Siena Branch Grows By One - Welcome Kleis!

This past week we prepared for the baptism of our newest member, Kleis Hazizi.  Last October Kleis came and found us one morning when we were working in our little Family History center.  He told us that he had made friends with some elders in his home country of Albania, and those missionaries had taught him some of the lessons.  He then decided to follow his brother to Italy in hopes of finding better work.

He told us that he wasn't sure if there was a branch of the Church here in Siena, but he did the work to contact the mission office in Albania and they told him that there was a branch here, and gave them our address.  He then ventured out to find us.  This is a great example of how seeds planted in days gone by and in locations where one might least expect can grow over time and result in great blessings in someone's life.

When he walked into the Family History center, we talked with him for a while and we could see that he wasn't your "typical" 19 year-old guy (if such a thing exists).  He seemed serious and wanted to know more.  We quickly got on the phone to see if our elders were anywhere nearby so they could come and meet Kleis, and luckily they were able to hustle down to the church and meet him.  After almost six months of teaching and fellowshipping, Kleis decided to take the first step, that of baptism, to unite himself with the Saints of Siena.   We are so happy for him!!

Elder Driver, Kleis, Elder Moa

Elders Moa & Driver, Kleis, Sisters Salmond & Rincoń, and us

Everyone who came to the baptism

In between these preparations, we had to go to Florence to inspect the three apartments used by our young missionaries there.  So while we were there, we thought we would go up to Piazza Michelangelo and take some shots of the beautiful Florence cityscape.  Florence is filled with great history, great art, and beautiful sites.

We decided to take our P-Day and drive to the Adriatic seaside town of Ravenna, which has beautiful Byzantine mosaics that date back as early as the 400s.  In 402 the barbarian tribes were zeroing in on the city of Rome, so the Roman Emperor moved his capital to Ravenna, and it remained the capital until 476 when the Goths from Hungary took over.  However, in 540 the Byzantine emperor Justinian conquered the Goths which reunited Italy, and he turned Ravenna into a pinnacle of civilization.

The mosaics throughout the old churches and tombs of the city are spectacular.  They also tell part of the story of the conflicts in the early Christian church about certain core doctrines, such as baptism and the definition of God, Christ and the Holy Spirit. 

Around 320 A.D. a devout Christian priest named Arius began preaching that Jesus, being the Son of God, was therefore created by God the Father.  This idea touched off a firestorm of debate and division in the early church.  To keep the peace, Roman Emperor Constantine convened a Council in Nicea in 325 A.D.  Arius was accused of doubting the divinity of Christ, by making him separate from and inferior to God the Father.  The Council branded Arius a heretic and burned his books.  After splitting many theological hairs, they issued the Nicene Creed which defined God as a Trinity.  The three-in-one Trinity became the standard throughout the Roman Empire and Arian sects were brutally suppressed.

These conflicts are very evident in the art of Ravenna.  Even Constantine's own son was a fervent Arian, who sent missionaries across the Danube to convert the barbarian Goths to the Arian-style Christianity.  A century later, these same Goths overran Ravenna and made Arian Christianity the official state religion.  Thus the churches, baptisteries and tombs show these conflicts, even though Justinian, when he drove the Goths out in 540, tried his best to wipe out any vestiges of the Arian creed in Ravenna.

It is so interesting to see what occurs when the Priesthood of God is lost to mankind and there are no prophets and apostles on the earth to receive revelation from God.  Man is then left to his own devices and he struggles along the best he can.  That manmade effort results, however, in key doctrines concerning the very nature of the Godhead being decided by councils and votes, and then imposed on others as divine.  We are so thankful for the restoration of Priesthood authority and the counsel and direction we all can receive from God though his chosen servants.

We also "left" Italy for a few hours as we visited the separate little country of San Marino.  It is a gorgeous hilltop country (surrounded on all side by Italy), with majestic castles perched on precipitous cliffs.  It was fun to hike around the beautiful capital city of this tiny country.

One of the best "selfies" we've ever taken!

Last evening we held our weekly Family Home Evening; and once a month we have a dinner to celebrate the birthdays of all our members with birthdays that month.  We had a number of our new members, less active members, and even one new investigator at our party last night.  We love these wonderful people and it will be a bittersweet day when we have to say goodbye.  That day is coming quicker with each passing day.

