Good News: Gianluca Wants Me to Baptize Him; Bad News: He's 6'3"

Ciao....Good to hear from ya. Mom what happened? You really dropped the ball this week, didnt even send a letter. I'm just messing, I know ya get busy with work, church calling and running the house. I'm just glad I don't have to face what my companion goes through. Apparently last week his mom was just getting super annoyed with the church and wrote him a super long email about why she doesn't like our church. He responded about all the stuff she thought was wrong about it(kinda Bible bashed a little) but bore strong testimony why he converted. So know he just forwarded me her response this week. Basically, she is just too stubborn. She said to him something like, "I'm hurt that you would even think that I would convert someday". A lot of the stuff she says is pretty ridiculous and comes copied right off of the Internet, seriously. Anziano Bolnick is really awesome at handling it though. He has already dealt with the hardest part of being converted which was when he got kicked out of his house. Oh well. I think mom should totally go out to lunch with her sometime. haha I don't know how that would go down but yeah. His mom just thinks all LDS members are super fake and put on a face that we are all super righteous. Think about it though mom. haha


Well, I'm glad that my postcard really hit home for you, dad. It is a pretty sweet picture of the saints. I should have kept it and taped it onto my scriptures. Oh well, you got more out of it then I would have if I had kept it. By the way, I received Grandpa's letter last week even with the wrong address. I will also be sure to throw in a few prayers for you this week about getting another job. Dad I'm always praying for you all, "come on"(Job voice). As we PUSH(not just lally gag) forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having "perfetto fulgore di speranza e amore verso Dio e tutti gli uomini". Push forward feasting upon the words of Christ and persevere until the end, you will have eternal life( 2 Nephi 31:20). This is one of my favorites. I didn't quote it exactly but I really know it's true, along with the rest of the Book of Mormon. When we push forward with faith and hope, our Heavenly Father will bless us, and our Savior, Jesus Christ, will help us to endure. I'm praying for you though, even crossing my fingers.

That is good to hear that Hill and Lisa are working hard. It will be sweet to see how good Hill is when I get back(not to sound trunky or anything). Hopefully everyone else on the team can put in the same effort. Are the Jazz just stinking it up now after losing D Will?

Alright so this week was pretty sweet. We were able to find a couple people we have high hopes for(we have high hopes for everyone but sometimes it is evident who is more ready for the gospel. We found a man from Peru and one from Santo Domingo(if that's how you spell it). The man from Peru is Oscar and the other is named Domingo(what a coinkadink). Domingo has already started reading the scriptures and really likes them. He understands everything about our message so far and seems to really have a desire to know the truth.


Sunday we had stake conference in Milano. It was super, super far and was actually at a Hotel. It was pretty cool though and we got to see a ton of other misisonaries. It was really sweet to see so many members in Italy all gathered together. I think there were about 15 wards all together. We were also able to have a bunch of member present lessons. Fratello Almarante(converted couple years back) is a stud. He is like 40 years old and helps us out a ton. He is a little weird but is super funny and such a good member. He came with us to a lesson with a new convert and her non-member husband. We taught the restoration and it went really well. We were able to bear really strong testimonies. The husband is super busy all the time but he said he would continue reading the Bok of Mormon.

On Monday we went to district meeting in Milano. President Wolfgramm and Sorella Wolfgramm joined the meeting and it was really fun. We even got cookies that the office sisters made for us. Quick story, Anziano Poulson just got a new companion. Anziano Poulson is in Milano 3, which is the same ward as President Wolfgramm. When missionaries are struggling or almost go home, they usually get transferred to Milano 3 to be near President. So a missionary that got here 2 weeks ago wanted to go home, but his family talked him into staying. President decided to move him up to Milano 3 from Sienna. So Monday, I got to scambio with this super new greenie. Anziano Cluff. The best part about it was that we were going to Milano. It was like this because Ive already scambiod (done exchange) with Anziano Poulson and he had to go to Pavia. He had to go to Pavia because we were having our baptismal interview with Gian Luca and the interview is done by the district leader. So...long story short...me and Anziano Cluff went to Milano for our scambio. I have no clue where anything is in Milano; Anziano Cluff doesn't have a clue where anything is in Milano. I don't speak very good italian, Anziano Cluff doesn't speak any Italian. haha get the picture?...Well after about 2 hours of riding the bus we finally made it back to the Milano 3 apartment. The only thing Anziano Cluff knew was the our apartment was next to some huge spire. He kept saying, well if we can get there, i know how to get to the apartment. haha I was like well ok....It ended up being pretty fun. We had been invited by a Peruvian family for family home evening that night too so we had to find that. It wasn't too hard though and we had a really sweet time. I was able to lead the lesson, which I'm terrible at usually, but it was really good and Anziano Cluff was able to bear a short, very short testimony haha. The kid is super nice, and we really bonded during the scambio. I was surprised with how much advice I had to offer. I really have learned a lot since being out here. I also realized how much better my Italian has gotten haha. Being around a brand new missionary helps to realize the difference in how well you know the language. I guess it also depends on the missionary as well. So maybe I'm still pretty bad..haha just kidding.

Well other good news, Gian Luca passed his baptismal interview. He also wants me to baptize him haha, bad news is, Gian Luca is like 6'3 haha. When he asked me I was like "uh......well......if you want me to then yeah of course I will". haha so maybe you can all pray that I can literally have the strength to perform his baptism haha. The baptism was going to be this week but the bishop felt we should wait one week so that he can come to church and become more familiar with the members. Boh (Italian for "I dunno")...I guess if he thinks that is best then that is what we will do. We think he is prepared now and that the longer he waits, the more time that Satan has to act against him. Other than that we are stoked for Gian Luca.

We were also able to set another baptismal date with this Pervusian lady, Lourdes. I think once she receives her answer to the Book of Mormon that she will be so awesome. She already is awesome but she will just be (hmmm, come si dice?)....super awesome!
Well I hope all is going well at home. Everything here in Italy is just swell. Don't be jealous that I get to be serving the Lord, in one of the sweetest places on earth. That is super cool the Jordan Davis is going to Rome. I also heard that one of Jake's other friends, Derek Hollands, is also going there too. Italy is the best. Too bad they aren't in the best place within Italy, which is the Missione di Milano.