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.