March 28th, 2016 // #13 of 2016

March 28th, 2016 // #13 of 2016

\\ Greetings from Mistretta //

I hope everyone back home had a Happy, Happy, Happy Easter weekend. I hope the Easter Bunny found everyone and I hope everyone found an egg or two. I here the weather back home is going a bit wild, but if it makes you feel any better it is doing the exact same here as well. It was about 60 degrees on Wednesday and on Thursday it dropped down to about 35 degrees and rain. Other than the weather, things are going well up here in the mountains. We are staying healthy, our investigators are making little steps closer to baptism with each lesson and we are getting after it out here. Here are a few highlights from this past week.

Tuesday we had ourselves a Zone Conference in Catania. They decided to combine the two zones in Sicily and do one big Zone Conference. I had lots of good buddies there and it was good to catch up. I love President Waddoups. He is seriously one of the biggest studs of all time. He is gentle, but powerful. I look at him like a grandpa. During my interview we talked like friends and that was the first time I've had a relationship like that with a leader. I asked him for a priesthood blessing and goodness that fella is inspired. I had a few questions going into the blessing and throughout the blessing that he gave to me, he answered every single one of my questions. He told me to tell all of you "Hello and Happy Easter." He is a stud and will be heading home in the beginning of July. I'm going to miss him. During my interview he practically told me that I will be remaining in Mistretta for a 6 transfer. Nothing like holding down the fort in the smallest city in the mission for 9 months. I love it. Mistretta is the equivalent to Howell Valley for me.

We had a few lessons this week and goodness gracious they were powerful. I probably sound like a broken record week after week after week, but truly they were powerful. We met with Maria, the sister of Nino, and showed her the video that the church produced for Easter. We weren't there for very long, but the lesson went just as we planned.

We talked about just how wonderful and perfect the Resurrection of Jesus Christ truly is, and the blessings that come from that first Easter Morning. Elder Holland once said, "Some blessings come soon and some come late. Some blessings don't even come until heaven, but for those who accept the gospel of Jesus Christ....they come." That's so true. Sometimes we receive a blessing immediately, such an answer to a prayer. Sometimes we have to wait a little while for a blessing, for example...praying, fasting, hoping and patiently waiting for a loved one who has fallen off the straight and narrow to work their way back.

That would be a blessing that doesn't always come immediately, but a blessing that may take some time and work. Lastly, some blessings don't come until heaven... Such as reuniting with a loved one and living with them for time and all eternity. That is a blessing that we will not see or receive in this life, but promised blessings from The Lord do not change. They are eternal, permanent. With Maria we talked about seeing our loved ones again and how much joy, happiness and love will be felt in that moment. She felt the spirit. We felt the spirit.

We all came away edified after sitting in her living room for 20 minutes. She committed to come to church, but unfortunately didn't make it. We will get her though. We are starting to make some real progress with her. Her and I have really connected as of late. I love that lady.

We also met with Dr. Enzo this week Saturday afternoon. Poor feller isn't feeling very well at all. We also shared with not only him, but his entire family, the video that the church produced. We talked about how after this life, we won't have to worry about these pains and weaknesses that we have to overcome here in mortality. That is one of the great teachings of the Book of Mormon. We will have a perfected body and we will live forever. We also talked about how The Fall of Adam and Eve brought spiritual death and also physical death into the world, but how the Infinite and Eternal Sacrifice in the Garden of Gethsemane performed by Jesus Christ overcame spiritual death and also that on that first Easter morning the bands of death were shattered by the glorious and precious resurrection of our Lord and Savior, the very Son of God Himself.

As you can see from those two short examples above, we had many opportunities and many privileges to testify of the resurrected lord Jesus Christ throughout this Sacred Week. It was nice to teach and talk with people throughout this week, because everyone seemed to be a little bit more open to the message that we had to offer. I love this Easter season, because I think we all take a little more time to think about the man that willingly sacrificed Himself for the sins and shortcomings from every single person who has ever touched down on this earth. This Easter season is sacred, and it should be. That first Easter Sunday was and always will be the greatest single event that has ever taken place here upon this earth. We are blessed with the knowledge that we have, so very blessed....for in Christ, no one truly dies.

Easter Sunday was a good one. My last Easter away from home, and it feels pretty good to be able to say that. We had testimony meeting up here in Mistretta because this weekend we will be able to hear from our Prophet and Apostles during General Conference. Testimony meeting went well. It was nice to sit in the back, and watch the members one by one walk up to the pulpit and bare testimony about their love for the Savior. We ate lunch with Nino and his family members. Maria was there and it was good to see her. They made a lasagna, but they didn't use hamburger for the meat. Instead they used the guts of a goat for the meat. That was tough to get down, and they always make the elders eat more than one helping. "You're eating liver, intestines, lungs, a heart amongst other insides...." was going through my mind as I was focusing on my dry heaving or up-chucking the lasagna all over his kitchen table. For the main course we ate goat. I got the shoulder.

