Week 9-- Sept. 7 (Terni, Italy)

WAZZUPPP!!! How is everyone doing? As always thank you so much for your prayers and support; it really means a lot to me and I do feel blessed from everyone. Especially because there are a lot of people here that are not nice at at all so it is good to know that people still love you. Even though they are on like the other side of the world haha.

So this week was a pretty good week. The language is coming along okay. I still have a lot to learn but I am being more patient with myself and just laugh now when I make a mistake. And most people are pretty kind about it. MOST. Haha a few days ago I started to talk to these old guys that were sitting around cause here that's all people generally do. Sit around, but when you ask them if you can talk to them "they are really busy lol" I don't understand haha. Anyway I was told with the old people to just smile and nod cause they will just go on and on and love you. And so I started talking to these gents and they were nice at first but when I started to talk to them about the Book of Mormon they just went off and started to tell me to go away (but in my head I was just like smile and nod Tristan they love you) and I didn't get the hint until he said it for about the 5th time and got in my face. HAHAHA it was awesome! 

Anyway, we are still struggling to find some good solid people to teach. We have been doing a lot of finding and we still have to do a lot more. The hard part is is when we got here all the people that were super solid were already being worked with were with the other missionaries in our apartment so we are kinda starting completely fresh. But we have had some super interesting experiences this week. One when we were doing some finding we met this guy from Napoli who reminded me so much of my buddy Blase back at home. Super chill, and a cool guy and so we started talking to him. He wanted us to smoke with him, and we told him no we don't do that so he offered to buy us some beer; we denied that too so he offered us some fruit. We were like yeah that's awesome, so he took his cigarette out of his mouth and gave it to Anziano Ray to hold on to while he went to get us some fruit. Super funny to see Anziano Ray standing there in missionary atire, a whiteboard in his hand that says "what makes you the most happy," and then a cigarette in his hand. Ohhh man haha! Anyway then he starts talking to me about this second job that he does and it sounded like he was in the mafia like no joke if was really weird. Really cool guy though. I hope we can meet with him someday lolol. 

We also met this really cool guy that wanted a Book of Mormon in French, so we told him we could give it to him on Thursday at 1:00. Thursday came and it was pouring rain but he still ended up coming to the park and meeting us so I really hope that he becomes a solid investigator cause we really need some. C. and L. though are doing awesome. I love them so much; their faith is so amazing. We see them twice a week and it's so nice to go and teach them cause we just always have such a good discussion; he just need to find work in order to be baptized. So we keep praying for him and keeping our fingers crossed!

Another family that we are working with is this guy named ... He is the one that gives us pepperocini (Super hot peppers, life tip: don't rub your eye after cutting one that was like the worst mistake of my life) anyway he believes in science, his wife is atheist, catholic and a JW and his daughter.. Well I don't know what she is. So our discussions have been pretty interesting cause so,writes they back us up and then start yelling at each other in Italian which backs us up [Editor's note: not sure what he means by this!]. From our discussion last night they committed to read 3 pages from the Book of Mormon and I think the daughter is coming to English course so I think she has really big potential there.

Well something that really helped me this week is in Alma 38 when Alma is giving instructions to his son Shiblon and he says:

5 And now my son, Shiblon, I would that ye should remember, that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

And then continues on..

15 And may the Lord bless your soul, and receive you at the last day into his kingdom, to sit down in peace. Now go, my son, and teach the word unto this people. Be sober. My son, farewell.

I like this a lot because Shiblon isn't really talked about a lot in the Book of Mormon. But, he is a righteous missionary, does what he is supposed to do, and this is one of the last things that my mom read to me before I left for the MTC. So it really means a lot to me. I am grateful for my mission, I know I still have a ton to learn and even though it's really hard I feel myself growing so much. 

Another talk that I really liked is called "Man down" from Elder Eyring from April 2009 general conference. I like it a lot because sometimes I have a hard time feeling like a successful missionary if all I am doing is finding and people reject me. But, I am here to search and find people that need help. It's a really good talk so if you need something to read, check it out. And this was my first priesthood session when turned 12 so I was actually able to see this talk in the conference center with my dad. Makes it even more special for me.

Well I love you all! Thanks again for everything!! 

Love, Anziano Spencer

Tonight we might get to teach this guy from Afghanistan so that will be super cool. I have met so many people from all around the world here!! BEING A MISSIONARY IS AWESOME!!

Tristan says: "These are some cookies we made for some investigators.
They were awesome!" (Was he being serious?!)

Italian gelato is ice cream on steroids. Yum!!!! 

With Anziano Ray.

Far right corner is Baci (chocolate hazelnut)--Mom's favorite!

Chocolate jalapeno...not recommended. Tristan was dying.

Tristan said, "This is another thing we do when finding.
This is Anziano Palazzo next to me." [From Southlake!]

Narni, which is part of Tristan's region of Terni. Tristan said: "This is a place called Narni.
And the Narnia books were actually based off this city, super cool.
We had to go and teach this guy named D. up here on Saturday.
There is a Narni castle also but we haven't seen that yet."