Snow in Brindisi??

Buona sera famiglia!!

Well, another week has passed here in the beautiful city of Brindisi.. What is new?? Well it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas that's for sure.. At least that's what everyone is saying.. For me however?? This is the first time that I've spoken and thought in English in two weeks and I can say it feels nothing like Christmas! It's incredible how the Lord turns you upside down to get you right-side up sometimes.. I'm figuring this out right now.. Anyway, I was sort of rushed from last week due to our crazy schedule.. I'll let you all in on a little more details of the place here at Brindisi.. It's all going really well here, there's just a lot of work to do.. I'm so happy to be with my companion.. It is SOO different to be with someone that speaks the language and is from the country.. It makes all of the difference!! It's been a struggle to say the least and at nights I just leave my head under cold water to cool off my brain from the days work, but I couldn't be more happy to be here.. He is a convert of just over a year and is absolutely incredible.. We are learning and doing so much together.. The cultures butt heads at times but we don't let that get in the way because we're focused, I pray we keep this focus throughout the Feste.. Here in Italy it isn't the Holidays, it's the parties.. Beginning now and ending in mid-January there are holidays just about every other day, celebrating another "miracle" that a "saint" did to pull people "away from Christ".. (I try to hear out the beliefs of these people, I really do!) This last week has a been a little bit more settling.. Sunday was quite the experience to begin with.. To teach Priesthood, Gospel Principles, arrive early to set up chairs, pass the Sacrament, give a talk, and then close the building up afterward gave a whole new outlook on the scriptural reference to "A day of rest".. I'm happy though, that's for sure.. The language is coming along really quickly as you might suppose, being that I am speaking it all the time.. Today we went out in to the country side again to help a Sorella gather her olives.. Believe it or not, in southern Italy, we received snow for about a period of twenty minutes!! You should have seen the people in awe of the whiteness falling from the sky.. Of course many believed it to be a miracle credited to San Francesco, my companion and I were too busy laughing to think twice.. Once that brief "blizzard" had passed, I was able to think about and reflect on the Atoning Sacrifice of our Savior a little bit during our morning.. Surrounded by a garden of olive trees I pondered about the importance of this season and what role our Savior can play in our life.. I'm slowly finding out the importance of all that He has done for each and every one of us.. I'm humbled by His Atonement, I truly am.. It's infinite and incomprehensible, however, that doesn't mean we can't use it each day of our lives.. I can't hardly believe it's another Christmas and another time to reflect on the year and the love that our Savior has for us and our families.. Yesterday we had the opportunity to go to the city of Taranto to meet with a family that has been called to serve as missionaries in our branch here at Brindisi.. The Casti family had us in their home to talk about the work and our plan for Brindisi.. Their son, Stefano, came out with his missionary agenda from his mission and showed us the very page where he met with a "Claudio Errante".. Sure enough, that very same Anziano Errante was now sitting in his living room with a name tag on just four years later.. We talked for a long time about when they met and everything that happened to led up to my companion's conversion a year ago.. Just a pretty incredible story and a testimony to my heart of the importance of this work.. Stefano also served with Tony Nelson and we had a good long talk together.. Anyway.. Miracles happen.. I'm excited to hear from all of you this upcoming week and I hope all is well at home right now in this Christmas season.. I would like to ask all of you to pray for a "White Christmas" here in the mission of Italy and for all of the missionaries in all of the world.. I love you all so much and I will HEAR from you next week..

Con amore,

Anziano Gatchell