36 years later a return to Pescara / Thoughts

On Sunday we had the opportunity to travel with President and Sister Kelly to the Pescara Ward (about 2 hours from Rome). This was a significant journey for us because 36 years ago, Elder Burt was called as the first Branch President of Pescara with only 13 members of the church.

Elder Burt hoped that he might find someone who was a member of the branch 36 years ago. He was introduced to Alessandro Di Luglio, who was the first member of the church in Pescara, having been baptized a few months before Elder Burt came. Neither of them remembered each other, however after Elder Burt shared his testimony (it was fast and testimony meeting), Brother Di Luglio said he did remember him and they were able to reminisce about some of the people they both knew. Visiting after the meeting with Brothe Di Luglio. The ward is now very large and there were 5 investigators at church. The young man 2nd from the left was recently baptized and his parents (also in the photo) have a baptismal date.After church we drove 2 blocks to the sea and took some photos with the missionaries before taking them to their apartment. We brought them their mail and a birthday gift - better late than never. Elder Hopper and Elder Osmun.
Road scenes from the car window.
The Italian countryside is so beautiful!

Standing between the Kellys and the Burts are Brother and Sister Giusti - members of the Pescara Ward. They joined the church 2 1/2 years ago. Nicolas Giusti is a world renowned opera and orchestra conductor. For 48 years he did not have the Lord in his life. Now that he is a member of the church, tremendous blessings have come to him. He was the conductor of the select choir that was asked to perform at the Rome Temple ground breaking. I asked him how he felt when the prophet of the Lord spoke about his choir during General Conference. Brother Giusti's face showed his answer. He was visably moved and overwhelmed.

Here are the prophet's words, "The day was overcast but warm, and although rain threatened, not more than a drop or two fell. As the magnificent choir sang in Italian the beautiful strains of “The Spirit of God,” one felt as though heaven and earth were joined in a glorious hymn of praise and gratitude to Almighty God. Tears could not be restrained."
We then learned that he had also been asked to conduct the choir that will sing at the Rome Temple Dedication. He told us that before he joined the church he did not understand why he felt led into the field of music, but now it was clear - it was for the Lord's purposes.

In connection with the Rome Temple, I would like to share some Easter thoughts.
On Easter Sunday we had as guests in our home, Brother and Sister Luschin who moved into the Rome 2nd ward just the week before. We also invited to our Easter meal Brother and Sister Howell who were visiting our ward that day.
Hanno and Julie Luschin on left.Brother and Sister Howell on right.
During dinner Sister Luschin asked me what some of the highlights had been from our mission. I shared the experience of our walking to the temple site last year on Easter morning, standing on a rock to get a glimpse into the property and picking a poppy to press as a remembrance of our hope that someday we might see a gleaming temple on that hill. At the time, there was still no word about a date for the ground breaking. It wasn't until Brother Howell posed this question, "Could you have imagined one year ago when you pressed that poppy, that on this Easter Sunday, the man responsible for building that temple would be in your home?" I was suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude. Though I knew that Brother Luchin was the head project manager for the building of the temple, I had not connected his presence in my home on this Easter Sunday as the fruition of my own faith and prayers. That moment became a highlight for me.
To conclude my thoughts it seems fitting to quote President Monson.
"Now, my brothers and sisters, may I mention one more temple before I close. In the not-too-distant future as new temples take shape around the world, one will rise in a city which came into being over 2,500 years ago. I speak of the temple which is now being built in Rome, Italy.
Every temple is a house of God, filling the same functions and with identical blessings and ordinances. The Rome Italy Temple, uniquely, is being built in one of the most historic locations in the world, a city where the ancient Apostles Peter and Paul preached the gospel of Christ and where each was martyred.
Last October, as we gathered on a lovely pastoral site in the northeast corner of Rome, it was my opportunity to offer a prayer of dedication as we prepared to break the ground. I felt impressed to call upon Italian senator Lucio Malan and Rome’s vice-mayor Giuseppe Ciardi to be among the first to turn a shovelful of earth. Each had been a part of the decision to allow us to build a temple in their city.
The day was overcast but warm, and although rain threatened, not more than a drop or two fell. As the magnificent choir sang in Italian the beautiful strains of “The Spirit of God,” one felt as though heaven and earth were joined in a glorious hymn of praise and gratitude to Almighty God. Tears could not be restrained.
In a coming day, the faithful in this, the Eternal City, will receive ordinances eternal in nature in a holy house of God.
I express my undying gratitude to my Heavenly Father for the temple now being built in Rome and for all of our temples, wherever they are. Each one stands as a beacon to the world, an expression of our testimony that God, our Eternal Father, lives, that He desires to bless us and, indeed, to bless His sons and daughters of all generations. Each of our temples is an expression of our testimony that life beyond the grave is as real and as certain as is our life here on earth. I so testify."