We love our opportunity to serve here in this small corner of the globe, and we hope we have been able to touch a few lives and help where we could.

Love and Service Are the Pillars of the Gospel of Christ

As mentioned in the last blog post, the Siena branch now has a new branch president.  Our Stake President has called Claudio LaRussa, a High Priest from the Prato ward, to serve as the new branch president.  President LaRussa has been a member of the Church for over three decades, and he and his wife are the parents of two children.  President LaRussa brings a great missionary zeal to his calling, and he has a great vision for how this little branch of Siena can grow.  We know that the Lord has called him here at this time, and we are looking forward to seeing the fruits of the labors of all the Siena saints as they move forward together.

Presidente Claudio LaRussa with Darryl

Darryl spent a few hours with President LaRussa this past week taking care of transition issues.  He then met with all the missionaries serving in Siena to discuss how we can work together to hasten the work.

We spent a morning at the home of Lorena, our member who just had a little baby girl.  We prepared dinner for them, and then spent a morning helping around the house.  Bonnie ironed while Darryl checked to see if his "magic chest" was still working.  Little Eleonor, who is suffering from a bit of colic, was sweet and calm for Darryl, and was soon fast asleep on that magic chest.  Darryl is now ready to see if it works for the five grandkids that he has yet to see in person.

The "magic chest" in action with Eleonor

Part of our responsibilities in the mission is to conduct quarterly inspections of the young missionaries' apartments in the Toscana region.  We travelled to San Giovanni Valdarno this week to inspect the apartments of our Zone Leaders and the set of sister missionaries also serving in that area.  Since it was a beautiful day, we drove through the region and stopped at a small hillside town of Gubbio.  It is a well-preserved medieval town, with narrow, winding streets, and a church on the very top of the hill.  It was fun walking around the town before returning to Siena.

Gubbio's town hall, with the church way up on top

Bonnie checking our her new car!

The great town hall of Gubbio

A view of Gubbio from afar

We continue to visit our members, especially those who are less active.  We often take our elders or our sisters with us as we bear testimony.

There was a special Valentine's Day conference for the Young Single Adults in the area.  In fact, more that 150 attended this conference in Florence, coming from as far away as Sicily.  We drove two of our YSAs to the conference.  In fact, one young man that we encouraged to attend is not yet a member, but he will be baptized this coming Saturday. 

Looking back on our blog, on October 8, 2014 we related the experience of meeting this young man during our assignment be at the church to man the family history center.  He came to the center looking for the church, and we talked to him for a while, and then set up a meeting with our elders.  From that first meeting in October, the elders have been teaching him the gospel and he is now ready for baptism. 

On our drive to Florence on Saturday, he explained that he is now 1000% sure that he is taking the right step that will lead him back to his Heavenly Father.  It is wonderful to be a small part of the Lord's work!

On Sunday we invited Doris Scappaticci and her family to our home after Sacrament Meeting.  They live an hour away from Siena, and her husband is not yet a member of the Church.  However, Darryl and Luciano have become close friends, and we hope to continue working with them even after we leave the mission.  Their son, Daniele, is a vivacious almost-five year old, and he keeps us all on our toes.  We had the sister missionaries come over as well, so that there will be continuity after our departure.  The days are speeding by, and we are beginning that sad task of saying our goodbyes to some very special friends here in this area.

The sisters playing marbles with Daniele, while Dad picks them all up

Darryl teaching Doris and Luciano how to play Uno

Luciano, Doris and Daniele, Bonnie, Sisters Salmond and Rincoń

Bonnie and Darryl with the Scappaticci family

On Monday for our branch Family Home Evening, we walked into Siena and visited Francesca, a member of the branch who is now confined to a wheelchair and lives in a rest home.  We made her a special Valentine's Day card, and everyone sang some of her favorite hymns.  This time we wheeled out two of her friends as well, and they enjoyed the "concert".  Our sister missionaries are so wonderful to visit this sister at least twice a week, where they bring a ray of sunshine into what must be some lonely lives of these sweet ladies.

