Rome 5 | week 4 {Vatican, Coliseum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, all in 1 p-day!}

Piazza del Popolo

Vatican

Vatican

 Trevi Fountain

 Coliseum

 Coliseum

 Coliseum

Spanish Steps

Spanish Steps

Gelato!

 Trevi Fountain

Trevi Fountain

4.28.14

So, as you can probably tell from the pictures last pday rocked. We went to Rome and met up with the Anziani from Ostia which are Anziano Baggaley and Anziano Zemp. Zemp and Gemmell were companions in Bitonto and Baggaley and I were really close last summer in Brindisi/Lecce. It was so fun being in Rome all day with them. I also get to see Anziano Pizza and McCllelan every Tuesday at District Meeting. We drive to Terni to have DDM in their chapel every week and it is a lot of fun. It is so good to meet up with missionaries I have served with in the past. They are seriously like brothers to me. 

Unfortuately, most of the people we have been seeing were busy this week, but it still ended up being really fun and productive. On Thursday night we had a party for English Course in the Hotel. The Sisters made banana bread and all of the Italians wanted the recipe. It was really good. I totally forgot how much I loved banana bread. Anyways, the English Course at the church is the Sisters course, but we always go to do lessons/they need a ride home after because the buses dont run that late. Anyways, we went to their party and became good friends with some of the guys from the corso and I think we are going to get a pizza with them and do a lesson at the end of this week, so we are looking forward to that. After corso, we tried to go find a contact that the sisters have at eurohotel which was right across the street. We took the wrong exit on the roundabout and got an a freeway towards Napoli that had no exit for 30 minutes. We ended up paying 6 euro in tolls and took us forever to get back. We will use the nav for everything from now on. 

Friday night we got to go visit the De Nunzio family from a ward. They are so cool and live in a village on the top of a mountain that is sweet. They had some friends visiting from the North who are investigating the church, and we were able to leave a message on the Restoration. It went super well, and we are headed back over there on Thursday night. Fratello De Nunzio is from Tropany (in Siciliy) and he wants to make us arinchini (probably the most famous Sicilian food). It is a holiday here in Italy May 1st, so we will go there for dinner and a lesson with their friends who will still be in town. Should be fun.

Saturday morning we went to Rome so I could get certified to drive the car. In New Zealand they drive on the left, so Anziano Gemmell and I felt more safe about me driving the car, haha. We met President Waddoups at about 11. I thought it was going to be a 5 minute stroll around the block. Instead we drove around Rome for a solid hour, and he took us to the temple as well. It made me so happy to see the temple. It looks really good, and I think it will be done before I finish! 

On Saturday night we met with a man named Hector who the Sisters found a couple weeks ago. He was so nice to us, and he was really humble. He and his wife are from Albania, and they moved here and have 2 kids. We had a great Plan of Salvation lesson, and he really wants to come to church next week. Hopefully there is more to report on that next week.

Anziano Gemmell and I both started to get a little fatigued from journal writing this week. I have missed 2 or 3 days my whole mission of writing. Nontheless, at times when it is 10 oclock there is no desire to put any thought into writing. This week we came up with a game to make journal writing very amusing. We started writing in our journals using Book of Mormon language. Now it is the funnest part of the day. I will quote a few entries from my journal this week:

And it came to pass that Pres said, what doest thou desire to see? And we said, the house of the Lord. And thus we began to ascend to the mountain of the Lord. As we thus arrived, we stopped our journey for the space of 10 minutes for a picture. While I labored to release the parking break, Pres said unto me, art thou a wimp? And it came to pass that Gemmell began to mock me as well. Nevertheless, I heeded them not. 

The day was far spent, and we decided to stop to talk to 8 ragazzi in the piazza. A girl from the land of Napoli reached to hug me. I said, reach thou not youngblood. I am not yet released from my calling.

And it came to pass that as we began to journey towards EuroHotel, we did err. Or in other words, Anziano Gemmell did err insomuch that he put the navigation away. And it came to pass that we lost our journey towards the land of Napoli for 30 minutes and were taxed with 6 onti (which were equivalent to 6 euro, or in other words 2 nopton pizzas). And we humbled ourselves by grabbing the navigation we recommenced our journey towards EuroHotel. 

