Chapter Three: The 24th Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the Bitontians

Ciao, Ciao!

Wow!! You all wrote some good letters this week. Nice! Thanks a bunch.  Well this week we got transfer calls.  I am leaving Bitonto tomorrow morning at 0800 and I'm going to Reggio Calabria!! My companion will be Anziano Errante.  However, I got a call yesterday telling me that he needs to go home (at least for a couple days) due to family problems. So I will be in Messina (with the rest of our district) for a couple days. And if Anziano Errante comes back (he might not) I'll be with him.  If not I will be blown in to Reggio with someone else... I really hope that Anziano Errante comes back.  I was really hoping I could be with him because he's Italian and he is now the oldest missionary in the mission (oldest in the sense that he is the closest to going home) however, he's also like 25!

It sounds like you all are having a great time and finding plenty to do.  

This week we were able to do our normal bi-weekly service when we feed elderly people at the rest home.  I love doing service.  It's also very effective at finding new investigators, for some reason, as soon as they see us helping and serving they have all the interest in the world, and then we capitalize. Forza America!

As far as investigators goes, we are kind of at square one.  We still have people who are willing to meet and talk however, no one makes progress.  So we've moved them to 1 lesson/every 1-2 weeks.  It's hard to see, especially the last week that you're in a city but I just can't see everything right now.

This week at District meeting Anziano Parry (who is now on a train to Roma, and tomorrow will fly home.)  Gave a wonderful addestramento on desires.  It really helped.  He's a great missionary, and I really look up to him.  There was also something that Sorella Scarolla said during her lesson on Sunday.  "When we are called to work for the Lord, we need to do it in His way."  It really hit me and helped me review how I look at things.

Well, I'm not sure if it's like this every time but I am pretty sad that I'm leaving Bitonto.  I'm really going to miss it.  I love the people, members, food, and just the air there.  But anyways, I need to go.  I can't wait to tell you about my new city. Look it up on google maps!!  

I love you all and pray daily for you.

Con affetto,

Anziano Stewart

Chapter Three: The 23rd Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the Bitontians

Day four, week five, transfer six

Well this transfer flew by!  We already receive calls on Saturday and on Thursday there's transfers!  It is really too fast.  I feel like Jacob when he said that his life passed before him as a dream. 

Anyways, sorry this is a day late.  We had to go to Napoli Tuesday night and we got back at like 2045 last night.  It was a long trip. (the assistants made us take a bus instead of a train.)  But it was so nice to go back.  Luckily Anziano Bradshaw also served there so we were both really excited to go.  We were able to visit a family from the branch where Anziano Bradshaw served who were baptized a couple weeks ago.  They ended up having us stay for lunch and they gave him a Napoli scarf and they gave me a Napoli hat. =)  They are really amazing members who are very strong.  They also have a son who's name is Antonio and while we were there I caught him singing "I am a child of God"  It was really good to see them.  

I also was able to buy a couple jerseys, one of the Napoli team and the other of the national Italy team.  We were also able to enjoy the best pizza in the world.  ("Da Michele"  look it up)  And then there's the permesso.  We showed up at 0830 like we were instructed.   They said we needed to return between 1430 and 1630, which we did.  We told them we were told to come back and they asked if this was the day we were supposed to be there?  We answered yes.  They asked are you sure???  Again, we said yes!

They then went and started talking about some text that we were supposed to send and how that text would tell us which day we needed to be there. Now, just so you know... this office was EMPTY! No one was there.  So we kinda stuck around. =) We started talking a bit about the church and then I asked them where exactly the permesso was.  They avoided the question. We talked a bit more about the church and again I asked where the permesso was.  They said, “oh it's here however, its in our safe and we don't really want to get up”.  Then I said oh, it's here... well we are actually working close to Bari now and we came here to pick it up, would that be possible?  Then one of the Carabinere said, “yeah alright follow me”,  and 3 minutes later I had my permesso.  Classic Italy! =)

This week The Lord has really been trying to teach me something and I'm obviously not getting it.  We are working our tails off but we are seeing no progress.  Frank Christmas really needed work when we started meeting with him.  Well he started reading the Book of Mormon and praying and BOOM, he found work.  But now he doesn't have time to meet.  We should be able to see him tomorrow night.   This week I feel like I've really learned a lot from my studying and sharing what I've studied with others.  

