Mar07
March 7th, 2016 // #10 of 2016 🍀
Good Morning Everyone!
March is here and Easter is coming on up. In a few days I will be
hitting my 15 month mark which is pretty neat. I hear it's been
raining cats and dogs back home on you all. Here the weather has been
pretty nice, but this week we are the ones that are going to be
pounded by the rain. We had a pretty slow week. Mistretta is a very
hot and cold city. Some weeks everyone's front doors seem to fly right
open, while other weeks we might as well dress up in a gorilla suit
and try to get into a home that way. I sure love this place though.
I've been here since the end of September last year, and the people
here have surely grown on me. The Portera family has become my family
away from home. Nino has become a grandparent. The Wardle senior
couple are incredible and practically have become family as well.
Mistretta is a good place. Last week, I said that we should be
receiving transfer calls. Well Saturday morning we received a text
message from our Zone Leaders explaining that we would not be
receiving our transfer calls on Saturday. Kind of weird and this has
never happened before, but President Waddoups is inspired and we
should be receiving calls here in the upcoming days. I'm praying to
remain in Mistretta, but it is about what I want or am hoping for.
I'll let everyone know next week what is happening there.
Last Week, I explained that when we down to Sorella Battista's for our
second sacrament meeting her daughter, Rossaria, was not feeling well.
Her heart beat was around 150-155 beats per minute and she was running
a high fever. Sorella Battista asked us to give her a priesthood
blessing. We put our hands upon her head, and I administered the
blessing of healing. Throughout the prayer, I felt that I could
promise her that her heart would calm down shorty and that he fever
would break. At the end of the blessing I promised her those things.
Immediately after the blessing we headed back up to Mistretta without
hesitation, so we were unable to see how Rossaria felt after a little
while. Well, Friday evening we headed down to Sorella Battista's house
for our Weekly Family home evening and the first thing I asked her was
how her daughter felt. She responded and I quote, "30 Minutes after
you left, her pulse dropped a full 60 beats per minute and her fever
broke immediately. It was a miracle, an absolute miracle." It was a
moment out here in the mission field that I will never forget. It was
the first time I had the chance to lay my hands upon the head of
someone and give them a blessing in Italian. The power of the
priesthood is such a blessing, and a blessing for everyone. How
grateful I am for the opportunity that I had. God hears and answers
our prayers.
We also had another solid lesson with Dr Enzo this passed week about
the Prophet of the Restoration, Joseph Smith. We decided to take an
entire lesson and just talk about one man, one man that was prepared
from the day of his birth to fulfill what he was preordained to
accomplish. We talked about his life before the First Vision, his
hometown, his family, his religious background. We talked about his
life immediately after the First Vision, the persecution, the
challenges and harassment. We talked about the Book of Mormon, his
wife Emma, his children, and his martyrdom alongside his brother,
Hyrum. I never get tired of teaching about the Prophet Joseph Smith.
The more I learn about him, his life, his revelations, his
character...the more and more convinced I become. He was absolutely
incredible and like D&C 135:3 declares, "3 Joseph Smith, the Prophet
and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the
salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in
it." The lived great, and truly he died great. Towards the end of the
lesson, I had the thought to turn to a conference talk given by
President James E. Faust in the October 1992 General Conference. In
this talk, which is titled "A Priceless Heritage", he talks about The
Pioneers. In this powerful talk he shares a few pioneer stories. I
would like to share one of the stories he shared. I believe that I
have already sent this home once before, but reading it again doesn't
hurt. Here it is...:
"Let me tell you of James Kirkwood. James was from Glasgow, Scotland.
On the trip west, James was accompanied by his widowed mother and
three brothers, one of whom, Thomas, was nineteen and crippled and had
to ride in the handcart. James’s primary responsibility on the trek
was to care for his little four-year-old brother, Joseph, while his
mother and oldest brother, Robert, pulled the cart. As they climbed
Rocky Ridge, it was snowing and there was a bitter cold wind blowing.
