Arabic, Bakeries, and P90X

Hello All!

Well this week has been very busy.

FIFTY APPOINTMENTS. We set a goal in our apartment (4 missionaries: 2 companionships) to have 50 teaching appointments and member visits last week.  In spite of a Zone Conference eating up half of Monday, and Anderson staying in sick on Sunday, we hit 20 appointments, and the other guys hit 27! So we were super stoked about how the week turned out. The extra bonus, was that we got to visit a handful of church members from the congregation, having potitive interactions with them. It was a good week.

I made fudge cake for district meeting. We went to the district meeting, and it turns out somebody else made mousse. So we had fudge cake, topped with mousse. Healthy? No. Delicious? Very.

GETTING PUMPED. Also, we started doing P90X (Tony Horton's workout series) as an apartment. I remember you used to do that in the mornings at home. But I'm getting a taste of it now, too. It's a much better workout than the running-in-place and jumping jacks I used to do.

LEARNING ARABIC. We learned a couple of phrases in Arabic from Mahdi a few weeks back, and we have used them a handful of times. Marhabaan ("hello"). Kayf halik ("how are you")? Al ham dulule.  It gets positive reactions from Arabic and Northern African people we run into.

Also, it makes me understand the Italians who are like, "America! How are you?" Even knowing a few words in another language, you want to use them.

ITALIAN STRENGTHS. Mom you asked "what does Italy do better than the U.S.?"  Italy does fresh food better: they have lots of fruit and vegetable markets, bakeries that have food from that morning, and you can grow your own spices to have fresh spices.

Also, they're better than us at recycling.

Love, Anziano Whitesell

Trains, (gas) Tanks and Automobiles

Hello, Parents--

This past week was, as are all weeks, unusual. We had an exchange with the APs (Assistants to the Mission President) where nothing went according to plan.

We get on our train to Milan, and 20 minutes in they tell us somebody died on the tracks a couple of stops ahead. (?!!?!) So we wait for an hour for something. Not sure what. So we wait for an hour and change, the train gets going again...BACK to Torino, to be re-routed through Alessandria to Milan. We get in 3 hours later than expected.

CAR HICCUPS. Then during the scambio (exchanges where you go teach with a different companion), since the APs have a car, the other guys go to fill up the tank. Five minutes later the engine light goes on, and they realize that THEY PUT IN DIESEL FUEL (??!?!), so they're stuck.

TOW TRUCKS. Meanwhile, I'm stuck with the other AP with their phone at a metro station. We call the Mission Office to get a tow-truck, but it's the office missionaries' P-Day, their day off, so they had left their phone at the office. (Nobody to answer it!)

We called several ex-office-missionaries, who could get onto the Internet and call a tow truck, and then we took the public transportation home, 3 hours later, and the other guys having been stuck on the side of the highway for 4 hours, the police notice them there, and help them with the tow truck and getting back to the office. We get back home at around 10 that night. Bleh.

ZONE CONFERENCE. Other than that, we had a good "Singles' Awareness Day" on Sunday. (Thanks for the letter, mom...cries softly to self.)  And then we had our Zone Conference on Monday. We ran it. It went smoothly. Truths were taught. The Spirit was felt. Good times were had.

Basically, for the parts that were "us," my companion did most of the talking, then I'd give my instruction, calm everything down, and hand it back to him. He's much more outgoing, I'm much more calm. We work well together.

Love, Anziano Whitesell

Music, Scarves and Brownies

Torino is fun! I'm noticing some trunkiness (thinking about home), but non troppo (not too much).

I'll tell you about Fast and Testimony Sacrament Meeting.

(Background) The first Sunday of the month, we as a congregation fast for 2 meals, and donate the money that would have covered those 2 meals to the poor. During that Sacrament Meeting at church, the members of the congregation have the chance to walk up and "bear testimony:" express to the rest of us their belief in Jesus Christ or other gospel principles. This whole concept of Fast and Testimony meeting sometimes seems a little vague to people new to the church.

Christmas 2015

Simone, 16-yr-old member

MUSIC IN CHURCH. We start (after taking the bread and water of the Sacrament) with a Nigerian lady being confirmed into the congregation--she was baptized the day before. Then she bears her testimony, and finishes by singing homemade hymns (think God's gonna trouble the wa-a-a-a-ters) and says if anyone has work, she is willing to do it. I don't think the missionaries who taught her explained what "testimony" is to her.