That was the first time that I've eaten goat and it will be the last time that I eat goat. It was a completely different experience, and I'm glad that I'll never have to suffer through it again. I love beef.

It was so kind of Nino to have us over though with his family. Like I said last week. He considers me part of his family. I love that guy and am really going to miss him. We were in good company, we were surrounded by laughs and it was a great Easter lunch. In the evening we headed down to Sorella Battista's home for our sacrament meeting down there. Pippo Portera came down with us and goodness sakes I love that guy. He has been and is one of the most incredible people that I have ever met. He is a powerhouse and a half. He is the humblest man I have ever met. He called us over for dinner 4 times last week, because he said it looked like I was losing weight. He is a champion. Anyways, the sacrament meeting at Sorella Battista's house was incredible. In that living room of hers, I've had some of the most spiritual meetings that I will ever have in my life. Yesterday as the six of us took turns bearing our testimonies, the thought..."You're going to miss this little, plain living room someday..." And that is true. I love Mistretta. I love the people here. I love serving the Lord, my Savior and my Friend.

To close out my weekly report home this week, I would like to begin with a quote from Sir Isaac Newton. He once said, "If I've seen any further in life, it is because I've stood on the shoulders of giants."

On the first P-Day of this year I raised my opinion and voice on my thoughts, feelings and impressions on the relationships we each have back home. I was very blunt and to the point in that first email home of 2016. If there were any feelings hurt that day and if I said something out of line I apologize. I simply wanted to get the ball rolling down the path of forgiveness and mending of old wounds. I believe that we have started down that path and it feels better than words can adequately describe. Now today I would like to give a tribute to those of you who have blessed my life in more ways than I can possibly imagine.

In my 19 years here upon the earth, I have been surrounded by some of the most incredible and humble people in the world. From loving parents who were and still are willing to sacrifice absolutely anything for my benefit and wellbeing. For loving aunts and uncles that have kept me close, and always supporting me with sports. From cousins and more cousins for being some of my closest friends and inspirations. For grandparents and great grandparents that constantly showed me an outpouring of love. Wherever I have been, in every place I have ever stood...I have been lifted, supported, cared for and loved. Everything and anything that I have ever needed ( and than some

) has always been there right in front of me. I'll never forget my birthday party down at Peter Pipers Pizza and playing in the ball pit with Bubba Wise. I'll never forget my first day at preschool and the day I graduated from high school. I'll never forget that football game when I was 8 years old when I chipped my teeth because I forgot to put my mouth guard in, and I will surely never forget walking off the field that last time after my last high school football game at home.

I will never forget the cupcake fights at birthday parties, getting tossed from the tube while boating at Twin Lakes, the family camping trips up in Lava Hot Springs and DownAtAHot Springs, the family home evenings and Christmas parties with the Huffs, the family get togethers on SuperBowl Sunday, and evening hunting for Easter eggs up on the hill in Howell Valley. In all of these experiences, which I truly cherish, I have been completely surrounded by the most incredible group of people that has ever been and ever will be assembled here upon this earth, that being my family. I'm not sure what I did to deserve such a big, loving and supportive family, but I will forever be grateful to my Father in Heaven for blessing me which so much, and I will forever be indebted to each of you for the positive impact you have all had on me and my life since the very beginning. Throughout all of my life I have truly "stood on the Shoulders of Giants." Each and everyone of you have blessed me in one way or another: by your example, by your happiness, by your attitude, by your dedication, be your hard work, by your love. Whatever it might be, today I say thank you. Thank you for constantly being in my corner or up in the stands on a Friday night. Thank you for keeping me close and telling my story after story. Thank you for teaching good habits and good principles through your words and as well as your deeds.

Thank you for showing me how to love, how to love and how to be tough.

Thank you for your sacrifices. No matter how big or how small you think that sacrifice might have been, I thank you with everything that I have. Thank you for looking out for me, for praying for me and for loving me. Thank you for the highs and the lows, and truly everything in between. Thank you for it all. I honestly and proudly declare that I would not be the person that I am today without the loving and caring influence of my family. Today, I say Thank You. Thank you for be those "Giants" that Sir Isaac Newton was talking about. Thank you for allowing me to stand upon your shoulders. Thank you for blessing me with so much joy, happiness and love. Someday I hope to be able to return just a sliver of all the joy, happiness and love back to all of you, but know that I am truly grateful. I've been blessed with nothing but the absolute best on all sides. Once again, in closing, I Thank You.

I love you.

I'm praying for you.

Enjoy General Conference this weekend.

Love,

Anziano JarDee Nessen

Italy Rome Mission

Romans 1:15-16

Some of the pals from Zone Conference.

Mistretta, I love this place!

This is the goat. I named him Hoppy. Nino gut the thing
himself in his basement. Poor Feller!