Family Of Mine

Buon dì!

It was really good to hear from all of you this week. We had a wonderful week here at Brindisi and are continually trying to improve all things that we do. While I am writing this to you, you all find yourselves in the sunny Scottsdale with the Duke's. Tell them all hi and that I miss them! Tell Ty I said that he's the man and that he needs to wait for me! The week started by setting a baptismal date with Sara. Sara's 18 years old and is incredible. It took a bit of convincing and helping her to understand the importance of these things, but she commited to make that covenant with our Heavenly Father so that she can return to Him someday and enter into the Lord's flock. This Sunday was another normal Sunday at Brindisi. Arriving early, setting up chairs, teaching Priesthood, teaching Gospel Principles, administering the Sacrament, playing the piano, giving a talk, and closing up and putting away chairs. How much I love this work! Sundays are definitely the best in the mission, without doubt. Just the other day we returned to the Brancasi's for lunch and to visit with them. They truly are incredible. I've found a second family here in them and they have found two sons in us. We spoke a lot about baptsim. They have so many ties to the Catholic Church, please pray for them to have the strength to follow their testimony! Lina expressed to us that while she was reading the talk given by President Monson to the Relief Society that it was almost as if she could imagine his face, hear his voice, and feel the Spirit with which he spoke. They have a strong testimony of the Restored Church, they just have so many traditions, callings, friends, and lives with the Catholic Church. We are doing our best to help them with that. It's awesome to have a companion that was Catholic, due to the fact that he knows when they go to Church and when are the moments to help them not go. To say the least, we utilize those moments to our advantage, giving them a call or passing by to help them! Cruel? I think not. Clever? We think so! Anyway, with the jokes aside, it was a great week, capped off yesterday by Zone Conference at Bari. I learned a lot, but what was even more entertaining was translating for all of the Italians. Anziano Errante, Destefanis, and Mangifesta stationed up around me and for the whole day I had that chance. It was a blast! Also it was an opportunity to keep them in line! We learned a lot about the importance of members in this work. It's so true. The work moves forward when the members catch this fire! I would love to hear from all of you at home a story in which you invited someone to hear a message of the Gospel in this week. Make it a challenge with the Duke's this weekened that you are together. Just someone. I'll wait for the results next week! Because honestly, there is no other joy like that to share the Gospel. Spring Break is a time to enjoy and find happiness. I don't see why there's any reason we can't give it a shot?! Anyway, I thank you for your prayers and I want to share with you again how much joy I feel from this work. It's so hard, so long, so exhausting, and SOOO WORTH IT!! All I can ever think about is football practice during the week. Always looking forward to Friday night with the lights and the crowds when all the memories were made. But now that I look back, not only was it the Friday night moments that made the memories, but every practice, struggle, up-down moment that we had throughout the week. Man, I miss practice! Maybe that's why our modern prophet Thomas S. Monson exhorts us to find joy in the journey. It's all true. Just accept it fam! The Church is true. Share it with someone!

con Steve,

Anziano Gatchell