Ya Ruschi . . . [Letter written 11-4-09]

Hellllllo everyone!!!!!!!

So lemme just start off by saying this week was great... no im just kidding im sure everyone is tired of me saying that haha so i want to start off by thanking everyone for there emails, pictures and love!! I seriously was laughing a lot while reading all these emails. I loved the pictures too!!!! Okay so i have lots to write about so ill just jump right into the good stuff! So i want to describe something called an out of country expereience. So i heard about the out of body expereience where you feel like your out of your body..... well i invented a new sort of abnormal thing called out of country experience. Let me explain ehem...... So i am currently serving in switzlerand right... so naturally one would think... okayy i'll teach and talk with swiss people right?!.......WRONG! So the other day we were fortunate to find a couple of people doing casa, and to talk with some other people on the bus/street. We found an amazing married couple named YoYo and Slaja!!! Yo Yo is from nigeria, and slaja is from croatia...... nothing close to swiss haha. So Then we talked with a nice man from Iran. An old italian couple, and an american mom! Well let me just finish this rather strange expereience with something i have named, the muslim encounter. So we were doing house, and this little (not trying to be racist) but this little arabian-like alladin man answered the door, complete with robe and slippers. We said, hey we have a great message for you... and he replyed with... there isnt a greater message than the islam one. Okay.... we said... we'd like to hear this message. So he invited us in. But first we had to take our shoes off, a religous tradition, pretty neat huh? So this man is from afghanistan. He was very nice and hospitable. We listened to him for a bit, and then we gave him our short sweet message. He told us that we should become muslim and that at the day of judgement he would be there to testify that he gave us the oppurtunity to be muslim. He was a stud. He was really concerned for our future and salvation. He did say one thing that was kind of strange. When he found out i was american he said that george bush is a child of the devil. Wow.... thats quite the statement huh? So this is my out of country expereience..... WHERE ARE THE SWISS PEOPLE?! Haha i love it... i feel like im serving in 18 different countries here in lugano. We meet people from all over the world every day!!! Ok so i took way to much time to describe that.. as it was just one bullet point on my list to email haha. So i went to como for exchanges again and it was funny because i learned that lugano has a reputation for just being rich people and banks haha. It is kind of true... there are so many swiss banks here where tons of foreigners store money to flee taxes. Quick update on sergio and maddelenna. Sergio is doing great.... we gave him so book of mormon posters and he had them framed and now his house is a great atmosphere for the spirit! Maddelennna is also doing great... she was in italy all week so we havent seen her, but she called us and told us she wanted to read the entire book of mormon this week!! She is in jacob when she called. She is soo cool! So i realized i havent talked about my bruther anz. Bosco much. So some basic info. He is the youngest in the family. Has 3 brothers... all served missions, and all are married. His parents are both converts and very awesome. He comes from Pescara, which is in the middle of italy. He went to artists school, and is very good. He is a great cook, and spoils me with amazing pastas, which im learning how to make! Mom and Dad that sounded so much fun about Brandon Gill!! What a good kid. I miss him tons... tell him i said hi. Email a pic of him to me from his mission if you can! Thanks!! Mom i actually did understand the packages theme haha its just that i couldnt wait to go hiking to try out the shoes so i sported them to help someone move. And i must sayyy that they are veryyyy comfy. Were planning a hike when the wearther gets nicer here!! Mom you asked how i liked Milano. That is where i have been going every month for zone conference, since i came to italy... so ive seen it beofre. According to me the best part of milano is that mcdonalds has burgers for 50 cents!!!!!!!!!!!! Every time we eat at least 5 or 6. The main station in milano is incredible!! Also the duomo is quite impressive! Dad i loved your story about facebook!! I agree with mom that your a nerd, but all the same i laughed very hard. Im glad that shadow ken and ken ken are friends haha. I literally laughed so hard. You should write a book dad! You have a great talent. But i'm sorry if this was short but i must be running soon. Im trying to think of what else is fun that i did this week. Hmmm... all I can say is that we are truely seeing miracles every week. The work here in Lugano is just booming. It is soo incredible. On a daily basis were finding new people. I often ask myself... what did i do to deserve such great blessings??? So i am very thankful and humbled to serve here. But anywho i gotta get running!! Love you guys soooo much. BYEEEEE..... oh ps.... Ya Ruschi... i have to explain that. It is russian for I'm russian. I am learning russian! Shout out to Tyler Mac! I like to learn little prhases in other languages so i can speak with all these foreigners!!!! So now im working on russian haha. Love ya guys!!

Anziano Perkes!