Lucky Duck

I'm such a lucky duck. San Remo is by the far the most beautiful city I've served in yet. The weather has been perfect every day I've been her so far. I have a great companion and a really tight knit little branch that is also great!

I've been a bit exhausted lately with the time changes, long train rides and stuff. We just switched back to summer schedule (wake up at 7 and go to bed at 11). That has actually been more of a blessing because it's so much easier waking up at 7. The train ride her last Thursday took about five hours so that was tiring. The trains here aren't what i would call comfortable. Yesterday we had a specialized training thing in Milano and our train was at 5:15 haha. We woke up around 4 AM and caught the train which took us about 5 hours to get there. We had our training which was fantastic then took the train 5 hours back. The first time here during transfer we stopped in a small city but yesterday we changed in Genova.

We're back and ready to get this week up and going! The teaching pool right now isn't so hot but no worries. I don't expect there to be a big one after a transfer of 8 baptisms. They had a really awesome transfer. There was the same situation as Pavia (Africans brought from Libya by the UN). They are all really cool humble guys and this next week we will be giving them the Priesthood! This last Saturday we baptized an Italian couple, Stefano and Stefania. They are about 45 years old and have two kids. The two kids aren't very interested at this point but the baptisms were great nonetheless. They will be a huge help to this branch.

The branch here is actually of decent size. There are quite a bit of families in the ward and I think I already know most of their names! I'm finding it hard though to remember names of members in past cities...agh..I did meet the Genovese family. Franco is the 1st counselor in the Branch presidency and his wife his the relief society president. His son also lives in San Remo with his family who are members as well. Franco is a pretty cool guy. If you have any missionary photos I think they would like one or even a family photo or something. I know they said they remember being the missionaries before San Remo being opened but I don't if they remember you exactly. They're super nice though. The whole branch is just super fired up lately with these baptisms. They'd really been praying and feel/recognize them as blessings from the Lord. They are a lot more accepting of these Africans as well. Not to diss on Verona, but a lot of members didn't like them too much.

Well my companion Anz. Free is great. I'm really excited for this transfer and the time I'll have to serve with him. Our district is just us two and the sisters in Savona, Sister Jones and Sister Baker. There is also a missionary couple, the Robinsons, from Cottonwood Heights that serve in Savona. So far we are working with this Brazilian woman Neusa. She was taught in the past but sort of stopped taking the lessons for some reason. My first day here we decided to stop by and she was super open. She should be coming to church this Sunday. She knows the importance of baptism and would have invited her Monday but her friend came home and kinda disturbed everything haha. It's all good though the next lessons for sure we will have her on track with a date. There is also this guy Ivano that is friends with the Genovese family that we are teaching. He's coming along slowly but surely. Apparently he's changed a lot since taking the lessons and so we look forward to his continual progress.

I forgot to tell you but last Wednesday after emailing we taught the Brazilian family(Ezichiele, Morganna and Moses). We had a really awesome lesson and set baptismal dates with the couple. Moses didn't understand much of what we said but with time and translations I think he will accept. I was also told that that boy Martino that we found a few days before leaving accepted a baptismal date! The only time I saw him was when we found him last Tuesday I think it was. I guess he came to church and just loved it. He started asking about how he could become an Anziano like us. I'm not surprised because he was super sincere and just elect in that first lesson. I think he is about 19 years old or so. Cool huh? The Lord really guided us on that one. We had been doing nightly planning the night before and had originally picked a different street to do but I was hesitant and felt better about doing his street even though it was smaller. Usually we aren't the biggest fans of doing the streets with houses instead of Palazzi (apartment buildings) but I thought we should do it. The spirit is just key in this work. Trust in the spirit is also key because I don't always feel like I'm being super guided but when you just go forward then miracles happen.

I think Nick Blair served here in San Remo during his mission. One of the members, who is actually a bit apostate from what I've been told (and you can kind of tell), was saying that he was going to come and visit in a few weeks. There is also this Argentinian member who is here with her husband and daughter. The daughter is a member too but the husband is not. They just moved from Draper, Utah where they lived for a year so the girl could learn English. Anyway, she was baptized by the brother of a kid I went to high school with....small world...last name is Gibbs.

What's Jake's address?

Love you guys a lot...have a great week!

San Remo

San Remo is a city with about 57,000 inhabitants on the Italian Riviera between Genova and the French border in the part known as the Riviera dei Fiori, or riviera of flowers. It is also called the City of Flowers. It's in the province of Liguria. It is about 40 miles from Nice, France and about 100 miles from Genova, Italy.

