First Letter from Italy! (October 28, 2010)

Contacting people at the Duomo (Cathedral in Milan)

Hello family (and Anz. Knutson)!

I made it to Italy!  I am serving in a city called Prato.  It is in the tuscany area, about 20 minutes away from Florence!  My mission president is awesome. Here is the other exciting news- my trainer is named Anziano Pastillo.  He is from Guatemala.  And, he hardly knows any english!  He lived in Italy for several years before his mission, so he can speak italian very well!  It has been a lot of fun speaking with him in italian for almost everything today, and i am surprised at how much I can actually understand and say.  Anyway, we had an awesome experience on the trip here.  We met a lady named Judy who was traveling to Germany.  First of all, it is a miracle how we met her.  She arrived in the airport about 3 hours early because she heard that security stuff can be really bad, so she was just out walking around.  Then, before she came to sit down, the seat that she chose had been occupied by one of us missionaries for a long time.  First, I was in it and then moved to sit by another anziano so that we could contact someone else close by.  Then, another anziano came and sat in the seat, but he came to sit right next to me because the anziano next to me went somewhere.  Then, Anziano Hinz came and sat down in that seat, but he wanted to go get a drink so he left that seat.  There were still quite a few seats left throughout the area, but she came in and saw that spot open and went and sat down in it!  Anziano Healey got it all started by just being super friendly to her.  It turns out that she never heard of the church before, but she has had some amazing spiritual experiences.  She used to be looking for a church to join, and she felt the spirit during some activities, such as going to some special sites and listening to gospel related talks and reading the bible.  She also had some experiences where she prayed to find something and found it and other similar things.  As we talked, the spirit was really strong, I know that the anziani that were there all felt it, and I am pretty sure she felt it too, because of the things she said and how open about things she was with us.  Oh, one of the coolest things was the reason she was going.  Her mom or sister died in 2002, and before she died she told Judy that she wanted her to go to Europe for some reason that I do not remember.  She had not gone yet, but then one day she got a call from a friend (about 2 weeks ago) who wanted to go to Europe.  They quickly made plans (which also had some cool divine intervention in how it worked out) to go to Germany for some kind of tour.  However, soon after they made plans her friend said that she could not go, but that she wanted Judy to still go.  Judy was afraid of traveling alone, especially to another country, but for some reason she felt that she needed to do it.  The spirit prompted us, as we were talking to bring up the book of mormon, and when we offered to give it to her if she would read it, she said that it would be great, because she forgot the book she wanted to read (she even went shopping for another book - a religious book in fact - in the airport but nothing caught her fancy).  We continued to talk and testify a little bit, and then it was time to enter the plane.  Oh, another miracle, we got delayed about 15 minutes, and when we were supposed to depart was about when Judy arrived, and when it was time to enter the plane we had just given the book of mormon.  Another miracle - she sat next to anziano reusch during the plane ride!  She read the intro and stuff (and cross referenced to Moroni 10!) and through chapter 8 of the book of mormon. Anziano reusch was able to answer a bunch of questions for her, but I am unsure about what happened exactly.  However, we did our part in sharing the gospel with her, and even hopefully she will look up the missionaries or at least look up more about the church with the pass along card we gave.  It is amazing how the Lord works sometimes.

