A really special part of baptism is receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. Having its companionship is really the way we can walk with a newness of life!

January 30, 2017 

  This week was great! When I look back it seems like nothing happened and it was slow but when I actually think about it quite a bit happened. This week started with an exchange with the Pescara Anziani, it was really good! I was in my area with Anziano Hansen who is a greenie, so that was interesting. Haha it was actually really cool to see just how far my Italian has come! It was a successful scambio. We were able to teach and have great conversations on the street. It was kinda difficult to do all the talking myself and not being able to ask my comp for words haha but it was all good! 

  Yesterday night we had a cool experience from following the spirit! We just had a lesson and were on the way home, when we were about 2 min away from our door and I saw that it wasn't 9:00 yet I said, we need to stay out till 9.  If we wanted to do more finding it was about a 20 minute walk and we didn't have time for that. So we were stuck with finding something to do near our house but it was dark and cold so no one was out. Then a name popped into my head, Giorgio! Giorgio is an old investigator who has worked with the missionaries a bit before I was here and he lives close to us. So we decided to go to his apartment and ring him. His wife (who didn't like the missionaries before) answered the door and was very friendly with us but said that Giorgio was at work. So we were bummed, but then remembered that he also worked close so we walked over to where he works. The gate was locked but the lights were on so we walked around the side to see if we could see anyone and we saw him outside but then he walked inside so I started calling his name for him to come out but he couldn't hear, so that was a bummer. We wanted to check the gate on the opposite side of where we were so we walked over there and it was open! We finally got to talk to him and he was really excited to see us! We started talking just to see how he was doing then he started talking about when he took the lessons and he said that he has been missing the missionaries lately and their message! So he was really happy that we came and we are going to meet this week! So we are pumped for that. Giorgio owns a soccer/tennis campus and rents his fields so he's really into sports just like me, we connected pretty well! I'm pumped to see where the Lord takes this! I'm so happy to have his hand in this work and the Holy Ghost to lead me; if it wasn't for them we wouldn't have had this sweet miracle last night!

  Speaking of the Holy ghost, this week our investigator Silvano was baptized, confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and given the Gift of the Holy Ghost! It was truly an amazing experience for everyone! Silvano just has an awesome testimony and great faith in Jesus Christ, it's so amazing to see and be part of bringing a soul unto him! When we met with him yesterday he said he can really feel the difference from having the Holy Ghost. Hearing his testimony just makes mine grow so much, a really special part of baptism is receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. Having its companionship is really the way we can walk with a newness of life! Being a missionary is just awesome and I love it!!

  I hope everybody has a great week finding more joy through serving out Lord! Thank you all for the prayers we feel them!

Vi voglio bene!

Anziano Ruiz 

Where you baptize someone if you don't have a baptismal font or even a church building because your town only has about 10 or so members in it.
- In a portable font in the missionaries apartment! 

Anziano Ruiz had the privilege of baptizing

 Sylvan Reno Mbenza Miangua!

Dinner while on scambio (exchanges with other missionaries)

 with Anziano Hansen.