It took the whole company twenty-seven hours to travel fifteen miles.
When little Joseph became too weary to walk, James, the older brother,
had no choice but to carry him. Left behind the main group, James and
Joseph made their way slowly to camp. When the two finally arrived at
the fireside, James “having so faithfully carried out his task,
collapsed and died from exposure and over-exertion."
James was 11 years old.
I read these stories to Dr. Enzo about the strong, fearless and full
of faith Pioneers and it was a big turning point in our lesson.
Anziano Dunn and I bore testimony that Joseph Smith would not die
along side of his brother, leaving behind their wives, children and
little band of Mormon followers over a Book. He would have never
endured so much pain, so much affliction, so many trials and so much
hatred from a Book. He sealed his testimony with his own innocent
blood, and his brother was in the exact same room standing by his
brothers side as 150-200 men, with faces painted black, entered the
jail with pistols and balls in hand, thirsty for blood. Once again, he
lived great and he died great. We then bore testimony on the pioneer
stories that we shared. We testified that an 11 year old boy died,
after carrying his younger brother on his back for miles in the
blazing snow and wind while they were trekking towards Zion. We
testified that these Saints wouldn't have left it all behind, put
everything on the line, and march across the United States all because
of a Book, if they weren't absolutely certain about this books
divinity and authenticity. They were strong, just as the Saints are
today. We testified of the reality of the Book of Mormon. We testified
of an inspired 14 year old, who desired to know the truth. We
testified of those who valiantly lost their lives on the painful and
straining walk across those rough plains and of those who reached what
we know as Zion. This lesson with Dr. Enzo was probably my favorite
lesson that I have taught throughout my mission. To be able to look
someone in the eyes and say..."I know..." is a pretty powerful thing.
I'm not sure about Dr. Enzo, but I came away edified from that lesson.
I'm grateful for the Spirit that lead and guided that lesson. He is
the true teacher, us missionaries are merely the mouthpieces. I'm
grateful that He accompanied us through that discussion we had with
Dr. Enzo.
That's about all that I have time to share this week, but I hope you
know that I love each of you. I'm grateful for each of you and for
your love, support and prayers. I'm grateful for my family, my friends
and the Italian people that are making this two year journey the
greatest experience that a 19 year old boy could have. I'm grateful
for a loving Father in Heaven who loved us enough, that He sent His
very best to suffer, bleed and die for each and everyone of us. He did
not only send this Perfect Son to suffer, bleed and die...but to Live,
to Love, to Teach and to Live again. I'm grateful for that Son, that
willing accepted the Fathers call to come to this earth and suffer for
us. Surely He can and will shift a mountain, change the course of a
river and walk by our very side every step of this mortal journey. I'm
grateful for the Prophet Joseph Smith. For his character, loyalty and
obedience. For his strength, for his grit and for his will. I am
grateful for the Scriptures and especially the Book of Mormon. The
Book of Mormon was saved for our day, right now. The Prophet Joseph
Smith, his brother Hyrum, James, and a countless number of others gave
their lives for that very Book. I am grateful for once again my
family, my friends and these Italian people that make my life so rich.
I love you all. Have a great week and take care. I'll talk to you soon.
Love,
Anziano JarDee Nessen
Italy Rome Mission
Romans 1:15-16
PS.
For those of you who would like to participate with me in a special
fast here is some info. One of my past companions has recently
returned home from the mission, early for reasons that do not need to
be discussed. The fact of the matter is it that I love this missionary
and I would do anything I could for him. He has had an impact on me,
perhaps bigger than any other companion that I have had. I will begin
my fast this Saturday after lunch and close my fast Sunday after
church. I will not be publishing his name in respect for him, but for
those of you who would like to fast we will be fasting for Elder
Unknown. The Lord will know exactly who we are fasting for and will
send Angels to this Elders right and left during this difficult time.
I thank you all.
