It turns out that this was no April Fools Joke even though it was on April 1. Silvana lived in Taranto, Italy. When I arrived there, Silvana was being taught by the missionaries that had just been transferred. They had been teaching her for a long time. They answered many of her questions.
On our first visit there, Silvana said that she wanted an explanation of a scripture in John. It was the great intercessory prayer of our Savior to Father in Heaven. It is that very scripture where the Savior explains how he is one with our Heavenly Father. In that scripture He asks that the apostles may be one with Him as He is one with the Father. He further asks that all those that believe on the words of the apostles may be one with them as He is one with the Father.
It wasn't long after that that she was baptized.
Here is a picture of me and Silvana at her baptism:
Robin Davis and Silvana Longone
October 28 1967, Taranto, Italy
Her conversion story is on the Internet (in Italian) at the following address:
http://www.bellasion.org/testi/SLongone.html
This is a recent picture of Silvana and her husband, Robert Echols:
Robert Echols and Silvana Longone
This is a picture of her son, Ermanno, Silvana and Robert:
Ermanno went on a mission to England. I asked him if that wasn't a little strange since he is Italian. He said there were several Italians on his mission to England. He is now married and has a daughter. They are living in Provo, Utah.
This has been an exciting time for me. I now have a greater appreciation for the scripture in the D&C which says if you should work all the days of your life and convert one person to the gospel of Jesus Christ, how great will be your joy with that person in the next life (paraphrasing).
Thank you Silvana.
