22nd Weekly Email

 my secret grandparents of asian descent🤭😑😳

The work is slow here. Kinda of just for us though because weve spent half of our time trying to get me my booster hahah. It's been such a hastle but we've been having some success! As for the little miracles in my life: Fabio, our current progressing friend is close to baptism! We had a fun scripture read in 2 Nephi about the cursed black lamanites that every one thinks is racist and he completely understood it, even defended it! it was sick to say the least 


Yesterday was its own miracle. We set 4 informal lessons with people over Facebook and two of the 4 not only picked up, but were very interested in the gospel! One guy (Naravisco) said (well at least what my comp I and I thought he said) was that he saw Jesus Christ in a vision so that's when I jumped in and was like "hey that's crazy I bet youd like this other story of a guy that's seen Jesus!"😂 it was so fun. I'm glad to say I'm finding the joy in missionary work. Hahaha I've reached the point where I'd rather be here than come home and be in college so I think that's good🤷


For some reason (a pretty logical one) people think that I'm Asian. Its not a joke I'm serious. This week, the other Anziani in our apartment told me that one of there investigators saw me and was convinced I was Chinese. Hahah it's the funniest thing because this has happened more than once. To be completely honest, I can count like 4 times that people thought I was Asian. At some point my last district leader thought I was asain🤔 to be fair, I've always had a very squinty smile and now that I've been on the mission, my hair is very short and very pokie. If you have thought this at least once about me, please reach out and tell me. Is this something that everyone thinks and is too scared to tell me...?😰


This is old news but I just wanted to toot my own horn real quick. Back in Kansas we'd occasionally eat hot dogs for lunch and one time I was feeling adventurous so I messed around and ate 4. It's my new personal best for hot dogs😌 it's not much but it's an honest work


We had a fun giro (tour) around Rome today so I'll attach some of the pictures that passed the test of my liking


Italian for the week: mio figlio "my son" 


Vi voglio benississississississimo
Anziano Lewis


The only picture that needs explaining is me with the mysterious white powder on my face. I swear it's powered sugar. And the cake looking is called pandoro and we eat it twice a week. Put simply, it's white bread (about 10 loaves per slice) with powered sugar. If I come home wit diabetes we know what it came from

21st Weekly Email

 stevie wonder reincarnated as an Italian

Perdonami, per ho peccato. Ho dimenticato di scrivere un weekly email🙈 this email will be shorter but I will send as many pics as I can


Remember the Argentinian Family that got kicked out of Spain and is living here in Italy? They texted us and wanted to do family home evening! One problem: they don't speak English... Or italian haha so we and my comp took the challenge to share a message in a gorgeos Spanish Italian hybrid. Well it was all him🤣 (my 5 years of French failed me). We got there and they were the nicest, most fun people ever. 


At one point, the mom wanted to see my family so I whip out a pic and she said we look "like a family from the movies". It was so fun to meet with them and on our way out the door, they gave us hamburgers and fries! My comp and I *in unison* shed a single tear... Not only because of there generosity but also because they said they were gonna make us empanadas. They just couldn't find the right meat I guess


Towards the end of the day on Wednesday (p day), we walked a few minutes to see this castle in Rome. It was big and cool and whatever however the crucial part of this experience was stumbling upon an absolute hunk of a man. Let me tell you... He was playing the piano and it was really good and then he just pulled out a trumpet and started playing both at THE SAME TIME. Girls were swooning, some guy was crying and throwing up and we were being absolutely serenated- all because of this guy's God given talent. He started off with perfect by Ed sheeren (video) and then Bohemian Rhapsody. It's was so amazing and definetly a once in a life time thing. Freak if I wasn't gay before I might be now


Italian for the week: non lo so "i don't know" 


Ciao ciao, 
Anziano Lewis

20th Weekly Email

 2 Red Bulls at 11pm maybe isn't the play....

The work here in Sabina is progressing for sure! We have one man named Dario who is quitting smoking! We got him on date this week as well so once he can give up cigs, he will get baptized (please pray for him). There is also a man named Fabio that is so dope and loves the Bible and Book of Mormon. I can't wait to see his testimony grow 😁


There was a huge miracle this week! I learned how to roll my r's!!! Just like Spanish, there is a lot r's being rolled and I felt like an absolute idiot because I can't do it. I stuck out like a sore thumb in public. I'm pretty sure the Italians could smell the fact that I can't roll my r's and for that reason, they lose all respect for me. It hurted my feelings but lucky I can do it now. Well almost... I'm to the point where my tongue can do this crazy thing and make a fun sound (like a automatic gun) however now I need to spend a week or two refining it into a beautiful Italian purr.


