Apr25
April 25th, 2016 // #17 of 2016
Good Morning Everybody.
What a week. Truthfully I can't believe how fast the weeks are flying
by and it won't be long until we are skyping and talking to each other
live. So about my skype call, I was thinking that this year I won't be
skyping home on Mothers Day like I did last year. May is kind of a
crazy month fun of dance competitions, ball games, school coming to an
end and practically everything else. This year, instead of skyping
home on Mothers Day, I have decided that I will be skyping home the
Saturday just before Fathers Day. I haven't decided on a time or a
place yet, but when I do I will be sure to let everyone know. I
apologize that I'm making everyone wait a month longer, but I think it
will be for the best and I hope everyone will be able to slide it into
their schedules.
Last Monday evening we had a going away Family Home Evening with the
Portera Family for the Wardle senior couple. They will be heading up
to Rome tomorrow morning, and flying home to Utah Friday morning.
We had a good night all together, and it is always great to spend some
time with the Portera family. Tuesday we went down to Palermo for our
District Meeting and afterwards we went on exchanges with our zone
leaders. I stayed down in Palermo for the evening with Anziano Trejo.
Anziano Trejo flies home tomorrow back to Mexico, so he went on his
last exchanges with me. We had some really solid lessons and really
got after things down there in Palermo. We taught a 16 year old kid
and that kids dad is an evangelist preacher. We taught a few other of
their investigators and had a fun time. Elder Trejo is a stud and has
been a solid missionary. Afterwards we did a district blitz in a city
in our district. We all went into Bagheria in hopes of sparking a
little activity there and finding them some work. I talked with some
of the neatest people on the street. Here is one experience I had. So
I stopped this young mom, and she was holding her baby daughter in her
arms. Our theme for the night was to get some students coming to their
English course. So we decided to talk to every single person in sight
about English course. One Elder took one side of the street, while the
other took the other side and we talked with everything. The first 50
people I talked to, wouldn't even accept a pass a long card about
English course, but luckily we got the ball rolling a little bit.
Anyways I stopped this mom and she was from France, visiting Sicily
for vacation. To my luck she spoke Italian perfectly and a little bit
of English. We talked for a little bit and I told them to have a good
night. She asked me what my name was and shook my hand. As I began to
walk away, she said "Bye Bye Nessen" waving her daughters hand my way
and then said, "That's a good kid." After all those, "No's" and "I'm
not interested", it was pretty nice to have a conversation with
someone who was willing to simply talk. Later on throughout the night
we found lots of solid people and young families that are interested
in English course. Hopefully this next week their English course will
be full of new faces and hopefully this will spark the work a little
bit down there in Bagheria.
Well that's about all of the happenings from the week before Saturday
morning. Here's what happened after 7:30 in the morning on Saturday
Saturday morning we received our transfer calls from President
Waddoups. Anziano Dunn picked up the call and found out that he would
be receiving a new companion. I also found out that after 5 transfers
and 8 months, that my time up here in Mistretta as a young missionary
has come to a close. At first I was pretty excited for the news,
because it's always fun to be sent into a new area with the
opportunity to meet new people...but shortly there after I realized
that I would have to say goodbye to everyone up here. I've been in
such a small city, for such a long time...the place, as well as the
people, have grown on me. I wish I could pack up all of the people I
love here and send them home to Tremonton to live with me, but
unfortunately that is impossible. I consider everyone up part of the
family now. I wish I could bring all of you back to meet this
wonderful people here in Mistretta, but I'm not sure if I will be able
to in this lifetime...but one day, and probably in another life, we
will all have the opportunity to sit around Nino's kitchen table while
he cooks us lunch. We will all have the opportunity to sit around and
spend some time with the Portera family. We will all take a sweet ride
in Dr Enzo's car and I'll also take you to meet the ladies that own
the grocery store. Antonio Bartalota and I will organize a big soccer
game and I'll even introduce you to the lady who gave me the shot in
the bum right after Thanksgiving. I'll take you to meet Sorella
Battista and her daughter Serena. We will head down to meet Vito on
his farm and I'll be wearing my Nessen Farms hat. I'll show you it all
because truly this people have changed me. Mistretta has kind of been
"The Refiner's Fire" for me. I've had the chance to really take a look
down into my soul, in hopes of becoming something better for these
people. Mistretta has easily been the hardest city that I've served
in, but I will forever be grateful to number one The Lord for sending
me here for these 5 transfers and to number two the people of this
little town who have treated me like their own. I will forever be
grateful for The Portera family and for everything they have done for
me. They fed me more meals than I thought was humanly possible.
