That is exciting, but down to the nitty gritty. So as I said, transfer calls were last week. There were four of us in Ostia...WERE. Now there are two of us. The other two got transfered to L'Aquilla for some help there. I guess things are starting to pick back up after the earthquake and they needed some more volunteers and other missionaries up there. So there are four there and only two here.
That makes for some exciting times where Ostia is the third biggest area in the mission. We have a lot of work to do. Taking on another area book and getting to appointments in diverse locations - it will be good. The members have rallied around us, many offering their services such as member appointments, transportation, whatever we might need. So that makes things a bit easier.
Oh, good news! We got a new shower head this morning and our toilet tank doesn't leak anymore. In Italy the water tank for the toilet is above the toilet on the wall about head high, and then the pipe goes into the wall, and at the bottom of the toilet it comes out of the wall. So we had a little leak and the plaster was getting soggy, but it is all taken care of now, and now our bathroom is a rather nice place.
Also happening this morning is that I am now a completely Legal immigrant to the Republic of Italy. I finished my paper work for my Permisso de Sogiorno and got fingerprinted and all that good stuff. But heck, I am legal. So that was fun.
Monday night we went down to Napoli for my new companion's Permesso. You have to go back to renew it at the city you first did it in. So I got to go to Napoli for a night and a day, and we stayed at the other elders' apartment there. I have some pictures of that I will send later. But I had my first Napoletane pizza and I guess that is the best pizza in Italy. It was prety darn good.
Other news you ask...well I am officially my companion's first companion to buy a sack of potatotes. Heck, what can I say? I am a potatoes kind of guy. I eat them for breakfast some days, others for lunch and others at dinner. They are just the perfect good and what would an Idahoan do without them? I don't know either.
So what do I want for Christmas, mom asks? I would like a Carbon action rifle with a blue steel butt and a compass in the stock. Or my two front teeth (don't worry, they are alright and still in my mouth. It is a joke because they are fake). Haha, but really some stuff that I am looking for and can't find is a tub of gatorade powder mix, copies of the CDs of Newsies and that Joseph Smith play we have. And there is more but that is all I can remember. I'll keep you updated.
Other things - mom, could you get me some recipes of some simple soups I can cook up and have for like a week without cooking? That would be perfect. Also, how to make homemade hashbrowns and mashed potatoes. Awesome. Thanks.
To answer some of dad's questions:
As far as number of ward members, I have no idea. I guess it is pretty large, but the month of August is a big vacation month, and I just met two members that I had never seen before the other night because they have been on vacation. So I'll answer that question later.
We have two investigators that a member brings and we usually have two others in church. Like I said, that has been hard to do in August because of vacation stuff, but that is the most we have had.
Well that about wraps it up for me. Once again mother, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love you all,
Anziano Hatch
Elder Gillespie and Elder Hatch
Waiting in Napoli for Elder Gillespie's Permesso di Sigiorno
First encounter with a passenger train
Did someone shave his hair a little too close in the front or is that some balding I see :-) j/k We love the blogs of letters! Such a great guy!
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