Wednesday, February 28, 2007

I think it may be 103 with 100 percent humidity: May 24, 2006

Dear Family & Friends,
I think the flower that grows to be 6-7 feet and covers our picture window starts with an A or an N. I don't remember exactly what the name was... and we ran out of seeds a few years ago, I think - it was from when Mom and the other kids went out Garage Sale-ing and there was a woman giving away flower seeds. I think we used all of them... but they re-seed naturally (obviously). Sorry I don't know the name.
Here, we have also done some gardening, when it isn't so absolutely hot that we are sweating at night with the fans on and the doors open... it doesn't help that our apartment is on the last and seventh floor - the roof absorbs a lot of energy and we have eternal sunlight. On the good side, our gardening endeavors are improving. I seem to be slightly contagious in enthusiasm for interesting things - when the 3rd Cedro (a huge lemon-thing) came up and the others are growing fast enough that you can go out and see them bigger, a new little yogurt cup appeared outside next to the pot of Basilico, my kiwi seeds, the onion with Chestnut seeds, and the growing Cedri. My companion was the culprit - he had planted an orange seed. Then, a few days later, one of the elders says he's going to steal a cedro when he leaves - to grow here in Italy. I told him to plant his own, and supplied him with a few seeds. Only one elder is missing in the test of faith... and I'm not sure that he is going to enter the race. Va bene.
This week we had interviews... and it is hot! We have so much humidity, and Battipaglia is actually below sea level - which causes the air itself to be heavier than normal, thus becoming more prone to humidity and a better heat conductor. Nice, right? I'm grateful that in November it will be cooler. It's only going to get worse. I talked with President about our joint problem. I am grateful that I don't have to make the final judgment. The Lord knows everything, and President said that the missionary department wouldn't send home a non-diligent missionary for the problems we have anyway. So, it goes on that we continue with the hope and faith that the Lord will give us miracles. And He does. I'm grateful to have a mission president that trusts me, and that I trust him.
We have a lot of work here... we are fixing our bicycles so that we can get to enough appointments in the afternoon. That was another story... but we are teaching many families. It is incredible that when we finally ask to teach everyone in the family that suddenly we get tons and tons of referrals. Sort of makes sense... but sometimes you forget to ask, right? We taught an excellent lesson in one family's house, and at the end we had 1,2,3... maybe 9 adults listening? And these aren't people that sit down and listen. They were yelling a little bit earlier in the appointment, and talking with each other, and getting up... it took 10 full minutes from the time I folded my arms until when we said the prayer, because we waited for everyone to come in and be reverent. It happened. It was awesome - all of them were touched and will read and pray about the Book of Mormon.
We finally have made it with our members - we are taking them with us to appointments! The first time was a total flop, but the second was better, and even though our members keep simply not showing up, we have faith that the Lord will (forgive them and) help them improve. Not that we don't need to improve. I realized recently that I as a teacher am very assertive, which means that my companion or the investigator sometimes gets steamrolled. I've gotten much better at realizing it - something inside clicks when I've been talking for too long, or I've been teaching too much of the lesson. I just as recently realized that my companion really doesn't know Italian very well yet. He has trouble understanding sometimes, and then he has trouble expressing himself as well. We'll work on that. Well, we are at another internet place because the other one is closed for some reason (all day), and they just told us they need to close to go home. I'll finish.
I know that Jesus is the Christ, and that He came into the world to save us. If we believe in Him, repent of all our sins, are baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end, we can be clean before Him at the last day. Missionary work is a joy - it is certainly hard, but it only brings forth good fruits - a good thing can only bring forth good fruits, right? Go out and do missionary work! I love you all!
Anziano David Peterson

No comments:

Post a Comment

Custom Search