Valentines!

Hello Y'all! 

   Haha ....Ah! That's my reaction to you receiving that e-mail! Mamma Mia! I'm not sure whether to be happy or scared!  Haha, not scared just...I don't know.  I can't explain it.  (We received the email with his release date of May 26th and I asked him how he feels about only having three and a half months left.)

   Haha, well this week was a whirlwind of action!  We moved into our new apartment and it is pretty cool (literally...the heater is broken).  Haha but we have one that works in one of the rooms so in the morning we go in there.  :)  But as soon as we moved in there, we started to see miracles.  It was/is really cool.  The first night we were there we dedicated it and as we did so I felt a difference in my surroundings.  I always like to think about it.  The ability we have to call upon God for his protection and blessing is amazing.  Only if we are righteous though!  And then I think of the priesthood and I think of all the things that have happened during my mission that have strengthened my testimony and my knowledge that the priesthood is real.  It is power, real power.  And hardly anyone knows about it!  Some do, but they don't have it (even if they think they do). We are acting as God's messengers. 

   (His dad asked him what his most uplifting experience was this week)  I don't know, I guess you could say that was one of my uplifting experiences.  Haha, also, we were studying the Abrahamic covenant and it is really cool.  I am constantly amazed at how much I can learn just by studying the scriptures!  I often forget the power in studying with the spirit.  There is no substitute.  

   So, like I said, we are now moved into our new apartment and we are seeing miracles!  We have found people that have been in contact with the Church in the past but stopped meeting with them. There's a lady that lives above us that had the missionaries over for dinner and she has a Book of Mormon.  This was a long time ago, but she remembers!  We also found this man... well, he found us. He lives above our investigator, Pietro.  He wanted to meet with us after our lesson, so we went to his house and started talking.  Turns out he is, or was, a member of the Church.  He was even married in the temple. As we talked, he expressed his desire to come back.  We left a spiritual message and he, along with us, bore testimony of the truthfulness of this Church.  Meanwhile, Pietro sat listening.  I think it was good for Pietro.  We want to set a baptism date with him, and I think that he is ready.  We will see!  I laughed a little at your joke about Pierre.  (Our family prays for his investigators by name and a couple days ago our other son forgot Pietro's name during prayer and called him "Pierre"...he knew it started with a "P."  I joked that there is now an investigator somewhere in France who is receiving an extra dose of the spirit.)  Haha, but at the same time I choked up a little.  I can't express my gratitude that you are all praying for those I meet here.  I feel power in that fact.  I can't tell you how sure I am that prayer works. It works!!!  Especially in settings like this.  God listens to his children.  Jesus loved little children, and isn't he the Only Begotten of the Father? Aren't they one in purpose and desire?  So then why would we think anything other than that God is aware and very pro-active in comforting and answering the prayers of children?  (Sorry, I went off on a little tangent there. There are just so many cool principles to learn!)   We invited Francesco to baptism again and it was a long lesson.  He said that he knows that the Catholic church is not correct all the time and in his words "fa schiffo," but he's happy where he's at?  He really doesn't want to leave that church.  And he says he hasn't received an answer that this church is God's true and only church.  He kind of takes it as an answer, you could say, that God doesn't want him to leave the Catholic church... It was...disheartening.  I came to the realization that he's not ready yet to receive his answer.  Even if he did get it (which I think he kind of is getting an answer)...but he just isn't willing to follow it.

   Alright, well, funny story for the week!  Haha, so last night we were coming back from Fratelo Bonner's house after correlation and we get on the bus and we're talking. Twenty minutes later I look out the window and we are turning on a weird road. ...Huh that's weird.  We start asking around and it turns out we were on the wrong bus!  We were on our way to Aversa! Haha, fun detour.  Anyway, we had to get a train from there to Napoli and while we were on the train we were all talking and telling stories.  We sat by this nice-looking lady,  probably mid-fifties.  She seemed like a business lady.  We continued to tell stories and, as we are getting to Napoli, I was finishing this story that was kind of funny so we were all laughing and what not.  And we started to get ready to get up when the lady across from us starts laughing...and laughing and laughing!  Haha, we were all so confused!  And then she said, while laughing, "I'm sorry, I just understood what you were saying!" Haha, as she continued to laugh and leave the room!  Hahaha, it was the weirdest thing ever.  She apparently understood English enough to follow along, but she didn't realize what happened in the story till a little later.  She also apparently thought it was funny!  Hahahaha, It was a good laugh.  I was glad that I could brighten someone's day.  :)

  Well guys, I love you all!  Thank you for your prayers and for your support.  Take care and I will talk to you soon!  :)

   Love always, Anziano Rigby

   P.S. Happy Valentines day!!!! <3 <3 <3