Pickpockets, Sugar and Hieroglyphs

Egyptian Museum

BAPTISM DETAILS. I realized that I glazed over a baptism in the last email. Recently, we had the baptism of a 9-year-old kid named Allesandro. That was neat. His mom was baptized about 2 years ago and then went inactive (stopped going to church). Then when he turned 8, he wanted to be baptized. So for the next year he was bringing it up, and now his mom is active again and he got baptized. Aren't kids great fellowshippers?

BIG CITY PROBLEMS. Less fun were a couple of sobering events that remind me that I grew up in a couple of very safe, small towns. We were walking around Centro on an exchange, and as we turn a corner I see a man right behind some lady make a quick move with his hand and put something behind his scarf. I'm like, did that lady just get pick pocketed? I watch him, not sure what to do. He turns a corner, but the lady keeps walking on. What to do?

I took too long deciding, and was rewarded by seeing the lady start looking for her phone. And all I could tell her was "Sorry, some guy just stole it." Plans for the next time: Yell, draw attention to him, chase him down.

Then in the past couple of weeks, we came home twice to our door wide open. Freaky. We don't think too much about security, but we close the door when we leave. Duh. So, that was disconcerting, since both times the bathroom window was open, and wasn't shutting (we figured out how to close it).

Nothing seems to have been taken, but we're feeling a little paranoid. We set things by all the windows and doors that will move if someone comes in, so we can know for sure if there's been an entry. We're also looking into getting a new lock. All our documents seem to be in order, still hidden away, and it's not like a group of missionaries have a ton of valuables. But we are being more cautious about taking different routes home, watching for suspicious behavior, etc.

INSPIRING BROADCAST. On a more positive note, we had a worldwide missionary broadcast. It came from Salt Lake and had several General Authorities speaking about missionary work. Elder Bednar led an inspiring discussion about letting the Spirit teach during lessons, and not getting in the way ourselves. We need to focus on being conduits for the spirit, rather than just teaching with the spirit present.

peach cobbler

SWEETS FOR THE SWEET. And, we made peach cobbler!
Sort of. It was an apple crisp but with canned peaches substituted for the apples, because for Christmas in the ward's (congregation's) present to us, were 2 cans of peaches in syrup. I had a lot of sugar last night -- the topping of apple crisp, and drinking the syrup. Went to bed fat and happy :D

EGYPTIAN MUSEUM. We just finished with the Egyptian Museum. It was a good, large museum with an interesting layout. Long enough to be tiring at the end, though.

At church, there are about 100 people who come to Sacrament Meeting. We have a decent-sized youth group, with an English and an Italian Gospel Principles (Sunday School) class.

WHAT IS YOUR WORKOUT? For workouts, I alternate cardio days, followed by alternating sets of push-ups and cool-down stretching, with abs days. Sundays are rest days.

Love, Anziano Whitesell