Chapter Three: The 15th Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the Bitontians

Chè Settimana!

It has gotten so hot here it's killing me!! Thankfully we received a present from President Kelly and we can take off our jackets today! It's great to hear from you, but Mattie, Maren and J I'm sorry about having to get your teeth pulled... that’s not the best news.

So now there are 2 of us in the family who have five fingers... 6 more to go!!! One day we'll be there. =)

This week we did a lot of work but honestly I don't remember much of it at all... maybe when you work so hard your brain starts picking and choosing what it remembers... who knows.  We found a girl named Heather who is American from Long Island but has lived in Bitonto for a year and teaches English.  She says she just doesn't want to live in the US... boh.  But we're really excited to meet with her.

We also did a nice exchange with Poggiofranco.  I was with Anziano Meldrum.  We did some nice work.  He's really a spectacular missionary.

Also, about the Ragazzi (boys), we were able to play soccer with them and it went really well.  They are really great kids.  By the way, there are going to be a bunch of kids asking to add me on FB from Bitonto, feel free to add them.  And I don’t know if you update FB but it'd be nice if you did.

Our investigators are coming along, it's slow but there is progress.  I really hope they are able to come to General Conference this Saturday/Sunday. Personally I can't wait to hear it!!  I'd love to be able to hear it in English to be able to hear their voices but I'm afraid it's going to be in Italian, the language of the angels.

Also, as I type I'm reminded of the studies I’ve done this week.

3 things came as a result of it:

1.    we cant control the situation (always) but we can control ourselves.

2.    If we act happy, we are happy.

3.    People find what they look for.

Seeing as this Sunday is the 1979th anniversary of when our Lord, Savior, and Redeemer was resurrected I'd like to share my testimony that I know He lives.  I know that He suffered for our sins, pains, shortcomings, imperfections, and sorrows. And that because of that sacrifice, He became our mediator and advocate with the Father and made it possible for us to return to live with our families and God again for eternity.  I can't explain how grateful I am to Him for this. 

Fate mi bene!!

--

Vi Amo,

Anziano Stewart

Chapter Three: The 14th Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the Bitontians

This was a good week.

On Wednesday we started our English course. It went well.  We had quite a few new people, sadly no one showed interest right away but there is someone who knows the Pappagallos and now the Pappagallos are going to come to English course.  We also had a pretty crazy story.  We're friends with a guy who's named Francesco Natale (Frank Christmas is what we call him) he’s an 18-year-old boy and a couple weeks ago we played basketball with him.  Anyway he asked for our help to stop smoking (because we were running circles around him) so we gave him the plan.  Then he asked us about the Book of Mormon and if he could have a copy to read at night.  Long story short we have one of the coolest investigators now. =) And last night he brought his girlfriend.  Sweet right!?!?

  

Then I was able to do a split with Anziano Alessandro.  He's from Bologna and speaks with a funny Bolognese accent.  He’s been in the mission for 1 week.  It went really well.  He’s a fireball!!  We found a professor who was interested and we got to teach in the university! Pretty cool, huh?  

This Saturday we were able to make friends with a bunch of Ragazzi (maybe 25) and tonight they wanted to come to English course, and tomorrow were going to play soccer with them.  I hope they can become new investigators!!! That's really what Bitonto needs!!!!

Our investigators are making progress.  A little bit at a time, some in different ways but they are definitely coming closer to Christ.

For the past two transfers President has left the challenge for us to focus on developing our charity.  It's been a really good opportunity for me. I feel like I’ve learned a lot.  Like how there is a really close connection with charity and sacrifice.  As we make sacrifices we develop our charity for those we sacrifice for. (Why Maren will be/is the most loved child) jk =) 

Anyways I need to write President.  Thanks for all your love and support.  I love you all and pray about you all the time.  Stay safe!

--

Vi Amo,

Anziano Stewart

P.S. Oh, I got you’re package this week, before St. Patrick's Day thankfully. Thank you for everything, especially the pictures! I have a couple requests for the next package.  Motrin, starbursts, and those crystal light packs.

Chapter Three: The 13th Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the Bitontians

Buon gornio belissima familglia! Mi mancate.

Hello from Lecce and happy Pi day!!!!! =)  We're here for Anziano Miller's permesso di sogiornio.  It's a really pretty city.  Anyways, this week went by quickly.  The highlight was definitely Stake Conference for the Stake of Puglia.  Members from the whole "heel" of the boot of Italy came to Bari Saturday and Sunday.  President Kelly and Sister Kelly were there as well.  The spirit was really strong and the choir was spectacular.  It was really great what the Stake Presidency did, they challenged every member to bring just one non-member friend to the conference, and the room (it was in the Sheraton hotel) was packed to the rafters! It was great to see.  We got to help the best/oldest/funniest/sweetest member from Bari Poggiofranco walk to the conference.  Her name is Sorella Valentina.  She's 90 years old and is just the best. 

Massimo is doing pretty great; sadly he doesn't want to come to church because it's too early (he sleeps in till 1400 on Sundays...) but he is more than willing to meet with us and he wants to learn English as well.  (Which is great because our course starts tonight!!)

