Feet Shod with the Gospel

I have been thinking about a few things lately that involve feet and shoes.  A few weeks ago I read about an interview that Sister Uchdorf had with someone.  They  asked her how she could keep up with her husband and his very busy schedule.  She said that she wandered about that herself.  When he was first called as an apostle, she spoke with Sister Hinckley and asked her how she was able to keep up with her husband.  Sister Hinckley said, " I just put on my shoes and go."
Those words have rerun in my mind a hundred times.  How do the wives of the general authorities do what they have to do?  I never thought about  that before coming on this mission.  The focus is entirely on their husband and his calling, and they are there by his side smiling and supporting him.  I am sure it must be difficult for them sometimes more than at other times.  Sometimes it is really hard for me to be by Paul's side and just stand there as he speaks, teaches, and councils people here.  I really like the simple council to " just put on your shoes and go."

I just finished reading a book called Armor Up, by John Bytheway.  Each of the chapters are written by different authors. There is a chapter in there by Laurel Christensen, who was Jonathan's primary teacher in Salt Lake.  I really liked the chapter about our Feet shod with the  preparation of the gospel of peace by Anthony Sweat.  He said that "to have our feet shod means literally to put on our shoes and go."  Even though this is not the flashiest part of the Armor it is one of the most important parts.  Just like proper footwear is vital to our total well being, so is this part of our armor.  When we shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace it represents being prepared with gospel knowledge that can direct our path through life.  When we head out the door each morning we are prepared to follow in the Foot steps of Jesus as he beckons us to "Come Follow Me".  When we have our feet shod with these gospel shoes we will gain three benefits;  direction, protection, and projection. I hope each of you can read this book.  Every chapter has wonderful thoughts and examples.

So now when I see our missionary shoes, I think of the above two things.

I hope that when any of us have something difficult to do maybe we can remember to follow Sister Hnckley's counsel and just put on our shoes and go.  And we need to also remember to put on our gospel shoes everyday and follow in the footsteps of the Savior.  Live his teachings and be prepared with his gospel to help us go where we need to go and do what we need to do.  It's great to have good shoes!

Ice cream and castles

Yesterday we had two outings to the mountains..which were two different mountains.  In the morning we drove the sisters to a referral up in a little town way up in the mountains.  The name of the town was Postiglione.  There was a cute little castle up on the very top of the town.  The sisters didn't find the referral at home but they left a Book of Mormon with a relative who was there.  We  had ice cream at the little Gelateria at the base of the castle. Sorella Mathews had an ice cream in a  pastry roll which sounds weird but it is very delicious.  It was cooler up in the mountains than it was down in Battipalia, so we were glad for the cooler air.
In the afternoon, just Anziano Scherbel and I,  went to Flavia's and we had a wonderful visit with her and her aunt and grandma.  We love them so much.

Another tender mercy

Today we went to Salerno to the Questura, to get the final fingerprinting done for Sorella Mathews to get her permesso which allows her to be here legally.  There are a lot of people waiting in line that are from many other countries who are trying to get visas also so they can have a better life for them and their families.  We met a man from Sri Lanka today who was very nice.  His country is. Second poorest one in the world. He works here and sends money home to his family. Just before we left we started talking to a cute family who had two little darling girls.  They were from the Phillipines.  Sister Mathews told them her mother is from the Phillipines and we got the name of the wife  and her phone number .  The wife asked if we were Mormons.  She said that she had a cousin who was a Mormon, who lived in Rome.  Sorella Wagoner asked her cousins name....and wouldn't you know but Sister Wagoner knew her cousin, from when she served in Rome.  She  had eaten at the cousins house.  Now the husband gave us his name and shook all of our hands.  The best part was, sister Mathews looks in her purse and pulls out three pamphlets that were in Tagolic and gives it to them.  How wonderful that she had them!

Shout it from the Mountain Tops

There are several really cool things that happened on the hike up the mountain, Saturday.  One of our new converts is a young man about 30 years old.  He has MS and it is difficult to walk.  He had a big day the day before with getting baptized.  He received his own triple combination and was so excited to have it that he read all night until four in the morning, after he returned home about 9 Friday night.  W all met at the church at 8:30 in the morning.  He really wanted to go on the hike, but we thought it would be too difficult for him.  But he went anyway and he made it to the top!  It was simply amazing.  When he got up there he raised his arms high to the heavens and said, "Hallelujah, hallelujah,, I am thankful for my baptism!"  He did exactly what it says in 2 Nephi 31:13
     ...take upon you the name of Christ , by baptism--yea by following your Lord and your Savior          down into the water according to his word.....and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.

