Week 68: October 25 (Napoli)

CONFERENCES

Hello everyone! Sorry that I am writing today; yesterday we had zone
conference and so my Pday has been changed to today. I have about 30
minutes for email today, but I am going to try to get in as much as
possible. Today for P-day we are going to a castle with our whole 

zone so it will be really fun.

I am just going to start by talking about Tuesday night because my
comp and I finally felt all set that we were ready to go with our
whole zone to Rome. Everyone had finally gotten their tickets and we
would be getting in that morning (Thursday) right on time for the
conference with President Nelson (an apostle) and Bishop Hallstrom
(another leader of the church) and President Kearon (who is president
of the European area). We were just happy that we didn't have to worry
anymore and that we were all set to go when we got a call from the
AP's telling us that the conference had been pushed back an hour...
Umm what..?? So instead of starting at 10:00, it was going to start at
9.00. Dang. Haha, so that kinda changed a lot of things and after being
in the train station trying to figure things out, we were able to get
tickets to go up Wednesday night and sleep in Rome and then return
back to Napoli Thursday afternoon.

The train ride up was really sick; we were able to take a frecciarosa—
which goes about 275 km per hour, which was cool. So the trip in
total was about an hour. Once we got to Rome we were greeted by the
two Zone Leaders there (my buddies Anziano Vrska and Anziano Moraes;
it was sooo good to see them. Anziano Moraes is the Brazilian who was
my zone leader back in Trapani).
That night we had a little time before we had to go to the area where
we were sleeping and so I went with Anziano Chilvers (who was in my
MTC group) and we were able to find two new contacts. I really liked
working with him. Okay, to explain a little bit of where we were
staying that night...because there were so many missionaries, the church
rented out like a nunnery for us to stay in. Basically just like a

hotel for nuns. It was really weird being in a hotel after like a year
and a half--like not gonna lie, I love those little soap things that
they give you in the bathroom! That is so nice. I was able to see
basically all of my friends that night, including my beast son Anziano
Young who is doing really well. I know mostly everyone in the mission
now so it was a really cool reunion to be able to see everyone. My
comp and I went to sleep really late that night because we had to
check every single room of around 80 missionaries to make sure that
they were there, but it was all good. Kinda like doing house to house
on the mission Lolol.

So now for the conference. It was absolutely incredible, at the

beginning I went with a few questions in mind and as I was sitting
there studying, I had probably one of the most spiritual experiences of
my life. (Normally how it works is when an Aposlte walks into the room,
everyone stands up as a sign of respect.) So I was studying in the
Book of Mormon and before everyone started to stand up, I immediately
knew that President Nelson had entered the room because the spirit hit
my heart so strong. It was the most amazing thing. I can't really
describe it very well other than saying that I know without a doubt
that President Nelson is a man called of God. I will try to send my
notes that I got from the conference next week but we received
instruction and training that our time is so precious here and that we
have to use it so carefully, and then President Nelson spent 45
minutes teachings us from the scriptures very deeply about the House
of Israel. It really helped me realize that I have soo much to learn
in the scriptures and that I love how much we can always continue to
learn with this gospel. All the missionaries had a really special
experience to shake all of their [the general authorities’] hands as well. Wow. I know this
church is true.

Tristan is in the back by the left of the clock, but his cousin Ethan is smack dab in the front--he's wearing a blue striped tie and is next to the guy in the red tie. 

After the conference we headed back to our area. I wish I could
describe it better--the joy that I felt being there and learning and
also being able to see all of my old companions and friends that I
have made. It helped me realize a little bit about what Ammon
describes as feeling such immense joy when he saw his bretheren. It
made me so happy to see them and see the progress that they have
made over the past months.

Other things that happened this week.. I am sorry; I wish I had more time!!!

-F. is going to be baptized this week!! He is incredible and

progressing so well. We will be going to the ocean because there is no
font in the church and so we have a lot to plan for that. We are trying to
figure out all the details, but I am so grateful to see his progression
and his conversion. He's like a brother to me. He gave the closing
prayer in Spanish at church and it was awesome. I almost understood
what he was saying haha.

