Ferragosto

 

I was asked if I use a lot of post it notes.. . the answer is YES!

Buon Giorno mamma e pappa!
So the most amazing thing I've seen out here is probably the Castles. But its hard to choose because even the scenery here in little old Calabria is incredible! My pictures don't serve it justice...The ice cream, gelato, is scruptious of course, I never knew how much I was missing out on chocolate icecream! The Gelateria have soooo many types of gelato it's insane. I don't really eat dinner here, we eat a huge lunch (pranzo) then I'll have a pb&j for dinner. It's amazing when people invite us out for pranzo but it rarely happens so we make a lot of pasta at home. I haven't been going to open markets like Ryan has but they certainly are all over the place. We go to this cheap grocery store called Lidl...I don't know why, I can't tell if they are trying to be english or what. But we shop for a 2 week period so we buy un saco di cibo! Hopefully it cools off here real soon but I heard end of Sept. Believe it or not but I'm finally starting to understand the language haha Italians speak so fast but I can finally understand them! certainly not 100% but I hold my own conversations :) it's a difficult language ha well I mean every language is difficult but I thought it'd be easier, but NOPE God decided to humble me some more haha.

Anywho this week was pretty great! we went to the mountains again but for the district activity. District is equivalent to the Stake. So of course good food, good company and Great Weather! Then we had our deep cleaning day on FerrAgosto. This catholic holiday is weird, it's just a tradition really. But there is literally no one outside and every single shop is closed. This is what I was told about the holiday. STORY TIME. The pope was curious about what happened to the mother of Christ since the scriptures don't mention it, so he sent some cardinals to Jerusalem to do some discovering. They came back to Italy without any news so they held a meeting with all the cardinals to discuss. The pope presented 3 hypothesis: 1. Mary died a good life as a saint. 2. She was martyred for testifying of Christ or 3. She ascended into heaven being translated for her righteousness. So of course all the cardinals voted for the 3rd option...and this story turned into a belief of the catholic church. Anyways, its a good holiday to eat a lot of food :) which is exactly what we did!
The work in Crotone is coming along. We're still working with an investigator to quit smoking. And we are doing a mass publicity for our english course so we're stopping everyone! We've literally seen people cross the street while walking towards us to avoid us, ha, somehow we have a bad reputation I guess?
I love you all! Have a great week at school!
Love,
Anziano LaFaye

Recognize, Remember, and Be Thankful

 

Ciao fam, how's the busy life goin? I hope everything is going good at home.

So this week was great for me! I think I'm finally picking up the language but its still crazy difficult to speak fluidly for me ha such a greenie! But ever since I read the home teaching message for this month, I've been having a great week! The message Recognize, Remember and Be Thankful or something, not sure how it's translated, by Pres. Eyring was great! it challenged me to write the blessings I received in my journal everyday. Now that I'm doing this, I'm recognizing things that I take for granted too much. So I know ya'll don't keep a journal but you should...ha if not, take 5 minutes before your nighttime prayer and think about the blessings you saw throughout the day! it's incredible what reflecting at the end of the day can do for us. Anyhow, our week with investigators was pretty average. We average 1.5 lessons a day exactly haha some days we have 2 lessons and other days we have 1 lesson with investigators. The summer isn't the best time for lessons ha. THEN yesterday, we got 2 new investigators!!!! awesome day! A great way to end my week.

So BIG question! How is Dallin Wengert doing??? Hopefully their family is fine.

Next question, mom or dad, what's a blessing you've received from obeying the law of tithing? I wanted to share an experience with an investigator but I realized I haven't really noticed the blessings in my life from paying tithing...and lastly, I don't know if you've seen it but Sorella Waddoups has a blog for the mission so you should check that out, I'm not sure what it says but I heard its good stuff on there.

Thanks for everything! :)

Robby I was reading in Alma the other day about Captain Moroni and he led the Nephite Armies at the age of 25!!! You know what this means? No one is too young to be a leader! So even though your a sophomore, be a leader out there! Reece, your a senior so you should already be a leader ya stud! Crazy, senior year...anyways, don't coast through school and sports as a follower like I did, speak up and be a leader! Love you guys, talk to you next week, Ciao!

