Chapter Six: The 6th Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the People of Italy

Transfer Week

Its great to hear from you all, I'm glad to hear that Abby made it home safely. 

This weekend we had the Rome stake conference, it went really well.  Elder Tad Callister was here to reorganize the Stake Presidency, seeing as the stake President was called to be an Area Seventy.  We were able to have a nice little morning side with him and his wife.  It was so great! He's such a great teacher!

We also got the transfer calls done.  It was very hectic because Elder Callister was here during the whole process, but we were able to figure out who should go where and let them know.  We didn't write yesterday because we were working on the travel plans, which honestly was maybe the most stressful thing that I've done as an assistant.  I think we should just hire a travel agent!  It would make things much more easy! But we should be done with those, whew!

This week my companion goes home.  It's too bad; I really liked serving with him.  He's one of the people that I really would like to hang out with after the mission.  About my new companion, his name is Anziano Bird, and he WON'T be an assistant.  He will be an office missionary and my driver (Camron has never had a drivers license). Pretty crazy eh??? I'm going to need your prayers being the only assistant.  

The reason there's only one is because there just aren't any good candidates.  Anziano Bird is a great missionary but he is still really young in the mission, he just passed his 6th month mark.  So I think that for a transfer he'll be "mission clerk" and then next transfer, he'll become Assistant.  

This week is going to be crazy! We are going to sleep in the mission home more than our home! We have greenies coming in on Tuesday and on Wednesday, transfers all Thursday (and also a bit on Friday), and the old missionaries going home on Friday!  OH YEAH!!!!! 

Well, we need to start working on some things to get ready for this crazy week.  I hope that you all have a great week!! And make sure to send some pictures!!

Do you remember Mozzarella di Bufala?!?!?

Good job on all the letters! You’re the best!!

And Mattie, take whichever language course you feel you should take... but I feel that Spanish is much more useful than German. All the people who speak German speak English already.

Chapter Six: The 5th Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the People of Italy

Here we are, at the end of another transfer

What a week, sorry this is kind of late.  Sicily was GREAT! We drove past our old house on our way to a lunch appointment in Paternò!!!  Also, the Virgillito and Battezzato famililes say hello.  Sadly it rained the whole time but it was really a good exchange.  

Anziano Kasper is an amazing missionary!  The Zone Conference went really well also.  It's crazy how much we fly in our mission... its just so big!  In less then a month, I've already flown 4 different times.  The flight back from Catania was very beautiful! We took off right at sunset and once we got above the clouds the sun there was the most beautiful scene ever!  The sun was shining on the clouds and on the horizon there were all kinds of purple and oranges, it was fantastic.  This world is such a great blessing, it's filled with so much beauty.

I'm sorry to hear about Grandma Pinder.  But that's wonderful that she is recovering alla grande!  What a blessing that she broke her neck in different places but isn't paralyzed.  It's almost unbelievable. Tell her hello for me and I'll remember to pray for her.

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Real quickly, about AVID.  I honestly think that for me it was useless.  They work a lot on organization and "study skills".  To help A-B students become straight A students.  But I really felt like it was all wasted time.  I would have much rather preferred to have taken another class that was much more interesting and that taught me more useful things. Well we're going to talk transfers today and then tomorrow we have a meeting with Elder Tad Callister of the Presidency of the Seventy, then Saturday transfer calls and Sunday Stake Conference and Monday there's trips to the airport and other errands, and on Tuesday the new Italian missionaries are coming in, then on Wednesday the new Provo MTC missionaries, then on Thursday transfers, then Friday Anziano Longhurst goes home!  

Have a great week! Hear from you on Sunday! Love you!

SURPRISE!  Happy Birthday Anziano!

Chapter Six: The 4th Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the People of Italy

Wasn’t conference great? 

In front of the Rome Temple

I loved how they all talked about obedience and how when we follow the commandments we are able to find the peace that we all look for in life.  Isn't it great to have living prophets on the earth today?  The Gospel is great! I love it. 

So my companion isn't trunky or dead but he's been thinking a lot about home lately and today we were talking at lunch about the mission and what it's done for us, how it's changed us etc. and probably the biggest thing that we came up with is how it really changes your desires.

The desires that I had and my future 2 years ago are quite different from the desires that I have right now for my future.  It's amazing how when you are in the Lord's service he, in the meanwhile aligns our will with his. 

That's exciting about J's tooth.  Mattie, you read too much.  Sara, keep on getting out there and sweating! 

Well, I don't really have much more to say.  This next week is going to be crazy.... for a change.... we're going to Bari on Wednesday and Thursday then we fly to Catania on Saturday and we're there until Tuesday night.  Things just keep on getting busier and busier.  

President Kelly says that if you can be an assistant in the Italy Rome mission you can do anything... I don't know about that but the longer I'm here the more I believe it!  But I also am growing to love it.  It's still missionary work; just instead of proselyting we serve.  And serving is great.  Have a great week!

Anziano Stewart

Chapter Six: The 3rd Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the People of Italy

What a week?!?! 

Allora. It's been crazy! But I like it that way.  The Zone Conference in Sardinia went really well. After seeing it (Sardinia) I'm pretty bummed that I never had the chance to serve there, it's so pretty and clean and organized!  The conference went well, we are seeing a lot of success from our addestramento on baptismal dates.

The same for the conference here in Roma, it went really well.  There were a ton of missionaries though, like 45! The Rome zone is huge!!!  The Malta missionaries came up also.  The day after we went around Roma with the Malta Anziani because they had never seen it and they had time before their flight left.  It was kind of nice to get a p-day to tell the truth, I kind of miss them... 

Conference yesterday was great! I especially liked President Eyring's talk.  I'm excited to see the other sessions today!

The new missionary (Anziano Budd) seems like a really organized and on the ball guy.  Yesterday was a little rough for him though... he had a flight from SLC to Roma then we did orientation and training we then went to the mission home to eat and then straight to conference.  He was so tired! Poor guy.  His trainer is a great missionary from Austria; I know that they will do some great work.

Mom, I know it's early but HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!  

You made it another year! =P  Mattie, make sure you organize it so that mom doesn't have to do anything, you all can cook, clean and that way she can do what she wants the whole day… sound good? That can be our present to her.

I really liked what dad said in his email about chasing after fireworks.  It's something that you can see in the lives of many people.  There is one man in particular that comes to mind in Reggio Calabria who is now 55ish, but earlier in his life he did just that and he is still suffering the physical, emotional, and financial side effects.  Not to mention that he isn't happy at all.

Well, it's hard to know what to write you because there isn't really any big news but things are going well.  I'm really excited for Conference today and Anziano Longhurst is getting ready to go home whether he likes it or not.... =P

I love you all and can't wait to see you on Mother’s Day!! Take care and say hello to everyone for me.

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"Look inside yourself, you're more than what you've become.  Remember who you are."  The Lion King 

Anziano Stewart