I want my experience to last really long here!

Wow mom and dad, you guys are really enjoying it in Italy. All of that sounds really fun, have you learned any Italian? sounds like you are seeing really great stuff. I think dad is waiting to go hang gliding. I am still waiting for the day where dad goes sky diving. Well enjoy your time. Ohh how I could use a pizza and ice cream!

Whoa that came quick where Connor is leaving. Almost all the guys are on missions or have calls. I really like that. Mission is really quick... only 3 months and I have been here for a year.... I still feel like I just got here. I think my mission is going quick because I am working pretty diligently and now I have more responsibilities as a district leader. The mission is going to be really interesting in about 3 weeks. In three weeks, Elder Hales  (his trainer companion) MTC group will be going home. There are about 10 of them and they are the leaders of this mission, so it will be really interesting when they have gone home, this mission will be really different.

I think I have spent 1/4 of my mission in this area, which is really sweet. I have seen this branch really change, they are starting to run like a ward which is really sweet. For some reason this week at church, the number of people was doubled, so the church was filled up. I think it was because they started to do their home teaching!

Our area is good, we are just trying really hard to find new investigators, so we are contacting everyone that we can.I don't think I will be here for very much longer though. I have been here for quite a while. You know you have been in an area for a long time when you can walk down all the streets and greet people by their names and have a casual conversation with them. I feel like I know everyone here, so its fun when we find new people.

Rainey season is nice, but its really wet. Sometimes it will rain so hard that you can't go out and on Tuesday there was a storm that came in and it was like a hurricane. We were up the mountain on our way to visit a less active, and we took cover in a members house. Peoples metal sheet roofs were flying off. We were in their house for about an hour then the wind let up but it was still raining, so we walked home in the rain, I had my rain coat and rain boots so I was okay, and Elder Latu had an umbrella. On our way down the mountain we saw a lot of destruction.There was a house the size of ours with its whole roof lifted off and all the stuff inside was wet. Telephone poles were laying down and big trees were fallen over. The people here really do not like the rain because it messes everything up.

I really have a love for what I am doing. I have grown in the gospel and I really have found direction in my life. I want my experience to last really long here. I know that through the savior I have peace and happiness. If you want more peace and reassurance in your life go ahead and try the gospel of Jesus Christ, just do an experiment and live it and you will see for yourself. Its called faith, trying something where you don't know how everything will work out. The Book of Mormon has helped me gain faith in Christ and to live a wholesome life. I don't have much worries in my life, I have no idea what I am going to do for a living, but I am happy with what I am doing now and will do throughout my life. 

Wellington 1

Elder Beckett