Ciao!: Week 96: May 8 (Roma)

IT WILL ALL WORK OUT

Hey everyone! I hope you are all doing very well and that you had a good week. I just wanted to give a shout out to my brother Gav, who just got lifeguard certified... you little beast. And to my brother Bubba for going hard on the select soccer team. Y’all are studs. I can’t wait to talk to y’all in a few days over Skype! Happy Mother’s Day in advance to everyone, especially my mom!!

This week was probably the most intense week of my entire mission and that’s honestly why I chose this title. "It will all work out” is something that my mission president said multiple times to us and it’s true. Everything truly did all work out. As for pday today, we are planning on going to see some sights in Rome with our district, which will be really fun. We have two new Anziani with us in our house, so I am excited to get to know them better. As for this transfer, Anziano Draghi and I will not be traveling around the mission, which I am honestly really excited for because I can just focus on the work here in Rome. We will be doing a lot of exchanges with the missionaries, which will be great. I am excited to work as hard as I can my last transfer here in the mission. My transfer vision is my most favorite quote of all time. I already stated it a few months ago, but it’s, "I implore you to ball the freak out." I am excited. It’s going to be great.

This past Monday was a very spiritual experience for me. We went to the villa and we were able to eat and serve the other missionaries that were going home on Tuesday. Like I mentioned in my last letter, this group is probably the group which includes my closest friends; Anziano Cannon, Anziano Berger, Anziano Larrain, Anziano Governici, and Anziano LaRussa are all guys that I am really close with for different reasons. After we ate, there was a testimony meeting with all the finishing missionaries and it was probably the most powerful testimony meeting I have ever sat in as I heard these powerful, learned missionaries bear their testimonies on the power of Jesus Christ in their lives, The Plan of Salvation, The Book of Mormon and other things. The things that they said were pretty simple, as testimonies should be. But the spirit that was brought into the room with the simple words of "I know that God lives” is very difficult to describe and something that I will never forget. It was a very special night, and I am grateful for the example that these missionaries have set for me during the course of my mission. After the testimonies, Anziano Draghi and I called the missionaries in the mission to tell them their tranfer calls, which is always so fun. We were able to stay in the villa and sleep there because we had to get up really early to take the missionaries to the airport.

Once we got to the airport, I was able to see my Aunt Cyndi and Uncle Steve, which was a great experience, becaue they came to pick up my cousin from the airport! We then headed over and checked all the missionaries in and sent them off to the plane. Immediately after, we went to the other gate to greet the 16 new incoming missionaries. I wish I could describe it better, other than saying that the "greenie fire" truly is real. It’s fun and special to meet all the wide-eyed new missionaries and respond to all of their questions that “ yes, those certain flowers that they are taking pictures of are everywhere in Rome and they don't need to worry" or that “no, I am not going to explain dangerous experiences from my mission" and “yes, that tree is a really cool tree, I agree" haha. They all are so excited and ready to work! It’s just super amazing to see the power from the group of missionaries that just went home and to see how the mission has changed them, and then to meet the new missionaries and imagine their potential and think where they will be in two years. We drove them to the temple for some pictures and then headed off to go tour around Rome. This new group is so powerful. We went to go see the Colloseum, Piazza del Popolo, and the Basilica of Saint John. While we were going around, we were doing finding and talking to people and everyone was so excited to do so. I literally had to pull a new anziano off the metro because he was talking to three people and the doors were about to close at our stop. It was great. After the tour, we brought them to the villa, where they ate and crashed so hard.

The next day involved different trainings with the trainers throughout the mission and the new missionaries as well. That took most of the day and then we got to the villa to open their golden envelopes, which tell them where they will be going. It was fun to think that these new missionaries are going to be trained by some of my close friends in the mission, and even by Anziano Young (the missionary that I was able to train). That night, Anziano Draghi and I started the fun process of trying to figure out travel for the new missionaries and all the missionaries in the mission. This tranfer was a tricky one because on Friday we had MLC [Mission Leadership Conference] up here in Rome, so basically we were coordinating travel for the missionaries without having the ZLs [zone leaders] there to greet them when they arrived. After a long time of planning, calls, and my mission president telling us that "it will all work out," we went to bed at around 2.00ish in the morning.

After that, things were kind of a blur with sending the missionaries off early, just a few hours after that. There were so many miracles that happened that morning. One was after the machine, for some reason, was not accepting my money to pay for all the missionaries' tickets to get them to the termini. I managed to find just enough tickets for all the missionaries in my pockets and the only one I had to take care of was me. I ended up being just 10 cents short and was not sure what to do until a missionary mentioned how his mom sent him a two-euro coin. It will all work out!! He came in clutch at just the right time to where we got everyone on time to the station and they all headed off to their cities. That night all the ZL/STLs [zone leaders and sister training leaders] came into Rome and we were with them doing different trainings. We all had a great time together and there was a special spirit as we were planning, discussing, and preparing different things for the missionaries in the whole mission. We thought that getting them here to Rome was not going to really work out but again, just as President Pickerd said, it will all work out.

So this week was seriously a lot of fun. But the most special experience was the baptism that I was able to participate in on Saturday night. Our good friend M. came back from Germany so that she could be baptized here in Rome and so all of her friends could come and support her in this decision. The baptism was super special and the spirit was really strong. There were so many young adults that the side of the chapel was full. Also, M. had brought around 8 friends with her to support her as well. It was an honor to participate in her baptism. Again, I am grateful for the priesthood and for how the gospel changes people. The light that has come into M.’s face is difficult to describe. She truly has changed and it’s an amazing thing to see. It was a very beautiful baptism and everything worked out well.

For my spiritual thought, I want to echo the wise council from my mission president. "It will all work out." Sometimes when we have so many things going on, it’s hard to look at the big picture and realize that this is God’s work and He is directing it. As we do our part, it truly will all work out. I definitely saw that this week in my mission.

I am excited for this week. I want to end with a quote from Thomas S. Monson (a living prophet): "The Lord will shape the back that he places burdens upon." I love that.

Vi voglio un sacco di bene!!

Anziano Spencer

With Anziano Cannon and his mom Cyndi (Tristan's cousin and aunt) at the airport.
Well done, Anziano Cannon!!!

Final shot of these two cousins as missionaries together!

Touring Rome with new missionaries.

Viva Italia!!!!

With Anziano Draghi in front of the mission home...

And a better shot of just the anziani!

Love this series with the new missionaries getting their first transfers, and I love to see Tristan's enthusiasm!
(Pics courtesy of Pickerd's mission blog; link on the right for more pics!)