Weekly Email October 28th 2013 with Pictures

Sup!

Don't worry too much about the Facebook thing. I honestly kinda expected that. I've always been a bit of a loner, so I'm not too surprised with this development (that not anyone looks at his Facebook page). Well, I'm shocked that it took this long to get my plaque up, in fact, I'm super offended. Okay, really, whatever on that one (Nathan is NOT offended).  Thanks for the update, I like that it looks really good. It has a picture of me, so it should.

Glad that people are staying up to date on my mission and how I'm doing. That's fantastic! Yes, yes, I am aware that it is the dog of my sister and Marcus, but seriously, we always have dogs or pets in the house.

The secret is out huh (Nathan and Kendra have always teased Lynda that she is the Wicked Witch of the West)? Well, there goes keeping that skeleton in the closet. But seriously, you should dress up like a witch for Halloween and hand out the candy. I'm sure the kids in the neighborhood would love that. Snow on Halloween? Only in Utah.

I miss your dolce (sweets).

Yeah...that may help a little bit (Lynda had the Spirit whisper to her to tell Nathan to begin thinking in Italian since when Lynda and I learned another language that is when we made are major gains). I do think of certain words in Italian now, and I can't remember them in english, but I still think, at least the majority of the time, in english. However, I will say that the Italian is slowly taking over my grammar.

Well, we have one baptism on Saturday, but the investigator was handed to the Sisters. And I'm doing the baptism (as in I'm dunking her in the water). Besides that, we had to move two to the 9th of next month, but I think they'll make it.

My favorite thing in the week is, I don't know, I really like English Course. It's fun to teach Italians English like we do in the MTC, so just conversation, and they really enjoy it. My class and I get along really well. Here's a story about that: MY bag from Mark is a little destroyed, and I've been keeping it up with tape and my bad sewing skills. Well some of my students decided to buy me a new bag. Wait until you see it. I got pictures.

Speaking of which, the pictures this week are from last transfer, so it's my last companion.

Well, that's really all I got this week. Talk to you soon, and I love you all.

NaNa

Anziano Eads and Anziano Curzo(? not sure on the spelling). 

 "Mozzarella di bufala, and it is the fruit of the tree of life. It's super good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 

The new bag that Anziano Eads' English Class bought him as his old bag didn't make it 7 months. 

Anziano Eads, his companion, other missionaries on friends on transfer day (his companion is transferring to a new city). 

Weekly Email October 21st 2013

Hey guys!

First part of this letter is to Dad: WILL YOU STOP GETTING SICK?!?!?!?!

I have enough to worry about, and then my Dad tells me he's been getting sick. I leave and everything goes to pot! Really, I worry about you because I'm not around. Also, you don't have to worry about me. I'm fine. I'm still Nathan, still a lose cannon (kidding), and I'm still losing weight. It's definitely more controlled now though. One or two kili a week.

Okay, back to both, since I can just answer the questions together.

YEAH SEATTLE!


I'm glad that the Outback works out very well, and I'm glad that you want to go live near Bear Lake (?). It's a beautiful place, and I would love to visit you there. As for the ghost issue. No worries, weird stuff happens all the time with computers. It's probably nothing. If it happens again, call the GhostBusters. I'm sure they can help.

Okay so, my new companion is Anziano McIntrye. He is a really chill guy from Canada. Yup, I got a Canadian companion, which is pretty sweet. He's been out for a year now, same group as my trainer, so yeah. Like I said he's pretty chill. We'll get along great from what I can see.

Yes, I am happy and I am enjoying my life as a missionary. Sometimes it's hard, but there are moments when it's all worth it. I really love it when I can help people, even if I don't know what to say.

IF you want to help me, please pray for the following: Alessandra, Kingsley, Temple, Pietro, Rafaella, but especially Alessandra. She's been having hard times lately, and she reallly needs the strength of some prayers.

Also, Dad: I would say my langauge ability is a 6-7, some where in there. It's definitely improved. And as for my rating of myself as a missionary, I would say I'm a 8. Not quite to 100% obedience just yet, but I'm getting there.

Well, that's it for me this week, love you all, and I'm wishing you the best,

NaNa

I usually don't post our letters to Nathan but I think his mother's this week was very insightful and shows the love and devotion of a mother to her missionary son and how she feels about the gospel. It also explains some things in his letter.  

