May 4, 2011 from Pisa

Dear Family,

Hey ya’ll, another week has passed here in Italy, I honestly can say that the weeks do in fact go fast, even when the days go slow.  This week has been a real busy one for me.  Because my companion is the district leader, I’m kinda forced to travel a lot.  I’ve been on 3 scambio’s this week, one to La Spezia, I had one here in Pisa and then I was in Firenze Monday of this week.  In fact I’m going back to Firenze for P-day this week.  I’m on the train right now.  It’s about an hour train ride from Pisa to Firenze.  I’m really excited to go and see the centro. (Pronounced “chentro”). So La Spezia was good.  I love the city, such a beautiful place, however, the missionary apartment in La Spezia is disgusting and I had to sleep in it.  That’s my least favorite thing about scambis is sleeping in other apartments.  Our Pisa apartment is so nice.  We, or I should say, my comp keeps our flat very clean.  I learned a lot from Anziano Frustaci while I was there so that’s good.  Being on scambio in Firenze was better.  Their apartment was really nice.  And Anziano Bullock is an amazing missionary.  He is also dying this transfer.  He was just great to learn from. What I really like about Anziano Bullock is that he is not an in your face self righteous missionary.  Anz. Bullock just does it for himself and for God and I really could tell.  I just like to be in my city of Pisa though.  Pisa Pride!

Trevor at Cinque Terre

So good news this week, D***********, our baptismal date came to church for the first time.  Which was really cool for the both of us.  He said it was completely different than he expected, but he enjoyed it.  The next day we had a lesson about the Word of Wisdom and it also went great.  This was what I was really worried about cause he smokes a lot.  So I didn’t know how it would go over, if he would be able to quit.  We told him about how we don’t smoke and he said, Great, I’m already quitting.  He said he used to smoke 60 cigarettes a day! Now he’s down to 15.  We have another lesson with him later tonight. I hope he has been progressing.  Other than D******** we don’t really have any other progressive investigators.  M******, a sweet lil lady kind of dropped us this week.  She said she received an answer after prayer and reading the BoM and we thought, “Great” .Then she went on to tell us how her family is catholic and she has been studying Buddhism and feels attracted to that.  So...we asked to set up another appointment and then she told us she was going to Berlin for a month to live with her daughter and that we could come back then.  So...that’s kind of wrapped up.

So we’ve been working also with this less active named  F************.  He’s really shy and uncomfortable but super nice.  He bought us pizza last night, which is, of course, always nice.  We teach him a lot about prayer and the BoM.  He’s just kinda a bum, 26 years old with no job and never leaves his momma’s house.  I don’t know what I can do to help him there though.  Any ideas?

So my first transfer is almost over.  I really don’t want Schultz to leave.  I wish he’d stay another transfer.  I hope my next comp is good.  Time will tell. I’m pretty much guaranteed to stay in Pisa for this next transfer, probably at least two more.  Sounds good to me.  I wouldn’t mind staying in Tuscany for the rest of my mission.

So I’ve kinda figured out I’m sick of making all the same things so could you send me some simple quick recipes that I could make here in Italy?  That’d be great.  I make pasta and pizza wraps a lot and I need something new.  Hope that’s not too much trouble.

So I have two more talks that I read this past week that are both just absolutely amazing.  Both given by Elder Jeffrey Holland.  “Safety for the Soul”.  It talks about the Book of Mormon and what a powerful testimony he gives.  And then “Place No More For the Enemy of my Soul”, talks about real love and lust and how different they are.  Awesome as well.

Okay it’s Wednesday night now.  You would not believe what D***********told us today in our lesson.  We were teaching him about the 10 commandments, fasting and following the prophet.  It all went good and then we got to the commandment about honoring our fathers and mothers.  He kinda cracked a joke saying this “doesn’t really apply to me”.  We asked how come and he told us when he was born he was put directly into a Catholic convent.  Straight from birth.  He told us he has never met his father and the first time he met his mother he was 18.  Crazy stuff huh! Count my many blessings.

Well, I don’t know what else to say other then I’m fine here.  Don’t worry ever.  I’ll be good.  You taught me well.

Love you all so much,

Anziano Mendel