Too many cookies and a lot of faith

Cari Miei!
 
MOM!!! When you gave me that cookie recipe you did not make it clear enough how many cookies that it would make....you said TONS, IN CAPS...that was an understatement!!!! We have been working on putting together a fireside (that happened this last Saturday) and it was all about missionary work and we even went out on the streets with the members and did some. then we came back and had some food (American and Romanian (They don’t know how to make good cookies here, everything else yes, cookies...we make them much better, anyways)) so I made the cookies....I was baking cookies for 3 1/2 hours....okay I admit it took me like 40 minutes to make the batter because I had to do it with a bowl my hands and a wooden spoon....that was all I had really...and a crappy whisk. But needless to say my arm was very tired trying to simulate a beater.....very very hard to blend cold shortening with a wooden spoon and your brute strength....anyhow...I feel you should have made it clear that this recipe would feed everyone in Alessandria. Ha-ha JK I’m not mad. It just made ALOT of cookies....a lot....
 Anyhow,
 This week has been good! We had the fireside on Saturday and we went out, I went out with one of the Teachers, Pietro Campini. We did some Casa and Strada and he was very timid, it was his first time on a split with the missionaries. It was fun though.
 Last Thursday, we met with Estuardo. We talked with him about the situation. He said that he is now sleeping on the top bunk of a bunk bed with his son on the bottom and then in the same room is his ex companion with a separate bed. So we called president to see if this would fly. (I didn’t think it would...but it was worth a shot) and in the end he said that it would go...also that he had rethought his original decision and decided that Estuardo needs to move completely from the Apartment. So we find ourselves in need of a Miracle. We haven't met with him since then, but we need to tell him the bad news...but after days of thinking and planning for what to do. We are going to keep the baptismal date on the second of June...And we are going to invoke a miracle. We prayed to know what day he could be baptized...we got an answer and I firmly believe with all my heart Estuardo will be baptized the second of June. Why do I believe this? Simply because we believe in a God of Miracles....He has not ceased to work miracles among the children of Men. It is only their lack of faith that keeps them from these miracles. So we will show our faith, and the Lord with bless Estuardo with a job and a place to live and he will be baptized. I firmly believe this with all my being. So still all is good with Estuardo, despite the trial of our faith.
 Also I had a Scambio with our District Leader, Anziano Madsen. He came here in Alessandria. This week was my Senior Week. Well...we have that training program called the first 12 weeks and we finished it last Sunday...so I’m no longer a New Missionary...I’m just a regular Junior Companion. So I lead us everywhere this week and I scheduled the appointments and was in charge...as much as in charge as 1/2 of the companionship is...and yeah...it was good. Anziano Blaga has trained me well I think...minus the humility thing... I could probably work on that...anyhow... I’m feeling that I can do whatever could be asked of me as a missionary.
 Good to hear about things at home. And thank you all for everything you do for me. I just want to hear from you all and I realize I don’t write each of YOU individually every week...I will try and get some more individual letters out though. I’m sorry for the lack of pictures today...but all the pictures I want to take will be....Drum roll please....TONIGHT AT THE BAPTISM!!! In a few short hours Anna will be baptized and everything that I've left behind, given up, or lost will be worth the sacrifice 1000% Things are great. It is a great day here in Alessandria. I love you all and hope you are all doing well.
 
Love,
 Anziano Dustin T. Memmott
 
As you can see he is doing some amazing things. Hope you all will add your prayers to mine on behalf of Estuardo.

Arranging first baptism

This is a photo of Dustin in his zone conference in Torino on Monday.
It was so nice to talk to him on Mother's day. He looks great and sounds great. I miss him so much.

His letter was so exciting to read this week. here is an update of his work. He writes:
This morning we met Anna and the Famiglia Sinigaliesi along with Anziano Madsen, and Squarcia in the Church here in Alessandria to do the Baptismal Interview. She passed and now! She will
be baptized in a week. Fratello Sinigaliesi is going to baptize her and Anziano Blaga will Confirm her, I will also be in the circle. (I want to note that I could care less who does what as long as it’s
done!) So, yeah. There you have it folks. After weeks of hard work, a life is being changed and a large step is being taken, it gives me a new energy for the work and a new hope for more people to accept the
message.
 
We had a Family home Evening with Estuardo on Monday. Along with Daniel and Lorenza Zito. They are newly married and both return missionaries who served in England. As we were there, we learned a lot
about the changes that Estuardo is making in his life. It is crazy. He told us how before he was a very angry person and very impatient and mad at the world, but now he is calm and tranquil and filled with hope and kindness...The light of Christ is filling Estuardo and he knows it. So amazing. This is the reason I came out here to do this... To see people changed by the Atonement of Christ. It is the most glorious and fulfilling thing that I’ve ever done. We keep moving towards baptism and he is just such an amazing man.
We have that fireside that we have been planning to do, this Saturday. So I bought some of the stuff for making cookies today. I need to get the rest of the stuff later and we will give it a try.
I love you all and hope you have a good week.
 Go! Read some books! (The Book of Mormon)
 
