August 4, 2023
Dear Family and Friends,
The past 18 months has now become a dream, filled with many new friends, experiences and memories that we will cherish forever. We loved Italy, its wonderful people, the refugees and migrants whom we served, and our little city, Alzano Lombardo where we lived. We also loved the gorgeous mountains and lakes, the seaside villages, and little mountaintop towns. On the last day there, we took a couple of Book of Mormons to people whom we came to love. It was a farewell gift so that they might understand why we left home for 18 months to serve and help the refugees. Our friend, Daniel, whose family owns a nursery right next door to where we lived, was always ready to help us find a new flower or plant. Our balcony was beautiful, with flowers we bought from Daniel. We made good friends at a small gelato store just a five minute walk from our apartment. Fulvio, the owner, always carefully scooped the toppings into our cups, so that you got the best of the best in gelato. If you have never had Italian gelato, you are missing out on a great treat. Another friend we made was Luigi Rossi. He is 89 and owns a small clothing store. Bryan bought 2 or 3 sweaters from Luigi for the cold winter months. He was always happy to see us. He spoke a little bit of English, but mostly Italian. We could understand him and were so glad he would share with us his good news of being recognized by the city of Alzano Lombardo.
Bryan was busy closing the last projects that we were able to and preparing the 5 remaining projects to be followed up by our leaders and the Rome Humanitarian missionaries. We also spent a number of hours ordering and submitting receipts for the FSY service project and then following up on the placement of the kits that were assembled. Indeed the last 13 days were full and busy. Saying good bye was not easy. Our church group in Lecco were amazing as they shared a lunch with us after our Sacrament Meeting and thanked us for serving. We were grateful to them for the service they do among each other and for the love we have felt from them these last 18 months. I loved the members who travel long distances to attend church each Sunday. I don't know how many people in Utah would travel 1-2 hours each week to attend Church.
Our last 18 months have been life changing in so many ways. You come to love all those you meet and get to know. The organizations we worked with were filled with people striving to help others who were less fortunate, and just needed a little assistance to get on their feet. Meeting and hearing the stories of refugees and migrants was life changing. People came from Africa, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Peru, and from many other places, often with incredible stories. We enjoyed helping with projects for job training and job placement for refugees, housing for refugees and migrants, food, shoes and clothing, school books and supplies for refugees, as well as many other things the Church assisted with to those in need.
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Left: Bryan, with Salahadin, a refugee from Eritrea in Africa, along with Adam & Simone from the organization Diaconia Valdese, under the bridge in Ventimiglia. Salahadin is showing us a tattered picture of his children.We greatly enjoyed the privilege of working with young missionaries as we helped with apartment inspections and went to Zone Conferences. We came to love each of them whom we met and worked with. We were also very blessed to serve under two amazing Mission Presidents, President and Sister Bart Browning and President and Sister Ritch Wood. These leaders inspired and loved the young missionaries. They helped them to become more than they every thought possible. President and Sister Browning served under the restrictions of Covid. New methods of teaching from a distance were instigated so that the work could move forward. Covid first broke out in Italy in Alzano Lombardo where we lived. It then quickly spread throughout northern Italy. The Italians followed Covid rules, but working through all of the restrictions was not easy.
When President and Sister Wood arrived, many of the Covid restrictions had been removed, and they have been able to use all of the tools learned during Covid as well as to contact daily on the streets and on public transportation in person. President and Sister Wood taught us to look for miracles daily in all that we do. They taught that there are no coincidences. The Lord is over all. Each Monday morning we had a 45 minute devotional by Zoom, entitled, "Monday Miracles." We loved that. Pictures of the baptisms for the week were shown, and a number of the missionaries shared their miracles from the past week, illustrating how the Lord is over this work. We also had a short weekly devotional and training on Mondays with all the Humanitarian Services senior couples throughout Europe by Zoom. We are so grateful for being a part of this great work.
We now look to the future to serve our families and in the Church and community. We have been invited to speak in Church on the 20th of August at 9:00 AM to report. You are invited to join either by Zoom or in person. If interested, please email us (see our email addresses below) for the Zoom link. Or, if you're interested, and want to attend in person, our meetinghouse location is: Utah Ben Lomond Stake, Ben Lomond 12th Ward. The address is: 3550 N. 650 East, North Ogden.
We are grateful for the love and support we felt as we served. We hope and pray that each of you will be blessed in your lives and will see the hand of the Lord in your own lives.
Arrivederci. We send our love.
3712 N. King Hill Drive
North Ogden, Utah 84414 USA
+1 801 516-8161 (Bryan)
+1 801 516-8160 (Becky)
bryangerritsen@gmail.com
becwgerritsen@gmail.com
Welcome home i am sure it was hard to leave Italy you were great Missionaries and they b will miss you too
ReplyDeleteSherrie Hsrbertson