Everyday I'm grateful for the United States. These last few weeks, I've been especially grateful for the safe laws and the (mostly) defensive drivers. Italy is an absolute zoo while driving. People say it's a dance (which I belive) however this is dance I want to take part of. People will just pass you even though you are going about 10 over...? No room for your car to fit? Think again, there's enough room for an Italian. Also you can park anywhere. When I say anywhere I mean in the middle of the street. Hahah also yesterday there was some guy that was whipping in reverse (maybe 10 mph) through traffic. It's his road and I guess we are just driving on it🤷


Funny story: we got a text from a member at 5 am telling us our lesson that day was canceled. It's Dario (close to baptism) so we freaked out and asked if everything is okay and he told us over text that he drank two red bulls before he want to bed and didn't fall asleep until around 5. It was the funniest thing ever, he's a pretty normal guy and just whipped that out on us for no reason


The rest of this email will be me explaining my pictures. 


Italian for the week: "Caro diario"- dear diary


Con amore e gioia, 
Anziano Lewis


1. I don't know that lady but she stopped us when walking. She is a member for Argentina that got kicked out of Spain and now is living in Italy. She didn't speak a word of Italian or English but I was so confused. Lucky my companion is an absolute animal and knows some Spanish (got so good at Italian he wanted to learn another language). Anyways I was more confused after meeting her than before.

2-4. Before, during, and after of the pizza I made. It was good I won't even lie

5. Pantheon and me🥰 we didn't even try to find it we kinda just turned a corner and it was right there ahaha

6. A dog bit me pretty hard and it hurt really bad. It still hurts. I'm no dog whisperer

7. Posted up at the temple

8. Just me and my new hat

9. Jean couch at Ikea 

10. Crazy view on the way to teach a lesson

19th Weekly Email

 both of our flys... are down?

Thank you to all that wished me a happy birthday. Yall mean the world to be but I'm sorry I can't respond on messenger, I have to use email:(


We got locked out of church for a bit. We waited with a senior missionary couple and the husband was nice enough to tell Anziano Checketts that his zipper was down. Both of them talked about how kind it is to tell someone their fly is down. He turned to me and I swear the next few seconds were slow motion. I was internally screaming as I look down at my croch RIGHT AS the man goes "Anziano your zipper is down too🤨". My soul had left my body for a bit. I was so embarrassed. I can't even imagine what the old couple thought of us after that colorful interaction. "someone tell President what those elders do in their free time" or "those elders are freaks"-that couple (probably).


Il mio compleanno (my birfday) was this week and we celebrated the old fashioned Italian way. Just kidding but we did go out for pranzo (lunch) and got some nice pasta. I got some gabbaguol with capracola and it was soooo good😋 we got some Gelato for dinner so it was a good day I'd say!


I just want to say that I did not just get bad knees and blue eyes from my mama. I got her hair cutting skills! I had trimmed two Anzianos hair for zone conference and the next day I shaved my companions hair hahah it was so fun. I might go into it after the mission idk maybe why waste God given talent, right?


Today we got to do a bit of service for our branch president! We were putting a primer on the walls because he's renovating house. My roller paint brush started dripping and he looks at me from across the room and says "itz bleeding" in the funniest accent. Idk why I wanted to share but it certainly made me and my comp laugh😁


As for an update on my missionary work: it's going well! We have some progressing people and my Italian is coming slowly but surely. It's actually pretty frustrating because sometimes it feels like 1 step forward and 2 back but I trust in God's timing.


Pensiero spirituale:
I really like how we can take the times we are at our lowest and look to Christ and his gospel and feel like someone better. There is a song and one of the lines says:


"you took my broken melody, and now I hear a symphony" 


My challenge is to turn to Jesus Christ (even if we aren't struggling), putting our trust in him and see how much better our lives are. Through him, we can make this stinky world a symphony (starting with ourselves of course) 


Italian for the week: dubbio (doubt) 


Ci sentiamo presto, 
Anziano Lewis




1: cool pic (personal favorite) 
2: pre haircut (excited) 
3: post hair cut (confusion) 
4: birthday lunch
5: rainy day
6: cool little Italian road
7: trevi fountain 
8-9: nature. (Italy has mountains ig)