Captains log 19.9.12
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| Reggio After the Rain |
Allora! Man it's great to be a missionary! Sara, Mattie, Maren
it sounds like you all are doing great at soccer! I'm glad you all really enjoy
it. But Maren, don't forget that the goal is to kick the ball in the goal
and that the rest of the team needs your help! And Mattie, mom tells me
that you are a great goalie! Have you been diving for the ball? Today we
played tennis again, it's a pretty fun game but honestly I really miss
racquetball, it's absurd that they don't have it here!
Yesterday was zone conference. President Kelly had a crazy
weekend because Elder Nelson came to Italy and it was conference after
conference and he (Pres. Kelly) was ready to come to Zone Conference but at the
last minute sister Kelly told him that he needed to go get rest and that she
would share his message for him. It was weird not to have him but it's a
good thing that he stayed because Mission Presidents in their 3rd year are
known for just being tired all the time and slowing down. It's hard work.
Serving in the church in any calling is hard work.
Sister Kelly said something similar yesterday, she said that most of
the work that is done in this church is done by people who are tired.
Just imagine Elder Nelson who just did a week long trip all through
Europe. Shaking hands, in meetings, holding conferences, always smiling,
traveling from one place to the next for 7 days without a break and he's 88!
No doubt he was tired. But in the end that is the sacrifice that we
have to be willing to make.
The biggest things that I took from conference are actually 2
things.
1. "Thee lift me, I lift thee, and we'll both ascend
together" (John Greenleaf Whitier.) We have a responsibility to help
those around us to be better people and we also have the responsibility to ask
those around us for help. The Lord puts certain people in our lives for
special reasons, if we don't help them and ask for help then we might never
know why we met them.
2. The second thing was similar, it's something that President
Kelly says often. "If we cannot learn to love imperfect people,
we'll live a life without love."
That's kind of the key to life and the first point. Everyone
is imperfect, the quicker we can get over the little things (or big things)
that aren't perfect with others, the quicker we'll have a life full of love.
So yesterday at 11.30 in Rome the church was officially recognized
as a religious institution, and not just a charitable organization! They
also created a second Stake in the city of Milano over the weekend. And
the outside of the temple is almost completed. It is such a great time to
be able to serve in Italy!! There is so much potential! It's so exciting!
I also was thinking about what mom said a couple weeks ago about how
this mission is to improve myself and how I had said that it was too selfish to
say that this was only for my own improvement. If improving myself makes
me a better missionary, then it's something that the Lord wants me to do so
that I can be more effective. So, it's not selfish at all as long as it's
done for the right reasons.
Things with our investigators are actually slowing down.
Tamara started school this week and she is a really great student, she's
number one in her class and she's not even Italian! Plus, we had 3ish
investigators that really didn't make progress so were going to start meeting
less frequently with them in order to free up more time to find the elect!
I love you all, I miss you, I pray for you, and I can't wait to hear
about all your crazy adventures this next week. =P VVB
--
"Look inside yourself, you're more than what you've become.
Remember who you are." The Lion King
Anziano Stewart
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