Best week yet.. but really? It's October??

Buon giorno famiglia!!

Okay... Where to begin.. I'm a day late because we had to change our p-day due to some permesso stuff.. How is everyone?? Sounds like all is going well.. Can you believe that it's October?? Absolutely incredible.. Well I want to tell you where I spent my P'day today, but I think you would all just become extremely jealous and not want to send me letters anymore.. Anyway... Okay, so we went to Capri.. It's the island off the coast here.. The most incredible, beautiful, exotic, and rich island in the world!! There have been like twenty Bond movies filmed there, hundreds of others.. It was so unreal.. So we got permission from Presidente Kelly to go there and we took advantage.. Taking a boat out for about an hour.. When we arrived we didn't know what to do.. We had three hours or so to just explore.. While we were looking at postcards and maps a little Italian man comes up to us and swings us a deal to take us around the island for twenty five euro a head... GREATEST THING EVER!!! Two hours on this small little Italian gandola on the waves of the sea going in and out of caves and natural made archs.. He has lived there since he was four and knew everything!! The island is now inhabited with persons such as the President of Ferrari, hundreds of Italian writers, and movie stars galore.. It was incredible to say the least.. I will send some pictures and the entire time I was just thinking about how much I wish my family could have seen all of this.. Next to Fenway Park, most unbelievable place I've ever been at.. However, as to the work... Transfers are this week.. I really hope I get to stay here.. I'm in the greatest mission in the world in the best zone of the mission.. I will be devastated if I get transferred, but I will go where He wants me to go.. Napoli is my home! It's all I know is little Fiat cars and Motorini blitzing the streets and Naptan guys yelling at Americans on the street.. Anyway, we'll see how that goes and you'll know by next Wednesday.. As to the baptism this last week.. It was incredible.. More so than Capri.. I'll send you the picture included with this e'mail.. To see the change in her life, the joy, the hope that she now has just fills my tank.. At the end, it's beautiful to sit back and say that it was nothing that we did.. It's just more evidence that it is the Lord's work.. That the Italian people are prepared and our part is being as obedient as possible to have the Spirit with us and to find and teach them!! It's all just so surreal right now.. I'm so happy for Antonella I can hardly stand it.. The second week I was here we met with them in church.. Maybe you all recall this story, but she saw the picture of our Savior in the red robe.. She just absolutely lost it and began to cry.. So I decided to give her a framed copy of the picture at the baptism.. Again, same result.. And again, it hit me that I have looked at that picture my entire life.. I have seen it daily, weekly, whenever.. Has it ever once at any point in my life meant that much to me as it meant to her last Saturday?? Has this Gospel?? We are so unbelievably blessed.. Watching Conference from the bay at Pozzouli this last weekend was an experience that I will never forget.. It just doesn't get better.. We weren't able to see the Sunday afternoon session, so for us the entire Conference started and ended with one thing... Gratitude. Wow.. How important it is to be grateful.. How ungrateful I have been all of my life.. Mom, Dad... I love you so much.. I am so thankful for all that you have done for me in this life and all that you are doing now just so that I can have it better.. Just so I can live a little better, a little more easier.. I'm so thankful for all that you do.. And most importantly, I'm thankful for you holding it a standard to be on this mission right now.. Elder Holland talked about his mission and how it means everything to him.. His emotion used during his talk about a year ago has just stuck with me and is just impressed in my mind and my heart in all that I do.. But I'm so very thankful that you are providing and supporting me in being here.. I truly mean it.. I'm so blessed and I have been for my entire life.. Thanks so much for all that you do.. As a family we are so blessed to have this Gospel.. General Conference really just made me feel at home again.. Lost and confused in a country for two months takes a toll of about a year.. This Conference just brought me back home, in a good way.. What an incredible opportunity we had, and as you said in your e-mail Mom, I think we could all take into practice the talk by President Uchtdorf and the importance of simplifying.. Everyone tells me that they want to hear a little more about the culture.. I'll just tell you a watered-down version of my day and the things that happen on the street and such.. Wake up at 6:30, work-out, studies, breakfast.. Leave house at 10.. My house is in a big gated complex with like six or seven 8 story buildings.. Right as I walk out the door there's a really nice Italian woman that hangs out her window all day long and just waits for us to leave and come back, she really says that's why she's there.. She's incredible.. We leave the complex and walk down the streets with everyone yelling a "Ciao Bello!!!".. It's the Naptan way.. On the corner sits our favorite group of people that make food for us every Thursday night.. They're incredible and we go say hi and make fun of each other.. All goes well.. We go out and work, return at 1 for lunch and study.. Leave again for appointments for the night.. Usually with investigators, sometimes with less-actives because of our area.. The Italian people just LOVE to talk.. So does my companion.. So I'm constantly the one that has to say we need to go! Anyway, it's always fun.. We ride the subway all the time here, you know that.. It's always a blast down there, packed, I love it! I always talk with people about soccer games and how the team is doing.. They love it.. It's all about showing them how much you care for them, then they return the favor.. The Italian people are so loving and anyone and everyone you can go talk to.. I like to think of it that way anyway!! The food is always unreal, just out of this world.. At Capri today we ate a sandwhich that was the best in the world.. On the boat in middle of the Sea, talking with an Italian about the island where Pinocchio was sent away too (yeah that's Capri!).. Just wonderful.. Best mission in the world, nothing like it, and I'm working hard to earn it every day.. I love each and every one of you.. Keep choosing the right.. We know what's right, we know what's wrong.. Like President Monson said, "Decide today!".. It's easier to be 100% obedient than 98%.. It's so true.. I'm so thankful for all that you do, every one of you are in my thoughts and prayers always.. Tell all my friends that I love them and am thinking of them.. Untill next week... Arrivederci!

Forza Napoli,
Anziano Gatchell