The thing that I have learned most from this week is that improvement always comes with a price.  

I love you all.  I pray for you daily and I hope you make every hour count! 

Dio vi benedica. =)

--

Vi Voglio Bene,

Anziano Stewart

Chapter Three: The 22nd Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the Bitontians

Missionary work.... I'm doing it!

Man, It's like we talked just the other day (Mother’s Day) =)  It was great to see you and harder than you know to hang up.  The fact that I could see you all didn't help much either.  After I was pretty trunky and was thinking a lot about you all.  But the more I thought about it the more it really drove me and gave me strength to work harder and dedicate myself even more to this wonderful work.  

This week we did 2 exchanges with Poggiofranco.  First off I was with Anziano Perry.  This is his 1st and last transfer in Bari.  He goes home in 3 weeks! He's a really good example and has a lot of experience, (as he should after 2 years!)  I learned a lot from him, more than anything how to work with Italians and help them understand how this message really applies to them.  

Then with Anziano Meldrum, whom I've known since last July in the MTC and we lived in the same house in Napoli.  Now we’re in the same district in Bari, way cool story huh?  Needless to say, we've become great friends.  He is a really hard worker.  He played football for Boise State and there he learned how to find what you want and to work towards it without getting distracted.

We also set a baptismal date with Francesco Natale.  Sadly he wasn't able to come to church due to a communion.  But we are still meeting with him and hoping to get him to the waters of baptism.  He is definitely humble enough.

Also we kind of set a baptismal date with Francesco de Nicolo.  He needs to figure out how he is going to organize his Sundays but he is ready to get things moving.

This week there's a lot of potential for new investigators, which is exciting.  Oh and next Tuesday we're going to Napoli to pick up my Permesso!! I'm so excited!! I'm not sure how it's going to work out so I might not be able to write next Wednesday... we'll see.  I just don't want you to worry if I don’t e-mail you.

Well, I love you all and I hope you have a great week.  Maren, tell me how those singing lessons go.  Mattie, what book are you reading? Sara, how's softball.  J, how's the bunny?  Abby, how are you liking stocking?  What else are you doing with your time

?  

I gotta get going.  

48 Wherefore, my beloved family, ^pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true ^followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the children of God; that when he shall appear we shall ^be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be ^purified even as he is pure. Amen.

Pray for help, it will come!!!

--

Vi Voglio Bene,

Anziano Stewart

Chapter Three: The 21st Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the Bitontians

Buon Dì a Tutti "Così sì fa lavoro missionario"

Like always it's great to hear about everyone.  I'm glad that everyone is doing well even if J is being a stinker.  That's great about Mattie's terra nova results!! And Maren is really that tall?!?! You need to send me a picture!  Sara sounds pretty good at softball... atta girl!!

So Alisha is going to Sweden?!?! That's crazy! How does she feel about that?  When does she report?  To hear about your Cinco de Mayo party is almost too much.  I miss Mexican food a lot!! Last week we found a packet of enchilada sauce and we made enchilada pasta.  It wasn't an award winner but I sure loved it. =)

Well as for this week we really had a cool week.  Bari Poggiofranco had a baptism this Saturday.  About Nicola; we found out that he lives in the Bari Libertà zone but it's easier for him to come to Bitonto.  Notwithstanding, we gave him as a referral to the missionaries at Libertà, mostly because there is a lot of rule bending in the Church here, due mainly to the Italian culture.  But we wanted to be an example for everyone.  Well, when the Branch President found out he said "aww, you did well Anziani, however, if he felt he should come here, he should come here..." We explained what we thought and he told us that he'd talk with the stake president.  

Then, by chance we saw the Stake President later that day (he was in Bitonto for some Stake business.)  So we decided to ask him so that he wouldn't get a biased story... he told us "Anziani, don't worry about it!!!" ugh.  So we're gonna teach him, however, we haven't yet... his mom isn't ready for him to be meeting with us (remember that he's a 26 year old man.) Hopefully we'll be able to work something out.