And while we were thus laboring with all our might, we began to obtain buckets. 

This is abnoxious. I know. However, we are having a lot of fun as you can tell. Hope everyone was a great week as well.

Anziano Smith

Rome 5 | week 1 {Sad leaving Caserta, excited arriving to Rome 5, new companion}

Regan leaving Caserta and saying bye to Elder Hatch...they were both so sad to leave eachother! 

 Double rainbow after a hail storm

 Gelato after General Conference

 Regan's new view! He is living about 20 minutes outside the heart of Rome

Regan with his new companion Elder Gemmell from New Zealand

4.7.14

Im not going to lie. Leaving Caserta was really tough. It honestly reminded me of leaving home. I love the missionaries, members, and all of our other friends down there so much. My last night Daniel, Antonio, Marco, Tingey, Hatch, and I went out to Alinas restaraunt for dinner. It was a ton of fun. I remember when we were saying bye outside and there were a bunch of stars in the sky, and I said, dont worry guys, we will be brothers forever. Antonio looked up at the sky and said, "hai capito?" (Do you understand?) It was so funny. Everyone there is being left in good hands with Hatch, Tingey and the most recent additions to Caserta- Anziano Jepson and "Wrangler tough" Rutlidge. They are all incredible missionaries, and I cant wait to talk to them after the mission about everything that happens there. 

Last week I was telling Anziano Hatch that I wanted a new study journal. When we get transferred, we write dedicas (goodbye/thank you type letters) for all the anziani. When we were saying bye, Anziano Hatch gave me a sweet study journal with his dedica on the inside. It was really hard saying goodbye. Anyways, I say this because there was a girl at the train station who saw this all go down and was really touched. We asked her to take a pic of us, and then she started asking us who we were. I took the train ride up to Napoli alone, cause Hatch had to wait for Jepson. I ended up teaching her and her friend on the train. Then the people sitting across from us wanted to listen. Then the ragazzi in the back of the cart came to listen. It was so weird. My first time being companionless on the mission I was teaching like 9 people.

Anyways, I was so happy when I got up here to Rome. Anziano Gemmell is awesome. Like I said last week he is from New Zealand, he has the coolest accent in the world, he plays rugby, and he is hilarious. The past couple days have been a blast and I cant wait for the rest of the transfer. I hope we get at least 2 transfers together up here. Anways, about Rome 5. It is absolutely unreal. We are about 20 miles outside of the heart of Rome and it is beautiful green rolling hills everywhere. We got a brand new apartment 3 weeks ago, and we have a car. One of the best parts of having a new house is that our neighbors dont hate us, haha. At least not yet. We met 1 of our neighbors Saturday afternoon and she was so nice. We are planning on taking her something this week. One of the downsides of Rome 5 is that everything cost a fortune. It is a really, really nice area. Like all of the apartments are well kept up, the streets are clean, the stores are nice, and there are no dangerous places. I took my suit to get it dry cleaned when I got here in it was almost triple what I paid in Caserta. Nonetheless, we are lucky to be in such a sweet city.

Also there are two Sister missionaries here in Rome 5. This is the first time I have had Sister missionaries in my ward, and it is actually really cool. Sorella Palmer is a greenie (this is her 2nd transfer) and Sorella Vincent is in her 9th. They are seriously great. We watched conference at the church Saturday night and most of the day Sunday. General Conference was absolutely incredible. We only got to watch 3 session- 1 in English and 2 in Italian. Listening to the words of the prophets made me so happy. At the beginning of President Monsons talk in Priesthood session I committed myself to share my testimony about the gospel at every chance I get after my mission cause I never want to stop being a missionary. It is seriously the best. His talk only got better when he quoted Jabari!! Honestly though, I know with all of my heart that he is a prophet of God. At the beginning of conference I had the question written on the top of my notebook, "How can I feel/show the love of God." I got 3 pages of really good notes, and all of it was about how I can show Gods love. I realized that we feel it when we show it. That is why our mission calls say that greater happiness awaits you than you have ever experienced as you serve the Lord leaving behind all other personal affairs. When we do our best to show Gods love to His children, then we feel it stronger than we ever have for ourselves. I am so excited to work with the missionaries and members here.

