Agreed Teen Girl Squad! This week was SO GOOD!
So I am officially "training" a "new missionary." It is very, very, very weird! You realize how much these new people don't know anything about missionary work or Italy or the language or how to cross streets without getting run over. And then you realize how much you have learned and changed. And then you realize that by the end of this experience, you are just going to be so different and you haven't even realized you've been changing much up to this point. But there's really no stopping the change, it just will come at you one way or the other. I like to think I'm changing for the better.
Actually, I did a self'-analysis this morning, and realized that the way I'm serving my mission right now might not exactly fall into my original intentions. I originally came on a mission to help and serve all people, any person, regardless of who they were. I wanted to improve their quality of life and general happiness. Since then, I've learned lots of "missionary techniques," for teaching and finding and helping, etc. And while I do feel I'm a more effective missionary, some of my new comp's wide'eyed innocence has brought me back to that this work is not just a perfected process of talking to people, getting phone numbers and pitching them the gospel. I'm here to find new friends. I'm to serve them. I'm to help them with their relationship with God, because I care about them and want them to have as much happiness and as much peace of mind as possible. I want them to accept the gospel not becauase I want them to accept the gospel. I want them to accept the gospel because I love them and want all things to go well in their life.
But enough philosophizingzing! My new companion is named Sorella BRADFORD and we get along just swimmingly! She is liberal Mormon royalty (her g-ma was the editor of Dialogue!), she studies history at Berkeley (LoMo, she thinks she knows your family!), I took economics from her uncle at BYU (Sean, Jacqueline, David Cramer will know this professor), and she is as cute as a button (dang straight!). We have much to talk about and the bonding makes for the great start of a realationship.
We have a few new investigators, mostly African. One of them named Benjamin is this incredibly humble Nigerian with a smile the size of his face and a gap in his front teeth the size of his smile. We called him after our first lesson and asked if he had any questions. He said, "Yes, I was reading in the introduction like you asked. And. And. It says that Jesus Christ appeared to the people in the ancient Americas and told them what they needed to do to have peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come. And I wanted to know... (long pause) ... WHAT DID HE SAY?" His earnestness is very endearing. Also, he sent us this fantastic text: "Goodevening sister's of jesus christ. am sorry i could not take your phoen calls because i'm busy right away when am less busy i'll meet with youbrothers and sisters next week monday. thanks for yours understanding, i am benjamin." (sic) Oooooh, Benjamin, you are just the best!
So here's something cool! The other day we were trying to think about how we can meet with more university students. We realized that many of our original members were converted when they were just young, university students looking for the truth. We had some ideas of what we could do, but unfortunately most of them are illegal (such as doing chalk drawing on the university campus, my usual go-to finding people tactic). So instead, we just head out into the wide Bari world.
Next scene: train station! We were helping a slightly flustered woman at the train station with her baggage. We find out that she is a professor at the university her at Bari. She is very intrigued that we are Mormon and says, "So little is know about your religion! Maybe you could give a presentation to my students about Mormonism?" This is exciting, because all she knows about Mormons is that we have a very strict religious culture (regarding dancing, etc) and don't use technology. So after we explain we are not Amish, I think this will be a very, very informative presentation! We've gotten the first parts organized, but there's still a lot to go. Say a prayer that everything goes well...
The last piece of news is that we had lunch with a Catholic priest who loves Mormon missionaries. He has a ... maid, cook, volunteer? Not sure, exactly. Her name is Angela and he treats her horribly, but she is the nicest human being, best cook in the whole wide world. We all love Angela and she is a saint! We all hope to go and teach her the gospel soon! Also, Don Antonio is a very, very kind man who does a lot for the missionaries -- once he bought a mattress for a 6'5" missionary! Thanks Don Antonio! The missionaries salute you!
Here are some pics:
...302: Don Antonio and the sister missionaries
...294: Me and my new companion, jet lag stupid! Poor thing...
I love you all! I miss you all very much and think about you often. I hope your Easter is wonderful. More Eastery thoughts next week!
thanks for yours understanding
i am annie
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