Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Perspective, Fond Memories and Sushi

Hello!  Me again.

My new companion is Anziano Robinson.  He's a nice, outgoing, super-energetic person.

CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVE.  Anziano Robinson came here not having heard anything negative about Ferrara (some may say it's kind of slow and discouraging, with not many people who want to talk about religion).  The mission president told him, "Ferrara is what you make of it."

So he's putting to good use all of his experience and new ideas and trying to revamp the work here.  And it's worked nicely for me -- I can see a difference in the way I work.  I feel better about our tracting (looking for people who are interested in the gospel message), and it's much more enjoyable.

Last transfer (6 week block), in retrospect, was much less enjoyable because it's easy but not productive to bemoan one's circumstances (it being slow and/or a little boring sometimes).  He is in his 7th transfer, and I'm in my 5th.  Admittedly, with our personalities and interests, we probably wouldn't be friends outside the mission.  But I'm really glad he's my companion now.  He is digging me (and helping me dig myself) out of the "slow-work depression" that I got last transfer.  These are good things :)

RUSSIAN BOOK OF MORMON.  This week we were walking around, and a Russian woman walked up to us and asked about the Christ video (Finding Faith in Christ).  So we went this morning and gave her a copy of that, and the Book of Mormon in Russian.

SUSHI.  In Bologna two weeks ago for P-Day (Preparation-Day: laundry, errands, etc. Day), being in Italy, we got sushi!  I hadn't been to a sushi place before, and it was really good.  Not Italian, but good.

NEW ENGLAND SNOWSTORMS.  So, the media is still drumming up business by claiming the snowstorms are getting bigger and bigger?  No surprise there.  But you've been in Massachusetts for awhile now.  Surely you can handle yourselves :P

I haven't had any snow here, except a couple of weeks ago when it sprinkled a bit.  But it was gone within 24 hours.  Don't hurt yourself shoveling.  Maybe use the Steneris snowblower when it's available?

REMINISCING.  I don't think the Ponds (the family who lived in our house before us) realized what a blessing it would be for us to live in that house.  Yes, there are downsides, but it's been mostly positive.

You said they chose us (they got two offers on the house at the same time, and they let us buy it) mainly because we had kids in our family, and they liked the idea of having another family (us) in their neighborhood.  I'm very grateful for that, as I think about the good experiences we had in that neighborhood and the good people there.  Did you host Santa this year?  I don't believe I asked, even though it was a month ago.

Have a great week!
Anziano Whitesell

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