Some Pictures From Italy... Finally!

Ethan and his new Companion, Elder Pagano.

Ethan and his trainer, Elder Collins.  Not sure what the cool lips are for.....

Scenery from Vicenza, Italy.

One big Christmas tree in Vicenza, Italy.

A cool building in Vicenza, Italy

December 11th

Hey, dad!!

Ya, it's a little different with a new collega but it's all good. Part of the growing process. We're having fun though! It's Christmas time!!! I never thought that I would enjoy listening to Christmas music but I actually enjoy it. It's weird.

The atonement is just one of the things that I think about a lot. As a missionary, you have tons of time to think when you're out walking or moving from appointment to appointment. I get the idea of the doctor. It's kind of the same for everything. It's like me and what I want to do (which is a lot) but I need to learn tons of stuff for music, practice like none-other, and then throughout career, gain experience and try to begin to become a great music producer! I would like to be the best, but you have to work with other people to reach new heights and rely on God. He's the one that knows all the melodies anyway. I like that analogy though. It makes sense. Sad news though!! I feel like it's getting harder and harder to play the piano! I've been trying to read the hymns and I struggle to do it. I don't know why!! I'm not liking it.

Ya, I would build my own funeral casket if it got that cold.

Good news about BYU! If it means that they'll be good in three years- sweet! I'll be there to read about it or see it or whatever.

Peter is doing amazing!! He's getting ready to be baptized this Saturday! The next day, I get to do the confirmation. Never done that before so...we'll see how that goes.

We skype for Christmas. You better give me your skype name. I'll let you know about the time. I'm assuming it'll be towards the evening over here but I'll let you know.

Tell mom I love her too!! And the family!

Love,

Anziano West

December 4th

Sup, sup!

Well, I'm saying hello from Vicenza...again. Last week was crazy!! Old collega gone and new collega came in. And all of this happend on Thanksgiving day!! We also had a Thanksgiving dinner, obviously, with a few member families. Let me say this though about the members' house because it was such a cool house! It was set against this hill/mountain and it was kinda built in a cave. Super cool!!

Well, my new collega. He's name is Anziano Pagano and he's from New Mexico. He's been out for almost a year and he has a few different ideas to go about doing work. Which is fine because I'm open for new ideas. I actually felt like I was opening up the copia again because we were putting plans together and now we have a new district leader (one of the other Anziani) with a different vision, so the whole ship is being turned to a new direction! Which I'm cool with because I don't what I'm doing.

I'm speaking more Italian but it's coming slowly. I realized that throughout my life I've always wanted to present myself as a "perfect" being or something. Obviously, that's not possible but I don't like making mistakes. Which means I'm more narrowed in my choices, which is good if it's a morale dilemma and I know what I'm supposed to do, but when it comes to making desicions to try out something new, or to take a different life path...never really done that. Never been opened up to making mistakes. Anyway, it hit me this morning that if I'm going to learn this language, if I want to enjoy a good life by trying out new things and to be successful in life, I'm going to have to make mistakes! I want to speak the language in a correct grammatical way but that won't be learned if I don't make mistakes! I want to learn how to sing, how to produce music, how to write, but mistakes will come! I'm not saying I have to look to make mistakes but I have to just take action. I have to do. I have to sieze the opportunites that I have and just go out with a smile on my face. I always think about where people are in life and how successful they are but they would've had to have made mistakes. And then that got me thinking about the Atonement and how we progress... well, ya, we make mistakes and then we recover and move forward! I wish I connected the dots when I was in High School because I would've been a very different person...I would've had more fun.

Peter is great! Though I'm a little worried. He noticed that Anziano Collins left and I got a new collega. He then asked me if I was staying because he said he would miss me if I left. I don't know if he is truly converted to the gospel. We're best buds but we need to find him a new friend in the branch. The last thing I want is someone that I baptized to go in-active. He's getting ready to be baptized on the 14th!

No snow I am happy to report. It has been getting colder. I think the rainy season has passed already. Um...I'm not sure how Christmas works. I know we get to Skype. On Mother's Day we do the phone call. I'll get more info on that. But plan on the Skype. I can't wait to see you guys!! 

November 27th

Hey fam!!!

Some great news!! And some crazy news! I get a new collega tomorrow morning. He's name is Anziano Pugano or something like that. He's been out for about 8 or 9 months. Some good news is that we actually have one of our African Brudahs being baptized on Dec. 14! Fully committed and ready to go! We also have an Italian family to teach (for the first time...ever) on Friday morning. With my new collega. So, we'll see how that goes.

The past week has been crazy. We did a scambio with the Anziani here and the Sorelle were having a baptism. We usually do our baptisms in Padova but since there was a youth conference, the baptism was moved up to Mestre, which is near Venezia. Anyway, I was with Anziano Jaramillo and we were on our way to the train station when we saw one of our investigators, Fortune. He wasn't doing anything so Anziano Jaramillo invited him to the baptism. I was surprised that he did that but Fortune agreed and he came with us. Apparently, Anziano Jaramillo was also surprised that Fortune came with us also. So, we end up in Mestre, and one thing that I've learned while being here is that you don't receive directions from the Sorelle. Because they give you terrible directions! We were trying to find the church but then we got lost! In a city that wasn't even in our zone. We walked forever to find the church but it was super funny afterward. We were laughing about it because we made an odd sight. A missionary walking angrily out front trying to keep his temper cool while trying to get sane directions talking on the phone, then a few feet behind him another missionary (me) trying to keep up with him, and then about 10 feet behind, an African with a green umbrella just taking his time walking. Ha! The best thing about it is that we got lost in a whole other city! Super fun!

