Sassari, Sardinia - 1/11/2012

Caro Famiglia

This email will be short this week because I am pretty sick. I'm pretty sure I caught the stomach flu from another elder who had it on Monday, bad Anziano Lacey getting me sick. I am feeling well enough though to get out here and e-mail you guys. I'm still missing puzzle pieces. The same ones as last week =( oh well. I can't believe Mike got to do the marching band stuff at Disneyland. That’s nuts. Sounds like you had fun in the desert burning stuff. Wish I could have been there. My thoughts are pretty scattered right now and I can't really think strait. So just know that I'm fine (I should be better tomorrow) The work here is going great and I'm loving it all =) Miss you all and hope you all have a great week. Ciao Ciao

Con amore, Anziano Hill

Sassari, Sardinia - 1/4/2012

Hello family,

Well how ya'll doin. It’s been a great week here in Sassari. Just cold wind and rain and explosions and stuff. You know just the normal. Haha =) but seriously, new years here is kinda nuts. Our mission president told us we had to be home by 6, no exceptions, because people die here. Well maybe not in Sassari but in places like Napoli and Palermo people blow up cars and throw televisions and refrigerators out the windows so... yeah. So we had a great new years just sitting in our apartment and going to bed at 10:30 like every other good missionary haha. That was about it for new years.

The work is picking up again though! Yay! These holiday weekends have been rough because everyone has been busy or away. We have been teaching this lady named Maddalena, which being translated is Magdalene. She is awesome. She is a friend of the Mastino family. She lives at their house actually I think. The Mastinos are way great, F.llo Mastino is a big shot lawyer here in Sardegna, and also a registered communist but I won't hold it against him haha. Communists can be strong members of the church too right? Well... she's probably our #1 investigator right now. Especially thanks to her friendship with members of the church. I think the most success in bringing people to the church is when work is done by the members, not through the missionaries. Over my mission I have become a firm believer in the ideal that the purpose of missionaries is much less to find but to teach and the finding should be done by the members. I believe this is the most efficient way because me and Anziano Harris can go around knocking on doors all stinkin’ day long and talk to NO ONE but when a member brings a friend to church or something like that it sparks actual interest in the church and they have fellowship in the church already to help support them though their new journey into to a new life style.

I hear you let Dani stay at our house to watch my siblings again. She's great isn't she? She has probably written me more letters here on the mission than maybe all of you combined. So shame on you all haha just kidding again. =) I hope you all have fun burning stuff in the desert too. I want pictures because that's probably the thing I miss most about new years back home. Also pictures from Christmas too. All the cousins puzzle pieces are still not here. I get about a letter every day or so though so it’s not all lost yet. I am missing Eliza, Matt, Brian, and Nicole. Without all the pieces though I can't ever really start to get the puzzle organized so I am praying that the rest gets here soon.

Oh I have a serious question. We were at a member’s house and they had the news on. I heard something along the lines that the Nation of Iran is declaring war on the US? Pretty courageous move for them if you ask me. Also how’s our good buddy Mitt doing in the primaries? And once again absentee ballot, don't forget it. I want an I voted sticker too haha. And way to go Aunt Becky on the stick it to the man email/post/blog thing that grandma sent me. I hope it really helps some people get a little better idea of who we are as Mormons and that we are actual normal people. Here in Italy for some reason everyone thinks we are Amish people. An educational video here in Italy that everyone watches in school talks about the Mormons but it talks about us 180 years ago when we all had beards and 10 wives and pushed handcarts and the video presented it so badly that all the Italians think we all still live that way haha. It’s quite funny sometimes many people ask where our beards are or if I will offer them one of my daughters.

So that’s about it I guess. Buon Anno! E Vi voglio bene! Alla prossima!

Con amore, Anziano Kyle Hill

Sassari, Sardinia - 12/29/2011

Caro Famiglia,

Well I really don't have anything to say to this week because I talked to you all on the phone =) so I'll send a quick little e-mail with a couple photos I guess. That's about it though from me. I have not really done anything since I last spoke to you other than we helped a guy move about all day yesterday. It was pretty much a disaster too because they weren't ready to be moved at all. We had to box and move everything. Nothing was organized and we were just throwing everything into boxes. It was crazy. Today we are going to go shopping for a new microwave, a new stove/oven, a fridge, and new sheets and blankets for our apartment. All our appliances are old and falling apart and the office made it clear that we should buy new stuff.

The pictures are of what Santa wrote on the floor when he came by Christmas night. (Anziano Hill- I brought you a gift because you’ve been a very good boy! From, Santa Claus p.s. Yes, I heard all of those nasty things you said about me, but I’m going to give you a second chance.) He got me a chocolate bar and brought my companion some tuna and an orange. He knows how to take care of us missionaries’ haha. The other picture is a picture of one of the pizzas we made. We make the dough from scratch and cook them in our oven. They are pretty stinkin' good.

