Zone Conference & Tourists

Well, first things first. My team won the Zone soccer game. It was 5 v 5 on a small field. I love doing zone soccer games. Zone Conference was really good though. We talked about unity, honor, joy and putting it into our work. We also had a combined zone conference with Calabria (They had to travel for like 7 hours to get here and some of them never actually made it because they missed their train). It was good fun though.

This week we have worked hard. It is currently the Patron Saint Festival here in Lecce and it is jam packed with tons of tourists! (Seriously. I have been keeping track and about 10% of the people we talk to are from Lecce.) The festival should end about Wednesday though. At this point I am used to tourists. At first it was really discouraging because I could never really teach any of the people I found, but now it is fun. The whole city is decked out with tons of markets and lights and stages with concerts. It is crazy. 

We met with our Romanian investigators this week (it is a mother and child). We tried doing the first lesson with them but they do not speak much Italian so we gave them a pamphlet and Book of Mormon in Romanian and we also watched a movie about Joseph Smith in Romanian. I think they are still really confused because it is hard to communicate with them. 

I have been getting really aggressive in my street finding (Maybe too aggressive. Actually I am pretty sure I am too aggressive). I just really want to find investigators but it is a little hard with tons of tourists. We are working super hard though. Anziano Maxwell is picking up things and he is learning. The first 4 transfers are pretty rough with language and knowing how to teach and stuff. 

We are doing our best here in Lecce though!

Zone Conference

Zone Soccer Game

Sri Lankan wedding we went to. The little girl comes to our English course. The mom drops her off and it is essentially babysitting, but she is cool. The mom asked us to come to a wedding with her. We were the only two white people in the room that spoke English or Italian. It was super cool. Tons of Sri Lankan food and all the ladies were dressed in traditional clothing.

Trainer, First Counselor in the Bishopric and YM President

What town in Canada is Elder Maxwell from?

Ummm... I couldn’t tell you and he is not next to me right now. We are with about 12 missionaries because we are playing our Zone soccer game today. So we don’t have all that much time today. Haha…

How are things going between you? 

We are getting along well. He is a really quiet guy. This is his first transfer so he is still really nervous about stuff but he is a good guy. He loves to work hard and is always trying.

Is it still super hot?

It is cooling down a lot! Especailly this week!

Are you healthy and wearing your retainer and taking care of your teeth?

Yes I am.

This week was a little stressful because I am training but we have started to work it all out. We also are working super hard because President said there is a baptism for every companionship this transfer in the zone. We found 3 new investigators this week. One is a friend of a member who came to church again (she is still a little nervous about missionary lessons) and the other 2 are a mother and child from Romania. They do not speak much Italian... At all really... But we will do our best and try to teach with the Romanian materials that we have!

Other than that I’ve been a little worried because we have a lot of stuff to organize and plan with 1st councilor and YM president and also missionary work stuff… But it has been good.

Thanks for all you guys do!

Transfers & Free Wine

This week we were able to say goodbye to all of the members with Anziano Lewis. He and I made a lot of good relationships with the members here and I hope me and my new companion can keep those up. It was really good serving with Anziano Lewis. I really liked him a lot.

So for transfers, Anziano Romano and I were like the only people staying so we had to move everybody to and from the train station all day long. It was really tiring. Anziano Romano also had an eye appointment that same day and they put chemicals in his eyes and he couldn’t see for like 3 hours so I had to drive the car and pretty much move all the stuff myself. 

We picked up my new companion, his name is Anziano Maxwell from Canada. He played hockey professionally for like 4 years. This is his first city. He is a really good guy. Our train back to Lecce got delayed 2 hours so we got into Lecce at like 11:30 at night and that night there was the huge Patron Saint Festival. More people than I have ever seen in my whole life. Lots of stages were set up for concerts. The big thing about this Patron Saint is it was a wine festival. Free Wine. Everybody was super drunk. It was a good first day for him.

We are doing well here though and working hard. The house is really quiet and kind of lonesome without 4 people.

Also, President promised a baptism a companionship this transfer in this zone. It is going to be a toughy but I know we can do it!

Changes

Question’s from Mom:

How is your toe and what happened to it?

