Monday, October 6, 2008

To our dear family & friends,

We write this to you with great excitement and thanks to our Father in Heaven for answering all of our prayers! We were thrilled when we heard the announcement that a Temple will be built in Rome, Italy!

Ironically, we were probably the last to hear about it as we are presently in Indonesia, on the island of Bali. We spent a week with our son Joseph and his family in Hong Kong (where they live). Their children are out of school, so we all came here to Bali for a vacation. It has been wonderful, topped off with this great news!

President Monson made the announcement while we were sleeping and upon waking, Joseph asked if we had heard the news. We didn’t know what he was referring to, he then said that Aaron had emailed us, but we hadn’t checked our emails and then Joseph told us about the news of a Temple to be built in Rome. Craig’s arm went up into the air and he said “YES”! Then we were all filled with emotion as the reality of this news came to us, something we have been praying for for many years, has come to pass! Later, in the evening, we down loaded President Monson’s talk and once again, we were filled with emotions as we heard him announce that a Temple will be built in Rome, Italy!

We are thrilled for the Saints in Italy and know this will be a great blessing to Italy, as well as to the world. This Temple will serve the Italian people and the whole Mediterranean area, as well as the Middle East. Many lives will be touched and blessed because of it!

Since leaving Italy (over 6 years ago) we have seen the spirituality of the Italian people grow, as a Stake was organized a few years ago, and now a Temple will be built in Rome.

We were thankful to all of you who wrote to us and told us of your experience as you heard the announcement. You will eventually receive an email from us, but at the moment I (Julie) am unable to have my emails send out, though I am receiving them. I am not sure what is happening, but know that you will eventually hear from us! Thanks also, to those who called, Ashley and Benjamin told us of the many phone calls!

This is what Barbara Ventura wrote to us about hearing the announcement at church in Rome:

"Sister Pacini...can you believe it? Oh I wish you all could have been here with us...that you could have seen and heard our astonishment turning in joy.. hear the shouting of joy...everyone emotional and smiling and crying...and running out of the room to call on the phones all those that weren't there...I can't express what I felt, I don't know how to explain the heart stop beating and being there in a limbo for what it seemed an everlasting second... and then starting to beat happily crazy...the time it took to be able to breathe again...We have been blessed with the miracle we have been praying for so long...The work of the Lord is going forth and nothing will stop it….Love, Barbara"

Thank you Barbara, it was so fun to read what you wrote and to feel the joy of the Italian members!

Tomorrow we will return to Hong Kong and then we join up with a tour group and go into China for 2 ½ weeks. From there will return to Hong Kong to spend some more time with Joseph, Rosie, Joshua, William and Elizabeth, before returning home.

We are having a wonderful time and seeing the beautiful creations of our Father in Heaven. We are on the island of Bali, possibly the only members of the church here, if there are others they are small in number, we couldn’t find them! There are 3 million people on this small island and I know that Our Father in Heaven loves each of them as much as He loves us. I know that they need the Gospel in their lives and with a Temple now to be in Rome, it is another evidence that the Gospel is going to the world. Someday there might be a Temple here in Indonesia. It is a wonderful thought that there is at this time a Temple in what was once East Germany and there is one in China, Hong Kong. The Lord moves in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform. It is up to us to be good examples and to live the Gospel to the best of our abilities, and then blessings come and touch the lives of the Saints and bless the world!

Lord bless you all and know of our love for you!

julie, craig and chelsea