San Remo was a Roman settlement, and expanded in the early Middle Ages when the population moved to higher grounds. The nobility built a castle and the walled vilalge of La Pigna (The Pinecone) to protect the town.

 It is definitely a tourist town now. It houses a famous casino and hosts the world famous Sanremo Music Festival.

Yachts are always visible in the harbor. 

One of the more interesting sights is the Russian Orthodox Church. Palm trees are abundant along the waterfront. 

 

In the spring of 1980 Elders Brad Neff and Todd Graves opened the city of San Remo to missionary work. A couple of days each week they travelled from their assigned area of Savona to San Remo. The Genovese family, a strong member family from San Remo, assisted in the San Remo missionary effort. Several months later full-time missionaries were installed in San Remo.

I'm Super Blessed to Have Been in the Verona Zone

Hey sounds like you all had a great week! We're having a relatively great week too. We hit twenty lessons for the second week in a row and we're seeing the blessings. It seems that every time we step outside, to spread the gospel, there is always someone that's ready to accept it.

We've only been able to see the Brazilians, Ezechiele, Moses and Morganna, once since last week but they're great. The spirit comes so strongly when we meet and they are always just listening intently. They told us they would be coming to church this week and so it'll be great to see how that goes. I know if they come that they will love it. They live relatively close to our house but Morgana's mom lives across the street in a small little villa/small 2 story palazzo. Whenever we leave the house or come home we see them there and we get to talk a bit. They all accepted soft baptismal invites (When Heavenly Father answers your prayers and you know these things are true, will you be baptized.....) and tonight we are going to set them up with some dates.

We also have found a few others this week that have some really great potential. We've been having a lot of success lately with young adults from 20 to 25 years of age. They are just really open and see the corruption very clearly in the world. They understand that things are going badly and are in need already of more hope. We met Martino yesterday while doing casa in casa in this area of very small apartment buildings. We rang and this 18 year old came out. We introduced ourselves and threw out a few inspired questions to open him up. After answering we asked if we could come in and he quickly said "sure" so we entered.

We quickly discovered that he had recently started trying to come closer to God in his life. We told him that as missionaries that is one of our primary purposes and that he could through prayer. We talked a little bit more about that then we knelt down together and started with a prayer. It was really awesome to see his countenance change afterward. He was even more open with us and sincere. We just let him know we were there to help him to continue coming closer to Heavenly Father and that as he listened to our message he'd learn more things and feel more peace in his life. We ended by kneeling again and having him say the prayer. It was a great prayer and there was a great spirit as we left.

We've been focusing a lot lately on prayer and, in fact, doing kneeling prayer to start and finish lessons. It's made a huge difference in our lessons and in the spirit that is felt.

Apparently the young adults in the ward are going to have an activity out by Lago di Garda this weekend. They will also be doing sacrament meeting out there too and Lilia is going to be going! Hopefully she doesn't get the idea that it's always like that haha. We are excited that she's going none the less.

The work is going so much better. We still have to get those baptismal dates but it's going better. The mission actually just broke the all-time baptisms in a week and month records! Pretty cool huh? Anyways the zone here is doing great. We had interviews here in Verona this past week and the whole zone was all together. President Wolfgramm told us there was a great unity there and great spirit. For us it was a huge compliment because it's what we've been going for this entire transfer. I'm super blessed to have been here in the Verona Zone....

Tucker with some of the members in Verona

... and just like that I'm leaving. I'm going to San Remo tomorrow! I knew that one of us would be leaving this transfer and I knew it was a fifty fifty thing. haha But, I was really caught off-guard this time. I'm gonna go be DL down in a district of 4 with my boy Anz. Frustacci as my ZL. I'm really excited about that because he's one of my best friends in the mission. Apparently San Remo has been really kicking butt though and had 7 baptisms this last transfer (5 last week)! I'm gonna get to melt off this fat I've compiled over the last two years in the hot sun. My 13th companion is going to be Anz. Free, from Arizona. He's a super good missionary so I'm really excited to go and see more success. I think he's in his 10th transfer or so and was actually in Livorno when I was in Pisa. We were in the same district for two transfers. It's gonna be super fun.

Well...we had even more earthquakes yesterday. Apparently in Modena there is going to be a huge one. They are having members and missionaries in Modena sleep at the church! Crazy huh? I didn't feel the quakes from last week...I slept right through it but we awoke when the Verona sisters called us crying on the phone..

Well have a great reception! I love you all....have a great week.

