San Marino- The Most Beautiful City I've Ever Seen

Ciao Famiglia!

Oh my goodness it's been crazy here in Italy.  I love it here.  The members are soooo awesome.  Even though there are not very many of them they are so strong.  I met all ten of them on Sunday. The singing was so bad I almost started laughing but other then that they are super bravi.  

My companion is really cool. He's really experienced and knows a lot of people in Pesaro because he's been here for 3 transfers before.  He actually was born here and is gonna die here. ('Born' and 'gonna die' refer to the beginning and the end of his mission life.  It's mission lingo)  Before this transfer he was in the office as you deducted.  Also yes we have bikes and yes he's a runner.  Both things you predicted somehow with your crazy psychic Mom-senses.  Haha.

I'm sad that I'm missing Halloween and the rest of the holidays.  But especially Halloween and Thanksgiving.  Make sure you send a picture of Flubba in her costume.  That is if she's still alive.  I won't be too sad at Christmas because I've heard that Christmas in Italy is awesome.  Haha.

Tell Audrey to get outfromwayfromrounddem boys!  She's too young to be messin' around wit dem boys roun'dem parts!  Dem boys be no good fo her.

Anyways this week has been really cool.  I love going into the city.  Yesterday we were leaving English class flyers around town and the weather was amazing and we were walking down this really beautiful cobblestone street and we passed the music school and I could here the sweet sweet sound of a violin through a window and I was like holy crap, I'm in Italy.  This place is amazing. The people are amazing.  The Gospel is amazing. Haha

Ok so just now in between paragraph 3 and 4 our district and the Rimini district went to San Marino which was amaaaaaaazing.  It's an independant city state, so we actually left Italy for a few hours.  It's the most beautiful city I've ever seen.  I have tanto pictures.  We had amazing pizza there and there were these really cool shops that sold stuff like broadswords, katanas, crossbows, knives, and watches.  I wanted to buy some weapons but I didn't have enough money, (jk). San Marino actually has some really unique and really cool watches and I wanted to get one of those. I don't know how much money I have on my card. Can you check for me? And also if I use it I don't know if they will freeze the card because I'm in Italy or not. Can you find out? Thanks.  Haha

Anyways I think that's all for this week. I love you guys! Ciao!

PS Some pics

Anziani Calton, Me, Leavitt & Traedon

First Week in Italy

 Ciao Famiglia

I just arrived in my first area yesterday and we needed to go shopping so we just did Pday today.  

So here I am!!!! I'm doing well, I met my trainer yesterday and we went to our area last night.  He's really cool, really smart and likes running, so that's awesome.  Although he's way better than me, I'll still run with him cuz I need to with all this pasta I'm gonna eat.  His name is Anziano Leavitt.  I think you talked with him on the phone Mom.  

My city is called Pesaro and my trainer and I are whitewashing (this just means they are both new missionaries to the area) it.  He was trained here as well though, so he knows the area.  It's a small town near the middle of the country right on the Eastern coast.  There are ten members here and there hasen't been a baptism in a really long time.  But! my trainer has a few contacts from the last missionaries and even one who might be close to baptism.  

It is soooo weird being in Italy.  It seems like it's America, but everything is slightly off.  It's really trippy.  As far as the language goes I can't understand anyone except for my trainer and even then it's only sometimes.  I'm jetlagged, and culture shocked, and just overall confused about everything.  It's alright though because the food makes up for it.  

I learned today that Italians don't get sarcasm so that's just great.  

Overall I'm doing good.  My apartment is kinda big and has two showers so that's nice.  The only thing is that there's no AC and as you know I'm not a wimp when it comes to sweat.  

I love you guys! Tell me what's goin' on at home.  How's school going? How was the beach? is flubba still kickin?  That ol fart better still be alive when I get back.  I don't really care about Bruno but it'd be nice if he survived I guess.  I'm kiiiiiiiding.  I miss playing with that little goober.  

I think that's it for this week! there's probably more but I'm kinda out of it right now.  I'm so tired that I can't even keep track of what I've said already and what I want to say.  Anyways I think that's it for this week! there's probably more but I'm kinda out of it right now.  I'm so tired that I can't even keep track of what I've said already and what I want to say.  Anyways I think that's it for ths week! 

Love you guys the most! Ciao!  

Anziano Tagg

Stepping off the plane

Hard to spot him but he's down there.

President Allen in front

Duomo di Milano

Apparently they take the new missionaries straight out to do some street contacting from the airport.

Looks like they met someone friendly

Dinner at the Mission President's home

Sis Allen, Pres Allen, Anziano Tagg & his new trainer Anziano Leavitt

Pesaro seaside

An old prison

Soooooooo Excited!

Ciao la mia Famiglia!

So today is my last P-day! You know what that means... No more emails for two years I guess. I better make it a good one.  

I'm glad to hear that all is well back at home.  I miss you guys a lot.  I miss playin' with ma sisters.  I miss hangin' with ma brothers and tryin' to keep up with them.  I miss watching Last Man on Earth with you Mama, and I miss goin' on runs with ya Dad.  I had a good childhood, and I'm sad that those days are over.  Nevertheless! (I'm trying to use more Bible language) I am sooooooo excited to go to Italy!!!!  And more importantly, I am soooooooo excited to do the Lord's work.  If you count the number of o's in each "so" you'll see which one is more important to me.  