Anz. LaFaye

Lots of things made this week great!

This week was soo much better than last week ha I know I complained quite a bit last letter. So recap of the week: we ate with Pasquale, our only progressing investigator, who is also that international chef, and boy that food was tasty. It makes me think of your cooking mom, because it looks so good! I keep eating more and more while burning my tongue because I can't resist haha. I played some more soccer against some legit footballers and yet my team won :) (my branch pres, my comp, an investigator, a member and I) we play 5v5 all the time here. The popular music here is Pink, the crazy American chick. I committed a member to show me how to make some awesome dessert and had another awesome Conferenza di Zona! So lots of things made this week great! We found a family to teach! They're Catecumeni who have completed a 30 year challenge sort of thing to become SAINTS. It'll be difficult teaching them because they're sooo faithful to their own religion. And they didn't like it when I said "we're saints too" Latter day saints. But they love us talking with them so hopefully something comes from this. Then there was fast sunday which was awesome! When you truly fast for a purpose, you don't feel the hunger! Sadly I never realized that at home because I already had so many blessing from living with an awesome family!!! Poi, we had zone conference which was great to learn more about accountability. My poor zone leaders shouldn't be waiting for us to get home at 10 pm! they need sleep too and shouldn't have to worry about us, hopefully Ryan has a great zone because I didn't realize how much work it takes to be a zone leader! and I still don't haha!

Anyways, I'm with my same companion, Anziano Sorgiacomo. I was told that if you wanted to send anything like a package, you can send stuff over amazon.uk or something like that. There's less charges for those than packages sent from U.S. I believe but I don't really know.

Ok Reece and Robby committment time: Watch this video "Origin" in the LDS youth section on lds.org AND get a friend to watch it with you!! it perfectly applies Joseph Smiths experience into our day! Second thing, read D&C 60;2, 13 I think? Use your talents! Pray before your football game, plan fun mutual activities for non members to come to! Overall, be an example.

Last thing, I forgot to wish you all a happy birthday...So Reece, Robby and Caitlyn, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Buon Compleano! Dad, your next I won't forget haha. Thanks for raising me well! Have a great week of school and work, ci sentiamo prosima settimana!

Con amore,

Anziano LaFaye

Over 40 degrees Celsius!

Okay, it's the start of a new transfer and I'm feeling a lot more prepared! My poor trainer had to do a lot of the teaching last transfer since I spoke like tarzan. Well I still speak like Tarzan but at least there's more sense to it haha. So to recap the week is pretty simple, we had one lesson with an investigator aaand basta. Through the whole week we probably had 20 cancellations on us haha it's ridiculous. I certainly can't wait for the summer to be over! So 20 is an exaggeration but there were a lot and one of our "promising" investigators won't see us sadly. So due to this lack of work, we tried to do some finding in the street but we didn't find much success. I was reading in gospel principles this sunday about work. We should be putting forth our best efforts throughout the week so that we can have a day of rest. BUT it then said how if you're not working, you can't rest because there is nothing to rest from. Therefor you are always tired. That's how this week was for me. Hopefully that made sense ha but luckily we had a branch activity in the mountains out of the heat meno male! It was a blast, we had 6 nonmembers and 8 members so it was really balanced! It was a great break from life in Crotone especially because of the heat haha how much is 40 degrees celcius? I heard it reached just over 40 here but I don't know what that means besides its hot. Hopefully my shirts stay white! :) Anyways I have so many castle pictures for you all but it takes forever to upload so slowly but surely I'll get them to you! Ciao Ciao famiglia!
Con amore,
Anziano LaFei

