Carissimi,
It occurred to me this week I have dedicated very little space in my letters to the actual missionary work I'm doing here in Napoli, and lest you think we're just out here lounging in the sun on the Amalfi coast, eating pizzas left and right, and visiting 2000 year old archeological sites, here's a weekly dedicated to the miracles Anziano Ferrara and I have been seeing lately.
Hablas Español?
The answer to that question friends, is poquito poquito, but fortunately for us, Antonio, and his family, (wife Yaneth, and daughter Josselyn), the Spirit does (kinda)! Antonio works at the pizzeria beneath our apartment, and we'd talked to him a few times before. He's El Salvadorian, and as many from Latin America, knew a decent amount already about the church. He had never taken the time, however, to study the gospel truths, restored in our day, so we invited him to do so this week. He showed up with the aforementioned wife and daughter, who speak varying levels of Italian. Unfortunately, after a year in Italy, my sentence formation in Spanish left something to be desired, but fortunately we were able to read selected scriptures, and understand their questions and concerns. I'd never before taught "La Restauración", on my mission, and it showed as we all laughed at my feeble attempts to conjugate, or slip in Spanish words here and there. Since meeting with them, they have begun reading the Book of Mormon as a family, and will hopefully make it to church this upcoming Sunday! Stay tuned as our Italian speaking Anziani prepare to present, "El Plan di Salvación," (more than likely they'll stick to "Il Piano di Salvezza," and let the Spirit take care of the rest)!
Parli Inglese?
Major highlight of the week was flexing those Italian muscles in teaching the Restoration to another Antonio, this one a student of our weekly English Class. Antonio immediately recognized the significance of the message, and the difference between what we do on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and what we do on Sundays. Antonio likes to refer to me as "Professore" Toronto, so we're working on changing that to "Anziano", but my ego kinda likes Professore, so it might just stick haha! As we taught the Restoration, he was eager to find out more about Joseph Smith, and after every point, (from "God is our Loving Heavenly Father," up until "The Great Apostasy,") he kept asking, "This is where he comes in right?" Eventually he was right, and he loved the idea that he could receive an answer from a God, anxious to "give liberally," as the scripture in James says. Stay tuned for our next installment, as Antonio 2.0 continues his study of the Book of Mormon, and (cross your fingers), receives the answer that millions of other sincere readers have received worldwide!
"But do you actually speak English, cause these guys are fresh off the boat..."
This is essentially what Brother Austin said as he presented his two friends Maxwell, and Blessing to us for the first time in Church yesterday. The two had just arrived, days before, and were looking for a Christian church to join here in Italy. Luckily, Austin was there to snag them before our wonderful evangelist brothers did. After teaching these brothers the Restoration, Maxwell told us that on his journey over, he had covenanted with God, that if he found a good Christian church here, he would never miss church on Sunday. That lifetime commitment is exactly what we're looking for, and the next step for the two of them is a testimony of the Book of Mormon. I don't know if you're sensing a common theme, but... Stay tuned for our next installment, as Maxwell and Blessing receive testimonies of the restored gospel, the Prophet who started it all, and the Prophet who, under the direction and inspiration of the Holy Ghost, leads it all today!
Upon reflection, its hard not to think that I've taken it for granted, the joy I feel in doing the Lord's work here in this part of the vineyard. For that reason I wanted each of you to know there's no place I'd rather be, than right here, right now. Yes, there are hard days, hard moments, hard headed people (of just about every nationality, gender, age, etc.), hard finding sessions spent underneath Napoli's unseasonably warm morning, afternoon, and evening sun... basically, the mission hasn't gotten any less difficult, I've just become quite a bit stronger.
Remember the greek legend of Sisyphus, who as a result of misdeeds, was punished to eternally push a boulder up a hill, only to have it roll back down just before reaching the summit.
Similar is the story of the man once asked to push a boulder located at the bottom of the hill. He diligently pushed and strained with all his might, day after day, but the rock didn't budge an inch. The master returns to survey his progress, which, to the boulder pusher seemed nonexistent. The master reminds his loyal, faithful servant, that he had commanded him solely to push, which he had done, without ceasing. He then points out the muscle, and mental fortitude, forged in the furnace of pain and determination. After suffering what the master intended, the servant was far more capable, and an effective instrument in the other work the master had for him to accomplish.
Oftentimes I feel like missionary work is pushing a boulder. Some days I'm Sisyphus, feeling pretty good about the progress I've made, until the rock slips from my grasp and begins to tumble down the hill I've struggled and worked so hard to climb. Other days I feel as the other servant, as though I'm going absolutely nowhere, pushing the immovable boulder, in a futile attempt to accomplish the Herculean task laid before me. Now, at the end of the day, the refiner's fire, or boulder if you will, has been shaping me since the moment I placed the black and white tag on my chest. Yet every second, of every day spent pushing that boulder, was well spent, and I have the spiritually torn muscles to prove it!
There have been days in which I've called up on the Lord to "Console me in my afflictions", (Jacob 3:1), and others I've asked that, like Joseph's, my afflictions would, "work together for my good," (D&C 98:3), "be but a small moment," (D&C 121:7) and "give [me] experience", (D&C 122:7). Yet I gratefully endure each moment, "that perhaps [I] might be the means of saving some soul; and [I] supposed that [my] joy would be full if perhaps [I] could be the means of saving some." (Alma 26:30).
I would do it all again, for the happiness I have felt, feel, and will continue to feel as the Lord allows me to be a part of the soul-saving process. I can't express fully the gratitude I have for my Savior, who so perfectly knows the boulders I need to push in order to become like him, because he's already pushed every single one of them himself. I love him for that, and will continue to call upon him as I push, and at times lack the strength, motivation, or willpower to keep on pushing. Keep pushing the boulder placed in front of you, don't give up, and don't look around at the boulders those around you are pushing, or you may feel tinges of "boulder envy". Push, and keep on pushing, trusting that the Savior is pushing right there next to you. Because he assuredly is.
In his holy name, Jesus Christ, Amen
All my love,
Anziano Toronto II 🇮🇹
No comments:
Post a Comment