It's Always Sunny in Siena

Cara Famiglia,

Well it is pretty hot in Siena. Although it isn't too bad because in Centro the streets are narrow so there's shade most of the time. But it is going really well here. Today we actually got hooked up by one of the BYU students who's doing his internship at the Palazzo Pubblico; he got us into the museum and up the Torre del Mangia for free!! We even got to cut the line! It was awesome, definitely one of the prettiest views I've ever seen. Mom would've loved the art tour he gave us too, he is studying art history at BYU so he told us all about the frescoes. Also later today we are going to play soccer with Kellan, the BYU Students, and some members. It will be awesome.

The work is continuing to grow, this week we had some really cool miracles. The first was that we were finally able to get an appointment with a potential investigator that Anziano Minà and I found. His name is Aldrin and he's probably 20, a student from Gabon in French speaking West Africa. He's only been in Italy nine months but he already speaks fluent Italian, along with French and English. He's a really smart kid. We taught him a lesson about the Restoration and it was one of those lessons where you suspect the investigator of reading out of Preach My Gospel because they are so elect. He is kind of like a French West African version of Joseph Smith. He is going to read the Book of Mormon and he accepted a baptismal invite; the only problem is that he along with most people in Italy goes out of town for the month of August. We will see where that goes.

The other cool miracle was with a certain Signore El-Nabawy, from Alexandria in Egypt! We met him at a piazza one night and set up an appointment for the next evening. We gave him the Restoration pamphlet, chatted a little bit in Arabic, and he's a very interesting guy. He owns a pizzeria on main street in Siena where his son and daughter work, and we're actually trying to help him find an apartment for them because right now they are sleeping in the pizzeria. He even came to church the day after our first appointment and enjoyed it a lot! He is a really nice guy and now whenever we walk by his pizzeria at night he always offers us free pizza!

This week I think an interesting thing to ponder is the idea of true joy. I wish I could just list all the scriptures that contain the word 'joy' but the email would never end. I did really like this one from Doctrine and Covenants though:

 61 If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.

I am grateful of how all the sources of joy eventually lead back to our Savior Jesus Christ and his eternal sacrifice that makes the purpose of this life to have joy obtainable. I am grateful for you all and your prayers and also the prayers that I've seen answered here on the mission and throughout my entire life. I love this gospel, and I know the Book of Mormon is true. I love you all lots!

-Anziano Benjamin Smith