Happy P-Day

Ciao Presidente Waddoups!

This week was pretty good, and I'm happy about that! We've done a lot of finding so far, and have several prospective people in new areas around Cagliari. We're wanting to follow up with them the next few days, so we'll get on that for sure. The couple we found last week, Gianni and Sara, we managed to get another appointment with them yesterday, while we had a scambio with Oristano. Anziano Adams and Loertscher went to that, and said that they are actually pretty good, they just need a repass over the Restoration. But they are reading, and love seeing us, and may even have referrals for us. They also committed to come to church the 21st, so that will be cool!

In Oristano, I went with Anziano Ostler, and we did good work there. It's very different than Cagliari, for sure. But Anziano Ostler kept us working hard with appointments and pass-backs to see, and is a great missionary, showing a ton of love for the people there. They're doing good work in Oristano, the only hardship is the lack of a number of people, apparently. It's a small town. But we found some good contacts for them to see. Even at the train station on the way back to Cagliari.

We're also trying to use our time a little more wisely than we did in the past, and be sure to stay out those extra five to fifteen minutes. Last night, doing that, we even randomly came in contact with a less-active member, and talked with him a good while. Hopefully it helped!

Just to report, we have been completely consistent with the 12 Weeks program since Zone Conference, and that is more helpful than I realized. I'm learning a ton myself, and I hope I'm doing good for Anziano Loertscher. I've also been excercising every day again, and that's doing a lot, I feel like. I'm definitely trying to apply the counsel I received!

Thanks, Presidente!

Anziano Walker

Ciao famiglia!

Man, nutsy week. No, I'm not the only Zone Leader in the Zone, but with organizing rides to get everyone to the house or the church, or from the airport, and then organizing food, and giving an addestramento, and having to work with the Zone Leader across the island on that addestramento AND the Sorelle Training Leaders, AND having to organize District Meeting on Monday,........ it's a lot. But I like it when I'm busy. And it's even better when I look to see how much I've grown to be able to do all that, where 2 transfers ago, I probably would have frozen up trying to organize just the rides and everything. Now I cranked out decent plans in a matter of seconds, and listened to input from others to improve them. I have learned that I am a very good person for thinking logistically. Spiritually, I've been working harder on that end, this week.

But yeah, I'm doing a lot better. I've been drinking more water, like Mom said, really pushing to get 8 hours of sleep a night, and after an interview with President, getting exercise each morning. So far, it's good. Now I just want to work on consistency. I'm hoping well, though!

One thing I want to say about that scambio with Oristano, I learned a LOT from Anziano Ostler. I realize that the District/Zone leader's job is to make sure the missionary is doing well and becoming a good missionary, but MAN, he's awesome! I was thoroughly impressed with how genuine and loving he was. We would occasionally ring on someone's citofono just to compliment them on their garden. Turns out, that's actually pretty effective for starting up conversation. :) And one time, we went into a Pizzer to say we loved their name, "80 fame". I busted up when I read that, because in Italian, that would be "ottanta fame", which sounds exactly like "ho tanta fame", which means "I'm really hungry". Oh man, genius!

But I've been really trying to think lately about two things, almost completely seperate: 1. how to teach more with the Spirit as a third companion (which is where my logistics side of my mind comes as a difficulty). The first one, I've been trying to teach a lot more simply and plainly. Especially after that English Course with that cute little girl a few weeks ago. That really opened my mind to the idea of teaching to THEIR understanding. Also, a "check your progress" self-evaluation from that "First 12 Weeks" program I've been doing with my greeny helped me realize that's something I've been lacking in teaching. If THEY don't understand what's being said, the point of the lesson is lost. All my words are nothing. It may be repetitive to me, but that may mean I just need to keep explaining and re-explaining a certain principle. I feel like this will really help my whole mission.

#2, Regrets. In my interview with President (who is a super amazing man, by the way), he said that he felt I need to think a little more about how to get rid of those, because he saw I have some right now. That kind of shocked me, because everybody always says "Go home with no regrets," and so forth. I thought it was something that you could only avoid, not get rid of entirely. So that's where my studies have been taking me, these past few days. It seems to me very similar to the process of repentance. So much so, that in many cases, it seems to be inseperable. That struck me as somewhat strange, but makes sense. But I'll let you know how that comes out!

Anyway, I love you all, and I'm so glad I got to hear from you! Ciao ciao!

Anziano Walker