Okay, so a little bit about today.  My companion, again, is Anziano Pastillo.  We had to travel about 2 and a half hours to get to Prato.  It is a pretty small city with a branch of about 30 members.  There are two investigators that we have right now, and this week we want to invite them to be baptized.  We have bikes!  We went shopping for food today (Wednesdays are actually our P days).  Oh, we are 8 hours later here (so right now for me it is a little after 7 pm, while it is 11 am in utah.  I got to see Robert this morning, and he looks like he is doing great.  His companion is anziano weller, from bay area california (he was the zone leader in our branch - he is an amazing missionary).  Oh, because we had to basically stay awake for two days straight with the funny time difference, we were able to go to sleep (in a hotel) at about 8:30 last night and we got to sleep in until 7:30.  Oh, my meals so far in Italy... On the plane I had this weird vegetarian asian dish (with tofu, peas, and the sauce that mom thinks smells bad, I forgot its name).  I also had this European sandwich thing with some interesting dressing and some delicious cheese.  For lunch (when we arrived in Milano), we had some stuff called panzerotti, which is a deep fried sandwhich type thing, kind of like a hot pocket (but tons better), with some amazing cheese and delicious ham inside (so basically it was scone with a delicous combo of ham and cheese).  We also got fanta (which is a lot different from the USA fanta, it is a lot better).  Then, we went and got gelato.  Oh my gosh, it is so good!  I got this melon flavored one and some really good tropical fruit combo.  For dinner, we had some amazing lasagna, the best green beans i have had in my life, a mixture of veggies (peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers) tossed in a little bit of oil and vinegar.  We also had this fruit salad type thing in a frozen whip cream like thing.  We also had breadsticks (which I did not like very much) and some more gelato (lemon and strawberry).  I ate way too much...  Today for breakfast, I had a variety of Italian breads with nutella.  I also had some delicious cheese and also some amazing ham.  Oh, also some fruit.  For lunch, we had a sandwich type thing with foccacia bread (I think, at least it tasted like foccacia), ham, salami (or some other spicy meat type thing), some amazing cheese, and tomatoes.  Yum!  Dinners do not really exist, but we eat after we return to our apartment at 9:00.

Anziano Pastillo and I have had a lot of fun so far together.  I have been able to express myself fully and I have already learned a bunch of things from him.  I am especially excited to learn and listen and gain a more italian accent.  On the train ride, we met a lady, Maria, who was really interested in our church and about us as missionaries.  We talked to her for about an hour and got her information.  However, I was too scared to jump in and say stuff, and I did not make an opportunity to testify.  However, now I know I just need to gather the courage when the time is right and open my mouth.  What would it hurt?    We have lots of rooms in our apartment - a bedroom, a room for studying, a bathroom, a room for exercise (with a weight bench even), a kitchen (that is actually decent size - probably about the size of the one I had at heritage, a little smaller though).  We live on the third floor of an apartment place.  I think that that is pretty much it for me these past couple days, but it has been absolutely great!  I can hardly believe I am in italy, with italians, speaking italian, and being a missionary! 

Voglio scrivere un po in Italiano.  Anziano Pastillo e io abbiamo parlato della nostra vita prima della missione.  Lui è fortissimo!  Sono molto emozionato di servire con lui e di avere tante esperienze con la lingua.  Il mio italiano crescerà an bel po!  Io amo il Signore e so che lui mi aiutarà con qualsiasi cosa, ogni volta ho bisogno del aiuto e anche sempre!

I love you all!

Thanks family for everything you have done for me and thanks for the notes and stuff and also for talking with me - it is so great to hear from you!

And thanks Anziano Knutson for everything you have done - i have learned a lot from your example and I am better prepared to do what I need to.  I really think that we were perfect for each other.

Di Nuovo, Vi Amo Tantissimo!
- Anziano Barnes

Arriving at the Milan Airport

His first gelato...yum!

With President Wolfgramm, mission president

Anziano Barnes Arrives in Milan

A Note from Stephanie/Mom:
Justin called home from the airport in Salt Lake before his plane departed yesterday...he sounded wonderful. He is so excited to be a missionary in Italy! He landed in Italy early this morning, safe and sound. I received a phone call this afternoon from his mission president's wife letting me know about his first day in Italy and about his first area and companion. He will be serving in Prato, not too far from Florence. His companion will be Anziano Pastillo from Equador (an incredible missionary that does not speak English!). We all know Justin was called to Italy for a specific purpose and that the Lord will bless him as he moves forward in the work of God. Below are some pictures of his first area, Prato.
P.S. Here's a simple interpretation of the video last week:  "I am a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I'm here because I follow Jesus Christ. I want you to follow Jesus Christ, too. Have faith, repent and persevere. The gospel and atonement of Jesus Christ help us become like Him so we can live with Him again."

On His Way to Milano, Italia!

Temple Groundbreaking in Italy Today

Open this link for a beautiful video about the Rome Temple. What an exciting time for the Saints and people in Italy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvYmO-moHrs

October 19, 2010

Salve!

This week was a really good one.  I've had some of the best spiritual experiences thus far, I've been feeling great, and everything is sort of coming together!  We got our travel plans!!!  We leave next Tuesday and fly to Chicago, then to Germany (Frankfurt), and then to Milan!  It will be awesome to get to italy in just one week now!  I don't feel like there's a ton of things to write about this week, most of what happened has been small personal things that just add up to an awesome week (by small and simple things are great things brought to pass...), but I'll do my best to share some of the highlights....

