That's my miracle

Dear Mom, Dad, Amy, Megan, and Hay Hay

Sorry for not writing a letter home since my birthday. I have been having some motivation issues about writing and distractions. Anyways so here is whats happened over the past two months. 

I got to Caserta on my birthday to find the apartment here completely destroyed. We spent a lot of time cleaning and fixing the apartment including repainting the walls.  I was very excited to have a new companion because I was tired of my last. I had heard a lot of cool things about him and how he liked to travel and on the train down we made a list of places we wanted to go, but we didn't see one thing the whole transfer. I still haven't decided who was the biggest let down, him or Anz. Roe. Well its not really important. I just know if I tain or follow up train every P-day we are going to go see something. I decided if you want to stay in on a P-day ask to be transferred to state-side cause I know the elders there would kill for P-days here.

We did have two baptisms last transfer. Two Americans. They were pretty much taught and everything by the Rebers so I don't really count them as "my baptisms".

However there is a kid here named Marco. His family is loaded. He is a cool guy, speaks English, is school and likes to travel. After the American baptisms we set a date with him because he saw the water and just felt ready. He is getting baptized on the 7th of January. We are very excited. He started off as an English course student probably about the time I decided to go on a mission. He slowly progressed I guess.  One vacation he went to like Toronto to a ward of like 400 members and was just completely different than here.  I guess he felt something and things just turned uphill.

Now we have four elders here. Work here was split. During this season we have been doing a lot of finding which I can't stand. I don't enjoy the style of finding here as much.  

Happened like 5 mins ago:

The other two elders just got back from Napoli and they received a call from that Marco kid and he dropped them.  I guess when a baptismal date falls through stuff just happens.

We have been teaching this other girl named Liliana.  She is 28 and is normal as far as a normal American would be (has a job, a house, and a car). Well, we found her when we were walking home from the train station when we first arrived here. She helpe dus back to our house by carrying bags. She hasn't progresses a lot but we have made very good friends with her.

Right now we have like 10 passbacks from doing house that we are waiting for. We really need the new year to start so we can get back to work.

We did find this one inactive guy named Gennaro. He now drinks and smokes, but he has a great heart and gives us big hugs every time we see him. He was baptized a couple years ago and looks at the photos with the elders that baptized him. I am hoping we can do something to help him out. There are a few other things going on here. In addition to our English course we are tyring (more thinking) about starting a bible study course.

We are trying to get creative with our finding ideas. We really need help from the branch for this. Technically, this branch has 8 missionaries (4 anziani, 2 senior missionaries, and the chaplain and his wife). To keep the church assigned missionaries we need more work from the members. I will bring it up in branch council. The branch will only keep them if the members want it, but its not going to last.

So I guess you want a miracle story and I finally have one.  I see a lot of miracles, but I choose not to look at them cause I really only like seeing big miracles.

When I left Pozzuoli, I was very mad and disappointed because I felt I did nothing, no less/inactive had come back to Church and no investigator had been baptized or at least changed their life. Even though I had made a ton of friends, I still had this pit/feeling that I had wasted the last 4 months of my life. But during my fourth transfer here (first in Caserta) I found out somethings that were really humbling.

During my second transfer towards the end, we found this guy named Alessandro at work watching cars. We told him about the Book of Mormon and he wanted one. Personally, I didn't think he was that interested, but well splits ended that night and the next day we brought him a Book of Mormon. His work wasn't too far away, but enough if you are feeling lazy you wouldn't want to walk there. I am so glad I wasn't feeling lazy that day. After that second visit, we passed by him about twice a week for a bit.  Then the transfer ended and I got a new comp.  We went through all of our investigators/contacts seeing who was really interested.  I still didn't think Alexxandro was very interested, so I gave him one last shot with my new comp and if we didn't receive a number or directions we were going to eliminate him. We received directions to this section of town I call the Socavo, triano, Pianura, & quarto section.  Lower income and a little iffy, but those things don't bother me at all.  One afternoon we went out hoping to see him a couple weeks after we got directions.  He wasn't there but his wife was and apparently she know who we were. I was pretty happy. she was feeling sick so we didn't come up, but planned to come back.  (sidenote:  their apartment was hard to find with the design of the streets.  We almost gave up when I remembered how Anz. Anderson taught me about finding addresses ... you just go to have fun with it and have a little adventure.  It didn't take us much longer to find their house.)  After than first visit, we came back a couple of weeks later, had a lesson "zero", and received a return appointment two days later. Taught them the first lesson.  Even though it went very well and they were very open to hearing our message, they still had their traditions and beliefs.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to see them before coming to Caserta. I heard he lost his job, wife was having some health problems, and their son Antonio remember my b-day and gave me a call.  That was the last I heard from them for a couple weeks.

Well during this last transfer, my old comp came down for an interview and I found out that they had gone to church and the church was helping them with their financial problems.  Still working with the missionaries and progressing.

Then a couple weeks later at the zone conference in rome, I found out that they wouldn't be baptized unless they both had dreams.  Well guess what?  They had dreams, they committed to be baptized.  A date hasn't been set. I need to call and see what's going on.

That's my miracle.  A family of three.  Alessandro, Maria, and Antonio.

Well I am quite out of words for this letter. I want to tell everyone at home I miss them and for my friends to write to me. Love you mom, dad, Amy, Megan, and Hayhay.  I will get better at writing again I promise.  Send me stuff!!  Anziano Hosford

PS - the return address is the full and 100% correct address.  I received a Christmas card from the first presidency and that's how they wrote it!