Happy Happy Birthday Dallin Dear!!!

BUON GIORNO!!!!!!!

So as you all know because I am positive that my mom posted all over facebook that it was my birthday and I am going to tell you that nothing really happened but that is totally fine because I don't expect anything from anyone anymore. I am looking forward to that gift of seeing all of my beautiful family and friends again! I don't want regali e doni, I just want to see my family and friends and to see how blessed I am! I can't wait to see your faces and to also have you guys bring a smile to my face! It brings a smile to my face knowing that I have only one more letter to write to you and then I am going to be on a plane the week after that! My birthday was the landmark that really made me realize how much time I DON't have here in Italia! I am going to miss this place a lot, but I know that my life has been so blessed by the service that I have done along with my comps in my various cities! I am so grateful for the mission and for everything that I have been able to learn in this time!

WOW!!!!! Lexa is home! Tell her that I miss her and I will see here in just a little bit and we can try and communicate in Spanish and Italian;). Man I love this language! I can't belive that I have practically not missed one moment of that girl's life. She decided, left, and returned all before I even came back! So weird! hahaha

 

So the investigators that we have are great. We are trying to teach them everything before that day of baptism so that they can know all that they need to! They are very big thinkers and they know the Bible REALLY well and we are trying to respond to all of their questions, but sometimes I feel like some lessons go along better than others. I have noticed that one of them can really sense how I feel when I walk into the room. He will tell me straight out what he thinks about my attitude when I walk into his house. It is actually kind of scary how he can feel what/how I am feeling! It is cool, but I have noticed that the lessons go a lot better when Anziano Holbrook and I are happier amd have more love towards everyone than if we don't! It is kind of crazy, but it is true! For all of those reading this message, , HAVE LOVE FOR THOSE AROUND YOU! It makes your life, their lives, etc...... MUCH BETTER!!!!!!!!!! Keep the love going on and on and you will see that your lives are going to be MUCH more full of meaning and happiness!

Quick help that I need you guys to help me with. One of the missionaries here in AG really hurt himself this week and he went to Palermo today to receive results on another test that he will be doing there. I would really love it if you could please pray for him and make sure to keep him in thoughts. I love you all! Please do not do anything dangerous before I get home (Michael)! I need to see you all in one piece! hahaha

Thanks you so much for everything! 

I love you so much! 

Dallin

I have gained such a large love for life and God

Buona sera miei cari!

I hope your week went by really well! Mine went well also! We did many things and I am kind of getting into that "Holy Moly! I don't know what real life is like anymore? How the heck am I going to do it!? I don't want to get big, but at the same time I want to do exactly that because I want to know what the Lord has in store for me because I know that I am going to try my "dead-level" best (Pops can you quote from which book that quote comes from?)!"

I am loving the mission and I am missing you all! I am going to miss all of the AMAZING people that I have here but I know that I am going to meet some new and great people there in America also! I mean how could I not!? Much of the time I am out talking with random people and making friends anyway;)! I am a bit stressed about the idea of going home and having so many factors in the dark that I will not be aware of, but at the saem time that is why life is so exciting right? I am actually kind of ready to try and take life by teh horns because I want to see how the Lord is going to bless me in my life! I love life! It is SO GREAT! Sure there are going to be times in my life where I will have problems, but I feel like I have gained such a large love for life and God that I am going to already have that strong base "when Satan sends forth his mighty shafts in the whrilwind." I love the mission! I can't wait to get the opportunity to show the Lord how I have a changed! 

This week went by pretty darn well! Nothing too amazing went on other than the fact that it went by way too fast! We did MANY things and WHOA did it fly! Can you guys believe that I have around 16 full days in the mission left! I have commitments that bring the total days here in Ag down to 16! How weird is that!!!!!!?!?!?!? That is just over 2 weeks!!! After three weeks though, I am going to be in the "City of Lights", the "City of Play", "My City": LAS VEGAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have missed it to tell you the truth! It is my home and I am going to go back to it so soon! SUPER STRANGE!!!!