-Two of our little investigators who are 9 and 11 came to church!!
Anziano Gay and I showed up at their house on Sunday morning to pick
them up and walk them to the church. Their mom is a member and went
to church in Capo Verde (close to Ghana), but then they moved here and 

they stopped coming. They are a really cute family and

we had a really special experience with them during our last lesson. We were
teaching the plan of salvation, so we were sitting on the ground in
their humble home and once we finished to say the closing prayer we
all got into a circle and put our arms round each other and bowed our
heads. All of our heads were touching in this really tight circle. It
was really amazing to be between the little girls and the spirit was
so strong. I love this gospel!! In church I sat in primary with them
so they wouldn't feel scared with the other kids. It was fun to be
sitting in there and the teachers were so excited that they were
there. With them included we had five kids. Remember how blessed you
are, Caden, to have had a big primary... Imagine doing the primary
program with just 4 other kids!

-I was able to work with Anziano Rosenburg (AP) on a scambio this
week. It was really fun and he is such a good missionary. I really
learned a lot from him because he is such a powerful leader and just
leads by example. I can't wait to keep working with him and learn from
him. I led a Gesso [chalkboard discussion] with him down in one of the centro areas and we were
able to talk to a lot of people. There were other missionaries that
came as well and so it was a good time.

-Yesterday we were able to have our Zone Conference. I am really happy
because everything worked out well and my comp and I were able to lead
a training about companionship study and the importance of being
united. This training was especially for all the trainers and the new
trainees of the zone; in our zone there are about 7 companionships
that are training, so I am glad that it went well.

-Our good friend who had not come to church for years is doing so
well! She was able to get her patriarchal blessing this weekend, so
she is doing sooo great!!

Another miracle that happened this week was yesterday. For one, we
actually got asked to do service for a member!! Like real service!! To
help her move furniture in her home. That has happened to me like only
twice on the mission. We were super stoked and as we were traveling
there, I started talking to this guy sitting next to us. He actually
ended up being from Peru but had lived in Italy for 16 years. As we
told him what we were doing, he was like "Ahhh, the Mormon church yes.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I was baptized in
this church many years ago..." Whattt??! The gospel is so true! So we
started talking and got his information to meet. He has a wife and two
kids, so we are pumped. I love being a missionary!!

For my spiritual thought I have been really pondering about the word‘
Progression." I like this word a lot, especially because we ourselves
are the ones that let us progress or not. It's all a choice. During
the conference, our incredible mission president talked about a little
example of this, relating the progression to a race car. He talked
about how in the engines of these really fast cars, there are “governors"
that will control the cars from going faster. He then looked at us and
just said, "You have no governors." That hit me super hard. Really I
can be progressing so much faster and growing so much more if I just
leave my concerns and worries behind and just try even harder and work
even better. It was a really cool moment and just made me realize that
God’s plan for us is so perfect. The mission is where I have truly seen
the most progression in my life and I am super grateful that I have more time
here. My testimony is growing so much and I love being a missionary.

Okay, I love you all!! I had a little bit of time to add to this
because we came back from the castle! I will send pictures!

Vi voglio bene!!!! [I love you all!]

Anziano Spencer

With Anziano Garrett, companion in Trapani.

With Anziano Young, companion in Brindisi.

Look at all those missionaries!

With Anziano Morlock, companion in Brindisi.

Inspecting the cool little soups Tristan referred to in his letter!

The metro.

Approaching the castle.

View from the castle.

Week 67: October 17 (Napoli)

CHISTI CA' (Napolitano.. This here)

How is everyone doing?! I hope y'all had a fantastic week! Today for
P-day we are planning on going to the American Base which is going to
be really cool. We will be able to buy some American food like peanut
butter, and stuff like that... and our Branch Mission Leader will be
taking us. It's going to be fun--and interesting to speak to other
people from America other than missionaries. Also, we have the big
mission conference this week which I am really excited about. We will
have the privilege to hear from President Nelson, which will be an

incredible experience. Then next week on Monday we have zone
conference and so my Pday will be on Tuesday. I am super excited for
both of these events! I will be able to learn a lot and see all
of my missionary friends from the past because this conference is with
the entire mission. I am super stoked.

This week we had some awesome success with the people that we are
working with. Our super good friend from Paraguay is progressing super
well for his baptismal date on the 29th of this month. He is really
excited and yesterday in the lesson he prayed to God that he would be
strengthened for this special moment in his life. It was powerful and
we are really excited. He's such a good guy and is really humble and
so willing to help us. For example, yesterday we were asked to sing in
the choir because they needed us and he said he would sing too. He's sick and
I am super excited for him.

