Hello all, I miss you! This week has been so crazy. Wow. But things have gotten a million times better!
After Marcelo lost his apartment, things were a little overwhelming. When you really care about someone and their welfare, it's hard to see them suffer. I really understand what Alma and the Sons of Mosiah felt when in Alma 17 when they felt fatigue because they labored much in the spirit. Missionaries put not only all their physical energy into this work, but also their spiritual energy, all their love. When Elder Kopishke came for zone conference, one Elder asked about a phrase in preach my gospel about being devastated because people aren't keeping commitments, and what that means. He taught us that when we teach clearly, and do everything within our power to bring these people to repentance, then we have reason to be devastated. But I don't have any reason to be devastated, because Marcelo had his baptismal interview last Saturday, and he's going to be baptized in 3 days! The 4th of July...he chose it (and reminded me that it's American Independence Day, because I honestly forgot!) =) It's sure was a rollercoaster ride to get him to this point, literally all the energy that I had. I remember mom sent me Kristen's last email during her mission, about how she had to fight for that baptism. I understand what she means. I was fighting harder than I ever have last week. Satan knows when something really good is about to happen, so he goes after us to stop us in any way that he can. He knows too that if he tries to get the missionaries, then that's even better, so he focuses all his energy on us! Lame. But we overcome, because we have been literally set apart from the world. Isn't that so beautiful? So anyways, up until Saturday we were really fighting. Then on Sunday, the miracles started coming. First, we received a Missionary Ward Leader after being without one for a month. And this man is truly a blessing, because he loves the missionaries, missionary work, and he has a strong testimony. As a matter of fact, his fiancee Marilena will be baptized in two or three weeks! I sent a picture last week of them with my district last week. The second miracle, is that a member told us that she has an empty apartment and she wants to give it to Marcelo. And the bishop wants to pay for it until he can find a job. Wow. And we also found a way to find Marcelo some clothes for free. All I can say is, thank you god!
This last Saturday there was a baptism in the ward for Gian Pierro, an Italian 17 year old boy. I don't know if I told his story before, but it is such a miracle that I'm going to share it again. A few months ago, Gian Pierro was studying the catholic church. He had grown up in the Catholic church, his family was extremely religious, and he went to a Catholic school. The more he studied it, the more he knew that the pieces didn't all fit, and the church wasn't true. So he went searching for the truth. One day, while reading a Sherlock Holmes book, Gian Pierro read about a man who had 10 wives, who was a Mormon. He thought this was strange, and he wanted to find out who these people were. So he went online and found LDS.org. He read the entire Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Preach my Gospel. He prayed about it, and he knew it was all true, and that he needed to do something about it. So he called the church building, and Gabrielle DeMattheis (the man who baptized him Saturday) answered the phone, and they set up an appointment with the missionaries. He started going to church every week, with the permission of his father. The missionaries told me it was difficult to teach him, because he already knew everything, though he would never admit it. One day when they were teaching him the Word of Wisdom, they couldn't remember what section it was located, and John Pierro said, "Section 89." They were dumbfounded. Haha. The hardest trial he went through was asking his Dad for permission to be baptized. Every sunday I would ask him if he talked to his Dad, but he said that his parents would kick him out of the house if he was baptized, and he was terrified. But the week of his baptismal interview, he got up the guts to do it, and his father asked him if he knew it was true. He said, "yes," and his Dad said, "You'd better be baptized then." The service was incredible, and Gian Pierro was so happy and excited. He asked if he could bear his testimony, and he got up there, and bore one of the most powerful testimonies about the restored gospel and priesthood that I have ever heard. Then this last Sunday, he and Harold received the priesthood.
Truly, miracles are happening in italy. I know that it's for this temple. God wants a temple in Italy, but these people have a loooong way to go in order to keep it up.
Keep me in your prayers, I love you all. The gospel is true, and miracles happen every day. It's hot here! But i'm alive...just a little more sweaty than usual. Stay strong.
Congratulations to Kristen on her graduation!
Baci e ambracci! (hugs and kisses!)
Jenessa
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