Their Eyes Just Full of Joy

From Tucker's May 23 e-mail:

Well we've had a great week thus far! Since last week a lot of things have happened. Last Wednesday after emailing we went and had a lesson with Valentina, the girlfriend of Salvator Benemerito. We met at the Benemerito home and talked mostly about the Restoration. It went super well and there was a great spirit throughout the entire lesson. Valentia has had some tough times in her life and has many doubts of whether God exists and if he loves her. She's been treated badly by friends and for that she doubts. We have started this "perscorso" with her and she's ready to start trying to receive answers.

Right after the lesson with them we went to their daugter, Mariarosaria's house. We ate dinner with her and her family and had a great time. Their oldest kid Samuelle is a really awesome kid while the middle child, Jasmine, is LOUD. The youngest, Alessia is Loud but mostly tranquillo. They made us a typical Napolitano pasta but then afterward gave us something really tasty. Get this....Honeydew rapped in Prosciutto crudo...It was so good! I would have elaten more but I was full.

We had a really cool finish to the week. Around Wednesday we were ahead of pace in getting to our 20 lessons. By Thursday we found out that we needed to do a Blitz in Brescia on Sunday. With one day gone we were gonna have to kick our butts in gear and make up for time. Well the next couple days proved difficult and we kept getting cancelled on. We even had a member cancel on us which made it even more difficult. By Sunday morning we were around 16 lessons haha and we had planned to be in Brescia around 4:30pm. We taught Valentina right after church and had another one planned around 2pm with our new convert. Well we still needed a few more. As we drove home from church we decided we didn't really have any time for lunch.

On arriving at the apartment Anz. Parker got out his side of the car and immediately saw these two Brazilians across the street. He went right up, I was still grabbing my backpack, and started talking to them. I made my way over quickly and we starting getting to know them. A lady came outside and asked who we were so we again introduced ourselves as missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ. She quickly said, "oh well I am cooking right now, do you want to talk with them?(asking the two young Brazilians). They both said yes so we sat down on their porch and talked with them about the Book of Mormon. There is Ezekiele and Moses, Moses doesn't speak Italian and is 18 years old. His brother is married and speaks Italian because he's been here about 5 years. We set up another appointment and actually saw them last night for the second time!

Last night we went to their apartment. It was one of those attic apartments where the roof has a decline in it down to the corner of the floor. This time Ezekiele's wife Morganna was there. After conversing for a bit we had a kneeling prayer and flipped on the DVD Finding Happiness in Portuguese. Immediately after it ended there was such a strong spirit in the room. I proceeded to bear testimony of the fact that we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father. They said that they felt really good and so we indicated that it was the spirit in the room. Anz. Parker then went on to express our expectations and the blessings from this message. You could really see their eyes just full of joy. They wanted to know more and the spirit was fueling the desire. We are gonna see them on Friday again!

This week we have just been finding loads of people. We had a member, Giovanni Dal Pozzo that always helps us bring two people to church. We had sat down with him 3 weeks ago and invited him to start praying to know with whom he could share the gospel. He immediately thought of this girl who lived close by. He didn't know her well but he knew she was familiar with his sister. A week later he added her on Facebook and the week after that he invited her to church. On Sunday she came to church!...with her younger brother. We are hoping to start meeting with Lilia this week! It's just amazing to see what happens when members take our invites seriously and see the fruits. Tonight we are going again to see Valentina and eat with the Benemerito's. The work is just going great and I really just thank Heavenly Father. The last 4 months we (Anz. Meszaros, Smith and Parker) have been working hard and now He's really helping us out.

We went and saw Franco this morning! Side note:  Franco Lorenzi is a business associate and friend of Tucker's uncle, Mark Knaphus. When our family visited Italy in 2005, Franco took us on a tour of the marble quarries in Carrara.  Haha man he's so Catholic....He definitely remembered Mark and Grandpa just a little bit. He kept saying Mark Knaffus. After awhile he asked me if that's how you pronounced it and i had to fix it for him. He's a super nice guy but just too ingrained into the Catholic "tradition" to change. For 72 years old though he isn't doing too well. He doesn't look too old but he's got the shakes a bit and you can tell the last 8 years haven't been his best.

Tucker and Franco Lorenzi

My focus outside of missionary for the next little bit will be to increase my relationship with Heavenly Father. Mom's question during the last skype session really hit deep. She asked, "how's your relationship with Heavenly Father?" It caused me to think then and even over the last couple weeks about how it is. It needs to better. I've seen a lot of improvement though even in this last week and it's been great! I know it will be something that blesses me long term but also now with our investigators. I just feel great after praying and knowing that you've prayed with "all energy of heart" like the scriptures say. Kneeling prayers with investigators is something we've been really striving to do and that too just brings so much more power to the prayers.

I'm curious to see what happens to our coppis on Monday. We aren't sure what will be happening. It's really a toss up on who will go and who will stay.

We will see.