Another huge miracle that we saw is the woman that we are working with
came back to church yesterday!! It was a really special experience as
she walked in after around 4 years. She is so humble and just wants to
completely change and come back to church.  It's amazing to see the
light that she carries in her face and how she is wanting to help us
now with our work. I am super excited to see how she progresses during
my time here in Napoli.

I met two of probably the sickest ragazzi [teenagers] this week in church.
Giuseppe and Jonny.. I didn't meet them last Sunday because they were
both up in Switzerland at the temple but they are really cool guys.
They are both preparing for their missions and as we started talking
they found out that I like to dance and swing dance.. They then asked
me if I could help them learn to swing dance so they can be prepared
for the next church dances coming up. We actually have an activity
this Friday playing Just Dance that the missionary couple is putting
on for all of the young adults and we are going to try and get some of
our friends there. We are excited to see what we can do to help them
prepare and get ready for their missions.

Every once in a while I want to share some interesting facts about
Napoli that I discover as I am here. As of now the most interesting
thing is that every single night fireworks go off and it's for one of
these three reasons:
1. Calcio [soccer]
2. Birthday
3. A new drug was shipped in and so the different colors represent
what type of order it is... Lovely

I am sorry that I don't have any more time today. The American Base
was super cool. It felt so strange being somewhere where everyone
spoke English and you didn't have to pay to have ketchup on a
sandwich... And everything was SO BIG!! It was crazy, like we loved
it. I also love Sam (the one who took us); he has such a good heart
and is a really great example to me.

I would like to bear my testimony on the spirit. This is such a blessing and
instrument that we can use (if we are worthy) to help us bless the
lives of others. The spirit is real and miracles really do happen if
we listen!

Love you all!!

Anziano Spencer

(Note: I asked Tristan to send some pics just of him for our Christmas card.)

On the streets of Napoli.

Napoli coastline.

With Anziano Gay.

English course in Napoli.

 

With Anziano Ridd and Fabio.

At the American Base.

American food (for better or for worse!).

American base.

Week 66: October 10 (Napoli!)

NAPOLI

Friends and family, I hope that you are doing well! This week has been
one of the craziest weeks of my mission but it's been so awesome.
On Monday we had transfer calls and I was completely expecting to
stay in Brindisi for another transfer, but our mission president called
us during a lesson and he said that I will be moving to NAPOLI!! At
first and even now I am still a little sad that I didn't get to finish
training Anziano Young, but he's a great missionary and I am excited to
see him grow and learn from his new comp. But the bigger part of
me was just in complete shock and excitement. Napoli... The place
where I had visited a few months ago and loved so much. It's a big
city, pretty dangerous (which makes it even more exciting), the church
is pretty big, and I get to serve with Anziano Gay. He's a stud; I
actually met him my first transfer when I was in Terni. He has been
serving here in Napoli now for 6 months and he is going into his 16th,
so I will be his last companion and then he goes home next transfer. I
am excited to learn from him because he's so sick and he's a really
good missionary, so it's been a really good 4 days and I am excited to
keep learning.

So the last few days that I was in Brindisi were pretty stressful as
we were doing our best to make sure that Anziano Young was prepared
and ready to take over the city. I am proud of him because I know he
is ready and he is going to do a good job. I was able to say goodbye
to everyone that I wanted to which was good. I am grateful for the
time that I was able to serve in Brindisi.

Okay so now for an update on Napoli...

What ended up happening is I was able to take a train early in the
morning Thursday and it was from Lecce to Brindisi and then from
Brindisi to Taranto and Taranto to Napoli. (We were down in Lecce
because Anziano Young needed to be with the other missionaries so he
was not alone.) In total I was on the train for around 7 hours, which
was good, and I ended up getting to Napoli at about 14.00. The people
here are all so laid back and nice which is so much fun. On the train
some guy came up and sat right next to me and just started telling me
everything about his life and I was just sitting there listening as he
went on and on about how his shirt is dirty, I need to "go out more"
and all this stuff. Lol it was so fun and interesting. When I got to
the station I was able to meet with my stud comp Anziano Gay and we
went back to the house to drop off my stuff and went right back to the
station in the pouring rain to drop off some other Anziani who were
going to different areas. We were soaked, and not gonna lie, it was a
sick welcome to the city. It's been interesting here so far, I have
seen 2 people get robbed, a fight almost break out and just some
interesting stuff. I LOVE it already. Also, the views from our house
are amazing. Outside one window is Mount. Vesuvius, which was a volcano
in the past. Sooo cool.