Our threesome also had the opportunity to teach some of the new italian missionaries (I guess they're "3 weeks old" so they're not too new...).  First, they taught us the second lesson in preparation for their TRC experience.  We were their investigators and after the lesson we gave them some feedback.  After that, we taught them, as them, so that we could try to teach to/meet their needs.  At first we were doing it in Italian, but that's not what they needed.  One of them specifically has been struggling a lot with the language (he's actually doing really well, he's just being hard on himself).  We testified of the gift of tongues, and went on about that, but then we ended up talking about the "language of the spirit" - that more importantly than what is said is what is felt.  Sometimes God's will is that we only say simple things like "God loves us," looking them in the eye, with true sincerity, but when this happens, the spirit still bears witness to the investigator that what is being taught is true.  We talked about other things too, but it all revolved around this idea.  After this "lesson," they went to the TRC and afterwards they said they had an amazing experience because they did what we talked about - doing what you can, and letting God, through the spirit, do the rest. ...

I've run into several friends the past couple weeks.  Jack, I mean elder Heaton, from my homeward has been here (he actually just left)!  I've run into Elder Tannen Fawcett (a friend from Nauvoo and my roommate at BYU) several times.  Also, another one of my roommates - Elder Jeff Mecham - has been here and we've run into each other a few times (usually at the temple - how cool is that!).  Also, one of the friends I met this past summer at Philmont, Elder Ramos, is here and leaves today or tomorrow!  And of course, I see all the friends I've met here - my companion, district, zone - there's tons of people I know everywhere!

My companions and I have gotten a ton closer this week.  This last week is going to be awesome!

Grazie per il vostro amore!

Vi Voglio Bene!

-Anziano Barnes

The Italian District

Fratello Anu (the teacher who played "Nicolas")

Anziano Barnes and Elder Heaton, from Grandview 14th Ward

Exciting News -- Rome Temple Groundbreaking

Here's some exciting news and details Mike found posted on the Church web page:

President Thomas S. Monson will preside over the groundbreaking ceremony for the Rome Italy Temple on Saturday, October 23, 2010, where an architectural rendering of the temple will be revealed. Attendance is strictly limited to invited priesthood leaders and special guests. However, the proceedings of the ceremony will be rebroadcast to every chapel in Italy on Sunday, October 24, so that all may participate.

A beautiful complex of buildings has been designed that includes the temple, a stake center, a visitors' center, and a patron housing facility. Although just a small section of the site was originally permitted for construction of the temple, recent zoning modifications—a miracle in itself—allow the entire parcel of land to be used for construction of these buildings.

...Building sites in Rome must be examined for Roman ruins before construction is permitted. The inspection is carried out by digging trenches every 10 to 15 feet across the property. The day the temple property was to be inspected, Church members in Rome held a special fast. No ruins were found over the entire property, yet an old Roman village was discovered just 100 yards beyond the property boundary line. 

It's so amazing to see all the miracles that happen and to see the Lord's hand in the spreading of the gospel to all the world!

October 12, 2010

Buon Giorno!

This week went by so fast!!!!  Okay, the first news is this - I get to stay at the MTC one extra week.  The mission presidents in Europe have a training meeting with general authorities the day that we were supposed to arrive in Italy, so they moved our departure date back one week.  My new departure date is the 26th of October.  Anyway, I'd think I'd rather have an extra week than one less, more time to prepare and feel confident.  I'm confident that the Lord has His hand in all of this, and I know everything will work out (eventually...).

...Yesterday we were able to practice contacting.  It was the most real contacting experience we've had yet - because it was real!  We went into the bookstore in the MTC, and our job was to go up to missionaries and talk about the gospel, share our testimony, and try to get them to share theirs.  It was hard for me at first because I didn't want to interrupt them and get in the way of what they were doing, but I finally realized that I'm going to have to do the same kind of thing in Italy and I better get used to it.  Besides, the gospel is more important than anything else these elders could possible be doing anyway (everyone has a need, and I could help to address that need).  When I finally gathered the courage and faith to go up and start talking, all fear and restraint left - I was able to talk, be bold about the gospel, share my testimony, and it was cool because these first elders leave tomorrow, and they had some worries that I was able to address, and I hope I was able to help them (or that the spirit helped them) in some way.  The thing I guess I've realized is that I will be an effective servant in the Lord's hands if my heart is in the right place; if I'm doing things because I love the people and want to help them, the Lord will make it happen.  If I'm doing it for any other reason - a selfish one most likely - it probably won't go so well.