Then, a man who hasn't been to church in awhile gets up and says, in a passive-aggressive way, that if someone doesn't come to church, others ought to call them and visit, and see what's wrong. Still no testimonies.

Then a member gets up and puts the microphone to his phone and plays a recording for 5 minutes...think Christian rapper to no music. Lots of "Jesus Saves" and all that. Meanwhile, since the Bishop is out, the first counselor is visibly agitated, considering whether to ask people to step down, or intervene, or whatever. No action is performed. Worst fast-and-testimony meeting ever. So bad it was funny. Oh, the shenanigans...

OUTGOING PERSONALITY. My current companion is my favorite person ever, just awesome. He's a really outgoing, talkative guy, so as Vinicio said, you guys have such different personalities, they just complement each other. But he's rubbing off on my faster than other people have. I'm seeing me much more joking, talkative, less reserved than before. Maybe Elder Rushforth from ever-so-long-ago in Boston was right: I'll get out of my shell here. I mean, my volume is still way low, but I open up more.

WARM NECK FOR WINTER. I have 3 lovely scarves now. I had one last year, a nice warm red one, but I left it on a train. So I got a silvery gray one this winter, and then asked a friend to pick up a couple from Firenze (I left in the fall. I wasn't thinking about scarves). And since we just had consiglio (council meeting) where we're all together, she got them to me. So now I have a purple/white plaid one, and a luxurious green one. My jacket, unfortunately, is pretty American (even if purchased here, it's just a rain jacket, not at all classy), but I'll get a good Italian coat before I go. Ah, European style.

Also: I found a recipe for brownies that is divine. They don't have Betty Crocker here, so we have to go with scratch. But how good scratch can be!

Love, Anziano Whitesell

Different Companion and Cake

Hello!

Anzianos Cortes, Huessner, Thomas, Whitesell

STAYING IN TORINO. This week has been a little hectic. We got transfer calls this past Saturday, and Anziano Cortes is going away to Mantova. I'm staying as Zone Leader in Torino, and receiving an Anziano Anderson, in his last transfer. It will be good, but as always there's not enough time to fit in all the goodbyes before Cortes goes away.

TOLERABLE TEMPS. We've had pretty warm weather here recently, just needing one jacket and thermals, not needing extra sweaters or anything. So no complaints there.

Today we spent a couple of hours at Vinicio's house; Michela, the lady who takes care of the house, cooked a good meal for us: polenta and sauce, and a cake.

GROUP PHOTOS. Here are some pictures of people we work with.

District. Sisters Gregg & Smith, Elders Huessner on top, me,
Guertler, Thomas, Diego, Cortes

We have to be several places at once today: filling the font for the sisters' baptism, picking up people at the station, babysitting the font as it fills, and a couple of appointments. So I'll just send pics today, K?

Love, Anziano Whitesell

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

Setting Goals and Scraped Knees

Excellent, I got the letter with suggestions for P-day. Still waiting on the other one. I'll start with a nice story from this past week.

FAMILIAR VOICE. While I was in Ferrara, I worked with an inactive lady (doesn't come to church regularly anymore). I met her at the Christmas party when I first arrived, then never saw her until, 6 months later, I ran into her on the train to my last District Meeting in Bologna.

Random chairs in the park: comfortable, but cold.
Ciao, Anziano Taylor from Novara!

In the meantime, we kept up text communication.  I'd ask how she was doing, etc. It turns out, she introduced a woman here (in Torino) to the church, 1.5 years ago: the mother of the 9-year-old boy we baptized this past Saturday. This mother mentioned the Ferrara lady, and I was like, "Hey, I know her!"

So the mom called her on the phone, and I talked with her for a bit. That really made my day! That's my miracle for the week :D

ATTAINABLE GOALS. This week, we visited a couple of members and talked about goals for the New Year. Obviously we want to make goals that stretch us, but we don't want them to be "to easy" or "too hard," as to be unreachable. And we encouraged the members to mix temporal and spiritual goals.

