Week 21 (Nov 30)--Terni

AO FRA!!

Hey everybody!! I hope everyone had such an awesome Thanksgiving over in America!! We were able to celebrate over here so that was super fun. So what we did is Thursday morning we went to Rome and had a Thanksgiving feast in the mission office with like 45 other missionaries. We were all asked to contribute something so I bought a melon. Something out of the ordinary instead of clementines or apples haha. It was almost 5 euro though, so I am never doing that again lolol. The feast was really good and I was able to meet some other missionaries which was super fun (cause this feast was put together by a different zone). In fact right now we are on a train going to Rome to play some football (American--not soccer) with them cause the AP's invited us. We are super pumped and I am hoping I can bring honor to the Spencer's name as we savagely try to destroy the others…in a good missionary way, I guess haha. After the feast though we headed out and went back cause we had planned a turkey bowl with like 40 of our friends/members/ and people we have met. The culture here in Italy is very different; if it gets below like 50 degrees or looks like it is going to rain no one goes out. So it was kinda frustrating when one person showed up. But hey at least one did!! Afterwards we headed to our English course cause we put a party on there too and brought a turkey that our mission leader cooked and other desserts that we made. Normally we have around 30 people that come to course but only like 10 showed up so again we were a little frustrated at first cause we set up a bunch of things-- but it ended up being a huge success cause all the youth came and the English course people that did come are all sooo sick that we had a really good time. So yeah that's what I did on thanksgiving!! (Editor's note: this letter continues after the pics.)

Tristan and his cousin Ethan (Anziano Spencer and Anziano Cannon) together at the Thanksgiving Feast! So happy Anz Cannon was transferred into Tristan's zone and they could celebrate this holiday together!!

This sister was in the MTC with Tristan and arrived in Italy the same day.

Anz Palazzo clearly looking purposely (and out-of-character) menacing in all these pics...not sure why.

Quite a Thanksgiving feast! Not one piece of pasta to be seen.

I cried when I saw that Tristan had received his little Christmas package in time! 

At the English course Thanksgiving party (and the pics below too).  

Other than that this week was pretty normal. The one thing that was so much fun was my scambio that I did with Anziano Callbero. He is just about to finish his mission, and is one of the most incredible missionaries that I have ever met. I was a little nervous going into it cause he doesn't speak a lot of English (he is from Columbia). But, I seriously had one of the best times on my mission with him. He's an incredible cook (we actually had Mexican tacos; it was the best!!!) and during dinner he sat me down and gave me the most incredible advice that I have received for my mission so far. And it was such a blessing cause I was able to understand everything that he was saying to me with no trouble at all. That's how it was for the entire time we were together but also duirng that time I understood everything. It made me realize that I know more Italian than I think which helped my confidence and just being around him makes you want to try better and be better. Every time you ask him how he is doing he always responds Alle Grande (which is like I am good, more than good)--just a positive awesome guy. It was the best.  

Pretty happy about those Mexican tacos!

I'm guessing this is Anz Callbero's apartment.

Tristan with Anz. Callbero

Okay so for my interesting experience this week! Ummm no news from the transvestites women... Hallelujah!! But I did meet an Albanian man this week when we were doing some finding. We started talking and he was like, "Do you have a girlfriend?" My response, "Umm no…?" "Ohhh okay, well let me tell you... I have two beautiful girls; one is 21 one is 18.. I would like you to meet them, in fact give me your number and then you can come over to my house sometime.” Well, that was easy hahaha sooo I don't think he really understands that that is definitely not my purpose here to marry some random Albanian woman but hopefully they will be down to hear a message of the gospel if they do let us come over!


I also was able to do an exchange with Anziano Slade this week too who is such a stud. I feel bad for him cause he's broken out in these like random rashes on his face and so like everyone we would talk to on the street was just like, "Umm what is that on your face?!" And one woman Anziano Slade had his hand in his pocket and she was like “Umm get your hand out of your pocket that's so disrespectful to me. Where are your manners?!' And then right after that was like, "What is that on your face!!??" He was like are you kidding me.. I was kinda dying not gonna lie haha.


Well, we have been doing a lot of finding this week. Pia is so awesome though!! She came to church even though she used to work on Sundays! She talked to her boss and changed it so now she can come to church! Something else that we have been doing is getting really close with this one family that has sons who are 17/15/12; this family is super strong in the church but we are trying to get the 17 year old super hyped for his mission so that has been fun getting closer with them! They are such studs. The 15 year old reminds me of my little bro Gavin and the 12 year old is like my little brother Bubba.. Literally both straight up studs so I really enjoy working with them!


So the spiritual thought that I want to share is something that Anziano Callbero was telling me. He talked to me about obedience and how I need to be obedient to the rules cause that's so important. But he then said do the things that Christ would do if he were here. He then explained to me a story about how there were three missionaries walking by a beach (you’re not supposed to even be by the beach but that's not the point haha:)). Two of them were talking and they realized that one of them was gone. They started freaking out and were like we need to call president. This missionary is so disobedient like he is gone and we’re at the beach and he needs to be sent home. The other one said like no no let’s give him the benefit of the doubt, let's look for him. All of the sudden they see a huge group of people by the beach yelling and screaming and they look out and there is a girl drowning in the ocean. They look out and there is their companion: the only one acting, in his church suit, shoes, everything swimming out to her to save her. This story hit me hard. The point he was trying to make is obey the rules, but be as Jesus Christ. I hope that makes sense. Trust me I am not going apostate or anything but I am going to remember to do my best to do as Jesus Christ would for the rest of my mission. I hope this story makes sense haha! Well I love y'all!! This week is the last week of this transfer so I could be gone next week!! We will see!! (I find out Saturday morning.)


Love y'all!!


Anziano Spencer  

This is a Romanian dish you eat straight from the table.

I am guessing the sister missionaries are not trying this dish! The elders don't seem to mind eating off the table!!

This little Romanian girl invited the Elders over for her birthday.

Tristan's Christmas package!

Tristan's Christmas tree after he decorated it with items we sent; we wanted to make sure he got to decorate a tree this Christmas. He'll add more during the 12 days of Christmas. :-)