Okay so the work here is really incredible and we are teaching some
really great people. There is one guy who is 23 that hopefully will be
getting baptized in a few weeks. He is from South America and used to
be a model there and then he moved here. He's a super nice guy and so
humble. It's been sick to work with him because he just moved here a
few months ago and he speaks mostly Spanish. So when he speaks to us,
he speaks mostly Spanish which has been pretty tough to understand, but I
can make out most of what he is saying. He can understand Italian well
meno male [meno male implies “not so bad” or “thank goodness”] because I can't speak Spanish so it's been fun. I am so
pumped to keep working with him.

Another huge miracle that we saw yesterday is we were able to meet
with this lady who called us and asked us if we were available. We met
in the church and she explained to us how she was baptized a few years
ago but then stopped coming. She said that she always knew she needed
to come back but she was trying to find the courage because she felt
like there was always something holding her back. During the lesson
she bore her testimony to us multiple times on how she knows this is
true with all her heart and that she will be coming to church on
Sunday, and then at then end she asked us for a blessing. It was a
powerful experience and I am grateful to work with her some more.
There are a lot of other people that we are working with too and we
were able to see a miracle as we were doing a little finding that we
started talking to this one lady on the street and she invited us into
her house and we met her sister and her mother. We were able to share
Grazie a Lui and then taught them about the restoration which was
really powerful. We will see them again this week.

The branch here is pretty big; there are about 40 people, which is a lot
more than I am used to seeing. AND THERE ARE YOUTH!! I am so excited
about that as well. Some of the members I even recognize and remember
from the past when I came here for just a day and so that was really
cool. One member that is so sick is our branch mission leader. So
there is a military base pretty close to where we live (American food
babbyyy) and so his wife works there and he is here with her. His name
is Sam and he is incredible. He lived in America but is actually from
New Zealend. He is actually the rightful heir to the kingship of his
tribe in New Zealand (HOW SWEET IS THAT?!) but he moved to America
instead. He is really supportive of us and right when he met me he
gave me a big hug and told me he was happy I am here. It was really
nice and I am so pumped to work with him because he's super
supportive. He drove us and one of our investigators to a city called
Pozzuoli for a baptism there (that's where I got the pic with Anziano
Gay by the Islands) and yeah. I already love him.

I am sorry that a lot of my thoughts are really scattered, so hopefully my
email next week will be better. Just know that I am loving life so
much! I love being a missionary. We are seeing some great success and
I can't wait to keep working here and learning from Anziano Gay. For
my spiritual thought I wanted to share something that really touched
me in my studies this morning. So one of the blessings here is I have
the really incredible opportunity to work with a lot more
missionaries than I have in the past and that also involves more
meetings and things like that. It's good, but it's new for me,
especially in that there are just more responsibilities/things that I get to have/work with now.
There is a scripture in the Book of Mormon that I really liked in
Helaman that says, 

"7 Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should do
that which is good, that it may be said of you, and also written, even
as it has been said and written of them.

8 And now my sons, behold I have somewhat more to desire of you, which
desire is, that ye may not do these things that ye may boast, but that
ye may do these things to lay up for yourselves a treasure in heaven,
yea, which is eternal, and which fadeth not away; yea, that ye may
have that precious gift of eternal life, which we have reason to
suppose hath been given to our fathers."

So I really liked this because this is the advice of a father speaking to
his sons, telling them that the good things that they do in this life
will be treasured up in heaven and we do these things so that in the
end we may have eternal life. It really touched me and reminded me
that no matter what I am doing on the mission, if I am doing what I
am supposed to be doing, and if it's part of my purpose for the Lord,
that the Lord is pleased.

I love you all so much!!

Love,

Anziano Spencer

With district and close friend/investigator D. (in red).

Branch president (in white shirt) and other leadership in Brindisi.

Love these guys!

Last night at English course in Brindisi! 

With friend, Luca.

With Luca and family.

Good-bye Brindisi!!!

Good-bye D.! (D. came to the train station early in the morning to see Tristan off to Napoli!)

Good-bye Anziano Young!

Hello, Mt. Vesuvius! (Tristan's view from his apartment window.)

A visit to other missionaries in Pozzuoli, with new companion, Anziano Gay.

Pozzuoli.