They've picked me up when I've been rundown or a little discouraged.
They've taken such good care of me and I will always be grateful for
them. I'll never forget ole Nino. He has become one of my grandpa's
and certainly one of my heroes. We've had lots of good chats around
his kitchen table. We've talked about being a Cowboy and working on
the farm. We've talked about all the cowboy movies that we love to
watch and how the farm is the best place to raise a family. We've
talked about the tactics I'm going to use to somehow find some
unfortunate girl to marry me. We've talked about life, our trials and
times of difficulty. Nino and I have laughed together, cried together
and practically everything else in between. I'm going to miss that old
fella... I really am. Mistretta has become a part of me. I love this
place.
Sunday, yesterday, was a pretty rough one. The Wardles gave their
going away testimonies and I did as well. I went first and paid my
tribute to everyone. I tried my best to hold back the emotions, but as
I started to thank Nino he broke down and I did as well. Afterwards
everyone came up to me, thanking me and giving me hugs. It was an
experience that I will never forget. Here in Mistretta I've received
nothing but love and I'm grateful for that.
I apologize that this email is going to be so short and I apologize
that I have absolutely no time to write anyone personally this week. I
hope you all know that I love you and I'm grateful for you. I'll be
getting transferred to a place called Cosenza. Cosenza is really close
to Crotone, so I will have to privilege to return there and see the
people that I worked with a year ago. I'm really excited for that. My
new companion will be Anziano Garrett. Not going to lie, I've never
been more excited for a transfer call before. We are going to do good
work together. Everyone... I love you and I'm grateful for you all.
Right now we are going to go party with the members here in Mistretta.
I'll talk to you all next week. I love you all.... Take care!
--
Anziano JarDee Nessen
Italy Rome Mission
Romans 8:35-39
What a week. Truthfully I can't believe how fast the weeks are flying
by and it won't be long until we are skyping and talking to each other
live. So about my skype call, I was thinking that this year I won't be
skyping home on Mothers Day like I did last year. May is kind of a
crazy month fun of dance competitions, ball games, school coming to an
end and practically everything else. This year, instead of skyping
home on Mothers Day, I have decided that I will be skyping home the
Saturday just before Fathers Day. I haven't decided on a time or a
place yet, but when I do I will be sure to let everyone know. I
apologize that I'm making everyone wait a month longer, but I think it
will be for the best and I hope everyone will be able to slide it into
their schedules.
Last Monday evening we had a going away Family Home Evening with the
Portera Family for the Wardle senior couple. They will be heading up
to Rome tomorrow morning, and flying home to Utah Friday morning.
We had a good night all together, and it is always great to spend some
time with the Portera family. Tuesday we went down to Palermo for our
District Meeting and afterwards we went on exchanges with our zone
leaders. I stayed down in Palermo for the evening with Anziano Trejo.
Anziano Trejo flies home tomorrow back to Mexico, so he went on his
last exchanges with me. We had some really solid lessons and really
got after things down there in Palermo. We taught a 16 year old kid
and that kids dad is an evangelist preacher. We taught a few other of
their investigators and had a fun time. Elder Trejo is a stud and has
been a solid missionary. Afterwards we did a district blitz in a city
in our district. We all went into Bagheria in hopes of sparking a
little activity there and finding them some work. I talked with some
of the neatest people on the street. Here is one experience I had. So
I stopped this young mom, and she was holding her baby daughter in her
arms. Our theme for the night was to get some students coming to their
English course. So we decided to talk to every single person in sight
about English course. One Elder took one side of the street, while the
other took the other side and we talked with everything. The first 50
people I talked to, wouldn't even accept a pass a long card about
English course, but luckily we got the ball rolling a little bit.