When Brother Sapio reached the very top, he said he had always wanted to do something that his institute teacher once did.  He shouted his testimony from the mountain top.  The spirit fills you as you shout out to the heavens and earth, for everyone to hear, your testimony.  I thought that was the neatest idea.  If I had gone, I would have done it too.  I missed out!  But I am so glad that the sisters told me about it.  Sister Rossell even caught the last part on video.  D&C 128:23 says:
         Let the mountains shout for joy, and all ye valleys cry aloud, and all ye seas and dry lands tell
         the wonders of your Eternal King!..... And let all the sons of God shout for joy!

I love how passionate the saints are here in Italy about The Lord and about their life.

 

Scout/ Branch activity in the mountains at Valva

Saturday, our branch plus our new 7 members, spent the day in the mountains, at the mountain home of the Mondelli's.  It was cool and beautiful everywhere.  The sisters came too. Most everyone went on a 10 K hike to the top of the mountain, which is in back of the Mondelli's house.  The whole mountainside smelt like oregano and mint.  There were 4 non members there, plus our  7 new members and also 5 missionaries and 5 old members.  Nami is the cute dalmation dog with the Cub Scout scarf on.  She made it to the top of the mountain.  8 year old Marco made it to the top by himself and his father carried him home all the way down the mountain.  

7 baptisms!!!

Friday evening we had the Melella family get baptized with the exception of the youngest son.  And we also had two other young men get baptized that the sisters had taught.  We have a portable font that we set up outside.  There were about 40 people there from our branch.  It was a wonderful evening. 

 

Elder Bandiaky

Elder Bandiaky has been here in Battipalgia for 3 months.  He is such a good elder.  He hurt his knee a few weeks ago and has had a lot of pain with it. He found out that he has to go home until his knee is better.  He lives in northern Italy.  We are all so sad that he has to leave.  There is a family of six getting baptized this Friday whom he has worked with and taught.  He gets to stay to baptize them and we are very thankful he can have that blessing.  Last night at the close of English class, I was asked to say the prayer.  I said, "we are thankful for Elder Bandiaky, and Heavenly Father, please bless elder Bandiaky",  except I was so overcome by the spirit, that I couldn't even say his name the second time for about sixty seconds.  I felt at the time, that we were all so blessed to have been around this wonderful missionary, and of course Heavenly Father would bless him.

Today, during scripture study, I read a verse that made me cry and think of my experience while praying last night.

D&C 46:30

He that asketh in the spirit asketh according to the will of God, 

Wherefore it is done even as he asketh.

So I know that the Lord will definitely bless Elder Bandiaky and that all these experiences are according to his will.

Anziano Scherbel calls him Anziano Badkneeaky.

Look at that smile and you can just tell what an awesome young man he is.

Saturday

I was a long day today, but pretty good.  We went downtown to the post office.  I waited in the car and looked out at this little piazza that was in the shade and had several little park benches in it.  The little old Italian men just sit out on these benches for hours everyday and just watch the people go by. They talk to each other and enjoy being outside.

Next we drove up to Valva to check out where the bus goes.  We have a branch activity there next Saturday and some of our members don't have a car.  Anziano Scherbel wanted to see how far it was from where the bus dropped them off to where we were going for the day.  It was a beautiful drive and we ate lunch at the Mondelli's.  

Dinner at Flavia's

Friday, we went up to the mountains above Avalino to have dinner with the Elders, at Flavia's aunts house.  Her cousin Americo had written out 84 jokes to share with anziano Scherbel, who loves italian jokes.  We love this whole family and we hope and pray they will come to know the truth, and all be baptized.  They love us and treat us like family.  We must have known them in the preexistence.  They made us such a lot of good food.  Below is a picture of No Na making little scones which are then tossed with a mixture of cut up tomatoes and basil and red sweet peppers.  Flavia was making a platter full of caprese horderves.  And the final picture is a little out of focus but shows Delia in her beautiful kitchen.

Paul the Apostle lands in Pozzuoili

After Zone conference yesterday, we went down to the church that the Catholics have designated as the spot that Paul the Apostle landed at when he came to Pozzuoili (Puteoli is the old name) on his way to Rome.  see Acts 28:13-14.

The Willies are on the left and Sister Waddups is in the front middle center.  We had an exciting thing happen while we were looking at the church.  A couple of nuns came by to see it also.  We talked to them for a while and got a few pictures.  And then, Elder Bandiaky asked the older sister if she would accept the Book of Mormon.  she gladly did so and we were thrilled.