So, our investigator, Peter, is ready to be baptized. Literally. We taught him the Word of Wisdom and told him all the things he should avoid and then he repeated them back to us. I never saw that before. He also said he didn't like coffee and that he knew smoking was bad. We might need to go over what illegal drugs are because he didn't understand us but he's so happy that he found the church of Christ! I wanted to transfer out of Vicenza because little America is killing me but I'm glad to stay to see Peter. We also have other African Brudahs getting ready too. Soon. The work is coming together.

BYU lost? No! I wanted them to be ranked. And if you got bored watching the game with Notre Dame...must've been boring.

I sent an e-mail to Nick. Giving him the congrats and letting him know that he's loved. I also asked him how things were going so, hopefully, he answers back.

Keeping mom in my prayers. Also, I bought a side bag (it was kinda expensive but it's a cool side bag...It'll probably last me for the next two years. Speriamo.) I also bought a memory card! Sending some pics soon! It's not much but it's been busy over here.

I have to get off but I'll write you guys next week!

Love,

Anziano West

November 20th

Hey, Pops!

Thanks for your e-mail. It really helps. I just don't know what to do. I get so anxious and stressed out about trying to be obedient, trying to be prepared, and trying to stay focused on what I'm doing. Everyday, I hear collega freak out about how many days he has left (he's leaving next week) and I'm trying to scramble to get myself together because I get a new companion soon. I'm not sure how to enjoy the mission. I feel like so much is expected of me and I have to live up to that expectation. 

Anyway, I set two baptismal dates this past week with some of our African brudahs! Meaning I extended the invitations. And a miracle happened this past sunday. We literally dropped all of our investigators last week because they were not progressing. But we were still faithful in trying to contact people (strada) and doing some casa (tracting). However, we only taught three lessons total that whole week. On sunday, we gained two progressing investigators, one with a baptismal date for Dec 14. The numbers didn't add up. We also gained another investigator from the investigator with the bap. date, whom I extended the invitation to be baptized, for the 14th also. And all of this just fell into our lap. It happened during church too. The sorelle had these connections, and since it's the mission rule for sorelle to not teach single men and us anziani to not teach single women, the sorelle gave us their work. All of our investigators are Africans but hopefully their baptismal dates go through. 

I had a fun experience yesterday. We did exchanges with our zone leaders and so, I was with Anziano Garner, who's been out for about a year. Anyway we were trying to stop people out on the street and I wanted to try an idea that some other anziani were talking about. I stopped a guy and asked him, "Lei ha fede in Gesù Cristo?" (Do you have faith in Jesus Christ?) He answered, "sì, sì" (Yes). I then asked, "Perchè?" (Why?). He looked surprised that I would asked that question. "No lo so" (I don't know). I said to him, "Lei vorrebbe battazzarsi in la chiesa di Gesù Cristo?" (Literal trans: would you like to baptize yourself in the church of Jesus Christ?). He said that he was already baptized but I felt really good inviting someone to baptism to the true living church.

That's awesome that Nick received the priesthood! How did that happen anyway? Did it just pop out of the blue or what? How's the family doing down there too? I wouldn't mind shooting him an e-mail.

I hope mom is doing well. I'll pray for her. Tell her that I love her. I also got my card (finally) and I need to buy a memory card before I can send some pics. 

I'm excited for BYU!! You don't have to send the articles. I just want the updates. 

Thanks for everything!! Also, tell mom I got her letters that she sent. I enjoyed them immensly. 

Your son,

Anziano West

November 13th

Sup, sup!!

Well, I'm bumbling away. Yup, I got the camera but I have to buy a memory card. Can't do that until I get my card which should be comin' next week. I think the office is getting a little hedgy because of your e-mails, since they're super busy with trying to get apartments and stuff, so just lay off the pressure. Don't worry, I got it taken care of. The assistants had it the whole time. I made a new friend in the office though. I don't know how to spell his name but he lived in the same apartment with collega while he was down in Firenze. It's funny because the missionaries here are either American, Italian, or Austrialian. And the office elder is Australian so it was fun talking to him.

We've lost of a lot of investigators because of committment but we are trying to get a baptism with one of our African brudahs. He just has to come to church. Also, we've been trying to find new people but everyone always says they're Catholic. And then, in my mind, I get angry  and think, "I don't care if you're catholic, all I want to know if you've seen the Book of Mormon..." So, it's been fusturating for me to do finding work. I almost blew up in front of this old guy. Collega had to calm me down. Sounds embarrasing but it's true. He said he wasn't interested and I went "Perchè?! Comè mai?!" and he just walked on. Learning some new lessons, I guess.

Ya, I like being with the Italian branch even if I can't understand or speak. I can understand better than speaking. I just want to speak gramatically correct and my mind swirls to find the correct genders, adjectives, pronounciation, etc. Doesn't work all the way. Thanksgiving day is on transfer day so... a few things could happen. Collega will be gone and I'll be getting a new collega. Or I could get transferred and our copia gets "whitewashed" in Vicenza. Whatever works I guess. If I stay, then I'll be with an American family, probably. I kinda want to get away from little America though.

I'm excited to hear about everything that has been happening!! Singing on PBS! It's a start, mom! Tell DD I love her too and tell Aubrey to keep reading! I still learn new things from the scriptures still. And collega teaches me also from the scriptures. I just feel so young. I feel like in a way I've changed but I'm not sure in what ways. Anyway, until next week!

Peace out!

Anziano West