Well it was nice to see everyone. (on Skype) I’m glad you guys are all doing great and stuff. I forgot to ask to see the new Honda civic that replaced the murdered Subaru Forrester. I'm bummed that my grandmas couldn't be there but it was nice to see everyone else. When it comes to mail I've received I've gotten a lot from almost everyone. I'm still missing a couple cousins in the puzzle. I hope all the pieces arrive. If I'm missing anyone I'll let you know so you can re-mail it.

Thanks again for the package you are sending me. I'm sorry for being such a baby about my hygiene but the stuff here really stinks, haha. So just some body wash (the Irish Spring stuff is my favorite), shampoo, deodorant, and also toothpaste because after seeing the general state of the Italian teeth (which is nothing pretty to look at) I have lost all trust in Italian toothpaste. That’s about it though. Thank you! =)

I love and miss you all. Have a great New Years. I'll talk to you all later =)

Con Amore, Anziano Kyle Hill

Sassari, Sardinia - 12/21/2011

Carissimo tutti e BUON NATALE!!

Well my beloved friends and family! Merry Christmas! What a wonderful time to take a little break from our crazy lives and sit down and relax, enjoy a nice hot cocoa by the fire, spend time with loved ones and family, and …. oh wait that's what you guys get to do..... I guess more like running around in a suit and tie proclaiming repentance to the inhabitants of Sassari to prepare them for the second coming of our Lord is more like what I'll be doing. WOO!!! So I guess you guys all are excited to talk to me this next week huh? I could say that I also am excited. Thanks for the Skype info Dad, I'm pretty sure I remember my password on my account I'm surprised I never gave it to you guys before I left, I gave you a little list with all me accounts and passwords on it. I really hope you still have that because I've forgotten everything facebook, e-mail, you name it. Also I have fantastic news. The Italian mail system pulled through quite fantastically. I received quite a few letters this week including: a letter from Grandma Nancy, one from Scott and Kristin, the one from all you guys with the family Christmas card in it, and one from Mom's beehive class. Oh and sopra tutto the package arrived!! It came Friday and I picked it up Saturday morning. We have made A TON of cookies and are still in the process of distribution. The Italians are NUTS about them. Like total maniacs. We left some in the church that we were gonna give to an investigator that lived nearby. We left a note on them and behind our backs some member ate the whole thing haha. Sneaky little boogers these Italians. The members have been taking really good care of us this Christmas season with a ward meal list. All wards here in Italy, unlike America, do not have a missionary feeding program and it is INCREDIBLY rare to eat at a members house, but our branch president here in Sassari is taking really good care of us for Christmas and we have dinner appointments booked for like the next 3 weeks =) Christmas will be nuts because we will eat lunch (largest meal of the day here) at a members house and then leave right after that to go eat dinner at another family's home. We are gonna be stuffed like turkeys.

So I watched the little YouTube video. Awesome, amazing little thing you guys made for me from my cousins. I was laughing my head off. I probably looked like a crazy person because we do internet here in a library. I miss all those little guys so much. Actually many aren't that little anymore. The trips look way older, and little Brandon isn't so little either. Thank you so much again for that It made my whole year =) Buon Natale Daniel, Abby, Lindsey, Matthew, Brian, Laura, Nicole, Nora, Ricky, Brandon, Hannah, Eliza, and Sophie!! I hope I didn't miss anyone.

Well I'm not quite sure what else to write that I won't be telling you next Tuesday haha. I guess I can say see you later, literally, like in less than a week. Or in Italiano diciamo così, Ci vediamo fra un po. Buon Natale di nuovo e Vi voglio bene. Arrivederci!!!!

Con Amore e Buone Feste,Anziano Kyle Hill

P.S. Attaching Some photos =)

Also I almost forgot. It snowed here last sunday night haha. It's incredibly rare here. I sent some photos. It's alot like california where it only snows maybe once every 15-20 years.

Sassari, Sardinia - 12/13/2011

Caro Famiglia,

Okay I have news for you about my phone call thing =) I'm so excited to talk to all you guys =) and remember there are no restrictions on who I can talk to or any set time limits by president so if family and friends want to come they are very welcome. Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, Grandmas, Travis, Dani and Pedro… mis tres amigos major. And anyone else haha =) ci siamo?

So, as for Christmas day I will go to church. Then I have no idea what I'll be doing. If a member wants to have us over for a Christmas dinner we'll go to that. Or we will go around wishing people Merry Christmas. I have a question for the missionaries back home when you get the chance to talk to them. I want to know if everyone thinks that they are Jehovah's Witnesses when they go around. Because here they all think we are J.W.'s. Their approach to missionary work is different than ours. With Christmas and holidays it makes it a lot easier for us though because all you have to do is say Merry Christmas and they go wait a minute you aren't those guys because they don't celebrate holidays. Okay that's enough about the J.W.'s, they are good people too.

