Turning Water into Wine

Ciao!

Another crazy week - it went by way fast!  Brief overview:  We had a couple special trainings, one for the newer missionaries and one for all of the sister missionaries.  We haven't been out as much as I would have liked (I'll explain later...), but we've been blessed with the time we've had.  For one, we have a new person with a baptismal date, and, two, we have Claude back again!

The person with the baptismal date is named Pilar.  She's from Ecuador and is 19.  She's the girlfriend of a newly reactivated boy with a newly reactivated mother who's future husband is another investigator.  Pilar is so awesome!  She is super sensitive to the spirit and has already received the confirming witness that the BOM is true.  However, there are some difficulties at home, one of the which being that her parents have been completely against the church.  There isn't as much trust as there should be and she has to escape secretly to go to church and she just uses her boyfriend as an excuse to meet with us.  But, in our last lesson, she committed herself to go and talk to her mom and share what she's been doing and how she's feeling and what she wants to do.  She is, however, a typical teenager in some senses.  Her boyfriend and his mom have been trying to get her to be more modest.  She said something really funny last time - "Perché Dio mi darebbe le gambe se non per farle vedere?"  (It means "Why would God give me legs if they weren't to show off?)  So, we'll be getting into the law of chastity and modesty the next time to help answer her questions.  But, she really is amazing!

And, just yesterday, we got back in touch with Claude, the man from Cameroon who had a baptismal date!  He had left for a while and just finally got his phone again.  We'll be trying to help him get back on track.

The trainings went really well.  Again, I'm being filled with more and more love and a stronger and stronger desire to serve all these wonderful missionaries in our mission.  In fact, I've been learning about and experiencing a love that lasts longer and is something that pushes me always.  It's been cool as I've been praying for each of them and discussing their individual strengths and needs and feeling like I know them better and feeling a greater love for them.  God has still been teaching me a lot about prayer - those seem to be the spiritual impressions that I've gotten every single day from my personal study - things that I must do to pray better.  However, my prayers are going a lot better overall and I can definitely feel the difference.  I feel great!  I love feeling the fruits of the atonement - not just feeling some of the love that Christ has, but also in being strengthened in my weakness and in being forgiven for my mistakes.  My resolve to do my best and keep on improving so that I can be a more effective instrument in bringing both missionaries and others unto Christ.

That's pretty much the extent of the changes and exciting stuff.  But, I figured I should share one more thing.  I was debating whether or not to share it, but I figured that my parents, when they'd find out later, would be angry that I didn't tell them earlier.  So, here it goes.  I hurt my toe.  I'm wearing sandals right now because I can't wear a shoe without it hurting my foot.  Actually, We've gotten some funny looks.  Yesterday, Anziano Lehnardt (who just had an ingrown toenail removed so he's in sandals as well and has a white bandage around the same toe...) and I were walking.  There were a lady and her small child that saw us and she gave us a kind of funny look, and then couldn't hold it in anymore - she let out a few really loud giggles!  It made us laugh too!  Maybe you're asking how I hurt it?  Well, I'll tell you.  We were in Como on scambio.  I woke up and went in the other room to lift weights.  There were 2 dumbells sitting on the floor, seemingly all ready to use, with weights and clips already on.  I picked them up and started to do some bicep curls.  What I didn't know, however, is that the clip on one of the weights is broken.  So, as I began to curl that side, the weight slipped off the bar and came crashing down on my toe.  It was a 10 lb weight and it hit square on my toe (the 1/2 - 3/4 inch width contacted from the middle of my toenail down to just past the bottom of the toenail).  It hurt!  I jumped around for a bit and then went in the other room.  I looked down and saw that my sock was wet from blood.  So, I took off my sock and examined my toe.  Well, it was all black and there was blood gushing out.  I got a bit light headed so I sat down.  Then I washed it out.  Then I layed down and put my foot in the air.  Then I put it in cold water to try to slow the bleeding and prevent swelling.  Let's just say I turned that water into wine...  Since it wasn't stopping to bleed, I put it up again, this time bandaging it up with a bunch of pressure and putting cold things on it - first a bag full of cold water, then an ice pack, and then some frozen spinach and some frozen sausage (I'll have to get you the picture...).  It kept on bleeding.  Anyway, I called the doctor and the doctor said that I should come in right away.  So, we left Como and drove out to Milano to the doctor.  He did a cool little operation where he drilled a hole in the toenail and let out all of the blood that had built up under it (the source of bleeding was actually principally from under the nail, so ever since he had made that hole it has bled from out of that hole in the toenail instead of from other parts).  He then told me not to worry, I'd be ok, but to call him back.  I called him back the next day and I described that it was still bleeding a little bit and how it hurt.  He told me to come in for an x- ray to see if it was broken or if there was some blood artery that had been severed or damaged.

