"Anotha One..."

Carissimi,

Zone Conference:
As DJ Khaled might say, "anotha one..." That's right friends we've made it to the 12th installment of listening, learning, and being edified. Anziano Ferrara, Sorella Palacios, and I had the chance to train the zone, focusing our instruction on the concept of becoming disciples of Jesus Christ. We taught of the story found in chapter 4 of Matthew, where Christ calls his disciples to follow him and become fishers of men. Likewise we challenged the Anziani and Sorelle of the zone to become fishers of men. then taking inspiration from Elder Holland's classic General Conference address, "The First Freat Commandment," we spoke of Peter's experience with the risen Lord and his call to renewed, reinvigorated discipleship. The essential taught truth was that the Lord needs disciples, and he needs them today. He needs missionaries who will preach his gospel, and defend His faith. He needs those who love Him, truly, truly, love him. We called them to love him more, and to love the process of becoming his disciples, no matter how difficult at times it may be! That was a message I needed to hear more than anybody, so it's a great thing it was repeated on Sunday.

Stake Conference Broadcast:
On Sunday, we had the chance to tune in to a Europe Area broadcast, in which we the Zone Conference messages were driven home. Elder Hallstrom began his remarks with the story used so movingly in Elder Holland's classic, that of the exchange between Christ and his senior Apostle. Elder Hallstrom encouraged all listening to choose to be on the Lord's side, and to do so, today! Shortly thereafter, Elder Uchtdorf spoke of Becoming Disciples of Jesus Christ, I kid you not! As they spoke, I looked over and smiled at Anziano Ferrara. In the mission, we call "spidey-senses", the gift of the Holy Ghost, and boy were we grateful to have both, as we found ourselves "in-line" with the brethren, which, as President Pickerd often reminds us, is always a good place to be.

Vesuvio:
P-Day carried us, like Nephi's spirit, high on a mountain top, yet unlike Nephi's, the mountain we summited is well known for destroying an ancient, (and abominable) society. We were taken by bus to the base of the Volcano, and a short, yet steep hike later we were gazing into an absolutely gargantuan crater. Imagining the explosive force necessary to displace the amount of missing rock left me in awe, literal awe. Also, cannot be more grateful, (and I know I join my mother in saying this), that Vesuvius is currently a dormant Volcano, unlike it's Sicilian counterpart, which I climbed a time or two. Let's just say I don't want to be anywhere near Napoli when the day of reckoning comes, and Vesuvius returns to life in all it's smoking glory. For now at least, we can sleep knowing that day won't come until Anziano Toronto leaves in a few weeks, *quickly knocks on the closest wood possible*😁

Would have loved writing a masterful discourse on volcanoes, eruptions, and backsliding, (see Etna email pt. 1 for further detail), however technology again failed to preserve my draft, and so it is that the treatise on Vesuvian theology goes unwritten. I will say it was inspired by the shrines to both, the Madonna, and Padre Pio on the trail up the Volcano, and the two classic Mt. Sinai commandments, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing..."
"Of all the words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, it might have been."
-John Greenleaf Whittier
Oh what might have been... oh well, I'll content myself with that which I have written, acknowledging the fault, and the slightly juvenile jabs at Catholic idol worship, contained therein, they're written with love😊

Vi voglio un sacco di bene la misura del cratere di Vesuvio,❤

Anziano Toronto II 🇮🇹