Happy Wednesday

Caro Presidente Kelly,

 

This week has been strange, especially with the trip to Messina. But I got back safe and sound, and we're keeping up the work here in Cagliari as best we can. We had the opportunity to at least see Massimo and his family (the friend of one of the members here that we've been working with to help out the member, Fratello Vicedomini) on Saturday, and he is well. We didn't quite have time to give a super spiritual thought (we got there later than we had hoped), but we left a bit about prayer, and they are really willing to have us over again sometime. Sweet!

 

Working with less-actives, the past few days we've kind of been seeing if they live in the same areas on the Branch's list, which apparently hasn't been updated for years, unfortunately. We've had the opportunity to see a few, but many have moved or just don't let us come in for one reason or another. We're trying to help the members really want to work with them, though.

 

In thinking how to work with the members, we are trying out a few different things: giving members thank-you cards for dinners or helping out with appointments or anything, really looking for acts of service we can do for them, and just trying to show them extra amounts of love so that they feel a stronger desire to either help us out or work with friends on their own.

 

This past week, I've been really working on and studying and thinking about not letting little things get to me, and how I can get along better with my companions. I've found two things that can really help me with that: 1 looking for "light" every day, little positive things about what happens or events in the past, and 2 avoiding criticism in what others may do, especially little things, and instead praising anything I see good. So far, since I've come up with and worked on those, I've been feeling much better about and during the mission.

 

Thanks for everything President!

Anziano Walker

Ciao famiglia!

 

First off, before I forget, Mom asked me to tell y'all about the investigators here. The truth is, we have none. Solid, anyway. Nobody answers their phone. So this week Anziano McIntyre and I decided to change that, start over, and get a whole new list of contacts. While looking for Less-Actives. I call it "Meno-Attivo Hunting". :)

 

But that Massimo I mentioned, he's awesome! He's not quite an investigator, but we've done service with him a few times, and this Saturday was my first time seeing his family and his house. They. Are. AWESOME. They have two daughters (I only saw one, though), a son, and his wife. They're super close, and really good people. And the HOUSE! It's out in the country area, so it's actually big for any Italian house I've seen so far. And they have so many animals, it's great! Cats, dogs, chickens, pigs, fish, oh my gosh! And Massimo had added on to the house they had originally bought (he's a huge do-it-yourself kind of guy), and it's so cozy. Awesome! And he really enjoys hearing from us, whenever we call him. There's a switch, haha!

 

Ok, not quite an investigator (yet!), but we met this one guy on the street last night who was super nice. He stopped us as we were Meno Attivo Hunting, and started talking with us about where we were from, and our beliefs, and so on. He was very appreciative of the work we do, and we exchanged numbers so we could meet up sometime and see what else our beliefs have in common. The kicker: he's a Catholic Priest! Oh man, I was super happy after that little encounter, just because it was so composed, so nice, and he still wanted to talk with us about religion, which isn't normal with the Priests I've seen. Oh yeah, totally gonna start the ball rolling for this Priest here! =D

 

One thing I wanted to share with you guys from this week was something I've been studying, and it has to do with that "light" that I mentioned in my letter to the President. I've ocassionally had times in my mission where I literally felt filled with light (I even wrote it in my journal with those exact words), and I've been trying to see how to have that always happen. Useful study material: 1 This past Conference issue Ensign (which we got from one of the Sorelle's parents), especially Pres. Uchtdorf's talk on light, one from the Sunday afternoon session called "Beautiful Mornings", and the first one in the Young Women session, 2 little problems I've had with companions, about which I could think and see what I did right or wrong, 3 the Topical Guide on light, and 4 Ether chapter 2 (the last like 5 verses) and the beginning of chapter 3. I've come to draw as much from that story as I did from Abraham with his son.

 

A major thing from that story that I love is that the Brother of Jared took those rocks out of the mountain, and made them clear (I'm pretty sure the word it uses is "molten"), and then takes them to the Lord. In the verses before, he was asking how to cross the stormy sees with light (go through life with hope, Christ, the Gospel, basically, whatever light symbolizes). I find it significant that he has the solution to take the rocks from the mountain (from the world, past experiences, current experiences), work with them a bit, and then take it to the Lord. This is where the Young women's conference talk came in, looking for those holy places in life. Oh man, I feel like this is so scatter-brained, but I have no time left. Think about it, I love it! :)

 

OH MY GOSH I LOVE MY FAMILY! I miss you guys, and everyone else too! AND WHAT THE SNAP, KIMMY'S GETTING MARRIED!!!! Tell her "Auguri" for me! (It means "wishes", "congrats", etc.)

 

Ciao ciao!

Anziano Walker