Mom, to tell you the truth, I am actually liking a lot the whole European style now. Not too tight, but tighter instead of the American "lets take grandma's drapes and make them into some clothes" style;). hahahahaahah I am funny;). I Would like some high tops if I could:)? I don't need anything too crazy, I am just going to be playing here and there up at school, so ya:). hahahaha I REALLY enjoy looking at shoes now? I don't know why!? hahaha I also bought a new suit for a smokin deal! 68 euro! That is REALLY good for here! I like it also! It is a dark blue and you will see it as I am going down those escalators;). aahahahah

I am really trying to keep my head focused on what I am doing here for the next two weeks and then i am going to make sure to have my time to say good bye and help out other cities:)! I am going to miss Italia! It has been so good to me and I AM going to come back here! I could never live here, but I would definitely be able to come back and visit many times in my life! I love it!

I love you all! Thank you everyone that wrote me about the whole transition thing! I really do appreciate your words and advice! I am going to try and take all into account! There was one common theme throughout all of them though and I am going to make sure to do it! Thank you so much!

I love you all! I only have two more times to write! I hope all is ok!

Three baptismal dates set for my departure date!

Holy Moly!

GUYS!!!!!! I am only going to write home 3 more times and then I am going to be on a plane the next week!!!!! How weird is that!? I am going to be home in just under 30 days and I am freaking out about it!? I don't know about you guys, but it is going ot be SUPER weird for me! I am going to enjoy being home, but I am REALLY going to miss Italia! This will always be my second home! I have come to know it very well and I am going to make sure that I do all that I can from America to support LA TERRA MADRE di Italia!

So this week was pretty great! We did a lot and we are going to be looking foward to the last day of the mission for me because we have 3 baptismal dates set for that day and they are with people that are VERY prepared to hear this message! I am really looking foward to that date! I am going to continue to pray for miracles for the people here in Ag because they really do need to see that us missionaries are working our tails off to try and help this branch grow as much as possible! I am really looking forward to these next couple weeks because they are going to be very full and I know that there is going ot be a lot of work that needs to be done even though I may not see the fruits of my labor, someone else will and that is ALL that matters!

I am SO excited to be a missionary for the next little bit and I am actually VERY nervous to get back into normal life! Whoever is reading this, PLEASE EMAIL ME AT: dallin.layton@myldsmail.net! I would really appreciate some council from people that have gone throuhg this point in their lives or even have gone through tough times of transition! I need some help because I know that once I go home, it is going to be of the wierdest things to do! 

I received my "death packet" yesterday and it has been on my mind since! I annot belive that I am really at that point! I am going to actually need to grow up and start life. I am going to need to get  job and go to school when for the past 2 years I have been saying, "Ya. WHEN I go home I am going to love to study this. WHEN  I go home I am going to make sure that I work every day to make time for everyone (that may not ever be doable;))!" I am just still in awe that it has crept up on me this fast and I am still not sure that it will hit me until my stake president tells me that I have now been "honorably released!" I am going to miss this country! It will forever hold a place in my heart!

Well, this last week was really just focused on those people that we have those dates with. I will let you guys know more next week about them!

I love you SO MUCH! Please remember that advice! I am a bit overwhelmed sometimes!

I love you ALL!

Dallin

A month left!

Hey guys!

Can you belive that I practically have one more month! Holy Moly! It is the craziest thought to me! I breaka  month this week and from the 7th of Novembre, I will have one month in AG before I need to go to Palermo to wait for the train at around 5 in the morning on that next Monday! SUPER WEIRD!!!!!!!!!!!!

So this week as I told you last week, we started from scratch and boy have we seen the blessings!!!!! Dallington brought/introduced us to three or four of his friends and they are made of GOLD! They came to church yesterday and all they wanted to do was LEARN! It was amazing! They pulled me aside after sacrament meeting and they told me, "You guys need to come over to our house tonight so that you can explain to us what we learned in that class before (They learned about the Plan of Salvation)." Obviously I accepted and we went over to Dallington's house (because they live right across the street from one another) later that evening. We had a lesson for around 2 hours and it was one of the best lessons I have had in my mission! They asked questions, we answered their questions with the scriprtues, theya sked more questions, and we had them read more scriptures to answer their questions! It was GREAT!!!!! I LOVED IT! We are going to go over to their house again tomorrow and explain the Restaurazione! It is going to be REALLY GOOD!!!!! I can't wait!!!