This last week we did a lot of work on our English course.  Hopefully it will go well and we'll get some sweet people who will also be interested in the gospel.  I don't really care for English course because I feel like it takes time away from missionary work but Anziano Miller really likes it and we have a bunch of "students" who really like it.  However it's nice that now we're starting the course and it won't take so much of our time from missionary work. 

OH!! I've got a pretty sweet story.  So, I don't remember if I told you but in the MTC one day, I saw a security guard who looked really familiar, but I didn't say anything.  Then I saw him again, a couple days later and stopped him.  We talked for a bit and I found out that it was Devonne Bitseedy. Crazy right?! He was doing great and was really excited I was going to Rome.  Then he told me that he ended up getting to serve a mission and was called to the Catania mission.  Then, the other day I was looking through the area book and old baptism records and I saw his name again!  He was here (at least in Bari) like 6 years ago as a missionary.  Crazy huh?!?! But I guess when your 1. American 2. Military and 3. Mormon the world isn't too big anymore... =)

I was wondering recently, where did Mandy get her mission call? I heard she put her papers in but that's it.

I studied a talk by Neal A. Maxwell this week and he said something that really hit me and I've been thinking about it all week.  He said, "we need to widen our circle of influence";  which I agree with 100% as long as we really are the "light of the world".  This is too precious and important to not share.  I don't have much more time but I know the Book of Mormon was written for us individually and that as we read and study it daily we will find new strength to move forward and upward.  I pray that all is well and wish you a happy Ides of March and St. Patrick’s Day.

Alma 37:34

--

Vi Voglio Bene,

Anziano Stewart

Chapter Three: The 12th Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the Bitontians

Hello Spring!

What a week.

I'm not sure where to start.  Ok, on Thursday we went to Brindisi to do an exchange.  It was a lot of fun and I feel like we were able to help the Anziani there out. They are both hilarious! Anziano Gziani is from Albania and Anziano Cueller is a Mexican from Texas.  They have been together for a long time and have been kind of down; so we went and I feel like we really brought some fire and I hope it lasts. 

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about transfer calls...Anziano Miller and me are staying! Sweet right!? At the end of this transfer were going to have spent something like 2300 hours awake together. Nice right.  I'm really excited and know that we can really make a model zone of Bitonto.  We can already see results this week.  We've been doing a lot of finding and I really like it.  =) Oh, and Anziano Pedriera is the District Leader now, I'm really excited to have him as a leader.  He is one of the best teachers I've met.

On Sunday we were waiting in church, expecting a new convert. As we were waiting, a man (Massimo) walks in and says that he wants to learn English (we've done a TON of publicity for our course).  So we said great! And then he stopped us and said "but even more than that, I want to learn about your religion."  We weren't sure what to think we were so shocked but we said "Great! Would you like to have a short lesson right now?" And we taught him and set up another appointment.  It's such a blessing because we've had trouble actually meeting with our contacts.  We've doubled, maybe tripled our potential investigator pool but meeting with them is pretty hard.  So this miracle really helped us.

Quickly, I want to talk about how much I love being with Anziano Miller.  It is so easy to work with him!!  He really has a love for this work, and the Italians. His mom told him I don't talk about him enough so; I decided to talk about him a bit. =)  She also say's Dad doesn’t put the right dates or update the blog weekly!! =)

Antonietta came to church again with her daughter.  She is coming along well.  She is pretty excited about Stake Conference but I'm afraid she's not reading...

Dad asked what I presented to the district. I used D&C 64:33-34 as a way to encourage them to:

1-work

2-strive to do so with the spirit and

3-look for the small things in work and in life. 

It was great to hear from you Grandma Batty.  And thank you for the package; I can't wait to receive it!  My only request would be Laketown raspberries. =) But, sadly, I don't think you can send those to Italy... This week the weather was great! It actually bugged me that I have to still wear a jacket.  I can't wait for General Conference.

Oh, Sorella De Feo went CRAZY when I told her about Sorella Weyland.  She was asking me all kinds of questions that I had no answer to.  She asked me how to find her on facebook.  Do you think you could help me out with that...I had a question about that SD card I sent home in one of those packages.  Were you able to restore it? I hope so because there were some good memories on it.

I'm sorry to hear about Mattie’s ears... let me know how it goes.  What ever happened with Saras wrist? Maren, that’s great that you’re teaching J school but you need to think about the other things you teach her too.  You're her big sister and she really looks up to you, make sure you set a good example for her to follow. Sara, how are those green smoothies? =P Still your favorite? I hope so!

Man, I really miss you guys.  But I couldn't be happier than where I am right now.  I know The Lord is "silent notes taking, of every action” big or small and that in the end all of our "losses" will be made up.  And that is really what keeps me going sometimes.  I read a talk this week by President Eyring where he talked about Isaiah 40:31 and waiting upon the Lord.  He made a wooden sign for his son a long time ago and wrote "On eagles wings" referring to this scripture.  This is also true.  I'm grateful for you all and all you do, your prayers, letters, and thoughts. I love you.  Ciao.

--

Vi Amo,

Anziano Stewart