Meet Artan and Jonathan

Artan (pronounced Ar-tahn) is from Albania. He was the Albanian and Italian weight-lifting champion at around age 18 but was not able to go to the Olympics at that time because of visa problems. He is now a world-class hair stylist and loves making people feel good about themselves. He had been meeting with the elders and coming to church for several months, but taking things slowly ("piano, piano" is what they say) until his sister died, leaving behind a husband and two young daughters. Artan returned to Albania to assist with the funeral and tried to tell his relatives what the missionaries had been teaching him: that there was life after death and that they would see her again. Because religion was banned in their country for many years, people there don't usually believe in God and, as he put it, his family "thought he was crazy." They said, "No, there is no such thing. It's over. She's gone."

It really made Artan think about the things he had been taught and he realized that he believed they were true. He came back a changed man and told the missionaries that he wanted to learn everything -- and he wanted them to move along more quickly.

A young man named Jonathan was getting baptized within a couple of weeks and one Sunday Artan and I were talking about it as I was preparing Sunday dinner at the mission home. I asked Artan, "So when are you getting baptized Artan?" (knowing that he hadn't decided). He said, "You pick the day, Sister Acerson, and I will get baptized." I was so surprised that I just said, "Oh, no, I shouldn't choose the date! You should talk to the missionaries and set the date with them." He continued to ask me to choose the day and so I suggested he get baptized with Jonathan. It actually worked out better to have it the week after Jonathan's baptism, and so it was. He asked President Acerson to baptize him, but President encouraged him to have one of the missionaries or members do it. When he found out that our son Scott, who holds the office of a Priest, could actually perform a baptism, he asked him to do it.

But first, we had Jonathan's baptism. Jonathan is from the Philippines (and yes, he really is that happy!). His baptism just happened to be scheduled for the night when we had new missionaries come into the mission, so we decided to have them attend a baptism their first night in Rome, Italy!

It was an amazing experience. The spirit was very strong and I remember watching Artan after the baptism as he wiped tears from his eyes and expressed his sadness that this opportunity was something that would be very difficult to bring to his family. He was especially sad because he knew he could be a positive influence on his nieces who lost their mother, but that it would be very difficult to convince the adults in their lives of that fact.

One of the most tender moments on this mission for me personally happened as we sang the closing song, "I Am a Child of God" in Italian. The love that I felt from my Heavenly Father was overpowering as I sang the words that were no longer just unfamiliar words in Italian, but words and phrases whose meaning was crystal clear to me and held such profound meaning. Because of the way the words are translated, they are a little different in Italian:

Guidami, aiutami, cammina insiema a me;
dimmi quel che devo far
per ritornare a Te.

Guide me, help me, walk together with me
Tell me that which I must do
So I can return to You.

What a beautiful song as we sing with the knowledge that we are truly a child of God and can ask Him for guidance and help as we make our way back to Him.

A week later, we returned to the church for Artan's baptism. Elder Johnson (our area president at the time) and his wife were visiting our mission and were able to attend. It was Scott's first baptism and he wanted it to be special for Artan so he memorized and said the baptismal prayer in Italian.



That was in May 2008. I have been anxious to tell you this story ever since. But because of the advantage of time passing, I have new news to tell you. Both Artan and Jonathan have received the Aaronic priesthood, have blessed and passed the sacrament, participated in blessing the sick, and have given talks in church. Jonathan is preparing to go on a mission and Artan continues to try to have a positive influence on his family in Albania and gives countless hours of service to the missionaries and others, mostly by giving them free haircuts! (The picture below is of Artan after he gave two of our sisters "makeovers" the night before they went home!)

When my sister came to Italy, we were not in town to receive her and wouldn't return until the next morning. Knowing that the train station would be a bit scary at midnight, I asked Artan if he could meet her and walk her and her luggage to the mission home and let her in. Artan is always willing to help others in need.

In fact, what finally prompted me to write this story was because I got a call tonight from Artan who was traveling on a train with his mother, his cousin, and the cousin's wife. He has been visiting in Albania for the past few weeks and he decided to bring them to Italy on their way to Greece. They needed a ride from the train station in the morning and a place to stay for a couple of days so of course, I said yes. It will be a great opportunity for us to do something nice for Artan and help his family understand why this gospel is so important to him. Wish me luck as they don't speak English or Italian and I don't speak Albanian. Could someone tell my next-door-neighbor and returned-from-Albania missionary Nelson Radmall that he is desparately needed here?

All our love from Rome.