Chapter Six: The 13th Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the People of Italy

Addio Presidente Kelly, Benvenuto Presidente Waddoups

Quindi, eccoci qua ancora un altra volta.  Non mi stanco mai a scrivervi.  How exciting that Maren is now 10! Crazy! The picture of her with all the money was a little worrying though... her smile was just a little too big.  Maren, that's not where happiness is!  But I'm glad that you had a good day, and don't worry, in a month or so, we can go to Cascades together. =)

So I was thinking about what I can do to keep me busy when I get home, and there was a class that I wasn't able to sign up for that I can take online.... what do you think?  I hope that you're in agreement. =) If so, could you sign me up for it and order the book(s) so that I can start as soon as I get there? Thanks!  The class is: "PDBIO 120: Offered by BYU Independent Study; enroll anytime throughout year; one year to complete; additional tuition required; register at elearn.byu.edu"

And is there any news about the commissary job? Or the temple trip?

This week has been nice.  We still have Anziano Visintin at home because he's still contagious but other than that things have been rather calm.  On Saturday, we had an amazing ward activity.  It was a little presentation on the church and mainly on the temple.  We got a total of 15 numbers all of which were member referrals!! The ward here is awesome! They are so missionary minded.  The bishop always is bringing friends to church and giving us referrals.  On Sunday, we also had an amazing sacrament meeting.  The microphone was broken so there was an added emphasis on reverence, it was really a blessing in disguise, the spirit was so strong. 

So now there are 70,000 missionaries!!! Pretty awesome huh? How exciting!  I can't believe that there has been an explosion so big of missionaries.  I think that either this year or next we'll get to a total of 1 million baptisms as a church.  Speaking of baptisms, this week we are having 4 this week.  There's a nine year old and a family that are taking the plunge.  It's pretty exciting!!  Well, I have to go, but I love you all and can't wait to see you in just a month!

Thank you for all that you do for me, you really are the best! Vi voglio un sacco di bene! Ciao!
--
"Look inside yourself, you're more than what you've become.  Remember who you are."  The Lion King
Anziano Stewart

Chapter Six: The 12th Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the People of Italy

Sorry it's late

Okay first of all, sorry that I'm sending this super late.  We had to rearrange and paint the office and we just barely got it back up and working.  And on top of that we have someone at home who has the chicken pox!! So he can't leave the house and someone always has to stay with him, poor guy! But basically things have been crazy.  On top of everything we're trying to prep for President Waddoups.  Time is flying!  I can't believe it!  Did you get my travel plans? Is it official.  I just can't think about it.  I keep telling myself that while I'm at home with Anziano Visintin (Anziano with chicken pox) I can get a head start on packing because as you can see on the calander attached, my last month is going to be pretty busy. Ha-ha, it's better that way!

Abby only has 1 more week?! Wow, how do you feel? Are you ready?  I'm sure you are.  I'm so excited for you! Go get em!! You're a trained "hunter" now (Jeramiah 16:16  Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.) Remember to look for them EVERYWHERE, even in the holes in the rocks.

Mom, if I can still choose, a window seat would be nice.

About the influx of new missionaries, we have a REALLY young mission, more than 70% of our mission is in the field less than 6 months.  We have quite a few non native Italian speakers who are training only after 12 weeks in the field. And 2 of the 3 assistants are in the field less than a year!!! There are some crazy things that are happening in our mission.  So needless to say, our training this round of Zone Conferences is going to be on "Faith in Ourselves" and that the Lord qualifies he whom he calls.  We're pretty excited. 

I read a talk from Henry B. Eyring this week about the "Law of INCREASING Returns".  It was really  well written. I loved how he talked about how we just need to wait for the returns, they will come, and we can be sure of that, we just need to have faith in him and keep on keepin' on.

I love you all and can't wait to talk to you next week.
Ciao!!

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

Chapter Six: The 11th Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the People of Italy

Hey, I love you all!

Ok, So our week was great! it was a long trip and it's nice to be home but we were able to do a lot and we had a lot of fun.  It was such a blessing to be able to go back to Sicilia.  President Kelly actually said a lot of really great things that really hit me.  He just kind of unloaded all of the wisdom that he has acquired on the last conference.   The thing that I liked the most was "Love is what you've been through together" Life really is about the little things.  We have to love the journey, and not just wait to get to the destination to be happy, the journey is what's fun!