This transfer is going to be really good! We have REALLY good weeks ahead of us and I know that the time is going to just fly!!!! I can't wait to see you guys, but know also that I am having a HECK of a time here in AG! I am going to miss this place A LOT when I need to go! I love this time so much! 

OH! Another thing! We had a Halloween party and it was also probably one of the BEST acticities that I have had here in the mission! I LOVED IT! We had kareoke, biliardino, ping pong, food, and a BUNCH of people! It was SO FUN! Dallington again came up big and brought/invited 14 people to the party! This guy has really understood the importance of this message and he wants others to understand it also! He is THE BEST MEMBER MISSIONARY EVER! I am going to miss that guy when I go! He is going to miss me too;). hahaha We had around 40-45 people at that party on Friday and over 17 of them were non members! It was AMAZING!!!!!! I am so glad that the branch is so supportive of them also! It wouldn't work if we had another branch here in Italia! I am so glad for the members here!

So those were the major things that happened this week! I am SO HAPPY TO BE HERE! I am definitely loving every moment! Keep those prayers coming:)! I love you all!

Anziano Layton

STAYING IN AGRIGENTO UNTIL THE END!!!

Mom!

Thank you so much for the pictures! I loved seeing them! I can't wait to see you guys! I am only counting the days until the first of Dicembre because that is practically going to be the only week where we don't have something planned! Thsi transfer is going to go by SO fast because I AM STAYING IN AGRIGENTO!!!!!!!!!! I am so happy to stay! I am the first missonary in 14+ years that is going to finsih the mission here in AG! I am so happy for that! I am also very happy to show Agrigento what I have to offer! I am also going to be doing scambiis with Caltanissetta (Anziano McGuire is training a new missionary this next transfer) and also Sciacca (we also have a missionary leaving Sciacca also)! We are going to have the Zone Leaders come down at least once this transfer to do a scambio along with us going to Palermo for Zone Conference and Zone Calcio! We also have Stake conference at the end of this month and then practically it will be time for me to go home! I am going to have the FASTEST transfer of my mission here in just a little bit!

This last week wasn't too eventful because we kind of started from scratch with all of our work. I think that it was the best decision for everything that is happening here. It is going to be good that way, we don't waste any time on people who aren't ready to hear everything that we have to say. I am ready to find those people that are ready to hear what we have to say and also to make sure I make someone's life better even if they don't acept what we have to say! I am seriously on a "Life High" right now! I am LOVING EVERY MOMENT! I wrote Jayce this quote that I made up for myself in these last couple days: "Keep on loving life, because when you love it, it will love you." How true is that though? You wrote me this mom, "It has been when I have chosen to be happy and LAUGH is when my worry...not necessarily my trials, but my worry, has dissolved. Laughter always makes everything lighter. Try to laugh. Purposefully, try to laugh on a daily basis. It truly is the best medicine!" and I cannot tell you how true that is! I have laughed more here on the mission jsut because of silly thigns that have happened, that I now have smile wrinkles! It is AWESOME!!! I have noticed that I am always thinking positively even when NEARLY EVERYONE around us is thinking negatively! I am ALWAYS looking for the positive in every situation! It is absolutely amazing how the mission has changed me and how it has really given me more answers that I didn't even know that I was looking for! hahahaha It is absolutely GREAT:)!

So last week, we went to Sciacca againa nd it was really fun. i went witha  relatively new missionary named Anziano Fullmer and together between both companionships, we found 10+ contacts for them and I am SUPER happy for that because they NEED work really badly! I love finding people and tlking with them. It is really fun! I am so glad that I have had the opportunity to show people who we are as a religion by being called as a missionary! It is absolutely WONDERFUL! I have loved every second even though I have experinced every emotion possible! hahahaha It has been great and I am going to make the most of this time that I have here in AG because I don't have a lot of it! Any suggestions:)?

Hey guys, I love you so much! Make sure that you guys stay safe! Look both ways before crossing the street, use your blinker, and fate sì che vi badiate (make sure that you take care of yourselves)!!!! Siate sicuri!!!!!

I fasted for enery, for the Work, and a better attitude.

Mom! As I am writing you, I have good ole Christmas music going;). Good stuff huh;)?