Dad and I went on a long drive yesterday to test out the new Outback.   It went very well.  Dad wants to be a principal in a wilderness area (well, he'll take a job anywhere but he'd love that for observing!).   I told him I was ok with bear lake.  Then the grand kids would say "let's go to grandmas, they live at bear lake and we could swim and boat and have super fun."   I don't want to live in Randolph.  Our bishop would be like my dad, old farmer John. This was all tongue and cheek in a way.   We saw a few hunters with dead deer in their trucks.   We also saw a ton of sheep.   Dads office has a ghost.  I was putting away towels and I heard a man talking in the office.  I ran to our room and got dad.  When he got there it had stopped.   Really freaky!!! Dad thinks it was his computer.  It sounded like a mans radio voice, so it could have been his computer.
So i have one request.  when you tell us about your baptisms, dont just say they were fine or great.  please give us a little detail.  Tell us about the program and who did what, even some of your feeling about the experience.   Tell us about your new companion and what he is like.   Are you happy?   Do you enjoy being a missionary?  Dad worries about you.   What can we do to help you?  In conference they asked members to pay for specific people.  Who would you like us to pray for?

I always feel like I should have more to say, but don't know what to tell you.  I don't want to bore you with things you don't want to know.   We really are just trying to go about our boring day-to-day life.   I think about you every day.   I hope you are doing your best to serve the people of Italy and give them the gift of the gospel.   It will bring such joy and peace to their life.   I know that it brings me great peace especially right now.   Pray, study and serve The Lord.   Love Mom :)

Nathan's Weekly Letter October 14th 2013

Hey Mom, and Dad

Sweet! Go Seattle! 

Car hunting huh? I guess that means that...oh yup, Dad got a new car, and he got rid of the pathfinder. I knew that was coming, still, it was kinda expected at some point I guess. I'll miss Red Dog and the adventures we had in that Pathfinder. 

Coda...still the same old stupid dog. I love him, and miss him. Can't wait to see what happens when I get home.

Week was good. No baptisms. That's in two weeks, but I'll be sure to get you all some pictures. I'll actually have a new companion this week.  Anz. Curzola is going to Olbia, Sardegna, and I'm getting Anziano McIntrye. It's interesting. Anyways. 

How am I losing weight? I don't eat as much, I work out, and the food is a whole heck of a lot healthier as well. It's really nice, the food tastes really good.

There's really nothing to see in Foggia. Because it got heavily bombed in WWII, a lot of the historic stuff isn't around anymore. If you want to see stuff you have to go out of the city. That's all. Yes, the tomatoes are so delicious, and I don't know about the watermelon, since they are now out of season.

Yeah! Missionary work in Primary for all of October! Sorry, that you miss me, but it's good that ya'll are talking about it. I'm glad that the Tadd's house is now occupied. I didn't even know they moved. 

Sorry about GMA. 

Yup, I'll be able to tell you when you watch Montabano that the subtitles are all wrong! It'll be great. Yes, actually, I am getting back to chattiness, but I'm still quiet. I'm naturally very quiet, until you get me around people I like. Then you can't get me to shut up!

Well, the next thing I want to do is train (a new missionary), and then maybe spend the rest of my mission in quiet solitude doing good works. So, yeah.

Best meal here in Italy I've had is Fried Chicken. It was super good. 

Dad: Thanks for the epistle. It's exactly what I needed to read this week. 

Well, quello è tutto da me questo settimana. Ciao!

Vi voglio bene,

NaNa

October 9th 2013 Email

Two separate emails this week:

To Mom:

So, I was going to do the combined email, but when I typed this one out it was rather long, so Mom, here's your personal email, and I'll send one to dad as well.

All right Mom, I will definitely write Kendra this week. Let her know, okay? For now, I'll just say that I'll be sure to give her comfort. I'll also write Marcus as well, to let him know that things will work out. While, yes, we are weird, I think he's used to it.

Drat! I can't believe that Seattle lost, oh well, not a problem. They're still leading, and they're still awesome, so I'm okay. Well, I would love to continue to hear about the great things that my team does each week, so yes, please continue to update me.

