Nee How Ma!

Hello!

The subject line is how you pronounce, in chinese, hello friend (at least I think - we tried asking some chinese people but I don't know if they understood what we wanted to learn how to say...).  Anyway, this last week has been good.  It wasn't a typical week, however.  On Thursday, we went to a training with a couple zones and President Wolfgramm.  It was very good.  ...

Also on thursday we had a special fast with one of our investigators - George.  I think I wrote a little about him last week, but anyway, he's been taught everything and even had a baptismal date, but because of needing a place to work he's been going around quite a bit and the missionaries lost contact with him for a couple months.  But, two sundays ago he came to church and we started to meet with him again.  However, he said that if he couldn't find work by sunday that he would travel to Rome (and for this last week we had to get a bunch of his information to give to a member so that he could put together a resumè for him).  He is absolutely amazing!  Anyway, we felt like we needed to teach him about fasting and about faith, and we did so with an invite to fast to be able to find work (and we would join him).  Wow.  His testimony and knowledge is absolutely incredible!  He probably taught us more than we taught him!  Anyway, we fasted with him, and now he feels confident that the Lord's will work out, whatever that may be.  He hasn't found work yet, and he left for Rome Sunday morning (so maybe he's found something - we haven't talked to him since then), but everything will be okay!  I feel a special love for him, and when I found out that he was going to leave because he didn't have work - triste!  However, I'm so glad to have been able to do a little bit to help him and I'm glad we were able to show our love and share in some short, yet great, experiences. ...

Monday was absolutely amazing.  We taught Len_Lo (the chinese investigator who is about 25 years old)!  And ... we gave him the baptismal invite.  And ... He accepted!!!  He is going to be baptized the 18th of december!  It was a really cool experience to be with him and to hear his very simple testimony.  And there was another cool miracle with him.  He doesn't speak or understand Italian very well at all (we have to use very simple, and usually incorrect, Italian, coupled with weird gestures and examples, so that he can understand, and he can only say a few really basic things).  Anyway, after we finished the lesson and had given the baptismal invite (which in itself is a miracle that he was able to understand completely!), we asked him who he wanted to say the prayer.  He said, "faccio io," one of the few phrases he was proficient at (it means I'll do it).  Usually when he prays, he prays in chinese, but this time he tried in Italian!  Wow!  His humility, testimony, and sincerity was absolutely incredible, and the Spirit that was present during his prayer was powerful.  The whole time he was praying I had a little prayer in my heart that he could have the gift of tongues - and he did!  After this, we went and celebrated with him by going to the chinese buffet restaurant again for lunch.  Yum!

And yesterday, tuesday, was great as well!  Almost the whole day was casa in casa (knocking on doors), and we didn't see a ton of success.  However, as I said earlier regarding our attitude and diligence, we worked harder.  And, we had some success!  We taught a family that actually seems very interested!  We found a few new investigators (that were amazingly open and sincerely interested in hearing more about our message)!  And, of course, we had a lot of fun together doing the work of the Lord.

Okay, here's the big news - I finished a transfer!  However, what does that mean?  Usually companionships stay together for a few transfers (especially with trainers).  However, Anziano Pastillo is getting transferred up North.  It's kind of a dramatic bitter-sweet.  I'm excited for him, but sad that he's going.  Anyway, because of this, I'll be getting a new companion tomorrow.  I don't know much about him, but his name is Anziano Kotonen, and I think he is from switzerland.  I've heard he is an absolutely incredible, hard working, and brilliant missionary!  The only scary thing with this is that I'm left in Prato, and I still don't know my way around super well!  Oh well, seguiamo lo Spirito!

This work is absolutely incredible.  And when we are doing all we can we are blessed in tremendous and divers ways, as I've been seeing this past week.  It is all so simple, yet it is so profound.  Dio è il nostro padre celeste.  Lui ci ama e vuole che noi siamo felici...  This is His work, and I want to do all I can to do my part so that His will can be done.  Ricordatevi - con Dio, tutto è possibile!

Love,

-Anziano Barnes