Oh, I'm out of time now, so I'll have to finish the story next week.  But, don't worry, I'll tell you the middle of the end (it's not over yet...) I'm alive and I can walk and I can get out to do missionary work and it doesn't hurt anymore.  But, I have to take some medication for the next week and a half and then go in to the doctor to get the update and clearance to go back to 100% activity.

I love you!

-Anziano Barnes

The Most Miracle-filled Day!

Office Elders, Traveling Assistants and APs

Ciao!

We had another great week!  Brief overview: We found 2 amazing families that we are teaching.  We did a couple more trainings, in one of the which were Elder Steve Allen and Brother Lusvardi (Elder Lusvardi's dad).  And, we did a couple amazing scambi!...

Last week I mentioned how we committed ourselves to teaching 20 lessons - something that we'd never even come close to.  Well, we taught 18.  However, as we look back, learning of course several things we could do better the next times, we did everything in our power to try to reach our goal, and we feel good about our efforts.  In fact, President Wolfgramm was happy to see that we didn't reach our goal because we were perfect examples of some principles he was trying to get across in our trainings - the way to know your standing before the Lord is through the numbers.  Not the numbers that you get, but the numbers that you set as goals.  He was pleased because we didn't get the number that we wanted but we grew in setting our goal and doing all that we could to reach it....

The couple exchanges that we did were incredible, especially the one in Firenze.  We were able to teach a couple of the people that I had started teaching that are approaching their baptism!  We set a new baptismal date.  And, we found a ton of new people.  This, I think, was the most miracle filled day of my mission.  The night before, we planned a full day of finding.  But, we planned out miracles that we wanted to have for each portion of the day (basically one per hour).  We wanted to find a Peruvian lady, a Peruvian man, a family from the philipines, a teenage Italian boy with a blue hat and white shirt, and an Italian family, and our goal with all of these people was to set up appointments in which we could give them a BOM.  The only one we didn't find was the Italian family, but we found all of the rest plus a bunch of other super solid people.  I want to tell a couple of the sweet miracles that happened.  We were walking down the street, and it was the time in which we were searching for the Peruvian lady.  And, we saw one, but she was on the phone.  I was talking to myself (I think I was even talking out loud...) - get off the phone!  Get off the phone!  But, she wasn't getting off.  Luckily, my companion, Anziano Glowa, had no fear.  He thought, Chi se ne frega!?  I'll talk to her anyway!  We started to speak to her, and, to our surprise, she started having a conversation with us - she just completely stopped her conversation on the phone.  It continued for probably 30 seconds - the person on the other line was probably wondering what in the world was going on!  Then, she said in the phone - I'll call you back later.  And, we continued to talk.  She was super curious and we were able to teach her a little bit about the restoration and the BOM.  It was super cool.  I just think what would've happened if we hadn't have set the goal to find a Peruvian lady and do anything - even talk to someone on the phone - to do it.  Another awesome experience happened as we were looking for the boy with the white shirt and blue hat.  We thought that we would find him in a park.  And, in finding so many cool people along the way, we were late.  However, as we were nearing - probably about 10 minutes away - and as we were waiting at a stop light.  A boy with a light blue shirt and dark blue cap walked by.  We a few seconds later, my companion said to me, we gotta talk to him.  We related quickly to each other that at first we were like "no, maybe not..."  But, we both felt that we should still talk to him.  So we chased him down and started to talk to him.  As we spoke, we discovered some amazing things.  He has had some marital problems.  And, 3 days ago, he was praying that he would be able to fix up the wrongs between he and his wife.  And, he promised God that he would always come closer to him if he would help he and his wife get back together again.  Well, in those few days a lot of problems were resolved and he was sure that God answered his prayer.  So, he has been trying to find how he could come closer to God.  And, of course, there we were!  We taught him about the BOM, bore our testimony, and shared with him our excitement of the miracle of how God placed us in his path to help him come closer!  We set up our return appointment and left!  It was incredible.  It was as close to being a white shirt as it could be, and he still had the hat!  But, he wasn't the Italian youth that we thought would be sporting those things.  But sure enough, that "ragazzaccio" came walking down within a minute of finding the other guy.  He was super solid as well!  Anyway, the whole day was like this, and we're sure it's because we did all that we could to plan out the miracles, and God blessed us with all of those plus a ton more!