What? My toe is fine?

Did you get transferred or stay in Lecce?

I am staying in Lecce but Elder Lewis is leaving. I am a little sad. He was a lot of fun. Super goofy. We got along really, really well. Also. They are moving out a set of missionaries here in Lecce. It used to be 4 but now there will only be 2. I feel bad that this city is getting downgraded... We did our best to teach as many people as we could. But... We will only have 2 here now. I am the last man standing here in Lecce. Also. I will most likely become the 1st counselor in the Presidency here but will still remain Young Men’s President (yes!). 

This week was actually a really good week and we were able to meet with a lot of members. We have been doing lessons about using tech for missionary work (Mormon Messages, Genealogy, Lds.org and what not). Also. I fasted for this young lady here that she could find someone to teach the gospel to and she met this guy on Facebook and they started talking. He has been going to Church in Taranto for about a month now and is about to be baptized. Pretty cool eh. 

The pictures below are of this sweet family that was baptized two years ago. They are members. The dad is a Navy Seal guy and a hardcore military man. We work with his boy a lot. This week we did a lesson with him and he started to cry for a few minutes. He then looked at us and said, "Thanks for everything that you have done. Especially for my boy." It was super cool. Big strong military man crying. Nothing quite like it. Gospel. It’s cool.

Finding, finding, finding...

This week we are going to the tip of the tack to a city called Leuca. Ocean on 3 sides. Should be pretty cool. As always when we try to do stuff there is not much time. But... This week not all that much happened. Just lots of funny stories about doing finding and talking with funny people.

Sadly this week Gabriele did not progress. The girl he likes said she didn’t like him and he got super sad and went out and drank some beers. We haven’t been able to see him this week either. She will keep working with the boys.

This week I got a little frustrated again about finding new investigators. We were not able to. We are doing our best man. Seriously working super hard. It just gets a little tiring when you do finding for 10 hours every single day all week and don’t see much from it (felt like I was back in Sciacca). But we are keeping our faith high and are never giving up!

Zone Conference = Packages & Letters

This week I got a letter from Anziano Creg Jones’ mother. It had 20 US Dollars in it! What a nice lady! She says she reads my blog. Thanks Anziano Jones’ Mom!

Oh! Mom you said Coke has been doing the bottles with the names of people on them. They were doing that in Sicily when I was there. It was super cool because all the names on the bottles where Sicilian names, and even the packaging was written in Siciliano. It was super cool. (Goes to show how strong of a culture Siciliano is.)

This week we had Zone Conference and it was really good! We got to play a good game of soccer with the other missionaries the day before. I also got the small package with Fourth of July stuff in it, a letter from Kris, and a letter from Grandma Barbara. At Zone Conference we talked about how we need to use the scriptures more in lessons and about how we need to become leaders. This transfer and the next, about 60% of the mission leaders (APs, Zone Leaders, Trainers, District Leaders, etc) are going home and now we need to step up to the plate. I personally do not want to train. I do not think I am ready. I can barely iron my shirt in the morning much less be expected to help someone be a missionary. It’s terrifying.

This week we have been doing a lot of finding and member lessons. Also, this week Gabriele (13 years old, Kevin’s friend) accepted a baptismal date! We prayed a lot and did a fast about what we should do about him and both felt that if he accepts a date then God will figure out a way for his father to accept what he is doing. It is going to take a lot of faith on all of our parts. But anything is possible in this line of work.

We are working hard and doing our best!

Exchanges and the World Cup

We are currently in Bari doing email... The choir course is going well... I am essentially just making up stuff to do because I have never been in a choir... But... We are sounding alright?

We did an exchange with the Zone Leaders this week that went well. I went with Anziano Romano (He was my friend from the MTC). He is rad.

We are continuing to work with Kevin and his friends! Everybody is at the sea and there are many tourists. This week there were mostly Germans. 

I am excited for Zone Conference tomorrow!

Sorry this letter is super short... We do not have much time.

CIAO!

We got permission from the ZL's to watch the World Cup (we had to be home by 10:00). However...I don't think that they asked the President... But I didn't want to ask. We watched it with Kevin and he brought six friends for us to meet! Woot! 

Young Men's activity.