Rome!

Buondì tutti! 

     As you might have heard and if you haven't, then I'm excited to be the one to share it with you, The Rome Italy temple was dedicated yesterday! I saw 2.5 out of the three sessions because we made it a little late to the first session and then we stayed for the next two sessions in their entirety. I did not have the ability to go to the actual temple where the dedication was being broadcast, nor did I have the ability to go to the temple grounds. I mean, yes. I could have gone, and I could have made it to the front door of the temple but they only wanted Italians and some special guests that were invited by the quorum of the twelve and first presidency so I was at some church in Rome while we watched the session being broadcast live. More on the actual experience in a moment, numbers to follow! 

Pizza: 52

Gelato: 43

Books of Mormon: 66

Parco Valle dei Templi Agrigento

     Well, after my wonderful call last week that informed me I was going to Rome, as a district we all headed to the Greek temples that Agrigento has. I got quite a few awesome pictures to share, and a really sweet sunburn as well because even if the winters in Italy aren't what I'm used to in Idaho and sometimes require only a light jacket, the sun was not around for a very long time and that left me as a pasty boy that deserved the neck burn I received. It wasn't horrible, just very inconvenient when you wear collars literally every day and you don't have the option to just *not* wear a collared shirt. 

     We then went and visited an all you can eat sushi place cause I wanted to eat and we all wanted sushi. So, one bus trip and 12 euro later, we were all stuffed with the most sushi any of us has eaten since we left America or in the case of Anziano Bizzotto, Milan Italy. We had a split that night where we all went with someone else's companion and tried to talk to as many people as possible in the two hours we had together before the night ended for us. We all got somewhere between 19 to 25 people contacted so about 60ish in total and I'm very excited for the work that will bring Agrigento in the future. 

Apartment Inspections and Packing

     A few weeks ago we were supposed to have apartment inspections and because my companion had to go to Terni to pick up his Permesso, we were not inspected. This was probably for the best, but we were informed that we were going to be inspected on Wednesday about a week before it actually occurred. Unlike in the states, where the missions are a little smaller and easier for senior couples to maneuver around and surprise te missionaries with random inspections (I know this because my grandma used to do these inspections and brought me along once or twice) our mission is so big that you can't just "show up" because we may not be home and it takes about an hour and a half or longer to drive or take public transport from where the senior couple lives to our house. 

     The inspection went well and I feel like my grandmother would be proud because we passed with flying colors and we even received some American candy afterwards in the form of cherry twizzlers. I was happy with that. 

Transfer day

     Oh boy, this was one of the most hectic and miracle filled days I've had in the mission and maybe even my life. It started off pretty alright, with a two hour train ride to Palermo after we carried 50 kili of luggage (about 100 pounds) up some very impressive stairs because we thought it would be faster (it was, but much sweater than I wanted it to be) and then we were picked up by the plaermo zone leaders. We then went and bought some pizza and then I was dropped off at the airport. The whole day I've been sweating profusely because I was wearing my winter coat as it weighs a lot and had I packed it, I would have had to leave either a pair of shoes or all of my socks to accommodate it's weight. So, sweaty and th all my socks in tow, I made it to the airport and onto the plane without difficulty. 

     When I touched down however, went to the wrong part of the airport  get my bags and I was not able to go back the way I came because of airport security and one-way doors. So, I had to leave the airport and then walk around to the exact other side to get me bags after they rechecked all my bags and then sent me to the lost and found office where I was to retrieve my bags. But, miracle number one is that my bags had not been grabbed by the airport yet so they were still sitting on the luggage drop. I grabbed my luggage and about one minute later, the airport staff grabbed all the luggage that was still left on the drop. 

     Then, I went to take the Leonardo express which is a train that runs every fifteen minutes from the airport I was at to the termini I was going to be picked up at. Well, I managed to buy the wrong ticket and get on the wrong train but I realized it was the wrong train and then in my haste to get off the train while the doors were rying to close on me and my baggage, a wheel on the suitcase I just bought the day before ripped off. The housing for the wheel and the wheel just fell off in a big clatter and I just stood there for a moment frustrated and then I remembered my second bag. Grabbed that just before the doors closed and left with it forever. 

     My new problem was the gates were one way and the ticket I had was not the one I needed. So, I had to jump the gates and buy another ticket, which I did. I was lucky enough to not have my luggage stolen in the five minutes this took. Probably because the wheel was broken and it now makes very loud scraping noises. I make it onto the right train and then I make it to termini and I wait there for about twenty minutes before I start to get worried again. Turns out, they were not waiting for me at termini, but the airport that I had just so valiantly struggled to leave. Woo-hoo. 

     With increasing frustration, I said a prayer and then checked my phone to see if there was wifi that I could use. Well, there was and I was getting called through messenger by the Rome 5 zone leaders. Where I had stopped in the middle of the station to say my prayer was where the wifi I needed was. But, it wasn't "free" so what I ended up doing was switching between three or four different wifi sources because every time you connect, you got two or three seconds of free wifi and I used that to tell them where I was and what happened. 

     An hour later I was picked up and they told me how they had a similar experience and prayed the same time I did and we both had the feeling to check our phones. It worked out that I got to my new house at 22:30 and in the last 20 meters, my handle on the gray suitcase I came in with snapped clean off. Now, both my suitcases are broken in some way, and I have a great story because of it. Miracles exist, and so does God, that's all I'm saying. 

Rest of the week

     Not much happened this week because we got "blown in" which means my companion and I are new and have never lived in this house or area before and so, we have no work. It's a clean slate. We don't even have a phone that we can use yet. We attended the youth devotional for the temple  and that was supercool because president Nelson gave ten points that I thought were great for the youth, but also to use in life as a general rule. I'll share those in the coming weeks. But, I'm pretty sure you can just look it up online and I invite you to do so. 

     At the actual dedication I gave a blessing to a young philippino girl because she asked us to give her one. It's the third blessing I have given on the mission, but the first one that I've given with the oil I always carry on me and also in English because she didn't speak Italian. I heard myself say things that I wouldn't have thought of on my own and I felt a spirit that I know was nothing I could ever hope to recreate with my own talents and abilities. Her mother was crying and stephanie was teary eyed as was I and the other anziani that participated. What I promised and what occurred was not of me, but of something greater than myself. 

     God is real, he loves you, I love you and I can't wait to see you all in the coming year! Until then, I'll be in the service of my God and the people of Italy!! 

Ciao, 

Anziano Anderson

1. Rome tram

2. My last view of Agrigento /Sicilia

3. Visited the temple is Zeus and stood on him

4. Beautiful catholic temple in Palermo (Sicily)

5. This pesto is red. Usually it's green because it's made of green things. 

6. Not the temple pictures you want, but more of the temple pictures that I have

7. Squished 5 euro cent coin 😁