Father's Day, Mazes and Good Changes

Hi!

Happy Father's Day, Dad!  It's a few days behind us, but I have had it in mind the last week or two.  I just didn't know which Sunday it was.

NEW COMPANION FOR A DAY. This week has been pretty different, since I did two exchanges (going out to work with a different companion) in the past several days.  Each transfer, the District Leader (myself) does an exchange with each elder in the district, and the Zone Leaders with each District Leader.  So I did an exchange with a greenie (brand-new missionary) in my district Friday-Saturday, showing him around my area, teaching people, being a good example, etc.  Several times in Ferrara I also took a new missionary around my area, so it was similar to that.  We talked, and had a pretty good day, but it was good to have my companion back again.

Then Monday-Tuesday I went with one of the Zone Leaders to Montevarchi.  That was a lot of fun.  We started off visiting a family who has known the missionaries for awhile.  I was able to show off my (crumbling) piano skills, talk to this nice family, and share a spiritual thought.

Panorama of the view from our apartment

CHANGE OF HEART. Then on Tuesday, I did the baptismal interview for two people the elders have been teaching for a couple of months.  They were both Africans, and it was neat to talk to them, and hear some of how the Gospel had changed their lives, and see "that their hearts had been changed; that they had no more desire to do evil."  The baptismal interview questions may just be 6 points, but it means a lot of change for some people, and watching a testimony grow is a rewarding experience.  So I'm happy for them.

The Zone Leader I was with was the person whose place I took in Ferrara, and he had been there for four months, so we could reminisce about that.  And we have a lot of overlapping interests, and he's going to BYU when he gets back in a couple of months.  I enjoyed talking with him during our down time.

TEACHING METHODS. Maybe I'll try using stories in my district meetings.  I used a maze for the last one, drew it up on the board, and it went over pretty well.  The maze then tied in to how we teach the Restoration, and what we can do during studies to teach more effectively.

Regular camera...yes it has pictures on it, but I don't have the connector cable anymore, and most computers don't have SD ports.  Also Dropbox got nixed by President Dibb.  But I do take some photos on the iPad.

This week we had a good lesson on tithing with Henry, assisted by the 2nd Counselor, Fratello Borjas (also Peruvian). That went well, and it's nice to have member involvement.

Love you!  Anziano Whitesell