This week has flown by.  At least the beginning of it was.  Yesterday was long and kindof a hard day.  We were so busy that I didn't have time to study the scriptures.  I think that's why the rest of the day was a little off.  The lessons we taught were kinda all over the place without direction, and I didn't really do as well in speaking the language as I could have.  I don't know it was just a hard day.  Sometime those happen.  It's alright.  Today was better because it was P-day.  We went to the temple and did my last session for a couple years.  I'm glad that we've been able to go every week.  I always feel the Spirit in the celestial room.  

Thanks for all the letters you guys have been sending me, they are really nice.  I'm gonna try to write one today and send it before I leave the MTC.  I've heard that the mailing system is really messed up in Italy, so it might be harder to do it there.  Like for example if you send clothes, I think I'll get charged a lot of money.  IDK.  

The new Anziani e Sorelle came on Wednesday.  There are 28 new Italian speaking missionaries so in total. So that is like 52 Italian speaking missionaries in the MTC!  Usually we wouldn't overlap with the new ones like this, but transfers got a little messed up for some reason.  But it's good because now the Italians rule the MTC.  We have the biggest zone in the MTC maybe even in the world.  It's really cool to see how much the Lord cares about Italy.  A new temple, tanti nuovi missionari (many new missionaries) and the best red headed missionary the world will ever see!  They won't know what hit them.  

Io so che questa chiesa e vero.  Ho visto l'amore di Dio nella mia vita ogni giorno sulla missione. (I know this Church is true. I see the love of God in my life every day on the mission.)

I think that's it for now here are some pictures for you.  Ciao!

Elder Tagg

Me making a weird face

My District enjoying some Italian soda

Week 5 Almost Done

Hey Fam.

I just saw the pictures Mom sent of you guys.  I love all of you tanto.  Almost cried but I'm a man so none of that.  Ok wait nevermind because I just read Audrey's poem.  Dang you Laudbod!  now I'm in the computer lab tearing up and it's your fault!  It was butiful.  You're a poet and you didn't even know that you were one!  I bet you could make a rhyme at any moment! Haha.  I hope you listen to my written letter and know that I love you and I miss you... hhuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhh.  That's from a vine in case you didn't know.  I wouldn't be surprised cause I'm better at remembering vines than you.  That's super awesome that you got into the advanced orchestra! When I come back you better be better than me.  I'll be playing in Italy too though so its gonna be tough.  I love you tango (much) Audrey.

Mom, I'll try to write handwritten letters as much as possible but I absolutely refuse to stop writing on the back of them.  There is simply too much waste of paper in this world and I will NOT be a part of it.  I'm kiiiiiiddding.  I got your brownies and ties and my patriarchal blessing and stuffs.  Thanks a ton.  My favorite is the reindeer one.  This week I had my first tie trade and it was lucrative.  I got a bunch of new floral ties.  I love floral ties so much.  I think collecting floral ties is gonna be my thing.  I have nine of them already.  

I heard Dad was doing a century bike ride.  I wish I could do it with you.  I miss riding bikes with ya. Maybe Nathan could do it with you.  Haha.  Speaking of Nathan, he gave me a present right before I left and told me never to open it until he told me.  Is that gonna be any time soon?  It's probably some ancient relic that will give me wisdom and the key to missionary work right?  Yeah I could use that any time now cuz missionary work is hard.  Thanks Nathan and Evan for the advice you gave me before the mish.  I liked what Evan said to me I think it was like "have a good time, do what you love, and when that becomes missionary work, you're set"  Thought that was cool, so thanks.  I really do love being here.  It's gonna be sad to leave the MTC but at the same time I'm so ready to get out there. But at the same time I'm so not ready to get out there.  

I definitely want to see a picture of Mario from Eliza.  Then I can think of it every time I say "Mama mia." Eliza, you better practice fuse ball, pingpong, bideodames, mario cart, and super smash.  Because when I get home we're gonna have an all out brawl.  Brynbo versus Booboolie.  "test your might"  I love you tanto Eliza.  Keep killing it in middle school.  Tell me all your teachers and I'll tell you if I had them!  

Today we did sealings in the temple (which was super cool) and my comp Anziano F went into the baptisimal waiting room for some reason and literally saw his girlfriend sitting in there waiting to do baptisms.  We went outside the temple and then waited for her to come out.  I kinda felt like we shouldn't be doing that and he was conflicted weather or not to just leave or to stay and talk to her.  While he was deciding, she came out and talked to us for a little bit.  It was kinda awkward.  I really love Anziano F.  He's an awesome friend and an awesome missionary.   He misses his girlfriend.  He talks about her a lot.  It was a difficult situation today but I think he's fine.  It's just a struggle for him.  I told him that he could always talk to me about it. 

So many things have happened this week.  Some of the Anziani in the two Italian districts are chumps.  I'm anti-chump but some of these guys are raging chump supporters it's ridiculous.  The other night they got together and brought the new elders who arrived that day into an "initiation"  which basically consisted of a dimly light room with a bunch of anziani wearing hoodies.  There was chanting, yelling, etc.  I was pretty funny actually but I felt like I shouldn't participate, and I didn't.  Some of these straight-out-of-highschool guys amaze me sometimes.  Haha.

I love you guys tantissimo!! (a lot)  I'll write again next week and probably maybe a handwritten letter.

Here are some pics for this week

1. A butiful sunset 

2. Anziano Bawden and Anziano Mosteller

3. A picture I saw of a city In Italy