One year in Italy!

Hosford Family and Friends,

I just received Dad's letter today. I can't believe I made it a year in Italy. It's strange to think that I have been away for so long and now I am on a land island called Sicilia and that I understand what people are saying around me. It still hits me and some days I have no idea how I got here.

News here: Well a lot of people have been complementing me on how tan I am. Not that I work on it at all.  It just comes. However, I have the worst tan lines ever. Sorry for not emailing on P-day. We saw a castle then received permission to see a soccer game here which was awesome.  We won 3-0 (Siracusa vs. Prato). Then after that we had an appointment in Nato which is a bit out of the way. Yes, I am a district leader again.

My new companion Anziano Furia is awesome. We have a blast together. He comes from Torino.  He is pretty laid back like myself, but we work well and hard together. Its also nice that he doesn't speak English. Makes me speak Italian all of the time. He finishes the mission in 4 transfers but hasn't had an American companion in about a year.

The work here is going pretty well. We have been doing a lot of street cause I am tired of house and we found a way to open people up. the way being through English course. We just do work promoting it and the gospel comes up always. Its nice to be out on the street meeting and working with people outside instead of inside.

However, we have run into a huge problem in the ward that I tried to hide from Anziano Furia.  However, we did a correlation last week and the ward doesn't like two of our investigators that we bring into Church (Fabio and Salvatore). It doesn't matter why, just the fact that people have been complaining. I have never been so angry at a group of people. I didn't realize there were physical qualifications, etc. and such for being a child of God. This wouldn't have bothered me if the members gave us referrals. However its not the case. How can they want a new family in the ward when they can't take care of those which they have. Or how can they take care of a family of investigators when they can't be nice and help the least of people (Salvatore and Fabio who are incredible people). We are working with about three families and I am terrified for anyone of them to come to church. They need to move from a ward to 2 branches. One of the good members and the other of all the crappy members. So as missionaries we are trying to set a good example. I hope when the elders bring someone to church that you two swarm that person... in a good way.  Just the crap that goes on here.

Things are coming along alright with Fabio and Salvatore. We found this lady who is dissatisfied with her church and her and her husband are looking at switching.  Tell you more about her later.

So things are going along here. I hope everything is well at home. Things are just fun here. Look forward to your letters.  Love you all.  -- Anziano Mitchell Hosford