He also said something about leadership that I really liked, he said, "Leadership is all about relationships".  I read a talk a week ago or so about the difference between leadership and management, and the difference is exactly this sentence, Leaders don't direct, they experience things together and in doing so, give the example that all look to.

The third and last thing that he said that I really liked was something that C.S. Lewis said, which in the end, is just what Ether 12:27 says, but basically, C.S. Lewis says, if we are in a room cleaning, the more light there is, the dirtier it seems and the harder we have to clean.  If instead the light is very dim, we will see just the beginning of the dust, dirt, and stains and we will clean those thinking that we have done a good job.  In reality we have, according the the light that we had.  But as we receive more light, the more aware we are of things.

This week I met Brother Page's uncle and aunt in church!  They were here on vacation from San Diego, and they said that before they PCS in a month or so, that they are going to come to Roma! That's awesome!

I don't know about getting a 1988 Vespa.... what about a Red Ducati Monster instead?  Motorcycles have really been growing on me... but in the end we could just get both right?

Also, have you received a package from the Napoli Branch President?  I sent it to him about 3 weeks ago, I'm not sure when he sent it though...

I think I'd like to fly out on the 28th of August if it's possible, that way I have at least a couple days to get myself organized for school, there is so much that I have to do! Also because Monday is a holiday...I don't think that it'll be possible to go to Switzerland for the sealing.  But I can at least go to the Frankfurt one, with who I don't know, but it'd be nice to go.

Here's a picture of me with the branch president of Reggio Ccalabria and his wife, they are so awesome!  I was so fortunate to be able to see them this trip.

Well, sorry it's kind of short, it's transfer week and we are super busy, but I love you and can't wait to hear about Sara's birthday, summer, the last couple weeks in the MTC and how things are going in Bear Lake!

VVB!
Ciao!

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

What's this, no letters from Home?

HEY!! I'm about to start Internet, you should write me!!! Just because I come home in 2 months doesn't mean you don't have to write me!!

VVB!!!
A presto!

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

Chapter Six: The 10th Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the People of Italy

I don't countdown the days, I count the opportunities!

First things first, I'M IN SICILIA and it feels good to be home again!!! The first part of our road trip is over, we're at an Internet point right now doing e-mail and mission numbers.  It's always great to be able to come to Catania.  We did some exchanges in Napoli, Messina, and now as soon as we finish, in Catania.  Things are going well. 

It's nice to be able to just do missionary work and not worry about all the other things on your to do list.  But as far as preparation goes for the new Mission President, things are right on schedule, and time is going really quickly!  We're really excited for the change, maybe me in particular because this way I will have to finish my mission strong, I won't have another option.  Training him and helping him with everything, my last 3 weeks will be the busiest yet! A mission really is an endurance race.  So is conversion.  I read this earlier this week, "conversion isn't a step, it's a lifelong process in which we become more like Christ." 

I got 2 emails from "Abby Stewart"this week.  One from my sister Abby in the MTC and one from Abby in the Missouri Independence mission telling me I had the WRONG sister Abby Stewart. Ha-ha Oops!! What I don't understand is why she didn't say something earlier?  It's almost been a month that I have been sending emails to her....good thing thats been resolved.

I really like the idea that dad had to spend a week at the temple as a capstone to my mission.  As long as food, sleep, and maybe company.... are all organized, it'd be wonderful!  I also have another request that might work well with that idea.  Namalie and Kushan (a Sri Lankan couple in Messina that were baptized a about a year and a half ago are going to be sealed in the Swiss temple on August 26th and will be there the whole week with a large part of the ward of Messina.  I'd really like to be present.  Yesterday, they actually asked me of I could come and be one of the witnesses! I couldn't believe it! It's something that I'd really like to do.

Also, another idea that is floating around in my head is to find some cheap flights and go to Messina and Reggio Calabria for a couple days before I go back to school in the U.S. and visit members and new converts (there are a couple that could benefit from it.) Plus it's a great time of year to go, however it's kind of a pricey....let me know what you think about it.

Well, just one last thought before I go (sorry it's short... we don't have much time..) I was reading today in the Book of Mormon where Alma invites the people to be baptized and asks them basically why would you wait to be baptized? You know that it will bring the spirit in your lives even more strongly.  It made me think about what I can do or change to have the spirit stronger in my life.
I love you all very much, stammi bene!! VVB!!
--
"Look inside yourself, you're more than what you've become.  Remember who you are."  The Lion King
Anziano Stewart