Love,
 
Anziano Memmott
 

Mother's Day

This letter was mostly personal and addressing our skype session that we are going to have on Sunday. (I am so excited). I have attached the info he gave me regarding his work. He writes:

This week has been good. It's been a bit of a long week. But always good. Things are going well with all of our investigators and we are making progress. We have a baptism on get this...the 23rd of May...If
I recall right that is a 1 year anniversary from the time I graduated High school...ha-ha funny how things happen in this life. Which means also that school will be wrapping up that week. This is the member-referral baptism that is rock solid. Super golden. She says she is getting an answer and she is keeping the commitments and she is living the word of wisdom. Just great. And we have other really good investigators things are really coming along here in Alessandria. It has improved 100 times since the time I arrived. Also I’m beginning to form relationships with the members here that are very special. I
think that wherever I go after this won't be the same. At least not for a while. Alessandria will always be home for me. Even if there is nothing to see here. It's mostly an industrial, commercial city. So
there isn’t anything that great to go and see or do. And there are a lot of foreigners, but nevertheless I like it more and more everyday that I am here.
 
Happy Mother’s Day!  Can’t wait to see you all.
Till Sunday,
 
Anziano Memmott

No Package :(

Dear correspondents,
ha-ha jk,
Dear Loved Ones,
 
Bad news...I haven't gotten my package. Worse news...neither has the office. Conclusion, it got lost....I died a little inside when I realized that my pictures from the first day and basically the first transfer are by-by...hence my crying out WILSON!!! Actually I cried out "Package!" (My package is equal to "Wilson" from castaway....I hope someone finds that funny. because Anziano Blaga didn’t get the reference and it was awkward.)
 
Anyhow...Still need a thing full of pictures. So if nothing else, send a much smaller package only containing that. Also I have thought of something to try, but we will briefly discuss a few logistics (10 minutes) on the mother’s day call. We are going to set up a place to go and do the call. We have 3 or 4 Members that love us to death and would have us over for a long time to do calls. So we will get something set up and I will let you know next Wednesday. Can't wait.
 So!
 This week was great. We set a Baptismal Date with Anna, this referral from Famiglia Sinigaliesi. She is Golden. Not much more to be said. She stopped smoking and drinking cold turkey and it’s been 2 weeks and she is still going strong...yeah, she says she thinks she is getting her answer and the spirit it always SO strong in the lessons. And Fratello Sinigaliesi says he has ANOTHER referral that he is working on. So we will see...
 Also while we were sitting in the train station to come back from our appointment with Anna, We got a call from the office and it was a referral! The missionaries in Padova were tracting and found a man and he wanted to learn more but he doesn’t live there. He lives about 20 minutes outside of Alessandria. So they took down his number and sent it to the office and they gave it to us and we fixed an appointment!
(Really cool fact! The Anziani in Padova are Anziano Mauldwin, Anziano Blaga's favorite ex-companion, and Anziano Love! He was in the MTC with me, and was originally my companion with Fiorentino before some shuffling! Ha-ha so yeah, that was cool to get from those two) Anyhow. We made an appointment with him and he drove 20 minutes into Alessandria to meet with us. Already showing he is a pretty good contact, and then we met with him and in the first lesson we made a baptismal date! He is also from Ecuador! So now we have 2 baptismal dates and things are going strong.
 
We also have another 2 member referrals that we are working on setting up appointments and getting things rolling there.
 As for The other man from Ecuador, his name is Estuardo. We are going to try and meet with him this Friday. He has been giving us Bidone's....not sure what to call it in English...a Bidone if I haven't explained already is when someone doesn't come to the appointment...maybe we got dogged....or they didn’t show...English ha...Anyhow, this last Saturday we sent him a text and reminded him about church. He showed up and from what it sounds like he will be coming from now on. The only problem is that he doesn’t think he needs to be baptized because he was already baptized once and so we are going to teach him more about why it’s important that we have the priesthood. We only have had 1 lesson with him. So we still need to establish a few things but he is really awesome and I think that baptism is very plausible.
 
We had a really good week this week. I'm doing really well and after these last few trainings and district meetings Anziano Blaga and I have been working on improving on a few things (like Area book, 2 minute drills, SYL) and they have made huge difference.
 We Implemented SYL this last week also. We speak English in the Apartment (This program comes from the area authority) so that Anziano Blaga can learn English better (he is basically as fluent as I am) and then outside the apartment we speak Italian. (So I’m learning a bit faster now, and some new words)
 
I’m learning so much. I'm growing so much. I’m changing SO much. (All in good ways)
 
I can't tell you enough how important the scriptures are and also the words of the Prophets. Please all of you make a good study of them both. And accompany your study with fervent prayer. I can't tell you how much I know that this Restored Gospel is true. Truer than truer than true!
 
Anyways,
 I will e-mail you next week with the times for the Mothers Day call!
 Love you all so much and hope everyone is doing well back in Utah.
 Someone go eat some Cafe Rio for me! Anziano Memmott