This week in our District there were a total of 5 people that searched out the missionaries to find out about the church.  It's amazing to see the transformation that is happening right now in Italy.  I remember at the beginning, that people would spit and reject us, and for the most of my time here they've just ignored us.  But now people are starting to search us out.  Some people just have an innocent question, some like Niclola, seeking information about the temple, etc.  Italy is a prepared place and the people here are some of the best people in the world.  I love them.  We had a really good fast and testimony meeting on Sunday.  

Well I need to be going but watch the mailbox, I'm going to take advantage of these 3 euro ties while I can. =)

--

Vi Amo,

Anziano Stewart

Chapter Three: The 20th Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the Bitontians

A Baptism in May?

Well, like always, I'm not sure where to start.  I love being a missionary.  I've been with Anziano Bradshaw for a full week now and things are going great with us and things are going great in Bitonto.  And the Rome temple walls are slowly but surely rising up, it's going to be such a great blessing for the Italian people to have a temple in their country.  Satan's grasp is very strong on these people and I have seen how he is doing everything he can to make that grasp even stronger.  There is a lot of potential here in Italy.  I love serving here.

It was great to hear from mom, dad, and grandma all in the same week.  It was also nice to hear about all the girls.  I'm excited to be able to read some of Mattie's novels when I come home. And it sounds like Sara is just a natural softball player.  And now that Maren is getting a dollar for every day she finishes her school work before 12, I want to know if she realizes that if she does it for a month that she'll have 20 dollars.   Lets not even talk about a year! (almost 200!!!!  get on that Maren!!)  That's a really cool story about how mom and Abby got the stocking jobs.  That's a blessing.  How's Abby with virtually nothing to do during the day? I hope not just watching TV.  Read the Book of Mormon in 63 days.  That’s how long it took Joseph Smith to translate it, it'll strengthen your testimony, I know it.

So grandma and grandpa are the new Young Single Adult reps huh? Cool!! How are they liking that? I'm sure they are really enjoying it.  It's a good thing because now grandpas got something to fill those wonderful hours of retired life.  Grandma, I haven't received your package yet but I should tomorrow because we have zone conference.  Oh, I forgot to ask, how was Ginger's trip to Africa?

Mothers day…  =) We're going to call on Saturday the 12th around 1730/1800. va bene? sempre skype? credo di si!!

Mom, thank you for the suggestions for helping with the lack of unity with the members, I hope it helps.  Also, tell me about mission calls!! Alisha, Adam, Mandy and anyone else I missed.

Oh, and Anziano Millers Mom sent me a quick email, I wanted to tell her thank you.  (but the blog has to be updated for her to see it. =P  )

This week went well.  We taught more lessons than I ever have here in Bitonto.  But everything I was wanting to say about the week just got pushed aside by what just happened.  

Usually we go to Bari to do Internet however this week neither of us felt like or even wanted to go.  So we came to church to e-mail home.  After a little bit of time, the doorbell rang.  We went to see who it was.  There were 2 people, a man who didn't look like he wanted to be there and a boy (26) who was just beaming.  The father said that his son wanted to know a little bit about our church.  We looked at him (Nicola) and asked what he knew about the church.  He said that he knew a couple members and that he had also done some research on the Internet and that he wanted to know what he had to do to be a member of this church.  We were floored.  

We asked them to come in for a little so that we could explain some things.  We talked about the church, the Rome temple, and the prophet.  He loved it all.  Then he asked again what he had to do to be a member.  We explained that there were several things we needed to teach, he needed to come to church, and then at the end of the lessons we would ask him to be baptized.  He said that's great, when can we start.  We were speechless.

It's amazing how the Lord really looks out for his children and prepares them.  I'm excited to see what he has in store for Nicola.  It's quite coincidental how today, we got an email from the assistants that the mission has set a goal to have 20 baptisms in May and that they want every companionship to set a goal of 1 baptism for the month.  From what I understand of how our investigators are progressing, Nicola is already fighting for that May baptism.  

I love this work; I know it's true and that the Lord is directing it.  We just need to stop fighting what he's trying to do.

Have a wonderful week.  I love you.

--

Vi Amo,

Anziano Stewart