 Everyone I have met so far has been so nice and incredible. Almost all the men in this branch are returned missionaries and over half of them speak perfect English. Also, the Stake Patriarch is in our branch. Last Friday we were right by his house and there was a hail storm so we stopped in. His wife made us dinner and we left a spiritual thought...and then we saw a double rainbow. So cool. Song long until next week,

Anziano Smith

Caserta | week 18 {baptism, transfer calls, going to Rome}

Elder Hatch, Daniel, and Elder Smith 

 Elder Smith and Elder Hatch with the Salvitti family!

 Casertavechia

View from Casertavecchia 

Dinner with the Cloves 

3.31.14

Unfortunately this was my last full week here in Caserta, as I will be transfered to Rome 5 this upcoming Thursday. It will certainly be bitter sweet to head out, as I have had experiences here that have certainly changed me, and I have made friends here that will last a lifetime. It is kind of ironic that we come on missions to help change the lives of other people, when in fact they change ours. Antonio and Daniel have seriously become brothers to Anziano Hatch and I. They were both planning on getting baptized this Saturday, but unfortunately Antonio is not able to be baptized at this moment because of his current situation. However, I will say two things. The first is that I have never witnessed anyone with more faith in Jesus Christ than Antonio. His faith and desire to do what is right is unbelievable. The second is that I know that the Lord always prepares a way that is wiser than our own when things dont go according to our wish. People become more spiritually refined and more people end up being blessed. Anyways, Antonio told Daniel to go ahead and get baptized instead of postponing the date for both of them. It was a really special experience. We went to Pozzuoli where they have a nice baptismal font and the beautiful view of the ocean. There were about 12 other missionaries there and they all invited their investigators and we had a great turn out from our ward as well. Everyone in our ward loves Antonio and Daniel because they are awesome, and we need more youth here. Antonio shared his testimony in church on Sunday, it it was such a powerful moment that it was difficult for Anziano Hatch and I to hold back tears. He has been the most incredible example to me of someone who was completely put his faith and trust in the Lord. I could talk for days about both of those kids. 

This week was also great as I got to see pretty much everyone who I have come close to since I have been here in Caserta. Marco, Anziano Hatch, and I went over to one of our investigators house last week before she went to work. She is an incredible example to me of someone who works so hard to bless other peoples lives without expecting anything in return. She works all day 6 days a week to help support her family that lives in another country and she always has a smile on her face. It always brightens my day when we teach her. Tonight we will teach her at the church for my last time and then we are going out for a gelato. It will definitely be memorable. 

Last week we had a missionary open house for all of our English Course students, investigators, members, and ther friends last Thursday night. It was a huge success as about 70 people showed up with good food, and our members were total champs. English Course students talked with a bunch of Americans and they also felt the love of the people in our ward here. 1 family even set a dinner appointment/lesson with 3 girls from EC. That is what I am talking about. Strangers seem to trust normal families than teenagers in suits. Actually they dont seem to, they totally do. All of the best lessons I have had on my mission have been with members who share personal experiences and conversion stories. Marco and the Salvitti family especially have helped us in our work and did things we never could have done. So, my people back in Peachtree Corners, help the missionaries out! Missionary work is the best. 

I have heard all good things about Rome 5. My new companion will be Anziano Gemmel. He is from New Zealand and has been out on his mission a little over a year. I met him at the mission conference a couple weeks ago and he is hilarious. I already know we are going to be like brothers. Probably going to love him so much, I am going to have to go back and visit him at his place after the mission. I know there are amazing members in Rome too and we will have a car. I am excited to head up Thursday afternoon, but I will certainly soak up these last few days with Anziano Hatch and Tingey. I love them like brothers and same with our friends here. Anziano Heder headed out for America this afternoon at 2. So weird. He was an awesome missionary and had a big influence on all of us. We will see him on the other side next summer. 

Anziano Smith