Chapter Five: The 9th Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the Sicilians

Less than a month to Christmas... and I'm still sweating because it's so hot....

Man, this might have been one of the best, fastest, busiest, and hardest weeks in Messina.  Things are great.  First, we had Nicole's baptism.  It went really well.  There were more than 50 people who came, many of whom were members but a lot were investigators or non-members.  The program went well.  There was however a little problem/miracle.  While I was changing into the white clothes, my a nerve in my lower back just went crazy and I couldn't stand up or sit down; it hurt to move and it hurt to be still.  Just like it happened in the MTC.  I wasn't sure what to do.  I just kept on thinking, why??

First, this is stuff that happens to old people. =P plus, it was minutes before the baptism.  But I just kind of stayed still for a bit, said a couple of prayers, and was able to stand up and go and sit down in the chapel.  From the time that I sat down to the time I got out of the font my back didn't bother me at all, actually I almost forgot about it.  However, as soon as I put my foot on the ground my back started to hurt again.  It was quite the experience.  Walking home that night was slow and painful.... but now everything is fine.  

I'm not really sure what happened but I got some meds and took it easy for a couple of days and now everything is a-ok.  But it was a very strong experience, it makes me think of our mission motto: "Aspettati un miracolo" (expect a miracle) the Lord has his work and we are the people who bring it forth, and when we aren't able to do all that He needs us to do, He makes it possible some way or another.

Anziano Walker is doing pretty well, his Italian is coming right along. (Everyone here calls him "Walker Texas ranger" it's hilarious!!)  This Sunday we ate at Sorella Cannone's home.  (You’ll meet her at Christmas)  for the meat, she gave us horse steak.  Ha ha, it was pretty funny to tell Anziano Walker that he was eating horse, I wish I could have taken a picture of his face.  It's actually not very good, it's really tough and it doesn't taste all that good.  But it's illegal in the US so that adds an allure to eat it, or at least try it. =)

We have a Sri Lankan family that is investigating the church; I don't remember if I told you... But we have baptismal dates set with them and their friend for the 22nd of December.  Things are going fantastically with them.  They are so humble.  It's amazing also, some of the knowledge that we take for granted.  This week they asked if we knew anything about Christ coming a second time because they had heard about it previously, but knew nothing about it.  When they asked, I was left with my mouth open, I didn't know what to say, I couldn't believe it!  

We've been focusing on having Christ at the center of all the lessons that we do with them so that they can learn as much as possible about him.  They are an amazing family.  They met with the bishop this last week as well.  He was very impressed by how humble they are and how sincere their search for the truth is.

Speaking about the bishop, he's so great! This last week, for an entire day we went around with him and he presented us to 3 of him friends plus a couple of less active families.  2 of the 3 friends are going to start meeting with us because they are very interested, the other is in the hospital for now but once he goes out he wants to meet with us!  Well, that's all.  

VVB statemi bene!!!

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

Anziano Stewart

Chapter Five: The 8th Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the Sicilians

Alma 37:37

Ok, first, thank you all for your letters! They were great!!  All I got out of Mattie’s letter is that she's a very sick person... oh, and that Abby got her wisdom teeth out. =) This is so great! I'm very grateful for you all and the examples that you are and the support that you give.  You're the best, I couldn't ask for a better family.

Man, things are really changing there!  Almost everyone's going on a mission, and everyone else is getting married. Ha, ha that is so cool that Lyss has put in her papers!  Let me know where she ends up going.  I didn't know that Grandma and Grandpa were thinking about going on a mission!  That is so cool.  It kind of stinks because if they leave when school gets out I won't see them for another couple of years but it's worth it! =) 

So my new comp is Anziano Walker.  He's from the Los Angeles area.  He's adjusting to this crazy, amazing life pretty well.  The first couple of days were kind of rough but that's normal.  The first days you're jet lagged, exhausted, confused, you don't understand anything everyone says, and you usually get down on yourself because you want to do all you can to be the best you can but you're lucky if you get a couple of sentences out. But he's great.  He's having a little trouble with the language but it's not his fault, it's because here people speak 1/2 Italian, 1/2 Siciliano.  He also has a sister that's serving in Germany, sadly not the Frankfurt mission, she's in Berlin.

As far as Nicole and Pina, things are going great, more or less.  With Nicole things couldn't be better, the interview went perfectly, and now we're preparing for the baptism on Saturday!  She's so cute!! I'll make sure to send some pictures next week.  I find it very fortunate that on the week of Thanksgiving we have a baptism. (It wasn't planned; no one here knows or cares about Thanksgiving Day)  Tender mercy.  

With Pina, things are going a little less well, but there is still hope. In Latin there is a saying that hope is the last to die. =) Her addiction to smoking is very strong.  She wants to be baptized but there's that little part of her that is holding back and that is what keeps messing us up...   But we're hoping to have a nice powerful lesson with her tomorrow in church that hopefully will put everything into perspective for her and we can get going at 100%

Well family, I need to go... sadly.  Know that I love you and that I can't wait to see you at Christmas!!  Let me know how Thanksgiving goes, and say hello to everyone for me. 

