One Year Has Whizzed By!

Things didn't really slow down much after we got back from our trip to the Swiss temple.  First we had transfers and one of our elders, Elder Reese, was transferred to Modena as their District Leader.  We got an elder from Modena here in Siena, Elder Warnick.  Elder Warnick comes from Utah, and has a little more than a year under his belt as a missionary.  He speaks the language well, and will be a great addition to our small team.

Elder Warnick joining Elder Garner in Siena

Siena hosted a gathering of all the young men and young women from the western half of our Stake.  They took a few hours to see the sights around Siena, and then came back to our building for a workshop on the importance of families and family history.  Then they all gathered in our foyer area for a late dinner before heading back to their respective cities.

September is also the last month of the third quarter, and one of our assignments is to inspect the apartments of all the young missionaries living in Siena, Florence and Montevarchi.  It takes a bit of time to drive to all these places and inspect each apartment, making repairs as we go.  However, we were able to complete this assignment and Darryl only made one sister missionary cry throughout the whole process.  That must be counted as a success!

We also were privileged to celebrate the 15th birthday of our only teacher in our Aaronic Priesthood.  We had dinner with this wonderful family, and helped Davide eat his cake, after all the fireworks, of course.

Davide and his flaming cake!

The Rotelli family, the rock of our small branch

Earlier in the day we drove out to the countryside in hopes of visiting a garden of an old, feudal estate that survived the ravages of World War II.  On our way we enjoyed the extensive vineyards throughout this region, now teeming with ripe grapes.  The weather has turned, and the leaves are turning with it.  We were able to capture a few shots of the beauty of this harvest time.  We did find the gardens, but we decided to save a full tour for another day, as the rains and cold descended upon us.

That day was very rainy and cold, and we must have been out in the elements too long, because both of us came down with some kind of virus.  It took a few days to work through the weakness and malaise that accompanied the bug, but we are finally back on our feet.

This last Sunday, one of our sister missionaries who just finished her mission, Sister Roth, came back through Siena with her Mom, sister and aunt, as she took a few weeks to travel around before flying home.  It was great to see her, and to feed her and her Mom and aunt one of her final meals here in Italy.

Sister Roth and Bonnie, Aunt Carlsson and Mom Linda

Last night, as on every Monday evening, we held a Family Home Evening at our little chapel for those members, missionaries and investigators who want to participate.  Bonnie is in charge of this event, and she always does a great job preparing a spiritual lesson, with great activities, and wonderful refreshments.  She is feeling a bit more comfortable each week speaking Italian with our wonderful members!

Bonnie teaching at FHE

Enjoying a game of Uno with the missionaries, a member and an investigator

Today is September 30, 2014.  Exactly one year ago today we walked through the doors at the MTC to begin this missionary experience.  We can't believe that a full year has already sped by!  We have experienced and learned so much and we are trying our best to be of service to the members, missionaries and investigators in our small region of the Lord's vineyard. 

On this "anniversary" of sorts, we each wanted to share a few things that we have learned as we have walked this path together.

Darryl - Probably the most important thing that I have learned is more a driving home of what my Grandma taught me when I was just a kid.  She always told me that "every kettle must sit on its own bottom".  That is the great truth of the Lord's gift of personal agency.  Everyone must choose the path he or she will take, and must decide if and when to make course corrections along the way.  Those of us who love and accompany that person, as a parent, a leader, a friend, a ward member, can be a great help and influence, and it is always incumbent on us to be a good example, to teach correct doctrine, to encourage and, when appropriate, to point out that a wrong path has been chosen and to try to show the way to the correct path.  However, when push comes to shove, only the knowing, heart-felt and sincere personal choice of that person will determine the path taken.  That is the Lord's plan.  Thus, if we want to be sure that we are making the correct choices in our own personal journeys, we must keep our eyes fixed on the goal and our hands tightly around the guides that will lead us to whatever our ultimate goal is.  And, as the saying of an early English theologian (that we had on our refrigerator for at least the last 20 years) goes, "If we haven't chosen the Kingdom of God as our goal in life, it will, in the end, make no difference what we have chosen in its stead."

Bonnie - God prepares us for those things He asks us to do, and He will help us accomplish what we are asked if we truly have faith in Him and diligently do our part.   The Lord knows our potential; He knows what we can do. As our young zone leaders taught us, "He sees more in us than we see in ourselves."  He will continue to ask more of us, because He knows we are capable.  Our growing may be painful, it may stretch us to "our" limits and beyond.  God (and others whom he has directed) will always be encouraging us and perhaps even demanding just a little more of us.  But we have to be willing to be diligent and obedient.  (That gift of agency comes into play once more!) 

God loves each of His children.  He is waiting and wanting to help us.  He wants to bless us. Many times I have seen a glimpse of how much Heavenly Father loves a specific person here in Italy. We have been prompted to help when we couldn't have known the need.  He will direct us through promptings of the Holy Spirit if we let Him, and if we follow those promptings we can become better people, better servants, better followers.  

We close this first year of our mission with hope that we have done some good, and with the resolve to continue in His service and to listen to His promptings in all that we do.