Well, that's my week!

Vi voglio bene!

-Anziano Barnes

Lodi Branch, Another "best" week ever!

Anziano Barnes and Jenson, Branch in Lodi (near Milano)

 

This past week has probably been one of the best of my mission.  Let me start with a little bit of background information.  Ever since I've been an AP, we've had hardly any time to go out and teach people - do "normal" missionary work.  We've never had time to teach more than 10 lessons per week - or so we thought.  However, in the past little while, we've been feeling bad because we are supposed to be examples - and right now we're not.  We want to up our performance and increase the number of people we help each week by teaching at least 20 lessons per week.  At first we were talking about doing it "piano piano" (which means little by little).  But, then we sat down and thoroughly (I can't remember how that word is spelled!!!) and mapped out our week and found any little blocks of time that we could possibly have.  It turned out that we could squeeze 21 lessons in this week!  So, that's what we've been working toward.  And, as of right now, we're still on track to get there!  It seems that this past week has been a really cool one of getting a raised vision of what can be done and I've been able to exercise more faith in working towards real goals.

We officiallly made the switch off to work in the new area - Milano 3.  We haven't been to church yet, but we went to a baptism there and the ward council, so we've met a bunch of the members.  And, we've been going around meeting some of the less actives, new converts, and also the investigators that were left to us after the other missionaries left.  It's been a lot of fun!  I haven't taught this much in a long time - it feels so good!  Here's a new update with the cool new things that we have:

Gianni is a middle age Italian man who is married to a recently reactivated less-active member.  They weren't married before and they've been waiting for the paperwork to go through so that they can get married and then get baptized.  It will all happen the end of may.  Their story is super cool because Gianni wasn't super interested before, but God was able to get to his heart.  They have a 17 year old son who, one night with his friends, got stabbed 7 times in the stomach.  He was rushed to the hospital and was supposed to die.  For the first time in his life, Gianni humbly invoked the Lord's blessings, and their son lived.  This son was reactivated and Gianni began to investigate the church.  Now, Gianni wants to be baptized (and the son is doing just fine)!

Claude is a man that was found on the other side of Milano but was interested in finding out more.  It turns out that he lived with a member of the church who recently moved away.  Anyway, Claude is from Cameroon (in africa), and he speaks English, French, and Italian.  He wants to get baptized!  However, he hasn't been answering his phone for the past few days - we don't know what happened.

This past week we've had lots of cool experiences of our plans not working out - people cancelling - but then awesome things happening instead.  One night we only had 45 minutes left in the night.  We weren't able to see Claude.  But, we went out to where he lived to try to find some new investigator in the time remaining.  And, we were able to teach 2 lessons!  We met an amazing lady who, in the end, turned out to not be interested but she committed herself to pray (she's religious and has a really strong belief in God and a testimony of prayer) and ask God if what we were telling her is something she should listen to, and for when she receives her answer, to contact us.  Hopefully she does it with an open and sincere heart and some miracles happen.  And then, within a minute, we found a new investigator!  His name is Sunday and he's from Nigeria.  He was really interested in learning more and we were able to get a return appointment with him.  He seemed really legit, so if he shows up to his appointment tonight I think we'll be able to help him progress towards baptism!

Then, last night, a similar situation happened - 2 of our 3 appointments got cancelled.  We went out to the area of our last appointment (we'd never been there before) and it turned out to be probably the smallest town I've ever seen!  But, we were determined to find some new people to teach.  And, even though we got rejected pretty hard for the first little bit, afterwards we had a ton of success.  We taught a lady and gave her a Book of Mormon, and she wants us to come back because she thinks that her 20 year old son will be interested!  Then, we found a guy from Napoli who wants a Book of Mormon.  Then, we found an old guy who invited himself to come to church!  Then, to top it off, we met one of the most solid new convert families I've ever seen - their 5 year old daughter is one of the cutest and well behaved kids I've ever seen (it was super cool to see her smile every time that we bore testimony or when they talked about the book of Mormon - she's a great girl).  And, we got 2 referrals from them!