Anyways I stopped this mom and she was from France, visiting Sicily
for vacation. To my luck she spoke Italian perfectly and a little bit
of English. We talked for a little bit and I told them to have a good
night. She asked me what my name was and shook my hand. As I began to
walk away, she said "Bye Bye Nessen" waving her daughters hand my way
and then said, "That's a good kid." After all those, "No's" and "I'm
not interested", it was pretty nice to have a conversation with
someone who was willing to simply talk. Later on throughout the night
we found lots of solid people and young families that are interested
in English course. Hopefully this next week their English course will
be full of new faces and hopefully this will spark the work a little
bit down there in Bagheria.
Well that's about all of the happenings from the week before Saturday
morning. Here's what happened after 7:30 in the morning on Saturday
Saturday morning we received our transfer calls from President
Waddoups. Anziano Dunn picked up the call and found out that he would
be receiving a new companion. I also found out that after 5 transfers
and 8 months, that my time up here in Mistretta as a young missionary
has come to a close. At first I was pretty excited for the news,
because it's always fun to be sent into a new area with the
opportunity to meet new people...but shortly there after I realized
that I would have to say goodbye to everyone up here. I've been in
such a small city, for such a long time...the place, as well as the
people, have grown on me. I wish I could pack up all of the people I
love here and send them home to Tremonton to live with me, but
unfortunately that is impossible. I consider everyone up part of the
family now. I wish I could bring all of you back to meet this
wonderful people here in Mistretta, but I'm not sure if I will be able
to in this lifetime...but one day, and probably in another life, we
will all have the opportunity to sit around Nino's kitchen table while
he cooks us lunch. We will all have the opportunity to sit around and
spend some time with the Portera family. We will all take a sweet ride
in Dr Enzo's car and I'll also take you to meet the ladies that own
the grocery store. Antonio Bartalota and I will organize a big soccer
game and I'll even introduce you to the lady who gave me the shot in
the bum right after Thanksgiving. I'll take you to meet Sorella
Battista and her daughter Serena. We will head down to meet Vito on
his farm and I'll be wearing my Nessen Farms hat. I'll show you it all
because truly this people have changed me. Mistretta has kind of been
"The Refiner's Fire" for me. I've had the chance to really take a look
down into my soul, in hopes of becoming something better for these
people. Mistretta has easily been the hardest city that I've served
in, but I will forever be grateful to number one The Lord for sending
me here for these 5 transfers and to number two the people of this
little town who have treated me like their own. I will forever be
grateful for The Portera family and for everything they have done for
me. They fed me more meals than I thought was humanly possible.
They've picked me up when I've been rundown or a little discouraged.
They've taken such good care of me and I will always be grateful for
them. I'll never forget ole Nino. He has become one of my grandpa's
and certainly one of my heroes. We've had lots of good chats around
his kitchen table. We've talked about being a Cowboy and working on
the farm. We've talked about all the cowboy movies that we love to
watch and how the farm is the best place to raise a family. We've
talked about the tactics I'm going to use to somehow find some
unfortunate girl to marry me. We've talked about life, our trials and
times of difficulty. Nino and I have laughed together, cried together
and practically everything else in between. I'm going to miss that old
fella... I really am. Mistretta has become a part of me. I love this
place.
Sunday, yesterday, was a pretty rough one. The Wardles gave their
going away testimonies and I did as well. I went first and paid my
tribute to everyone. I tried my best to hold back the emotions, but as
I started to thank Nino he broke down and I did as well. Afterwards
everyone came up to me, thanking me and giving me hugs. It was an
experience that I will never forget. Here in Mistretta I've received
nothing but love and I'm grateful for that.
I apologize that this email is going to be so short and I apologize
that I have absolutely no time to write anyone personally this week. I
hope you all know that I love you and I'm grateful for you. I'll be
getting transferred to a place called Cosenza. Cosenza is really close
to Crotone, so I will have to privilege to return there and see the
people that I worked with a year ago. I'm really excited for that. My
new companion will be Anziano Garrett. Not going to lie, I've never
been more excited for a transfer call before. We are going to do good
work together. Everyone... I love you and I'm grateful for you all.
Right now we are going to go party with the members here in Mistretta.
I'll talk to you all next week. I love you all.... Take care!
--
Anziano JarDee Nessen
Italy Rome Mission
Romans 8:35-39
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