Thank you all so much for your love, support, and prayers!

-Anziano Barnes

Check out 42 seconds, 2nd to back row in the middle!

October 5, 2010 - 2 Weeks Until Italy

Salve Tutti!

This week has been the best one yet! I'm not sure exactly the reasons, but it seems like each week keeps on getting better, and they keep on going by faster and faster....

The other really cool thing that happened this week was priesthood session choir! We left the MTC at about 1:30 on Saturday and drove up to Salt Lake City (never has a bus ride been so entertaining- there were windows to look out of, and the scenery was constantly changing!). We missed most of the afternoon session because we had to wait outside of the conference center theater for a while, and then we practiced for a while during the conference. Anyway, they fed us a snack (Ham and Cheese and Crackers lunchables - I forgot how much I used to like those! - and some apple bites and carrot sticks) and we got lined up, and went into the choir loft. I was on the top right side (if you are looking directly at the choir). I sang the lowest bass part (I was going to sing baritone but they needed more basses, so Anziano Knutson and I volunteered). Anyway, it was so awesome being in the conference center. I don't think it ever hit me that we were performing for millions of people around the world, not to mention the 20,000 or so in the conference center! I tried the whole time to look happy and excited, to bear my testimony through song and through my expression. It was absolutely amazing. If you want to see it, go to the new general conference website (the link is on the new lds.org), and click to view the priesthood session. The only song that you can really see me in is the first song (before the opening prayer) - Hark All Ye Nations (yes, I got to watch it online on Sunday!!!), I'm pretty close to the middle of the screen with probably 15 or 20 other elders being shown. It's just for a few seconds maybe, but you can tell it's me! ...

There are like 23 new missionaries going to Italy! These missionaries are awesome. One is from England and another is from Germany. One is a convert to the church. Another was inactive for 7 years - let me tell his story really fast. He went inactive at age 17. A year or so ago, he wanted to serve a mission, and his bishop and stake president also wanted him to serve. However, the age limit is 25, and he's 26 right now. He and his Bishop and Stake president all had to write letters to the area authority to get permission. And, to make the anticipation worse, if he were to be accepted, he'd receive the notice in his call letter. If he was to be denied, he'd receive the call letter (but not a call, just a bad news letter). However, he got his call and got accepted. he said it was the happiest day of his life! Anyway, one of the missionaries is from Fallbrook, CA (where grandma and grandpa Morrison live) - and he knows them. That was a cool connection to make! All of the missionaries are really dedicated and motivated, it's so awesome to feel their great spirits! They all (mostly...) had an awesome experience in the TRC yesterday, and most of them have caught the fire of teaching. 

Love you all!

-Anziano Barnes

Watch for Justin in the MTC Choir at Conference!

Dear Family,
I'm singing in the Priesthood Session of Conference. I'm singing with a little over 300 missionaries!(out of about 2500 at the MTC now). To be selected, we had to fill out a little form - almost like an application - telling when we would leave the MTC, what vocal part we sing, and what kind of experiences/awards we've had with singing and music. Then, last Monday, they sent out letters to people who had been accepted. Anziano Knutson and I both were chosen (he's done a ton with choir stuff and is an amazing singer with a beautiful voice); we were and are so excited! Anyway, we've had practice almost every day for an hour or so. It's going to be awesome!...


My goal to contact and teach other missionaries has been going pretty well. As a companionship, we try to take 10 minutes or so everyday between activities while we wait for something to talk to others, discern their needs, testify to them, and just be there to befriend and love them. ...I'm trying to always wear a smile and to show my love for others more. It's so much fun to teach others -- that's definitely the best part for me about being at the MTC and being a missionary. ... Please keep all of us in your prayers - Satan is trying in every way he can to stop the work, and I've seen that in so many ways. We need the strength of the Lord 24/7 if we are to be victorious!
Ciao!
-Anziano Barnes