Caserta | week 10 {great members, family history, old fashioned street contacting}

Elder Smith and Hatch doing family history work 

Delicious gelato! 

Palmieri 

Dinner with Giuseppe and the Salvitis

2.3.14

First of all, I hope everyone is alright. I heard from some members here of the snow and all the problems it caused in Atlanta last week. Sounded like it was crazier than the whole week we got off two years ago.

We had a pretty good week here in Caserta that was a little different than weeks past. So there is a conference up in Rome every transfer for all of the Zone Leaders to talk about the work and they come back and relay the info to everyone else. Last week at District Meeting, our zone leader was telling us about the numbers from our mission and how most of the success comes from member referrals. So this week we set 4 meal appointments with members this week. That may not sound like a lot for a week, but you must understand we eat enough food for 2 days at every meal appointment here. Not necessarily because we are forced, but because it is so good we cannot stop. Member appointments can be a blessing and a curse for that reason, but mainly a blessing. We got to know the members a lot better this week and I came to love some of our members who I never really knew that well before.

Firstly, Sorella Palmieri is an angel. She is the only member in her family and she told us her conversion story which was really amazing. She was in vacation in Germany like 30 years ago and her friends had the missionaries over who shared a spiritual thought that touched her. She came back to Italy and contacted the missionaries and then joined the church. Cool stories. Anyways, she has a daughter who is in her late 20s who wants to meet with us and so we are stoked to go back.

Last Friday night Marco took us down to Fratello Izzos house. He lives in a city like 45 minutes away where there use to be like 15 or so members of the church, and they would meet in his basement. He ordered a big podium and installed a baptismal font in his basement. Easily the coolest basement I have every seen in my life. It is like a legitimate chapel. He told us there have been 3 baptisms and his basement, but there havent been any since the branch moved to Caserta. I love that man. Bold statement of the day: his wife tied Sorella Casti for the best meal I have had on my mission. She made homeade pasta with homeade sauce and veggies from their backyard and then she made pizza too. It was unreal. His wife actually is not a member and so we had a really good lesson after dinner and we hope to go back sometime soon.

Last week we also had a really neat experience to go to some geology archives with the Willies to look for some of their friends family history that is here in Caserta. We went to translate for them and it was a way cooler experience than I thought. They let us search through these original documents that were hundreds of years old. After a solid three hours of seaching we found two names that they needed which felt good.

Unfortunately, everyone we are teaching was really busy this week with school and work so we didnt have many opportunities to see them at all. It left a lot of time for Anziano Hatch and I do some old fashioned street contacting which we havent done much of this transfer because we have been really busy. We always meet the coolest people and I never cease to have experiences that make me laugh. One example, last week I met a man named Pace who couldnt pronounce Smith so he just called me John. I called him Saturday night to invite him to church and he said, "Ciao John!" It was amazing.

I continue to learn a ton every day from Anziano Hatch. More than anything, he has taught me to my best to rely on the Lord and the Holy Ghost more than relying on myself. He is really humble and teaches with amazing power because he loves other people and he has truly given not only his might and strength to the Lord, but also his whole heart and mind. He has been an amazing inspiration and example to me this past month. I truly feel blessed to be surrounded by such awesome missionaries. This week there was a scripture that I have been thinking a lot about. It is Alma 34:38. I realized that the elders I have been blessed to serve with are a tender mercy of the Lord because they have lifted and encouraged me so many times. There are so many other things in my daily life that I sometimes take for granted that truly are such amazing blessings that I can always be happy if I just remember them and am always thankful. Sometimes it is other missionaries, or little things like mozzorella di bufala or awesome guy on the train who calls me John. There are too many to count. Hope everyone has a great week!

Anziano Smith

Caserta | week 5 {Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, tremors in Napoli}

Our Christmas week was absolutely amazing! It was obviously a new experience for me being away from home and everything, but it was definitely a special one that I will never forget. First off, I hurt my foot about 10 days ago (not sure how) and I have been limping on my foot. Last Monday night we had a dinner appointment with Joe and Vincenza that was probably the most memorable night of my mission thus far because of that familys love and awesomeness. Vincenza noticed I was limping pretty bad and immediately pulled out a bucket of hot water with some salts that she told me to soak my foot in. I thought that was the most considerate thing ever, and then after about 10 minutes she came over with a towel and gloves and started rubbing my foot. I know it may sound a little wierd, but it was the nicest thing any one has done on my mission so far. I always care the picture of the Savior washing is disciples feet that Joe sent me a couple months ago and that is exactly what it reminded me of. More on them to come later in the email.

Christmas Eve was at the Salvitis (an American family who lives on the base) which rocked. We made 4 types of cookies with ham, mashed potatoes, broccoli, and some other stuff. All the other Napoli missionaries are super jealous of our American hookups They take care of us so well. Anways, after dinner we read some christmas story that made everyone cry. I zoned out a bit after so much food and had no idea what the story was about. Then we read Luke 2 together and called it a night. Fun stuff.

  Chirstmas day was way fun because we got to go with the Willies (senior American couple) to visit a family who lives about 45 minutes away in some super pretty mountains. The Willies dont speak any Italian and this family doesnt speak any English so I think there was some miscommunication on who was in charge of food. The Willies brought a feast that could have fed the branch. Laura also made a ton of Romanian food that was delicious. Anyways, there were 2 huge feasts prepared. Laura was over the top nice to us because she has a son serving a mission in Romania right now and she definitely wanted to spoil the missionaries. We had a really good meal and it was awesome to visit with her. Highlight of the day/week/month/ever was talking to the family. Best thing ever! Nuff said. 

The next day was some sort of saint holiday here in Italy so everything was closed and no one left their house all day, so we watched our two xmas movies then. We watched Brave and Toy Story 3. Classics. 

We went to Joe and Vincenzas house again Friday and then they did the new nicest thing anyone has done for me on my mission. I walked in limping again and they had a box to give to me. I opened it and it was super durable black walking shoes. He said he spent 2 hours to find shoes with this much support in my size. They have helped my foot out so much. I have no idea what I can do to repay that family. After they gave me the new shoes, we shared a spiritual thought about eternal families and about the temple coming to Rome. I love that family with everything I have. Afterwards they gave us an awesome dinner and invited us again for New Years Eve. We cant wait for tomorrow night! We still have to be home super early though. 

Salvatore and Alina came to church this Sunday and it was really cool. All of the members were so nice to them and they instantly felt like family. Everyone was so busy talking to them Anziano Heder and I barely got a chance to. They can definitely feel the goodness of the people here and I am really happy and excited for them. Sunday night there were little tremors all over Napoli and it was kind of scary. Everyone was out of there house just standing on the street. I was laughing cause it made me think of my Mount Vesuvius project I did in Latin in 8th grade. I was literally looking right at it and the ground was shaking. Definitely made me laugh. Anyways, I couldnt be happier right now. The members here treat us great, there are amazing people here who need the gospel, and nopton pizza is exceptional to say the least. So long and have a good week! 

Anziano Smith