Zone conference in Pozzuoili

Yesterday we had zone conference in Pozzuoili, which is right next to Naples.  All the Napoli Zone met our new President Waddoups and his wife for the first time, with the exception of the Battipaglia missionaries because we met them Sunday when they visited our branch. I thought it was a very good conference.  We did a good exercise to practice inviting our investigators to be baptized.  They encourage us to do that right after the first lesson with them.  At first that seems way too early and fast, but I do see the wisdom in this guidance.  Because many investigators love the missionaries to come over as often as possible.  They like talking to them and they feel good when they are around the missionaries, but they don't really have a goal in mind other than to continue in this friendship.  We should invite them to pray and to ask if the things that we have taught them are true, and if they find out for  themselves from God that the Book of Mormon is true, and that Christ's church has been restored by Joseph Smith, we ask them if they would follow Christ's example and be baptized by such and such a date.  We practiced that many times and tried to do it simply and quickly, in just one minute of time.  It was a good practice.  We received  our new mission theme, which is "Be all you can Be."
Our training sisters, from this zone, are  Sister Wagoner and Sister Christenson.  they did a short training session with us which was excellent.  They taped together many sheets of white paper short end to short end and cut the whole thing in half lengthwise so it looked like a giant tape measure.  Then they cut off a section at a time that each represented the hours in our day and how we use them.  After cutting off all the hours of things that we have to do each day, such as sleep, eat, exercise, language study, scripture study,  companion study, companion planning, we have about 8 hours left that we can do actual missionary work.  They shared the idea of how to use those hours in non busy activities but in the Lord's work.  They are both such darling girls.  We all were attentive and were inspired to use our time more wisely.

We had 55 to church today!

Today our new mission president and his wife, president and sister Waddoups, came to visit our little 

branch.  Can I tell you how excited I was that we had 55 people to church!  We had 15 children in the primary.  We did have two families who were member visitors, but we did also have 13 investigators and we think that 9 of them will be  baptized in two weeks.  Anziano Scherbel has been working so hard and has not given up through many difficult circumstances.  I admire his endurance and his desire to  serve The Lord.  Tonight, he went with the Elders to visit a brother and sister who have not been to church in 38 years.  They said they want to come to church next week.

Vitri Sul di Mare

We took the sister missionaries to find some inactive members in a few different towns that are now a part of our branch.  We drove to Salerno first and found the right apartment and met the family of the member who was not home.  But we got a new phone number and we will be able to come back.  Then we drove to Cave di Torrini and found the home of another member who also was not home but we met his mother and aunt and got his phone number also.  On the way home we drove along the coast and stopped for a picture  over looking the most beautiful little coastal town named  Vetri Sul di Mare.  The top of the cathedrals you see with the beautiful colors are all made of ceramic mosaic tiles that glisten in the sun.  Nestled against the shores of the Mediteranean Sea,  this is a perfect  place for picture taking.

Here are our cute sister missionaries who are fearless and amazing

That which is of God is light

D&C 50:24

That which is of God is light; 

and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, 

Receiveth more light;

And that light growth brighter and brighter

Until the perfect day.

Section 50 of the Doctrine and Covenants is so good for us missionaries to read.  It applies directly to us.  Verses 13 &14 say:

Wherefore, I The Lord ask you this question--

Unto what were you ordained?

to preach my gospel by the Spirit,

Even the comforter which was sent forth to teach the gospel.

Verses 26 &27 

He that is ordained of God and sent forth,

The same is appointed to be the greatest, notwithstanding he is the least

And the servant of all.

Wherefore, he is the possessor of all things;

For 

A few troubles

Today, Anziano Scherbel tried to rotate one of our tires on the car, which was wearing quite badly.  We are waiting for a new car, and hoping this one will limp along a bit longer.  It's got too many miles on it and we were notified that we will be trading it in for a new car in a month or so.  After two trips to the store to get a wrench that would get the hub caps off,  Anziano Scherbel was almost home when a lady backed into him in the  roundabout near our apartment building.  She was stopped in the round a bout when he entered it from the other side, and as he came up closer and stopped to wait for her, she started backing up slowly and then accelerated and ran right into our already old car.  She was in her 50's or so and come to find out, she had just been fired from her job.  How sad is that?  She didn't want to report it so her insurance would go up, so they had us take our car to a shop where they will pay for it to get fixed.  So we are now without a car, and that makes us appreciate what car we did have.  We hope it can get fixed and won't cost this lady too much.

A few good sayings

I found four good sayings that I want to remember.

2 things define you: your patience when you have nothing and your attitude when you have everything.

Don't let yesterday use up too much of today.

I knew who I was this morning but I have changed a few times since then.  -Alice in Wonderland

What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday.