rome, and he is a pretty cool guy!  He is really easy going, but he also works hard and loves the people.  He knows how to work and have fun at the same time.  He definitely made it easy for me to transition.

We also work a lot with the sisters here.  We all recently went to Latina to contact some less actives.  The sisters took care of the less active sisters, and we searched out the men.  Mostly, nobody was home.  However, we were able to contact the wife of a less active member, and she seems very interested in the church.  She wants us to come back soon and teach her the lessons.  YES!

On my first day I met our two active investigators, Luciano and Stefano.  Stefano is basically the perfect investigator.  When the missionaries started teaching him, he had already read the Book of Mormon and he knows its true.  Basically, all we need to do is teach him the lessons, extend commitments, and dunk him!  He is the coolest guy :D

Luciano has been recieving lessons for a while.  He is also a really nice guy and you can tell he has a lot of faith.  I think the one thing he lacks is his own faith in himself.  He struggles with a few things he just can't yet seem to get over.  So for now, we are just loving him and helping him the best we can.

I don't understand a word of what anyone is saying!  It doesn't help that I lost my voice and I can't tell them I don't know what they are saying.  I finally am starting to put pieces together, but I still can't say much, and if I could, my voice isn't completely back yet either....it's kind of a silly situation and I just have to laugh at the irony!

Other than that, Rome is awesome!  Or more specifically, the Ostia area is sweet!  I love it over here and all the people are so cool.  I expected the people to be more stiff seeing as I live in a city, but I guess people are only more stiff right in the center of Rome because the people here are super nice!  This one old lady on the bus once started talking to me as if we were best friends and she had known me forever.  I didn't understand half of what she 

was saying, but I smiled and laughed and said a few things like "I agree" and "yes, definitely" which was apparently enough to keep her going hahaAnyway, that's it for now!  The mission is great!  I'm loving it here, and I love the people here!"

My companion is awesome!

The mission home!

Being super sick :(