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Anti-Robotics Manifesto |
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30th Jan. 2001 -
Well it's been quite a while since I last wrote. Recently Elder Taylor was transferred to Pordenone making me Senior Z.L... I didn't really learn how to be a Z.L. but I guess there's no better way to learn than to get thrown in the water.
Anz. Taylor and I really didn't get a lot of time to know each other (5 weeks) and we didn't really have a real tight relationship, but right at the end an amazing thing happened:
Throughout Zone Conference and Zone Council the main message being conveyed was the idea of following the spirit when doing finding work. As we went to do exchanges w/ our zone we both were having parallel thoughts even while working separately. We both realized that our street technique and basically our attitude of finding had some serious room for improvement.
As we were returning to Bologna we were talking about our experiences and just brain-storming about how we could improve our attitude and effectiveness as missionaries doing finding work. While discussing all of this our brains just seemed to click and we became united in the same cause.
We centered the problem on the numbers sheet. We decided that missionaries feel much too pressured by the numbers report at the end of the week causing them to teach frantically and not be influenced by the spirit nor guided. This caused us to start thinking of a solution. We passed over all the possibilities and finally found one that might have worked: To count only discussions taught off the street on the weekly report. When this was mentioned it was as though a light went off in our heads. We decided therefore to write a letter collectively to Pres. Curtis.
In the letter we built our case and made our proposal and both signed it. We passed it by our District before we mailed it and they really liked it. We named it the "Anti-Robotics" Manifesto and mailed it.
The next Zone Conference really showed that our point of view had been taken seriously. They addressed our concern very well and changed a lot of policy to allow missionaries to focus more on following the spirit than to be dominated by the ever impending numbers sheet. It wasn't exactly what we suggested but it got at the same problem excellently.
My new companion is Elder Freston from Sandy Utah. He's an ex-cheerleader and really cool and funny. We get along very well. He and Anz. Shamy keep doing all these different body stunts. It's pretty cool and entertaining. I really feel that our district is united. Everyone gets along quite well - it's good chemistry - a lot of energy.
We set a goal to have 6 baptisms here during Feb. It's looking very possible. This last week I was very pre occupied because, even though we were working hard we weren't teaching or having much success, we kept working hard and by the end we met some really cool people and set 3 baptismal dates as a district. It was awesome.
There is one event that get special mention from me: When I first arrived Anz. Taylor & I stopped a family in the park from Albania. They didn't speak Italian very well, but they had a little daughter who spoke perfectly. We chatted and eventually got their phone number. As time progressed we finally called them and set up an appointment and Anz. Bianco (very cool Elder w/ a great conversion story) and I taught the whole family a 1st: Father, mother, and 2 daughters. We gave them the book of Mormon they were ecstatic. It was the first time in the mission that I had a perfect strong spirit sit down colloquio w/ a whole family. The next Sunday they came to church and they've continued coming for the last 2. Their father, unfortunately, works too much, but the Mother (Aferdita) and the 2 girls (Era & Shenda) love the church. The branch is really accepting them and they are considering baptism.
We passed them to the sisters because they couldn't meet w/ the father - it was tough but I know it's best. I'll be so ecstatic to see them baptised. They are amazing.
I've been real busy so that's why I haven't written for a month. I don't think this journal will be quite as full as the last but I'll try my best to put some good content in it.
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