La Bellissima Settimana di Anziano Barnes! (The beautiful week of Elder Barnes)

Wow!  This week has been one of the very best of my mission, particularly the last few days!  I'll start first about talking about the scambio I did with one of our zone leaders, Anziano Grey.  In the morning, we were coming back from Firenze (we met there to change companions and were coming back to Prato to work) and we only had about 15 minutes before we had to go in for lunch, so we decided to go towards our apartment and do a little bit of casa.  We got on our bikes and headed on our way.  While we were riding, I was thinking of which palazzo we could do.  Then, one came into my mind - I could picture it perfectly.  So, we went to this palazzo (which was right on our way home - nice and convenient).  And, at the second door, a man opened and let us in!  We began talking for a minute or so and then his wife got back home too!  It turns out that they had met the sister missionaries during the summer, but after the sisters left Prato, they hadn't seen the missionaries at all!  They seem very interested and very open to the gospel!  This was a cool testimony to me that miracles will happen if we are diligent (I hate to think what would have happened if we had just slacked off a little bit and would have ridden a little bit slower or gone back just a couple minutes early) - the Lord's hand is definitely in this work!  Okay, next miracle that happened during the scambio.  We were on our way to LenLo's apartment on our bikes, when I arrived at LenLo's street and looked back, and Anziano Grey wasn't there!  I went over to the sidewalk and was looking and searching for him, but couldn't see him anywhere.  Then, out of nowhere, two young guys (25 years old or so) came up to me and started talking to me.  They said that they wanted to get to know my church.  We talked for a little bit, and I gave them our card (with the address of the church), and they said that they were going to come to church so that they learn more about the church!  Wow!  I've never seen anything like that ever before!  We haven't seen them since then, but hopefully something good will come from it!  Oh, and the kind of funny thing is that the reason Anziano Grey wasn't right behind me was because the chain on his bike fell off a few blocks back; God really does work in mysterious ways!  Who would have thought a chain falling off was a miracle?  Then, the next cool miracle...  We got to LenLo's apartment and started teaching.  We went in wanting to understand more about his testimony so that we could see what we can do to help him prepare more for baptism (because we didn't know how he stood with hardly any of the doctrine - we knew he understood and kept the commandments, but we didn't know if he understood God, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, or the basic principles of the Gospel).  Anyway, after teaching a little bit, we had the feeling to review the baptismal interview questions with him.  WOW!  The spirit in the room was absolutely amazing - he understood everything that he needed to and had a testimony, and shared that with us like he'd never done before.  We felt that he truly was ready for baptism.  So, right after, we called the other zone leader  (who was with my companion that day) to try to set up the interview for the next day.  Anyway, it turns out we did the interview the next morning - he passed!  And now he'll be baptized this Saturday!  ...

So, I want to talk a little bit more about LenLo.  He is super excited for his baptism!  In church, he even went up to the members and "committed" them to come to his baptism!  It was really cool because before he usually wouldn't even talk to the members, but then he did this!  Furthermore, yesterday we learned that LenLo created a Facebook group for his baptism, and had invited all of his friends!  We're so excited for him!!!

...

Anyway, we're starting to find more people to teach, and with the people that said to visit them after the holidays we're getting appointments again.  So far, everything seems okay with them (they didn't "wander off" too far in the long break...)!  There were a few people that we found that were particularly impressive.  First, we found an Italian family!  We almost didn't get in the house, but right as the mom was about to close the door, two boys (10 years old), twins, came up and wanted to introduce themselves (it was really funny - they came up and introduced themselves like little businessmen)!  We shook their hands and stuff, and somehow the hearts of the parents were softened and we got in and taught them.  We got a return appointment and we feel that this family could make some great progress in the gospel!  Then, another person we found was absolutely incredible - almost too good to be true!  He's a 15 year old chinese boy.  If we understand each other correctly and if he is really telling us the truth, he's a huge miracle!  Apparently he's seen the "our companions" in the past (this is what made us be a little unsure - he said he saw them in china... maybe he meant he "saw" a picture or something of missionaries, or maybe he misunderstood and maybe he knew some members of the church or something, because there aren't missionaries in China).  Also, his grandpa is a member of the church, and he gave the boy a book of mormon, which he's read and knows is true!  The parents of this boy wasn't there (some other chinese lady was in the house...), so we have to get permission from them to continue teaching, but if what he says really is all true, wow!!!  We'll find out shortly...

Doing casa has been a whole lot more fun for me!  Sometimes, doing casa can be a little tiresome (but I've found that that happens when I'm focused on me instead of others).  Anyway, my big focus the last few days has been to think of others and have charity towards them.  This has helped a ton!  One day, we had 6 hours straight of casa (a whole evening - 3 in the afternoon to 9 at night), but it was one of the most fulfililing days of my mission!  It's great - the Lord is helping to change my heart, my motivations, my attitude, and He's making me into a much more effective (and happy!) missionary!  Oh, one of the things that has been really fun, which we just learned about and started trying, is ringing citofonos (these are things you have to push outside of the palazzo in order to get in so that you can be able to do the doors inside) with cameras.  What we'd do is ring, then look professsional by going through our planner/ pretending to write things, then when they ask who it is we just ask them to please open the door, then right away just walk towards the door (out of sight of the camera), showing that we expect to get in.  A lot of the time people will open right then.  However, sometimes we have to step back into view, say that we're from the church or what our name is or what we're doing, and sometimes go back 3 or 4 times (every time stepping out of view going towards the door) before they open.  However, it's been working very very well and it is a ton of fun!  Every time we enter we burst into laughter!

So, everything is great here in Prato.  We're seeing miracles happen.  Anziano Koponen and I are continually getting along better and better and we are continually having more fun together.  I'm so grateful to have a part in the great work of the Lord and to be here in this great little city with my great Finnish companion!

Thanks for the love and support!

-Anziano Barnes