-Nino on his Tablet (Notice without the huge glasses. Those are his
normal ones)
--Shoutout to my best friend and right hand man for making the
baseball team. #21
March is here and Easter is coming on up. In a few days I will be
hitting my 15 month mark which is pretty neat. I hear it's been
raining cats and dogs back home on you all. Here the weather has been
pretty nice, but this week we are the ones that are going to be
pounded by the rain. We had a pretty slow week. Mistretta is a very
hot and cold city. Some weeks everyone's front doors seem to fly right
open, while other weeks we might as well dress up in a gorilla suit
and try to get into a home that way. I sure love this place though.
I've been here since the end of September last year, and the people
here have surely grown on me. The Portera family has become my family
away from home. Nino has become a grandparent. The Wardle senior
couple are incredible and practically have become family as well.
Mistretta is a good place. Last week, I said that we should be
receiving transfer calls. Well Saturday morning we received a text
message from our Zone Leaders explaining that we would not be
receiving our transfer calls on Saturday. Kind of weird and this has
never happened before, but President Waddoups is inspired and we
should be receiving calls here in the upcoming days. I'm praying to
remain in Mistretta, but it is about what I want or am hoping for.
I'll let everyone know next week what is happening there.
Last Week, I explained that when we down to Sorella Battista's for our
second sacrament meeting her daughter, Rossaria, was not feeling well.
Her heart beat was around 150-155 beats per minute and she was running
a high fever. Sorella Battista asked us to give her a priesthood
blessing. We put our hands upon her head, and I administered the
blessing of healing. Throughout the prayer, I felt that I could
promise her that her heart would calm down shorty and that he fever
would break. At the end of the blessing I promised her those things.
Immediately after the blessing we headed back up to Mistretta without
hesitation, so we were unable to see how Rossaria felt after a little
while. Well, Friday evening we headed down to Sorella Battista's house
for our Weekly Family home evening and the first thing I asked her was
how her daughter felt. She responded and I quote, "30 Minutes after
you left, her pulse dropped a full 60 beats per minute and her fever
broke immediately. It was a miracle, an absolute miracle." It was a
moment out here in the mission field that I will never forget. It was
the first time I had the chance to lay my hands upon the head of
someone and give them a blessing in Italian. The power of the
priesthood is such a blessing, and a blessing for everyone. How
grateful I am for the opportunity that I had. God hears and answers
our prayers.
We also had another solid lesson with Dr Enzo this passed week about
the Prophet of the Restoration, Joseph Smith. We decided to take an
entire lesson and just talk about one man, one man that was prepared
from the day of his birth to fulfill what he was preordained to
accomplish. We talked about his life before the First Vision, his
hometown, his family, his religious background. We talked about his
life immediately after the First Vision, the persecution, the
challenges and harassment. We talked about the Book of Mormon, his
wife Emma, his children, and his martyrdom alongside his brother,
Hyrum. I never get tired of teaching about the Prophet Joseph Smith.
The more I learn about him, his life, his revelations, his
character...the more and more convinced I become. He was absolutely
incredible and like D&C 135:3 declares, "3 Joseph Smith, the Prophet
and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the
salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in
it." The lived great, and truly he died great. Towards the end of the
lesson, I had the thought to turn to a conference talk given by
President James E. Faust in the October 1992 General Conference. In
this talk, which is titled "A Priceless Heritage", he talks about The
Pioneers. In this powerful talk he shares a few pioneer stories. I
would like to share one of the stories he shared. I believe that I
have already sent this home once before, but reading it again doesn't
hurt. Here it is...:
"Let me tell you of James Kirkwood. James was from Glasgow, Scotland.
On the trip west, James was accompanied by his widowed mother and
three brothers, one of whom, Thomas, was nineteen and crippled and had
to ride in the handcart. James’s primary responsibility on the trek
was to care for his little four-year-old brother, Joseph, while his
mother and oldest brother, Robert, pulled the cart. As they climbed
Rocky Ridge, it was snowing and there was a bitter cold wind blowing.
It took the whole company twenty-seven hours to travel fifteen miles.