I'm glad that you are enjoying work. It's a good thing in life, makes things a lot easier. It snowed? What the heck is snow? All I know is rain, rain, rain and more rain. It just rains all the time out here. We just had a few storms in a row this week, including today, so yeah. Glad Dad had a good time.

Yes, you will get pics of the new zone and my comp, I just need time. I'll get them this week, and send them to you next week. We watched General Conference via the computer in the church, for the English speakers. I absolutely loved Presidents Eyring's talk in the Sunday session, and Elder Scott's. It was wonderful.

All our investigators are great, and all are progressing. I'll just tell you and Dad now: three have baptismal dates, and all will make it.

Okay Mom, later.

NaNa


Hi Dad.

Glad to hear the observing was good. Sorry you got cold, but I can sympathise. Things have gotten a tad bit colder here as well. It rains quite a bit, and with the humidity, it can get cold. I've taken to wearing my long pajamas and night. You being tired is good? What?

I remember that we had some fun times with the Pathfinder with observing stuff (our adventure to rescue Red Dog 3 was fun).

Well that's good that you listened to all of Conference. I though for a minute that you would ignore it since you were out observing. Of course, I thought that you would always listen to conference at some point. Well, what were your favorite talks?

Thanks for that thought Dad, I really appreciate. I don't know why you needed to share that either, but thanks anyways. I really enjoyed that. Maybe you can send me one of your typical epistles next time.

Well,  as I told Mom, we have three investigators with b-dates, and all will make it. Two are next Saturday.

Love you Dad,

Nathan

Pictures of Anziano Eads at the Taranto Zone Conference

Now Nathan isn't serving in Taranto he had a zone conference there. Here are some pictures that Sorella Waddoups took of the conference. On a side note, on the night of November 11-12th, 1940, the British Navy using an all airborne attack, first time in history, destroyed 1/2 of the Italian battleships/capital ships that were at anchor in the harbor.  The Japanese used this attack in their planning for Pearl Harbor.  Here is a link to Wikipedia. Now pictures of Anziano Eads

If you know Nathan, this IS a CLASSIC Nathan look.

Below Nathan is role playing, something they do at zone conference. 

Nathan holding the words to their Mission Song. 

Nathan holding the words on the far right ad singing.

Holding the words and singing. 

Nathan studying his scriptures. 

Can you find Waldo? I mean Nathan? Lots of missionaries singing their mission song.

Weekly Email October 2nd 2013

Well, Nathan is in his glory being sarcastic (in some ways, in others he is sincere).

Hey Guys!

Well, I find it funny that I was right yet again! I love it when I can predict things really well. Well, here's hoping the government gets up and running again! Although I do find it hilarious that you could still sign up for Obamacare.

Zone conference was really good. It was combined with the Taranto zone, and so that was fun, because there's a huge group of missionaries from my MTC zone in the area! It was awesome to see everyone again and see how things were going.

At this Zone Conference, it was about obedience, and I just want to say, that I called it again! I knew it was going to be on obedience, and I was right. Anyways, that's not important. So, yeah it was obedience and it was good.

No, I haven't been sick yet, and my headaches have all but gone away. I still get some small ones from time to time, but that's a rare thing nowadays, so no issue for me. Still as healthy as a horse.

Hopefully I'll have some new shirts at least, because, yeah, these ones I have right now are way to baggy. So, until then, nope I haven't bought anything Italian yet. Don't worry, I'm going to fix that. There's a few things I'll get on my list. Wait! I did buy some ties. Basta though.

Honestly, I just notice the gelato place that we pass by everyday. I'll let you figure out why!

Sorry to hear about GMA. Here's hoping that things work out. I really hope they do.

Well, it's about time. Anyways, let me know how it goes, and if I can provide any moral support, because I'm really good at that. Believe me, I am. Dad's going to be leaving you alone all weekend?

Dad, how could you do that to my mother!? I mean, I know that star-gazing relaxes you, and that it's really fun, but c'mon! You can do so much better! Take a week off next time. And just dress warm, I don't want you freezing to death on me.

Anyways, yes, the apartment is a lot bigger for all of us, we have plenty of room. It's very nice.

Sweet, thanks for letting me know about my Christmas present! I do love surprises! So, yup, that's about if for me. Thanks for everything you guys! Talk to you in a week.

NaNa.