So, not only has it been great as far as our "missionary work" has gone, but it's been great working with the missionaries in the mission as well.  We've been to 2 of 4 zone conferences.  Right now we're trying to do a big 20 lesson push.  Elder Perry promised us, a few years ago, that if we'd teach 20 lessons, the number of converts baptized would double.  And, in fact, there was a point last year when it happened - many companionships were reaching 20 and the number of baptisms in the mission per month went from the average 20, to exactly 40.  President trained us about how we need to "get in the way" by making sure we are doing all that we can (obedience, planning, and studying) so that when it comes time for letting God do His plans, we can "get out of the way."  We trained about how we can plan better.  One thing that we realized, especially from our experience last week, was we don't really know what we have to work with (how much time we have and the people we can bless in that time).  So, we taught about how we need to evaluate our week, "build" it, and then just do it!  We got lots of good remarks - most of the missionaries were like us and never really did the first part - evaluation and examination - which is crucial if we really want to set goals that matter.  The cool thing about what we've learned is that all of the number goals we set are accounted for in our weekly set-up.  We can now exercise real faith and not just shoot a number out and hope that it happens!

It's been so great being able to interact with all of these missionaries.  God has been blessing me a ton to be filled with even more love!  I wish I could express all of the cool things that have happened, what I've learned about these missionaries, and the cool, short, and powerful experiences we shared together.  I really think God is guiding me and helping me be an instrument in His hands to help lift these missionaries - both while we're "training" and during all the other time.  It's great!

We also had mission council this past week.  That went really good as well.  I learned something really poweful for me that actually was one of the reasons why the trainings have gone so well.  I've always tried to teach others, especially those that get scared or feel awkward talking with everyone, to not think about it and just do it.  And, what I realized, is that I have just been failing to do that when I'm with other missionaries.  I over analyze about what I'll say or teach, and when it comes time to do it, everything falls apart.  But I saw something amazing happen.  In mission council I was called on, out of nowhere, to present what our break out group had decided (we divided into 4 small groups to figure some stuff out), and I had to take about 10 or 15 minutes.  I didn't have time to over-analyze, but I knew that I had prepared and studied well, and I had a prayer in my heart that God would give me what to say (I know that when I'm left to myself I'm not a good speaker at all...).  And, it went great!  I've never felt like I've taught with more power and authority!  What I learned is that the scripture that talks about taking no thought beforehand what we should say is a principle about trusting God.  When I worry about what I say beforehand, I'm basically saying that I don't trust God enough so I'll just figure out myself what to say.  Whoa!  Where's the faith?  Anyway, so I've been applying this principle this week - making sure I prepare well, but then not worrying about what I'll say.  Instead, I can focus on others and love them, and everything goes great!

One of my sisters asked me to talk more about Anziano Jenson.  He is absolutely fantastic!  I don't know if I've ever met someone my age who has more light in his countenance or more love for others.  He is super fun - always cracking little jokes or doing stuff that's kind of weird.  He's one of those people that doesn't care at all what others think of him, so he'll do whatever is necessary - even putting himself in a seemingly awkward situation - to help others smile and feel comfortable and loved around him.  He's incredible.  I'm learning so much from him.  One of the qualities that I admire most about him (and one that I'm striving to develop) is that he is able to see people and see their potential - who they really are as far as attributes, gifts and qualites - and he lets them know; he praises them and, if their not living up to their real potential, he super lovingly helps them see what they could do.  I don't know if I've ever been with someone who makes me smile and laugh so much!

Vi voglio tanto bene!

-Anziano Barnes   

Another incredible week!

Anziano Bona on his way home to Provo.

Romanian man and wife Anziano Barnes helped find on a scambio in Prato.

Maria Grazia baptized in Milano 3rd Ward.

CIAO!!!

WOW!  This week has been an incredible week - I've learned and grown so much!  So many things seem to just be falling into place and clicking in my head!  I'll tell you about it!

