Chapter Three:: The 19th Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the Bitontians

^{Festa!! 25 Aprile!!}

Happy 25th of Apri!!



It sounds like you all had a great week.  The pictures from Amsterdam

looked especially great!  That's too bad the Wonnacotts are leaving, they

are a really great family.  Where are they going? That's good Abby is

eating again, and stocking shelves at the commissary?!? How'd she swing that?! sweet!!! It sounds like Sara is really enjoying softball!! How is she at it? Mom,

why do you think Mattie is going to become an English teacher?  And a

suggestion for Maren, read a chapter of the Book of Mormon at the

beginning of "school".  I bet it'll do wonders. =)

Quickly, before I start, Mothers Day is the 13th.  I'm not sure if

we’re going to call on the 13th or the 12th.  President is leaving that

up to us.  I'll talk about it with Anziano Bradshaw and get back to

you next week or maybe later today. (our internet time is going to be

a little split up this week with how p-day worked out.)  Also, dad did

you ever get the blog situated?

So, week one with Anziano Bradshaw is a success.  He's a great

missionary with an incredible capacity to love and to lift those

around him.  We have done a lot more of less active work and searching

for ex-investigators.  It's all going well.  However, the best

experience this week was on Saturday, his 2nd day here.  

We figured out why we are both here in Bitonto.  We were eating with some members and the time came to share the spiritual thought.  During the

spiritual thought the members broke down and in essence told us that

they have seen a huge problem this past year and last 6 months

especially with the branch.  From that and also talking to other

members, we found out that the Branch is struggling, even dying.

From the time I’ve been here it's been like this and there are certain

people who really are trying to hide it and say there is no problem,

that “all is well in Zion”.  And I was fooled.  Anyways, this is

Anziano Bradshaw’s 5th city and all 5 have been small Branches.  

His home Branch is like that too.  So, he was sent here because he’s had

plenty of experience with these things and I'm still here because

after being in a city for 6 months you learn a lot about it and the

people in it.  So together we will, with our various abilities and

knowledge, help this branch begin to be unified, grow and love each

other.

Today we played soccer in the beautiful Italian sun.  It was fun but

with fivefingers it was a little difficult, but not too much to score. =P

So already it's pretty crazy with the whole Romney - Obama thing huh? Crazy!!

I'm sorry that this is a day late, sometimes missionary work is

spontaneous like that... How did Sara's game go? I'm sure they did

great.  Well I hope you all stay safe, busy and always remember that

each one of us truly has an unlimited potential within us as children

of our Heavenly Father.  I love you all. =)

--

Vi Amo,

Anziano Stewart