Patriarchal Blessings

Well, once again we don't have much time to email here in Sciacca. Our fellow missionaries got robbed in Caltenisetta (I don't know how to spell it). But it is about 2 hours away and they now don't have any money. So we have to go reseue them. Hehehe.

But anyhoos, life is good here in Sciacca. The work is not like anything I would have imagined though. Finding is not like it is in any other city. Our success comes from slow, slow, slow friendships with people. It’s different, that is for sure. 

This week about 80% of the branch got patriarchal blessings. That was cool. The Stake Patriarch came and we did church. Then ate lunch together. Then had a lesson. Then joked around for like 2 hours eating and laughing (Sicilians...)... Then after all that the Patriarch called them in one by one and did their blessings. It was great for the branch. They are gonna be a lot stronger now.

That’s all for now.

Maybe a list of questions in case we don’t have time next week. 

Sorry for not writing much.

Ciao!

Post Video Chat Email

I talked with the fam today. I think a short email will do.

I bought a new suit this week. It is sweet. 40 euros complete with tie and shirt. Super good deal. Super nice suit.

This week we went to Palermo. Palermo is a really, really big city. I was there 3 days while Zito went to Rome for a Conference. It is always fun doing finding is a new city though. I enjoyed myself.

Ummm…what else. Gave a talk in church about the Bible. Talked about William Tyndale a lot. I studied his life a couple years ago so I gave some interesting facts and applied it to the gospel. 

Other than that nothing really new. 

Thanks for your love and your patience.

Ciao.

Extension to the Short Letter

Here are some questions from Mom that I will respond to.

How did you get to Sciacca? Train, bus? Did you travel alone?
Bus Rides for sure. There are no trains going to Sciacca and the further south and west you get the less reliable the trains. So. I met my new companion in Catania (there was chaos there as always with transfers) and we left on the bus. 

How did you meet up with Elder Zito?
Anziano Zito... Met him in Catania along with his grin and glasses. 

What is your new apartment like? What is this quiet little seaside town like?
The apartment is actually super nice. The town itself is super duper old. Everybody lives in these 300 years pueblos but our building looks like 5 years old. Really nice and new. The town is super small and quiet though. Everybody knows everybody and everybody has pretty much the same last name. It is definitely a sea side town. Most people work in little family owned shops and a lot of people work on little fishing boats. And everybody knows the missionaries already so it’s really interesting the work we do here is interesting.

Are you now in the Palermo district or Catania?
Palermo Zone. Agrigento district.. The two towns are pretty similar. Agrigento has got some sweet Greek temples I want to go see one of these days. 

It looks like Elder Stewart is still in the middle of the island. Will you see him ever?
Anziano Stewart is actually in my district. I will see him every week. They always change where he though because that city is so close to other cities to be in a district with.

Do you love the new area? Is it pretty? Are the people nice to you?
Yes. Yes. And Yes.

What do you have in common with Elder Zito? Are you picking up more Italian?
Zito is practically American. I always joke with him and ask where he learned so much Italian. But Zito really just has a sarcastic sense of humor and knows a ton of English (he always mixes us him and her a lot so I get confused sometimes). But he is great. AN AMAZING COOK.

I taught Zito "You can say that again!" But a few hours later he said to me.. "Repeat that". So I did... Then about 10 minutes later I realized what he meant to say. 

Are you getting along? What do you eat? Clean apartment?
Yes. We eat like kings. And as Zito said when I first walked into the apartment. "Yeahhh... Sorry for the mess... We kind of live like Gypsies here." 

Did you lose anything in the move? Retainer?????
Not sure yet. Haven’t really been in Sciacca that long.

Are things different on the other side of the island?
Boy howdy. 

Do you have a mailing address?
Yes. But no. Send stuff to Rome. Sciacca is a Moff town. Mail will get stolen. 

Are you and Elder Ziti the only missionaries in Sciacca?
Yes. I think I am also the only English speaker within like 2 hours of here. 

I pulled up some You Tube videos from the travel bureau in Sciacca. So beautiful! So many fishing boats and the Cathedral. Can you send pictures?
Not today.

Ciao.

Short Letter

He listen. We don't have time to email this week because a guy in our district is sick and has been for the last two weeks. They haven't been able to do any work. So we are doing a thing where somebody stays home with him and the other goes to work.

Zito is great. He speaks like perfect English. However.... I feel really, really dumb being with an Italian because he is teaching telling stories and I really can just give a little 30 second testimony at the end. People here speak wayyyy more Siciliano than the people in Messina to. It’s really hard to understand them. The branch is super small and great. They are strong though. We did karaoke night with them. It was fun. The branch has 7 to 11 people in it.

The town is super super small. Everybody knows everybody.

Cool.

See you guys next week. I am with Anziano Prete right now an exchange. He is the man. He says hi.

Transfers Calls!

Well, the Holiday Fest is still not over here in Italy. Today is another big holiday. All the people were in the town square dressed in old fashioned clothes and lighting off cannons. Got some great video of it. Classic. People yelling in Siciliano and gun powder smoke everywhere. Tonight there is a huge festivity and a Nativity! Also... There is a city holiday today as well and in the night they have a bunch of witches come and give gifts to the little children. (I wish I could explain more but here in Messina these withes are more like the Santa Claus in America... They don't really do Santa much.) But we are going to try to do some English Course finding and enjoy the festivities until the holidays are over.

But because the holiday hasn’t really end yet it is hard to meet with people. Members included. We did however meet with Pino again (Our friend with one eye... He was on the scene about 4 months ago but then disappeared. But he is back and has a baptism date.) He is cool. He is also a doctor. Smart guy. 

Oh! Also. New Year’s here was crazy. It was too dangerous to be on the streets because on New Year’s everybody sits on their roofs and throws fireworks and these bombs (seriously...bombs…they cause damage) from their roofs for like 7 hours straight. Nobody was in the streets but the whole city all day was just the sounds of bombs! Also some great videos. At midnight everybody switched from bombs to aerial fireworks and the city was craaazzzy. Honestly I have never seen such a city. It was way cool because we are right next to Italy and you can see everybody shooting off fireworks on the mainland and also a whole bunch of boats where on the Straight shooting off fireworks. Seriously way cool. We also managed to teach a lesson that day with a swell guy named Maurizio! He knows he should get baptized but is afraid of his family.

Also... Ciccio has not come to church the past 3 weeks. He is officially a less active member... Made us sad… But at least he was baptized!

TRANSFER CALLS.

Well Sir. The day has come that I am leaving Messina.

SCIACCA! (pronounced Shockah)

Still on the Island of Sicily!

Sciacca is on the opposite side of Sicily and is the smallest city in the mission in population. Classic little city. Really it is just a small little town in the country side of Sicily. It is one of 3 cities that are famous in the mission for just being really small and quiet.

The branch there has a whopping 6 members.

I am actually really excited. It will be fun to be in just a little tiny town in the countryside. My new companion is named Anziano Zito. He is Italian from Alessandria, Italy (North Italy). He is known for being the best cook in the mission because he worked at his mom’s restaurant pretty much all his life. 

Super excited for the food. Super nervous about the language because now I have to speak only Italian....24 hours a day. 7 days a week. I guess I got what was coming to me though. I am not gonna lie I kinda of really dislike Italian and it really is super hard for me. My Italian is super duper stinky and I really am like 6 months behind in my language abilities. Anzaino Zito is super cool though and will help me out. 

Anziano Cicon is staying in Messina and he will be training. I guess I just prepare my companions for training?

Bye bye. Have a nice and happy new year.