So this week for you guys was pretty darn good no? I am SO HAPPY THAT I HAVE YOU AS MY FAMILY!!!! You are GREAT! I can't wait to see you guys! It is going to be a great reunion and I am so glad that we all are so close as a family:)! It is the best! I have met too many people during the missing that don't appreciate their families enough. I am so glad that you guys mean that much to me and that we are that good of friends!! You are my life and I talk about you at least 10 times every single day! It is GREAT!!!!

So this week was kind of hard because we received tantissimi bidoni (qhen people say they are going to be at appointments and tehy don't show up) which needed to be filled up with time of talking with people and for some reason or another did NOT want to talk with us so guess what I did..................................................................................................................!? I took matters into my own hands (along with the Lord's hands obviously) and I fasted! I cannot tell you guys how amazing every moment was! I fasted sabato sera and domenica mattina and I cannot tell you how good it felt! I fasted for energy, for the work, and a better attitude (because I was obviously down about all of the lost appointments) and I cannot tell you guys how amazing it felt! Right after I was done, I had the BIGGEST feeling of love toward EVERYONE in the church! Everything became so much better! We went home and had a good lunch, studied a little bit, went out to another appointment and then we did finding. I went into the finding aspect a lot different than I was before! I had a REAL smile on my face and I knew that it was the Lord that was making me feel that way! We talked witha round 10 people that evening and 5 of them gave us their numbers, 2 told us to go back to that bench that they were sitting on and the other three didn't turn out to be much, but STILL!!!!! This was a testimony builder for me! I usually don't fast outside of fast Sunday (because we ALL know how much this big guy likes to eat;)), but I really felt like i needed to do it and boy did it work out

Also, this last week we LEARNED that there is a strict AFRICAN RESTAURANT here in Agrigento! IT IS SO GOOD!!!! Since we found out about it, we have gone two more times;)! IT IS SO GOOD!!!

So ya, the call comes this week to reallt find out my fate for my last transfer here in Italia! I would like to stay here, but if I get transfered, I know that I will love the next place and  I will do the exact same thing there and love it still! I hope that I can continue here! I would love to:)!

I love you guys!

We did A LOT of work!!!!

Mom,

Don't you even worry about not writing me! You have a hecic life sometime and I am acually quite impressed that you find time to do EVERYTHING!!!!! You really are OUR (your boys) Super-woman! You are the best!

So this week wasn't too eventful. We didn't have the opportunity to meet with Evidence again because we missed the bus by 30 seconds to go on over to his home so that was kind of a bummer, but we have been blessed with quite a few contacts that we need to meet with, but that is the problem! We are having teh problem of meeting with them! We are really going to try and meet with these people because they seem REALLY promising! I want to help so many of these people!

So, this week also, we did another scambio but this time it was with the anziani di Sciacca! We did A LOT of work! We got over 12/13 contacts for them in around 4-5 hours it was really cool! The Anziano that I was with told me that they have never done that since he has been there! I LOVE TALKING WITH PEOPLE!!! It has been so much fun! I love that I have really been blessed with that gift! I have seen how it has helped me SO many times here in the mission! It is the BEST!

So aboutt eh whole transfer thing mom, I don't know what it was. I thinkI was here this transfer to kind of justt hand off the reigns to someone else? I have no idea? Something just tells me that my time is practically done here. I hope I am getting a wrong feeling because I would love to stay here because of all the friends that i have made and the branch president here told me that there has not been one missionary that has "died" (finished the mission) here at Agrigento! I would love to be the first! That would be the best! Also, if I stay, Anziano Holbrook's b-day is the 4th of Nov, Dallington's is the 13th and mine is the 22nd with the end of the mission being right after that! How weird is that!?!?!?!? I am nearing the end! It feels liek I have een away for so long but now I am going to finsih here pretty soon! I hope that things can continue like they are now even when I go!

This week was about it! No major miracles that have happened. We are still working really hard and it is pretty darn hot outside. I think it is around 24-27 gradi? It would be around 75 f? I think? Buh? Non sono un professore della matematica;). 

I cannot wait to see you guys! I miss you a lot! I know that I only aheva  little time left, but I am really missing you guys! I hope that you guysa re doing well! You are amazing! 

Love,

Dallin Layton