So, we're about to do the full change over to the new ward (we're switching with the other elders in the office - I'll now be in Milano 3).  We've done a few exchanges throughout the week with them so that we can meet some of the people that they are working with and so that they can meet the people that we are working with.  Due to the way things worked out with those exchanges and other exchanges we've done with other people throughout the mission, I haven't been in our area at all this past week (except last sunday).  It seems like Jessica, the new convert, and Francesco, her father, are doing really well.  Francesco will come to church for sure this next week, but his wife, Simona, has backed out and won't come.  Fortunately, both of them are still very hopeful and determined that she'll come.

This past week we prepared for and did a special training for all of the district leaders in the mission.  We think that it went really well.  One of the coolest things for us to see was how unified our teachings were with what President Wolfgramm had prepared.  We had planned together a little bit - but no more than planning basic topics to teach.  But, come Wednesday, we all drove home the same message - the importance of being in line with God's will.  Our purpose in the district meeting was to help the district leaders raise their visions and see the great effects they can have on their districts and who they need to become in order to do it.

Ever since Wednesday, I've been on exchanges with other elders.  It's been great!  We had a really cool experience wednesday night.  We left the training and headed out to an appointment.  We arrived about 15 minutes before it would start.  We determined that we were going to find someone in their home and try to teach them (or at least get them interested in the BOM and set up a specific return appointment when we'd have more time).  So, we said a prayer.  We walked around.  And, we found a palazzo that we liked.  We saw a south american name on the citofono and hoped that they'd let us in.  They did.  Arriving at the elevator, and realizing we'd only have time to knock on a few doors at most, we decided that we'd just go to the fourth floor.  There were a few doors on the floor, and one of them caught our eye - it said "carnevale."  So, we rang it and a man came out.  He didn't really seem super interested at all at first, but then we pulled out the Book of Mormon and explained a little bit and everything changed!  We set up a return appointment for the next night to bring him one for himself!  It turns out that that man lives in the apartment that we rang that had the south american name on it!  God guided us to exactly where we needed to be and helped us out with our super short block of time!

On Friday we did another scambio.  This one was really cool as well.  My scambio partner is an amazing, pure missionary.  One of the things that I admire most in this missionary was that he prayed to be able to focus all of the time on missionary work and have all his desires be in line with that, and it showed!  We maintained a really spiritual level together!  It was one of the roughest days in terms of success and getting rejected and dissappointed - by people on the street, investigators, and even a new convert.  However, we stayed super positive, had a great time together, and learned from each other!  Something amazing happened on this scambio.  I've been trying my whole mission to desire the salvation of souls.  I yearn to feel true joy when people live the gospel and feel pain "for the sins of the world" and "shake" at the thought of someone not being able to receive salvation.  And, yesterday, it happened.  I'm sure that it's happened before, but yesterday it was super apparent (the funny thing is, though, that I didn't really understand what exactly what was happening until I was praying that night)!  I wanted so bad that the people we were teaching just turned to God - read the Book of Mormon and pray - and it pained me so bad to see that there wasn't any light in their countenances (it was super painful to see the new convert that was baptized a couple months ago - she isn't doing well at all).  I love them all so much!  It's so cool to see how far God has helped me come over the past year or so.  And, I'm excited that I can grow even more and love the people around me even more!  Also on this scambio, since I was in Pavia, I was able to teach a couple of the African new converts that were baptized when I was there.  Also, I was able to contact Tiziano and Daniela (who haven't come to church for several months now)!  They've been continuing to have problems, but they've been doing decently at keeping close to God - the kids are reading a lot from the illustrated BOM, Daniela is devouring D&C, and Tiziano is making sure that they all keep studying and that they do FHE every monday.  They committted to come to church this next week (I still couldn't figure out what was keeping them...)!  And, I found out some cool news - they're expecting a baby at the end of October!

