Oh what a beautiful day!: September 7, 2005

Dear Family,
Truly I couldn't ask for better weather. We did scambi on Monday and Tuesday and all of our appointments were cancelled, so we did house. It had been a long time since I had done house - my companions like to find other ways to focus our time on the members instead of knocking doors all the time. Investigators through members actually get baptized. It was pouring rain, and it had been a long time since I had seen rain as well. I was with one elder and I pushed the citofono (outside buzzer) for a palazzo (apartment building) and no one let us in until the last one. She offered to let us in out of the rain to knock the doors (often we don't even see the doors), but we had already rung all the buzzers. A few times I felt like I knew the people with whom I was speaking - I looked into their eyes and felt a connection that was much more than simply being a missionary-representative of the Lord God. All of them totally said no, and I cannot explain how much pain I felt right at that moment. How can it be that some people turn us away and I feel sorry for them, and others simply close the door and I'm about to cry? Sometimes I wonder about the friends I had before this life - one of the 2 songs I can play on piano is, "I'll find you there my friend," and the message seems to hit a painful chord. The worst type of rejection is when you feel an internal connection with those with whom you speak, when you feel the Spirit of the Lord testifying through you, when you know for a certainty that they are making a choice of eternity, and then they choose no. If it is hard for us, how much harder must it be for Him? Sometimes I'm grateful for the rain so that I can cry for all those who do not know the truth. It's raining now - Ladispoli doesn't normally get any rain. I hope we remembered to close the windows and doors at home. It looks like we will have a storm. ...Or that we have one.
On a brighter note, we spoke with a woman yesterday about baptism. We are preparing her for baptism on the 8th of October. It is amazing to watch people change their lives - she laughed only a few weeks ago about living in sin, and now she cries to have found the love of God in her life.
It's really raining.
I still don't have our quasi-Mongolian's address. Could you somehow get it to me? I have a letter written... but obviously it can't get stamped or sent without an address.
Wow - we even have thunder! We are going to be absolutely soaked on the way home. Literally, the rain is gushing off the gutters, the wind is blowing waves of rain along the roads. We have our groceries with us. Smile. Envision me walking down the street, absolutely soaked. Maybe we'll have a flood and then we can help clean up the damage. Life is good here in paradise. I saw a beautiful mormonad in Italian - it was of a little boy in the rain in a bright yellow raincoat. In the background, there are people with umbrellas and black clothes, sad - looking. He is singing in the rain. May we always be happy with the trials that life gives us, and give praise to God every day and moment of our lives. I truly love you all!
Anziano David Peterson