Jelly Fish

Ci-ciao!
We get our mail at our building so our apartment address is our mailing address. But just for letters. I don't need any packages from you so don't worry, the missionaries are the rich people in southern Italy so we live very well compared to everyone we know. AND I found peanut butter at a local store! I'm completely set now. If you send any letters, you should address it as Anziano Randon LaFaye and I sent my packet with all that info home from the MTC, hopefully you got it. Also, I saved the mailing instructions on my laptop as icons on the desktop but don't remember what I labeled them. So once again, please don't send me any packages because I don't need anything :) I can see why Ryan enjoys shrimp so much now, I certainly love eating shrimp now! So go buy an octopus for Reece and Robby if you want to prepare them haha. Awesome! Have an awesome summer Mom! even if it may be short. Please send some pictures from Greer, I'd love to see how the Cabin is looking.
Oh Dearest Grandmother Kasold, I'd try to think of a poem right now but don't have much time so this will have to do. Thank you so much for supporting Ryan and I :) I certainly appreciate that kind and grand heart of yours! I loved spending time with you up in Greer so lets plan on that again after my mission, sounds good? Thanks again :)
The language is slowly picking up, it's difficult still but I'm enjoying it. I don't believe I know a Sis Wiltbank?
Ok so soccer is starting to get serious, there are gatherings at bars for the soccer games but we're still proselyting for now. Italy faced spain the other day and italy lost so the streets were completely dead silent, I enjoyed the silence actually. Victor's baptism was amazing! But it had it's up and down's. So as a witness I got to go in the sea with them, awesome! But during the baptism I was stung by something but ignored it since I had to listen to the words being said correctly. It was pretty painful but I saw how happy Victor was so luckily the joy overcame the pain! So we took pictures, hugged and took some more pictures but then once we had to change I realized my foot was swelling! The throbbing was killing me so I asked my companion for a blessing. Immediately after my blessing the pain became bearable. It was certainly still there but I was so thankful for the comfort! The priesthood is amazing! So after the baptism I was taken to the hospital and by this time my whole foot is swollen! As we check in, some man says to me how this hospital is like a 3rd world hospital..not the news I'd like to hear. So we waited 2 and a half hours to be seen by the doctor and by now I don't feel any pain so it was kind of pointless. They asked me if I felt any pain and since I said no, they got mad at me and made me pay for bothering the doctors haha dumb! They cleaned it and sent me away. But another testimony builder during this experience is during my long long wait.

To pass the time I started reading from the book of Mormon and some how every time I starting reading, my foot would throb like crazy! so I took a break from reading and the pain stopped. Then began reading again and once again my foot started throbbing again! It made me think of how Satan tried to prevent Joseph Smith from praying to know of the truth, and in my study with pain, I found an awesome scripture for Victor! Persevering to the end is so so important! Comunque, I didn't get home til 1:30 in the morning so we didn't get any sleep that night but I woke up and was able to walk to church. My foot was practically healed! Now it's 4 days later and my foot is still a little swollen but I have no problems with it, I just wish I knew what stung me! Apparently jelly fishes are common here and that's what everyone was saying but I highly doubt they come that close to the shore, at least I hope. I have pictures but my camera is dead and apparently plugging the camera into the computer doesn't charge it? Sad. Next week I'll send you some for sure!
Happy 4th everyone!
Anziano LaFaye

Experiences with food and language

Buongiorno famiglia!
   My first experience with sea food was interesting. Here's my motto for sea food: the nastier it looks, the better it tastes. For example the octopus was very delicious haha just looking at the tentacles made me question it but I liked it! Then the more appealing foods didn't taste as good. I found myself making a sour face when I would eat some of the foods. Next topic, gelato. The ice cream is something I look forward to everyday. Every family we visit likes to give us ice cream and I gladly accept! Then we visited someone who went to the Switzerland temple and brought back Swiss Chocolate! I savoured that chocolate so much that they thought I didn't like it oops. Ok enough of food.
   The language is slowly coming along but then again it's only been two weeks, I have 2 years to share the gospel! I'm learning almost a whole new vocab here in Crotone and people here in the south aren't very proper so while talking, they spit a lot and we tend to be very close when talking haha so endurance is key! Now we have this guy Victor who is going to be baptized in the Sea this Saturday! This is very special since our numbers aren't necessarily like what Elder LaFaye in Paraguay is experiencing! We aim for 20 baptisms a month as a mission while Ryan is in the hundreds. And Victor speaks English since he's from Africa so I love teaching him! Our other lessons I speak very little but we're striving for 50/50 participation with my language. Our branch is very little so we get to check up on all the members very frequently and I'm already very close with all of them! Italians are so kind! Even those who want nothing to do with our gospel are incredibly kind to us missionaries.
   Okay Reece those are some awesome camps you're going to! My advice: take a scholarship anywhere because that will help narrow your choice of studies. Unless you already know what you want to do but I didn't know until I went through some college. Plus you don't have to pay for education and you get to keep exercising for fun! Robby I hope you're out hanging with friends, you only get 3 more summers in high school so have fun! (But preferable with lds friends haha) OK Ti voglio bene :) Ci vediamo
Elder LaFaye

