Christmas Video and Leaving So Soon?

SHORT STAY. Well, I have some surprising news today: the last 4 weeks in Como were my only 4 weeks in Como!  I'm doing a "One-and-Done," just one transfer here.  So I'm leaving tomorrow to go be a Zone Leader in Torino. (the number "5" on the map below. "Torino" is the traditional Italian spelling of the city. "Turin" is the westernized name.  This map combined the two, I guess...)

My new companion is Anziano Cortes.  I've heard he's also of South American descent and from New York, so I'm not really changing companions, just areas!  I'm looking forward to Torino, but it was more than a little disappointing to hear that I'm going away after just a month.

Lake Como (David DID take this picture)

We had a "miracle less active pass-by" last week...unexpectedly knocked on the door of a lady who used to come to church!  She is a Peruvian lady, getting ready to leave.  She invited us in anyway and we talked about the Christmas video "A Savior is Born."  She still loves the missionaries, but doesn't feel like coming back to church.

Sunday we talked with members, who I only somewhat knew after 3 other Sundays, and I had to just say, "Well, I'm leaving, I know this is part of the Lord's plan, the Book of Mormon is true!"  It's even weirder to leave so soon, since I've been in every other city I've been in, for 5-6 months.  A couple of members commented that missionaries don't seem to stay as long, since I'm leaving after 1 transfer, the last one got put in to the office after 2 months, and the one before him was here for 1 transfer.

FROM SOUTH TO NORTH.  A man stopped us at the bus stop and asked us if we were the missionaries.  Yes, that's us!  It turns out he took the lessons in Sicily and then moved up here to Como.  So hopefully, the next missionaries can teach him.  There are many Southern Italians who move up here to Northern Italy; we have several in our ward congregation here.

My companion and I are Zone Leaders, and we only do exchanges with District Leaders, but there are 5 district leaders in the zone.  Hence, 5 exchanges.  District leaders are supposed to do exchanges with each elder in their district, but a couple of these districts just have one companionship of elders and one of sisters.  So 2 from my DL and 4 from the other DLs, and that's 6 exchanges in a transfer.

"dedica" book

FRIENDS IN THE NEXT LIFE. Yes, I've run into a bunch of people I'd like to keep in contact with after the mission.  Mostly missionaries, but also some members.  I have a "dedica" (English: "dedication") book
where people can write down a little note when we're about to leave the area for somewhere else, and they usually leave Facebook and email information for after the mission.  But now that I'm getting "old" (further along in the mission), all the missionaries who were my senior companions have gone home.

Love,
Anziano Whitesell