My goals are mixed as well, from following a more rigorous workout schedule (the last 4 transfers are named "Six Months to Sexy"), to learning something new from each pers
onal study. I want this year to be a year where I grow a lot, even in this last 4.5 months in the mission.

Night City Lights

SAFETY IN QUESTION. Also, I wiped out while running.  Twice. So maybe it's not good for me. But I'll keep trying.

Knee

Love,
Anziano Whitesell

Funerals, Flexibility, Feeding Friends

HOUSE-TO-HOUSE. This week has had some cool experiences. On Sunday evening we decided to do some proselyting in an area where a member said she felt someone was ready for the gospel every time she passed it.  So we went to the street...and nobody was there.  It was 7:30 p.m., so it was dark, and the one person on the street was not interested in a gospel discussion.  So we decided to go house-to-house.  We said a prayer and started on the apartment closest to us.

We rang the top 5 bells before someone said we could enter the building (not unusual). The lady who let us in gave us her number but wasn't willing to invite us in.  So we knock the rest of the doors, from inside.  The penultimate door (2nd-to-last, for those like his Mom who needed a new vocabulary word) had a man named Giovanni in it. He invited us in, we showed him the video "Because of Him," and set a date for a return appointment.  That was neat, because in my 18.5 months, I've only been let into someone's home to teach about 6 times.  So, that was a good experience.  Admittedly, he didn't show for the return appointment, but we still have hope.

CHANGES IN PLANS. Today (P-day) we had a rough start.  We had planned to go see the Basilica of Superga, but some members of the church called to change our plans. Someone needed the church (on the opposite side of town from Superga) unlocked for a meeting with the Stake President at 3, in the middle of our P-day. And we were asked to go to a funeral in the Deep South part of town at 9 a.m.

So we started out at the funeral, which took and hour and a half to arrive at.  A lady in the ward died 2 weeks ago.  I didn't know her, but the Bishop said it would be nice if we came. It was a small service, with lots of "Plan of Salvation" explanations thrown in, to clarify for members of other religions.  Maybe the 3rd funeral that I've attended.

Having finished there, we went to Centro and had planned on the Egyptian Museum as a backup, but they said it would take 2 hours minimum (2nd largest in the world and all), and we had to be at the church (40 minutes away) at 3 p.m. So we just went to a few stores, looking at Saldi shopping.  I got a nice grey-silver scarf.  Then back to the church, groceries, email. Boom.

TOP 10 SITES. (For Mom, the wannabe-travel-agent:) If you research any cool places I might go on a P-day, feel free to recommend them.  The list right now is: Basilica of Superga, Town on the border of France, Teach-us-how-to-make-lasagna activity with a church member, Egyptian Museum, Royal Apartments by Piazza Castello

And yet due to bad planning, and differently-minded apartment mates, all we've done on P-day is played soccer a couple of times, and wandered around Centro.  Still, it's not for lack of trying, and it certainly has not been disagreeable.  Relaxing a bit once a week is fun, too.

(Side note from Mom: Poor David! Brainwashed his whole life by his parents, that you must take advantage of EVERY POSSIBLE sight and experience when you are in a different place! You must go DO THINGS when you can. I promptly researched "Torino, Italy" online for the next hour.  I sent him Best Places to Visit in Torino he should put on his "P-day list," complete with maps and phone numbers and hours of operation. Next Task -- I must repeat to myself: Soccer on a P-day is also acceptable! Ha :) )

THE FACTORY. (Mom's question to David: you said Vinicio wants a Massachusetts postcard.  Right after you told us that Vinicio is blind.  WHAT WILL VINICIO DO WITH A POST CARD?
David's answer:) Vinicio wants the card to show off to grandkids and houseguests: "Look where this missionary came from!"

I get that a lot, actually.  Church members guess I'm from Utah, also dubbed "The Factory" -- because that state sends out so many missionaries.  Then they guess Idaho.  Then I say I'm from Boston, and they are pleasantly surprised. #Bostonstrong

COOKING FOR 4.  I have made a piadine (think sandwiches on tortillas, what we might call quesadillas but my Mexican companion said those aren't real quesadillas) for my apartment-mates.  I have also made Chinese Sundaes and sloppy joes.

Love you!
Anziano Whitesell