L"Aquila Christmas 2013

Jesse visited with us yesterday.   He is very a  happy  Missionary and enjoys working in L'Aquila, and loves the people in the ward.
He asked us for updates on his friends, and inquired about many of the members of our ward and remembers you fondly.
He sends you all his best. He  is especially excited for and wants to know about his good friend Chads mission call when it arrives.
Jesse expects that he will serve in this area another 2 transfers, and maybe by Mother's Day he will be in his last or 2nd to last area.
It was Great, he is Great, all is Well!
Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year!
P.S. As a family we are grateful to the church for allowing us to have this very special time with our missionary, and we're thankful for his Mission President and his wonderful wife who watch over the welfare of our son while he is serving the people of Italy. Merry Christmas Pres. and Sis. Waddoups!

A'Aquila 12-2-13

I had a white Thanksgiving this year. There was about a foot of snow outside a couple days before transfers. It snowed us into L'Aquila and we couldn't leave for district meeting. I was so excited that I forgot how cold it was and I didn't go out very prepared and my hands froze. I keep a pair of gloves in my bag at all times now. 

We were able to make it out of L'Aquila on time for transfers. I stayed in Roma one night waiting for Anziano Padilla to come in. In the morning we went to Terni then to L'Aquila. It took us forever to get back. I have a feeling that me and Anziano Padilla are going to get along great this transfer. He is from Colorado and a Convert to the church. He was baptised 2 years ago. So far it's been really fun working with him. 

The work was really slow this week. We didn't meet with any of our investigators because we were out of town . On the bright side however our 12 year old member missionary told us that she has another friend that she wants to bring to church now. That would make about 3 of them now. One of them stood up and bore her testimony about how she knows the chruch is true. She has been coming for about a year now and really wants to be baptised. We only need her mothers permission. Unfortunatly it is really hard to meet with her family right now. 

I set up the christmas tree while Anziano Padilla was un packing. We have a hughe tree here in L'Aquila. Most of the trees in the mission (except for the mission home of course) are really small. It'll be as close as I can get to a christmas at home this year. The snow , the mountains, Fagioli family nearby. If you count something like 2 hours away as near by.