Buona sara famiglia!!!
How is everyone?? All is great here!! Just got back from climbing Mount Vesuvio today.. It was incredible!! Dad has a couple of photos of that.. I felt back at home with the lava rock everywhere.. I was telling some the other missionaries up on top about how there is lava rock all around my house in St. George Utah and none of them believed me.. But it's true! The air was so thin up there also.. It was pretty incredible.. The better part of the day was getting there though.. It was just a classic Italian old school van that took us through this windy little road untill there was just a parking lot (Italian parking lot, consisting of five spaces for a Smart Car) and a trail going to the top.. It was a blast though.. This last week was one of my favorites yet.. Weird how that works? Things just get better and better?? I'm learning a lot about the language and about this work.. I'm growing everyday and recognizing areas that I need to work on every second it seems like.. The most important thing that I'm understanding is that simple obedience is the key to this work, and that all other things are in the hands of the Lord.. It's such an a amazing experience.. This Saturday we have a baptism.. Her name is Antonella.. She is absolutely incredible and we've worked with her for some time now.. She's ready, the Lord has prepared her.. Especially now.. We are first hand seeing the amazing trials that she is being put through to get to this Saturday.. Just as always, the night is darkest before the dawn, and how sweet that daybreak will be for her.. Please keep her in your prayers.. The work is moving foward like wildfire here.. There's so much work to be done and such little time.. On top of all of this, I'm trying to learn what the people are saying!! Sure enough, the Lord won't let me fail.. Everything sounds great at home.. Of course it's great because this weekend is Conference!!! I hope you all spend a lot of time around the TV this weekend.. Isn't that wierd? It seems like yesterday we were sitting down for April Conference.. Strange.. Anyway.. This time I'm not going to be in our basement on the Lovesac, I'll be at the church of Pozzouli.. Which is the exact place that Paul landed when he came to preach the Gospel to the Italian people.. Pretty amazing if you ask me!! The view there is incredible and I've never been so excited to listen to these wonderful talks.. Couple of birthdays this week, too! Wish I could send you something, I guess it will just have to be my love for now.. I'm thinking of all of you daily and are always in my prayers.. A story from this last week that was pretty incredible happened on Sunday.. We were clear across the city at the Branch President's house having lunch after church.. We received a call from a Sister of the church that was in the Hospital at Policlinco... Which is about a solid hour, hour and a half away.. So we left and headed for her.. Understand what I mean when I say "Italian Hospital", because it's nothing like America.. Feels more like an ancient ruin than it does a place to get well.. Anyway, we arrived there and began to talk with her sister who isn't a member.. We proceeded to give her a blessing in Italian.. After the blessing, her sister was just bawling.. She said she has never felt something like that before.. We continued to teach her about the priesthood, about how we have been blessed with this power, and how it is used.. It was just an incredible day.. I had been waiting for that for a while in the mission.. At times it seems like we are so caught up in appointments and things to do that we never have the opportunity to just go and serve.. I recognize that it is always service for these two years, but I don't know.. Something was different this last Sunday.. I felt like a missionary.. Anyway.. I love you all.. Take advantage of this Conference weekend and relax.. It's so necessary.. The time is flying by here and I can't believe where it goes.. I'm loving this work more and more every day, and more importantly I'm loving the Italian people.. Untill next week with photos from the baptism, arrivederci!!
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