 |
3 Weeks in the Office - Just one more door |
|
May 12 2001:
That makes 3 weeks in the office. (Well, I'm serving in the office, but I don't really spend much time in it - we're always in other cities) I did receive my license and now I'm back in the saddle again. It took me a while to get used to driving a stick again and driving in Italian traffic is nothin' less than a wound tight ball of stress. I am getting the hang of it though - it's much more OFFENSIVE than DEFENSIVE driving.
Tomorrow is mother's day. I had this idea of a present for sister Curtis (our mission mother) I thought it would be neat if each district i our mission made a small tape recording for sister Curtis and then we recorded them onto a computer then burned them onto a special Mother's Day C.D. for her. Well it's been a big struggle but it is starting to come together. There's only one district that didn't do it and we can't find one district's tape, hopefully it'll come together well. The computer (of a member) that we were going to use isn't working right, so that could be a problem too. She might end up getting it after mother's day. Tomorrow will be my last phone call home in the mission. Won't that be strange? It all goes by too fast.
We went to Ferrara and Modena this week. In Modena I got to work w/ my kid. He's come so far since the old Trento days. I'm really proud of him because he doesn't fall into the numbers trap of so many missionaries. He teaches the gospel to those who are ready and willing.
It was nice to chat with him and see him having some of the same struggles that I went through when I was a new senior comp. He really understands a lot more now than he did then. I'll never forget riding around w/ him in the white Fiat Punto on the streets of Modena.
In Ferrara I had a neat experience w/ Anz. Thompson: (One of the new missionaries that came in when I was transferred into the office) After an appointment we had some time before we had to head back home, so we decided to do some house. We had an hour and the 1st 45 minutes were quite unfruitful and discouraging. We were thinking about heading home, but somehow decided to do one more palazzo.
The 1st bell we rang opened the Main Door for us, but didn't want to talk w/ us. The 1st house we knocked set up a return appointment w/ us. By that time we were satisfied and decided to head back home.
As we were leaving I felt like we needed to knock just one more. I also felt like Anz. Thompson needed to do the door approach. I said a quick prayer.
Well, a young mother opened the door and Anz. Thompson started using his limited Italian skills to explain to her why we were there. Her two little daughters were scampering about behind her so I started to talk to them and tease them to get them laughing and interested in talking w/ us. In some way or another, she felt the spirit and she invited us in. Her husband was in the shower and we didn't have much time, so we quickly explained the BoM to her (she was quite interested) and we gave it to her. Then we asked if we could return to explain more. She was down w/ that idea, but said she needed to ask her husband. So she stepped into the bathroom to talk w/ him.
Immediately, I thought our hopes were gone, a husband who didn't know us and hears that we're there to talk about religion and that we're two American kids couldn't possibly want us to come back. (Well I pushed that doubt out of my head with another prayer) Surprisingly, he said yes and we set a return appointment.
I was filled with the spirit as we left the house - and I couldn't help saying over and over to Anz. Thompson:
'It's always the last door! It's always the last door!'
I then had to leave Ferrara, so I won't know exactly what happened to that family. But it was a great, faith-building experience.
This week we did my first two Zone Conferences as an assistant. Our addestramento went well. We presented a message about how we can use our time in church more effectively for our contacts, members, less-actives, and ourselves. We helped them to remember the lesson my using an acronym: S.A.P.E.R.E.
S-impattizanto Preparati
A-micizia con I Membri
P-iano d'attacco
E-sporre Lezioni Necessarie
R-iempire La Settimana a Venire
E-sperienze Spirituali
The missionaries weren't real excited about participating in the discussion, but it did go fairly well. Next week there're two more Z.C.'s. |
|