When little Joseph became too weary to walk, James, the older brother,
had no choice but to carry him. Left behind the main group, James and
Joseph made their way slowly to camp. When the two finally arrived at
the fireside, James “having so faithfully carried out his task,
collapsed and died from exposure and over-exertion."
James was 11 years old.
I read these stories to Dr. Enzo about the strong, fearless and full
of faith Pioneers and it was a big turning point in our lesson.
Anziano Dunn and I bore testimony that Joseph Smith would not die
along side of his brother, leaving behind their wives, children and
little band of Mormon followers over a Book. He would have never
endured so much pain, so much affliction, so many trials and so much
hatred from a Book. He sealed his testimony with his own innocent
blood, and his brother was in the exact same room standing by his
brothers side as 150-200 men, with faces painted black, entered the
jail with pistols and balls in hand, thirsty for blood. Once again, he
lived great and he died great. We then bore testimony on the pioneer
stories that we shared. We testified that an 11 year old boy died,
after carrying his younger brother on his back for miles in the
blazing snow and wind while they were trekking towards Zion. We
testified that these Saints wouldn't have left it all behind, put
everything on the line, and march across the United States all because
of a Book, if they weren't absolutely certain about this books
divinity and authenticity. They were strong, just as the Saints are
today. We testified of the reality of the Book of Mormon. We testified
of an inspired 14 year old, who desired to know the truth. We
testified of those who valiantly lost their lives on the painful and
straining walk across those rough plains and of those who reached what
we know as Zion. This lesson with Dr. Enzo was probably my favorite
lesson that I have taught throughout my mission. To be able to look
someone in the eyes and say..."I know..." is a pretty powerful thing.
I'm not sure about Dr. Enzo, but I came away edified from that lesson.
I'm grateful for the Spirit that lead and guided that lesson. He is
the true teacher, us missionaries are merely the mouthpieces. I'm
grateful that He accompanied us through that discussion we had with
Dr. Enzo.
That's about all that I have time to share this week, but I hope you
know that I love each of you. I'm grateful for each of you and for
your love, support and prayers. I'm grateful for my family, my friends
and the Italian people that are making this two year journey the
greatest experience that a 19 year old boy could have. I'm grateful
for a loving Father in Heaven who loved us enough, that He sent His
very best to suffer, bleed and die for each and everyone of us. He did
not only send this Perfect Son to suffer, bleed and die...but to Live,
to Love, to Teach and to Live again. I'm grateful for that Son, that
willing accepted the Fathers call to come to this earth and suffer for
us. Surely He can and will shift a mountain, change the course of a
river and walk by our very side every step of this mortal journey. I'm
grateful for the Prophet Joseph Smith. For his character, loyalty and
obedience. For his strength, for his grit and for his will. I am
grateful for the Scriptures and especially the Book of Mormon. The
Book of Mormon was saved for our day, right now. The Prophet Joseph
Smith, his brother Hyrum, James, and a countless number of others gave
their lives for that very Book. I am grateful for once again my
family, my friends and these Italian people that make my life so rich.
I love you all. Have a great week and take care. I'll talk to you soon.
Love,
Anziano JarDee Nessen
Italy Rome Mission
Romans 1:15-16
PS.
For those of you who would like to participate with me in a special
fast here is some info. One of my past companions has recently
returned home from the mission, early for reasons that do not need to
be discussed. The fact of the matter is it that I love this missionary
and I would do anything I could for him. He has had an impact on me,
perhaps bigger than any other companion that I have had. I will begin
my fast this Saturday after lunch and close my fast Sunday after
church. I will not be publishing his name in respect for him, but for
those of you who would like to fast we will be fasting for Elder
Unknown. The Lord will know exactly who we are fasting for and will
send Angels to this Elders right and left during this difficult time.
I thank you all.
-Nino on his Tablet (Notice without the huge glasses. Those are his
normal ones)
--Shoutout to my best friend and right hand man for making the
baseball team. #21
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