Finding Mario

Friday night was my mission reunion. I served in the Switzerland Zürich mission under President John Holbrook. I enjoy seeing my mission president again and seeing my mission friends. The big surprise was I saw Sister Wiesner from one of my wards. Brother Wiesner was the ward mission leader we worked closely with and their family celebrated my birthday, which touched me at that time.

At my mission reunion Sister Wiesner asked if I would like an update on any of the members. I specifically asked about Mario, who Elder Sheffield and I taught and saw baptized. (He contacted other missionaries in Zürich, showed up to our ward services and after the 3 hours of church we taught him the first discussion and asked him to be baptized - there is gold in Switzerland!) My last day in Switzerland I escorted Mario through the temple. Unfortunately, he moved shortly after I returned home so the contact information I had didn't work and I lost contact.
Elder Sheffield went back to Switzerland and met with him and his new wife. Unfortunately, his wife was not supportive of the Church and he stopped attending his new ward. I have tried a number of times reestablish contact with him, but they have not worked.

Sister Wiesner told me that he is now active in the church and that she would work at getting me back in contact with him! The other thing that made me very happy is she referred to him as a friend of the Bishop who baptized him. He asked me to baptize him, but following advice from the MTC, I told him I would be happy to, but thought it would be good for the Bishop to baptize him. One of my teachers in the MTC told me that having members baptize helps form stronger friendships between members who can be supportive after missionaries leave.

What joy! I hope to find Mario again.