September 3, 2008

Beau has been called as a District leader and has been very busy. When he does not have time to send an email to the Blog then I will write one from his email to me. Thayne Brewster This week we worked so hard and i saw the success that followed. We got 4 new investigators this week Tita, Carmine, Nicola, and Giuseppe. I 'fear' at times that they are not fully interested but i need to have faith that God will change their hearts. We saw Giuseppe and he is reading the Book of Mormon every day. He likes it historically and the story of it but at this time he is not recieving the spirituality from it as he does from the Bible, but he will. We asked him to pray about it and he will recieve an answer. I have had a lot of neat experiences this week and here are the most promenient. Saturday there was a baptism in Castellemare and we worked so hard to go to it. We invited everyone and 2 people said they would come, Tita and Alessio (who we met the day before the baptism who is from the north). We could not find rides. We asked everyone! We planned the best that we could, praying... but not really listening. I felt a heart ache the night before and the day of. Something was not right. We planned to take the train at 3 when the baptism was at 6 because it took an hour and 15 minutes and the only other train was at 5. That was too much time for Alessio, so he couldnt do it. We then tried calling Tita many times and his mom (Giovanna, the greatest noptan lady) told us that her cousin, who is a member was at her house but had to leave so she told us to come right away. It was during our lunch but i was desperate so we left. Elder Manwaring wasnt too happy because it was so speratic and not set. I probably wouldnt have been so happy either. But we went and we talked with Giovanna and Tita, and Tita told us that she couldnt come and she was having problems with her husband. Giovanna told us that Antonia (her cousin who is a member) went home but she wanted to show us where it was so we followed her on our bikes and we went to see this inactive member from Milan. We had the best lesson with her. She told us that she met the church through a bishop of a friend who invited the inactive and her to a church activity. She loved the activity and after a few years she missed the feelings she felt there. One day the missionaries knocked on her door and she let them in whole heartedly which is unheardof but happens with the hand of the Lord. 15 days latter she was baptized. She has been inactive for a few years but has not lost her faith. She doesnt agree with the members and doesnt feel the love from them. We invited her to church but she didnt come but i feel that that meeting was vital. Heavenly Father wanted us to go there. I was so grateful afterward when before my heart ached because we couldnt go to that baptism. Another experience i had was monday night at the D'Andolfos. I felt a week before that Elder Garofalo needed to be there and share his conversion story, so we all 4 went there and God used us as his instruments. We were able to all bear our testimonies of the gospel which helped Elvira, Sorella D'Andolfo's mother to open up and express to us her concerns. I felt so strongly to ask her to pray about these things and i was too afraid so Elder Manwaring beat me too it and invited her to come to church with great power and boldness and then i invited to pray about these things. YES, she did decline both of them but she opened up and i feel that she had a spiritual experience that will lead her to search and lead her to baptism. Sorella D'Andolfo looked devastated and so down. I felt awful. They asked us to give them blessings. I felt that i was going to give President D'Andolfo his blessing and that Elder Garofalo was going to give Sorellla D'Andolfo hers. That is why i felt to bring the other Elders last week, whether it was a scambi or all 4. Elder Brewster