JULY 30, 2014

I. Am. Soaked. So soaked. We were on our way riding our
bikes to the church like "oh, it's started to rain. Well, it's been
sprinkling on and off all day, we should be fine *5 minutes
later* Total downpour!! It is like a hurricane out there! So wet
socks and all here I am writing home to my family! :)
This week has been GREAT! So full of miracles! I wish I had
time to write them all! But we have been working hard and
have found so many people opening up to the gospel, and
more than anything, the fact that families are forever. We use
our new "My Family" booklets all the time! I put pictures of
my family on the front and hold it up and just walk up to
people and say "Hello! Families are forever! What do you
think about that!?" and they usually put their hand up like "get
away from me" (like always), but then are like "wait, what?
you have like a million brothers and sisters...who are you
guys?" and we start to talk! It is the greatest! These books
are an inspired finding tool!
-We also saw a big group of breakdancers the other day in
the middle of centro putting on a show, with a huge crowd
around them and everything...they came from Brescia where
there is a huge dance studio, and they were GOOD! Not going
to lie, we stopped and watched them for a minute or so...but
then we went away and started talking to more people!
-I was reading in the Book of Galatians the other day for part
of personal study (because one of our investigators is
obsessed with Paul, and throws out scripture after scripture
about him, so i figured I would learn myself up on his
writings), and I came across a scripture that, even though
was already marked, I felt like I had never read before. It was
chapter 2 verse 20, which says "I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the
life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of
God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." That really hit
me for some reason. and the life which I now live in the flesh
I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
himself for me. That is powerful! We live our lives by faith.
Faith in the Son of God who loves us; loves us so much that
he gave himself, his life, for us. The gospel is amazing!
-We were meeting with one of our African members, Sunny,
the other day, and he received a phone call from his girlfriend
in Nigeria, and he was talking in his native tongue and
everything, and then all of a sudden sighs and is like "she
wants to talk to you." We were all just like..."uh oh. what
could this be for." So she starts off, and the first sentence
that comes out is "Please, Please! You must help me!" and
we are like "oh no! What is going on!?" and then she follows it
up with "You must take Sunny to church! All he does is work,
work, work! You must bring him to the church! Even if you
must tie him up and take him...you must do it! *sunny laughs
in the background*. Get the rope!!" It was hilarious!
-We had an awesome experience on a visit to a less-active
ladie's house this week! We went with President Caramia
(who is just amazing.. I feel like I am in the room with a
member of the Twelve every time he speaks about the
gospel), to this super nice woman's home, as part of his
home-teaching. We talked a bit about life, President Caramia
talked about how he used to work in a Hebrew hotel as a chef
for 2 years, and how he had to do the most flabbergasting
stuff (which was pretty hilarious), and then talked about the
First Presidency message in the liahona. It was a really
powerful experience, and at the end she asked me to offer the
prayer, and I found myself praying for her to build up the
courage and faith to come to church, despite the weaknesses
she feels she has, and to partake of the sacarament. As we
finished, she was in tears. It was a great experience!
-It has been raining all week! And we had one of our
umbrellas stollen. Two men, one umbrella...better yet, one
man, one Samoan. So three men....doesn't work the best. We
are buying a new umbrella, very soon. That's all I am going
to say about that.
-We went over to a young man's house today for P-day, and
he taught us how to make some awesome tomato sauce
pasta stuff. (he is a chef..) It was gooooood! And then he
was like "now we will make a milkshake...american style! (he
knows a bunch of american recipies, and loves to cook
them. His little sister was like "Whole milk...in the ice
cream??? What kind of savages are you!?" haha!
Miracle: This week has been absolutely full of miracles!!
Wow, what a great week! But one of the greatest miracles
was that Silvio is still progressing so well! This past week we
met with him 3 times, always with Presidente Caramia, and
he came to church! He accepted to follow the Word of
Wisdom, Law of Chastity, 10 commandments, and the Law of
Tithing this week! President Caramia was so excited after our
last lesson last night. "Tithing was the last hard thing! Now
it's all downhill on to the baptism!" Silvio is so sincere and SO
prepared! He has accepted everything right away, without
even a second's hesitation. A lot of that is thanks to the help
of President Caramia in teaching the lessons (he teaches
so...masterfully! Ever word he says is so powerful!); he has
been a great help in clarifying everything. It was especially
cool when he said to Silvio, about the use of tithing funds,
"...there are no paid leaders in the church, which is a lot
different than the other churches, for example the Catholic
church (I love how in the lessons he always calls out the
other religions, because he used to be a really active Catholic
and know a ton about it all), but in our church, I am a leader,
and I pay tithing, too!" It totally just clicked for Silvio, and the
entire time he had a huge smile on his face! He is
progressing so well, and we are working to get his family
involved as well!
All in Rimini is wonderful! Things are really happening here; it
is a great, rainy place! Thank you all for your support and
prayers, I love you all and always remember you! Thank you
for your prayers for our investigators as well, pray for Silvio!
He is preparing to be baptized the 22nd and is SO excited
about it! Well, it is massively thunderstorming outside, so if
this is the last email, I love you all! (just kidding, I probably
shouldn't joke about that...Sorry mom, love you!) :)
Love,
Anziano Wilson