I have arrived in Italy

Ciao,
   OK it's been too long since I've been on the computer. And the Italian keyboard is odd so excuse the errors please.

   So last Tuesday I flew to Chicago then to London then to Rome! I went 32 hours without sleep besides the little uncomfortable naps on the planes. I met Pres. Kelly and his wife, super nice people who made us our first Italian dinner. Super good lasagna. That night we were all bobbing our heads trying to stay awake to receive our "golden ticket" of our first assignment! But we didn't even get it so we found out the following morning and now I'm serving in Crotone! It's a super poor area

covered in graffiti but people are super friendly and patient with my lack of language skill. Then again, they're speaking Crotonese, super sloppy so I find myself squinting my eyes, focusing on what they're saying. In the end I don't have a clue of what they are saying. My companion is native from Milan. So I hear northern accents and southern accents. I sure hope I'm a champ at the language after this transfer. It's been a week and I can only pick out words from what people are saying. Italians speak so fast it's unreal. Then they throw in hand gestures like crazy and I feel like they're practically yelling at me, haha.
   So the first member I taught was a man named Vincenso who is comparable to the Rocky Balboa of English. I didn't understand a single word he said to me except for when he said "no capito?" I understood him asking me if I didn't understand haha, not fair. For Sundays, we have about 30 members who come every week and some of meno active. Our chapel is so little! Hopefully I can help these numbers go up! Our branch mostly consists of women and one single guy. This guy was so close to becoming a priest for the catholic church that he just needed to say his vows or whatever but instead he heard what the missionaries said and was baptized. So a big part of his life was thrown out the window that day, I don't know how he did that but I'm so thankful for him, he helps us out a bunch!
    One last thing I forgot to mention, we teach an Ingles class 3 times a week which is how we get most of our investigators and I for once felt comfortable speaking since people wanted to hear me speak! My companion speaks inglese pero it's very limited. On a side note he looks like Luigi. Fun fact for you all. OK I'm going to try to send some pictures, love you mom love you dad and love you Reece, Robby and Caitlyn! (sorry I never called in England mom) Ci-ciao!

Alright It's 11am right now as I'm writing this but I think it's like a 9 hr difference between us? Our apartment is SO nice, it's one of the nicest in the mission from what I've heard. I look out the balcony and I see the sea, so nice. Then everything is white, white nice tile, white walls, makes me think of being in the temple actually. So last night was pretty cool, Anziano Sorgiacomo's father came to town to visit us. not quite sure if that was allowed. But he took us out for pizza and a walk along the beach. First off, the Italian girls were way too distracting so I don't think I'll be going back to the beach anytime soon haha. Felt like I was sinning just seeing them walk past me so I spent a lot of time looking at the ground while my companion and his dad talked. THEN the pizza was so so delicious, I wish you could have tasted that pizza...I remember what Fratello Gubler said about pepperonis in Italy so I figured I would ask to see if it was true so I asked my collega if they had pepperonis and he said of course! so he ordered it for me and they brought out a whole pizza with red peppers on it ha I forgot I asked a native. Nonetheless, I ate the whole thing and it was superb. My stomach felt odd but my taste buds were certainly satisfied :)

Here's my address if you want to google image me :)
Via Scopelliti, 5
88900 Crotone, Italia
my pdays are on wednesdays just so you know.
Ciao! Elder LaFaye