There's been one other really cool realization that I've had over the past week.  The events that have been happening finally culminated into me realizing better the power of the atonement.  For a long time I have been trying to develop Christlike attributes or work on things so that my weaknesses aren't weak anymore.  However, I've had a slightly distorted view of things because Christ is the "bridge" for all of these things.  For example, I wanted to grow my charity and have more love for people.  However, the only way to really have charity for them is through Jesus Christ.  I need to access His atonement because He's the only one that knows everyone perfectly and loves everyone perfectly.  So, if I want to have this kind of love, I have to be filled with the love that he already has.  It can come through His Spirit thanks to the atonement.  Another thing that happened this past week also helped me realize this - I'm not the greatest speaker (I can struggle in lessons and when speaking in front of people - like in trainings we do).  Anyway, I wanted to improve my ability to speak.  However, what really needs to happen is that I speak with the Spirit.  It doesn't matter at all how great of a speaker I am - it's all weak when compared to what can happen when I'm guided by the Spirit.  Anyway, I'm excited that I'm finally seeing another way that I can apply the atonement more in my life!

Vi voglio bene!!!

-Anziano Barnes

Incoming & Outgoing Missionaries; "Transfer" to Milano3

Ciao!!!

It's been another crazy week out here again!  President Wolfgramm decided to call 2 traveling assistants so we've been busy preparing stuff for them, training them and preparing them for a transfer full of exchanges!  We had to figure out what changes we wanted to happen in the mission, who we needed to send the traveling assistants to, figure out how to fit all of the people into 6 weeks and how to make it time effective, and give them some basic instructions.  We're super excited that they are here!  They're both full of energy and full of love.  They're also both really excited for this big challenge that they have ahead of them.

We've also been quite involved with the incoming missionaries.  Once again, we spent a day and a half with them.  They are probably the most solid group of new missionaries I've ever seen.  They're super humble, but they're also all very good at the language, they have good teaching capabilities, and they're fearless.  At first we were a little bit worried because none of them wanted to talk with anyone.  However, with a little push and talking with others with them, they overcame those intitial hesitations and did great!  I've never seen such a diligent group at the duomo trying to talk to as many people as they could!  They're going to be amazing missionaries and future leaders!

We've taken care of the departing missionaries as well!  It was one of the craziest experiences ever!  First of all, the public transportation people did a strike on Thursday.  They completely closed down the metro in the morning and into a bit of the afternoon.  And, right after that strike ended, they did a strike on the trains!  We had to do a ton of organizational things to work out the cars and lodging and eating for 16 departing missionaries plus 14 other people (older couples and people in the office).  We were driving and running all over all day.  But, in the end, it worked!  It was really fun to be with Anziano Heninger again - he's finishing really strong and he helped pumped me up to continue and endure all the way to the end, growing missionary "fire" all the while! 

I just got news that I'm getting "transferred" again.  I'm not moving or changing companions, but the area that I'm going to proselyte in has changed.  I was in Lodi, but now I'm going to serve in Milano 3 (we're just going to switch proselyting areas and wards with the other elders in the office).  There's a bunch of logistical things that we have to work out, but it's going to be good. 

Our investigators, Francesco and Simona, are pretty much still in the same state.  They weren't able to come to church last sunday because they all got sick.  However, we're hoping they'll come this next sunday.  But, if they don't, the ward has helped us out - they gave Jessica (the daughter that was baptized several weeks ago) a talk to give in sacrament the 12th.  So, we're pretty sure they'll come for that.  Then, we hope, that Simona's fear will have been faced and overcome and that they can continue to progress!

We're still working with some delicate situations with our branch in Lodi.  We were somewhat concerned with one new convert family, but, after asking an inspired question that led to them sharing testimonies about how they feel the atonement of Christ in their lives - especially in church - we were filled with relief and joy!  Another one of the new converts is in a difficult situation.  But, after getting a blessing last week, and feeling the spirit with us this past week when we taught her, felt like she will be able to continue to move forward.  I love all of these people so much!  It's going to be hard to leave them.

I feel like it's been getting a lot easier to love others and give myself to them.  I feel like it's finally starting to become a part of who I am to try to really help people see their potential and strive to reach it.  But, of course, I've been learning a lot about how I need to be better and I still have a bunch of things that I need to change and apply!

I think the miracles of this week all revolve around all of the things we were able to accomplish.  We've never been so productive, so blessed with ideas of how to organize, and so blessed so that all of the little things just fell into place!  Even with lots of curveballs and complications, things went smoothly -  it's just amazing that everything was finished (even if it was done a lot differently than planned)!!!

Anyway, vi voglio bene!

Grazie!

-Anziano Barnes