Trams and Choosing to Change

Hello Again!

It's been a fun week with some different experiences.(Remember, you can click on these photos to make them BIGGER.)

CUTTING IT TOO CLOSE. First off, as we were driving home from an appointment one evening, I look to the side and see a tram slam on the brakes as a car tries to cut across an intersection ahead of it. The tram doesn't slow enough, and hits the car. The car gets knocked back a few feet, loud noise, and then we pass and I don't know what happens next. Probably a lot of yelling and the cops being called. What excitement!?

INSPIRATIONAL CONFERENCE. The big event last week was the Christofferson conference. Elder D. Todd Christofferson came to our mission and talked to us, about 1/2 of the missionaries in the mission this time, rather than all of them. It was a neat experience, since I don't really know him as a speaker -- he isn't as tenured as Elders Bednar or Holland or Ballard, who have some usual themes. So we gathered and listened, and he taught us about being better missionaries, yes, but more importantly about being better people. About repentance and choosing to change, as well as letting other people choose for themselves to change. We as missionaries can't "make" anyone make decisions. We can just encourage, and tell them what blessings they'll see as a result.

Later, I made a phone call to a man whose number we got about a week ago. The son picked up, and I asked if his father was there. After a brief pause and some talking in the background, the son comes back on and says in Italian, "My dad's not here right now...so @!#@!##%!" And he hangs up. Some people! I've had some really polite people on the phone, interested or not. And then there are encounters like that. Ugh.

DOWNTOWN VIEWS. Anyway, today (P-day) some other missionaries from the zone came over and we went around Centro. It was neat, some cool buildings, and we decided to go to the top of the Mole, the building with the National Cinema Museum. Good view of Torino.

MOM's QUESTIONS.
I like Torino because it's nice and big, so there are lots of people. It has a big Centro.
My biggest challenge here is to keep the paperwork organized and up to date for everyone. Another challenge is trying to love some difficult individuals.
And my companion's birthday is in August.

Love, Anziano Whitesell