seeds and fruit

wonderful thing for Tuesday, 5 May:

You can always start again.  Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can always start again.  www.mormon.org/easter .  This applies to anything from making a new "daily" blog post after almost a month of silence, to rebuilding a life.  Amen.

Another wonderful thing:
Monday we took a "P day" and traveled to Cuneo, up the coast past Genova, to visit an old friend.  Forty-some years ago, Blaine and his companion Jack Ward gave a little card with their names and the address of the church, and a small invitation to know more, to a man who worked in a tabaccaio (a little shop where they sell any number of little things besides cigarettes).

Carlo Malara was 33 years old at the time.  Since then he has married a wonderful woman, Venerina (who, I found out, replaced me in Palermo when I returned home from my mission), fathered three fabulous children who have given him eight adorable grandchildren,  served as a branch president, a district president, and several other callings in the church, and today is a happy, happy, sweet man.
We visited, reminisced, received counsel, laughed, ate...Blaine observed that the seed planted forty years ago had truly borne good  fruit.

When we parted later in the day with them, Venere's sister Maria, and their ward, Nick, I think we were all a little wistful.

Fun thing;  Nick, a bright-spirited child of a man.  He remembers your birthday forever after hearing it once.  Works part time in the kitchen at a home for the elderly, loves it, and is loved.  He looks for occasions to laugh, and his laugh is hearty and spontaneous.  He is full of American-English phrases ("Oh my gosh!") because his favorite folks to hang out with are the missionaries. He often travels by train to Genova, where he changes and heads for Milano to visit the mission staff.  He told me President and Sister Dibbs' birthdays, but I forgot.  He gave me two presents:  a step-counter watch kind of thing that was a promotional gift from Colgate, and a circular with Mother's Day specials; he wants me to have a happy Mothers Day.

I think I will.