VVB

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

Anziano Stewart

Chapter Five: The 7th Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the Sicilians

I'm going to have a son!! (I’m going to train another missionary!!)

Catania District

Well this last week we received our transfer calls and Anziano Giovita, after 8 months here in Messina, is going to leave.  He's going to Crotone.  I'm going to stay here and I'm going to be training.  Tonight I'm going to find out whom it will be that I train.  I'm pretty excited!! It's going to be a crazy transfer!! We’re hopefully going to have 2 baptisms, there's Christmas, thanksgiving (not that they celebrate it here but who cares!!), plus on top if all that I get to introduce another missionary to this great work.  I'm pretty excited.  But i am sad to say goodbye to Anziano Giovita.  He's a great person.  Hopefully at least we'll be able to see each other before I finish.  

This past week or so we've been going around visiting everyone that we could so that Anziano Giovita could say goodbye to everyone.  And as everyone (more or less) is Sicilian, they offered (aka obliged) us food.  So for the past 3 days I have had a full stomach and I haven't eaten anything from our home.  Man, people insist here and if you reject then they get offended.  So were eating like 5 meals a day but not little snacks, we're talking like lasagna, frittata, pasta al forno, arancini, pizza... I'm done.

Pina and Nicole are doing great! Both came to church, hallelujah!!  Were hoping that everything will go well for all of them.  Nicole especially is doing wonderfully!  With Pina we need to help her fix a date and time in which she will no longer smoke a cigarette.  And then we need to also get her to continue to come to church.  The family that I talked about last week is still having some pretty big problems.... but Dilahni (the mom) told me on Sunday that she is feeling a lot better ever since we came by.  So hopefully as we continue to come she will become stronger and stronger.

You're going to have to forgive me that the letter is short (but remember that there are pictures as well!!!) We are in a hurry because we need to see everyone before we go to Catania tonight.  

I love you all and wish you well!!! VVB

--

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

Anziano Stewart

Chapter Five: The 6th Epistle of Anziano Stewart to the Sicilians

It's the 7th of November and we still sleep with the fan on....

Man, mom, you just overloaded my head!!!  Too much crazy, amazing, strange news!!!  Abby decided to start her papers next month, Brynn is going to China, James is getting married, Adam is going to Chicago on a mission, Jessica is a mom, and missionaries are getting mission calls to Taiwan temporarily until they can go to China!!!!!!!!!!!!  HOLY COW!!!!!!!!  I'm not sure how to take all this information!!  I guess just say hello to everyone for me, tell James I expect an invitation even if he knows I can't come. =)

Milazzo

This week flew by just like every week, but that's not new...yesterday we were part of one of the most profound miracles that I've ever seen.  For about a month, there has been a family that has been coming to activities in church and yesterday we felt very strongly that we needed to call them and see if we could meet to start teaching them the lessons.  When we called she was crying and started to tell us about all of her problems, but in the end she told us that we could meet.  Well later on in the day we went to see them. (Which was kind of difficult to find their house) We got to their home and said hello and everything, then right after we said the opening prayer, their mom just started bawling.  It turns out that she was so hopeless and desperate because of all their problems and difficulties that she had decided to take her life that very morning.  

But because we called (and it was the very last thing that she expected) she decided not to do it.  Then, throughout the lesson we found out that more or less the whole family is at their last thread.  But by the end of the lesson they were very optimistic and happy and excited even to learn about the restored gospel and for the blessings that await them.  It was really an amazing experience.

About the Mostro dei Mostre (the monster of street displays) it went really well!! The first day there was a flood!!!!! it rained a ton!! But we were still out there (under a pavilion of course) but the other days there were clear skies and a ton of people.  It was very tiring to be out there standing, stopping people etc. from 10 am to 8 pm, but it really brought fruits.  We have upwards of 30 people who want to know more and even more who are interested, and we wont even talk about English course.  It was amazing.  The city hall will allow us to do it 2 other times before Dec. 31 so we're going to do one for Christmas time and another just whenever.

We have 2 dates right now, one with Nicole and the other with Pina.  It's almost sure that Nicole’s will go through, but for Pina's, we're really going to have to work.  She has to just bite the bullet and buckle down.  She knows what she needs to do but she just doesn't do it.  It's maybe the most irritating thing to see.  Because I understand if some people don't know or understand certain things so they do wrong things but she knows that she needs to come to church and that she has to stop smoking but in the end that's not what she does.  However she does want to be baptized, a lot! So hopefully that will be her motivation to do it.

Everything else here is great; I absolutely love missionary work!! It's such a blessing to be able to help in this great work.  I know that it's the Lord that he is at the head of all of this.  Tell everyone that I love them and have a great week!!

Alma 34:38 =)

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

Anziano Stewart