So back to what I'll being doing for Christmas. President has given us a day of Riposo where we are allowed to chill and relax which is Monday. We will probably have the Anziani from Olbia come up here to hang out with us so we don't feel so alone and shut off from the world and can have a little district get together and maybe cook a feast or something. We also get the choice of watching 2 movies!! Oh snap! PG Disney/Pixar movies or Church films. If you have any good ideas for movies that have come out recently let me know in your e-mail next week. I was wondering if any of you have seen Cars 2 yet because that was one that caught my attention. So yeah. That will pretty much be my holiday. And for New Year’s we will have a deep cleaning day where we stay at home and super clean our apartment.

I did get some mail this week though!! This Monday I received a letter from Home. One from Mom and another from Kristin inside the same letter. As for the Package... still waiting but no worries, it will make it I'm sure!!! I'll be sending some pictures from my new camera with this email. I hope you enjoy them.

As for our investigators things have gone well this week. We found 4 new investigators last week. Not bad huh? We'll see how that goes. As for Enoc we met with him last Saturday and he’s doing great. Still ready to be baptized and everything. What a champ. That’s about it for the work though, but it's not too bad.

I hope you all are having a great holiday season. I miss you all. Hope you all have a great week and stay awesome n'stuff. I'd like to see our family Christmas card for this year maybe you could take a picture of it and send it to me. Buon Natale, Bon Noel, Feliz Navidad and Merry Christmas. Ci sentiamo, Vi voglio bene, e Alla prossima!

-Con Amore, Anziano Kyle Hill

Sassari, Sardinia - 12/7/2011

Carissimi Famiglia!

Well I guess this letter will be a big question answering one haha. I don't mind though. So let’s see… no packages or letters. NOTHING! =( oh well. That's just the Italian mail system. Give it some time and just make sure you guys got the right address.

I'll be sending you a couple Pictures of me and Anziano Harris in this E-mail no need to worry.

And as for the one on facebook…why did you cut out F.llo Giardina =( haha put that guy back in there. He’s my best friend.

The teaching with Enoc is going amazing! We set a baptismal date with him last Sunday so yeah it’s going way awesome. Nobody new though. We are doing a lot of finding n stuff.

Yes in Italy they do decorate for Christmas. Trees and wreaths and lights on the house, however the lights on the houses are not as crazy as ours in America. They eat a lot and party pretty much all winter. The Italians are holiday animals. They have about 10 different holidays in December and January alone dedicated to certain saints or random religious or cultural events.

I will have more info for you guys next week on the call because transfers are next week and I'll see if I'll still be here with Harris or I'll be with someone else. Most likely though I will call Monday night here which will be Monday morning for you guys. And yes Skype. I will need my old Skype account info if you still have it, or your own Skype info to make the call to you guys. I need to find a member here who will let us use their computer or has Skype because internet points are closed during the holidays. I’m sorry that the elders at home don’t get to use Skype, but they’re not that far from home. As for me on the other side of the world, I'm a little more shut off from America than they are haha. And also phone calls are WAYYYYYYYYY more expensive than if I used Skype. That’s the main reason.

Tell Matthew to do his school work and stop using me as an excuse, that little punk haha. I owe everyone letters. I really stink at that. I will get those out soon; I have a ton of post cards.

You asked me dad about whether I have a zone in my city or not. I think I should clarify some things about missionary work in Italy that I haven’t really explained yet .You can share this with the elders back home too, it might blow their minds. My Zone is the WHOLE ENTIRE ISLAND OF SARDEGNA. Yes there are 10 of us for the whole island making us the smallest zone in the mission. My district consists of us and the city of Olbia, making 4 of us. Now for me and Anziano Harris's proselyting area? Get ready for this. It consists of the whole north-west quarter of the island. It’s pretty stinkin huge. Our area in Catania was huge too. In America and South America I understand your proselyting boundaries are drawn by blocks or streets. Here in Italy we us providential boundaries. So our area is the providence of Sassari. Maybe you could Google that or something and it would show you how big my area is haha.

As for the language; I'm far from having it down but I can communicate and understand at least. That's what’s important right? I realize though how much I've grown in the language since I first got out here and wasn’t able to understand pretty much anything. So I would say I have progressed quite a bit.

I know we have been in the news for our economic problems here in Italy. The truth is economically and politically this country is a mess. Their President Silvio Berlusconi stepped down from office a couple weeks ago because he couldn't take the heat. But the Italians all hated him anyways; he was a pretty bad dude. Other than that though I try to avoid political discussions and stuff. It's not missionaryish.

Well that's about it I guess. I hope you are all doing great. I miss you all and wish you the best in all that you do. I hope you're all having a great holiday. I hope you are all reading about Jesus’ birth during this season because I know I am. There's no better time in one’s life to really think about the birth of our Savior than during Christmas, on a mission when you are closed off from all the craziness of the world on that day. Vi voglio bene, bouna natale, e ci sentiamo alla prossima

Con amore, Anziano Hill