The greatest experience of my life!!!

Gianni with family Octavia and daughter Luna

Anziano Barnes with Francisco

Pilar with boyfriend Mario and Anziano Barnes

Ciao!!!!
Here's how the investigators are doing:

Francisco accepted a baptismal date!  He's been doing great at keeping every single committment we leave with him!  He'll be baptized on July 7!

Pilar is also doing super well.  Here's a cool story.  At her baptism, she was super worried because she had a nightmare the night before that she got baptized and then right as she came up she fainted.  Anyway, as she came that night, she had a really bad headache.  However, right as she came up out of the water, the headache went away!  Also, another cool miracle - her hair was quite wet being baptized, and she was worried because her mom was completely against her decision to come to our church and so Pilar didn't want her to know that she was getting baptized.  Anyway, so if she were to have returned with wet hair, her mom would have been suspicious and have asked what she did.  But, fortunately, right after the baptism, a HUGE rainstorm began (I've never seen so much rain come down)!  She had to go through the rain and got soaked.  But, when she got home, her mom didn't even have to ask any questions - she was wet from the rain!  She's really happy now and she's perfectly integrated with the young men and women (we saw her randomly one day hanging out with a couple of the young women in the ward)!  She'll get confirmed tomorrow!

We're still working with Nelson and Marvin and Alba.  They didn't come to church again last week.  Nelson was the only one with a good excuse - he was working (loading and loading trucks) at a certain business place and the person who owned the place left and locked the gate, closing everyone inside!  He didn't get back until late that night (so Nelson missed the baptism), felt really bad so he fed them all.  By then it was super late.  Nelson had to sleep out in his truck and had to drive all the way back home Sunday morning, and by the time he was changed and showered it was too late.  If he were truly committed he could have made it to church, but we'll give this one to him...  He should be coming tomorrow for sure.  However, he's been making great progress in the Book of Mormon.  One day, he only had 1 minute to read before heading out the door, and he chose to read!  And, as he read, he was reminded to bring his GPS with him (if he doesn't have that with him at work - driving trucks around - he'd be in big truoble)!  He took that as a sign from God that the book is good.  However, he still doesn't feel like he knows that it is true.

And, there's a new lady that we're working with - Miriam.  She's a friend of some members that we found one day as we went to a member's home to teach them, and they were having a party (and Miriam was there).  We shared a quick message, and she was touched!  She came to Gianni's baptism and felt the Spirit really strong.  We gave her a Book of Mormon and she's tried to read, but reading it has been giving her headaches so she hasn't read much (she should have glasses but she refuses to get them...).  So, we brought her the BOM on CD in spanish.  And, last time, she accepted baptism!  It's great because she is truly searching to know which church is true!

We've done two exchanges this week -1 in firenze and the other in Mestre (right next to Venice)!  They went great!  We're preparing now for a FULL week of trainings (every day next week except wednesday and the trainings go all day long).  It's gonna be fun!

I've been growing and learning a ton.  Even the slightest deviation from what I know I should be doing makes me feel horrible (which is great), and in this way God is helping me become more and more like Christ and He's shaping me more and more into the instrument that He needs.  I love it.  I can't express with words how much I love being a missionary and serving God and His children!  It really is the greatest experience of my life!!!  I've found that as I can recognize His hand in the work and remember that I need His help in order to truly help His children, everything goes better!

I would love to write more, but I'm out of time - just know that I am doing fantastic and that amazing things are happening here!

Vi voglio bene!!!

-Anziano Barnes