Lessons, Bus Rides, Maybe Yoga

Hi!

(Reminder: you can click on the pictures to make them bigger...)

PRODUCTIVE DAYS. This week was pretty awesome. We were really busy; we taught 27 lessons last week. If we can keep that up, it would probably result in this area getting a car. It's difficult to make it across town to one lesson, then travel 40 minutes by bus to another lesson, then go back home for lunch. Our studies are pretty shot; morning activities take the place of those, most days. But spending most of our time outside the apartment is better.

STRESS MANAGEMENT. We had interviews with President Dibb last Monday, so I talked to him about feeling stress from the workload, and feeling like everything has to be perfect, and people not making the choices I'd like them to make. I go through waves every couple of days, first feeling like everything is awesome, then...we miss a bus and show up late, and somebody can't meet this week, and some plans change last-minute, and I start stressing out again. I need to find an outlet, because I figure if I'm working hard, I'll always be in a potentially high-stress position. I'll try some things to see what works; there's a new missionary handbook that has some pages with suggestions on stress management.


In any case, President Dibb said what he usually does with missionaries near the end who have been Zone Leaders 6 months (4 transfers) is have them finish in a normal companionship, just elders helping each other work hard as the "dying" missionary (near the end of his mission) finishes his last transfer. So, I expect to do one more move, for the last transfer. Don't know where yet, but a transfer is coming. 2 more weeks here, so I'm cleaning up the bookkeeping and organizing, so it can be perfect for the next guy to walk in and keep going.

TRAIN STATION. Other than that...we were at the train station looking for a lady we were going to meet with, and this guy walks up to us:

"ELDERS!"
(Yes, this is us.)
He asks if we have a Book of Mormon in Spanish. "Not on us, but we can get you one."
"Okay, good. I've been inactive for awhile, but I want to come back to church."
"Excellent! Can we get your number?"
"Yes, and I live at this place..."

Wow. Things like this happen and I just realize so much, that this is the Lord's work.  I just show up, and put in effort and faith, but if He wants something to happen, that's when things change.

VARIED HOMETOWNS. Missionaries in my zone are from California, California, Las Vegas, Netherlands (born in Belgium), Boston (me), Florida (born in Venezuela), Idaho, Utah, Australia, Utah, Utah, Utah, Utah, Colorado, Utah, and Phoenix. Too much Utah. No, really...when the members ask where you're from and you say somewhere else (besides Utah), they say 'Oh, good.'

Have a great week!
Anziano Whitesell