FHE at the rest home

Presenting Francesca with a special Valentine

Everyone enjoys a good laugh

The sisters section

This week the men outnumber the women
Enrique, Leonardo, Kleis (who will be baptized this week) and Elders Moa and Quinton

We have learned that service and love are the two great pillars of the Lord's church, and it is upon that foundation, together with a strong testimony of the atonement of Christ, that we can become instruments in His hands as we all travel this probationary road together.

The Transition Takes Place; Darryl Released as Branch President

Over the past year or so, we have visited regularly with a great sister and her family.  She lives in a small hilltop town about an hour's drive from Siena.  Her husband, Luciano, is not a member of the church and he was quite wary of us the first few months we visited.  But slowly he and Darryl developed a sweet friendship.  He has brought his wife and their four-year-old son to Siena a few times to attend church (although he doesn't come in - choosing rather to get out his bike and take a ride around Siena).   He has, however, attended some activities.  Also, as the months passed, he has stayed around the house while we taught lessons, etc.  He claims not to be very religious, but we think deep down he believes in God.

When he and his family came to our Christmas dinner at the church, he talked a lot with our elders, and asked if they would come and visit some time.  (We typically take the sisters with us, as we are teaching a female member.)  But, since we won't be around always, we decided to take the elders out with us this last week so that they could interact with Luciano and build a rapport.  We think it was successful.

Daniele mugging for the camera

Elders Driver and Moa, Bonnie and Darryl, Luciano and Doris
Daniele took this picture!

Bonnie packing heat; joining her sons on the dark side

Loving the great Scappaticci family

We have invited this whole family to come to Siena this Sunday for church services, and then over to our apartment afterward for lunch.  They accepted the invitation, so we will see how things go.  We may have our missionaries over as well.

Our new district in Siena
Sisters Rincoń and Salmond, Us, Elders Moa and Driver

Bonnie getting the missionaries ready for a special musical number

Last Sunday we had our new district of young missionaries over for lunch.  Bonnie let Darryl make his now famous Penne Senese alla Presidente Lee.  Everyone enjoyed it.

Sisters Rincoń and Salmond, Bonnie, Elders Driver and Moa

This past week has been spent primarily preparing for a transition in the branch presidency.  Darryl was hard at work getting everything organized for a smooth transition.

Yesterday, at our branch conference, Darryl was released as branch president.  Claudio LaRussa, a member of the Prato ward, was called as the new branch president.  He and his wife have been members of the church for many years, and we believe that he will be very good for this small branch of the Lord's kingdom.

It was hard to give talks yesterday, as our emotions were right at the surface.  We have grown to love these members as family, and it will be sad to leave them next month.  We have learned some great lessons; especially to love unconditionally, to mourn with those who mourn, and rejoice with those who rejoice.  There were many expressions of love and appreciation shown to us on Sunday by our great members, and it was a bit of a validation that we have been of service here in Siena.

Last evening we took our sisters to the home of a sister and her son.  Her son will turn eight this summer, and the sisters are teaching him about the gospel in preparation for his baptism.  His Mom is still hesitant about making the commitments necessary to be active in the Church, but we hope that the Spirit will touch her and let her know how important it is to raise her son in the light and truth of the restored gospel.  But at least she is very friendly with us now, and welcomes us into her home to teach her and her son.

Our job over the next few weeks will be to assist the new branch president in any way he needs, and to continue visiting our members and provide whatever support and help they might need.  We will continue to work closely with our elders and sisters here in Siena as they teach their investigators, and will try to encourage new relationships with those members we have fellowshipped during our service.

It snowed again last week.  The view from our apartment window

We still have the assignment to travel around the zone and inspect the young missionaries' apartments, and make repairs as needed.  We will be doing those jobs over the next few weeks.  Plus, Bonnie wasn't released from her callings as First Counselor in the Primary and the Director of our Branch Family Home Evenings, so she will be busy.

We enjoy the chance to serve, and especially to build relationships of love and friendship with our Italian saints.  We thought we had planned our mission for the time when the temple in Rome would be finished; but we misjudged that by about a year or so.  Although no official announcement has yet been made, it doesn't look like the temple will be completed until at least the spring of 2016.  So that will give us a great excuse to return to Italy for that historic event, and also a chance to visit our friends in Siena.