Busy

(This letter was written on Saturday, September 25th.)

Well, this week has easily been the most draining week, spiritually, and probably physically also. Last week finished with the normal missionary work. Visits to less actives and investigators alike. Mariapia, our most progressing investigator, has been in the hospital for the last week and a half. She should get out of there today. Sunday, we had our two other progressing investigators in church. I taught Gospel Principles on the Word of Wisdom. The lesson went well up to a point where the conversation turned to the why must we follow the Word of Wisdom. And people threw out answers left and right. "It is good for your liver, for your body..." I heard just about every benefit and more chemical terms than I have ever heard before supporting both for and against the WoW. At a certain point I had had enough, and as the teacher, I arbitrarily stopped the conversation and bore testimony. I said basically, it doesn't matter what blessings were promised with the WoW. Those are just plusses. It doesn't matter what doctors say about the WoW, cause I could care less. If you have a concern with the WoW, you need to ask yourself two questions. Will you follow every commandment that comes from God with complete obedience? And, was Joseph Smith a prophet of God? If Joseph Smith was a prophet, then God commanded us to follow the WoW, not Joseph. That is all we have to decide. It was a pretty powerful moment to close the class.

Then Monday, we drove (I drove) to Catania. We were there for the District Meeting. There are some great missionaries there. Then we did splits with the Anziani there. We spent the night, then at 4:30, the Anziano drove us to the airport and we flew to Rome. Our flight was on time. Then we spent three days in Rome receiving training on eight supplementive lessons to PMG, teaching directly how to be a better teacher. They are really good lessons. During that time we also got to go out and do some proselytizing in Rome. I was able to call Riccardo Rossi whom we baptized when I was in Rome 2. He is still doing amazing, and it was great to be able to see him strong in the church. It was really beautiful. Then Thursday, we went back to the airport and felw to Catania. Our flight was late by about 45 minutes, so we had to sleep in Catania again. Then we drove south to Siracusa and did splits with the Anziani there, and we did a baptismal interview. After the interview, we drove home. And that brings us to today.

Yes mom, much to your worry and displeasure, it is my calling to be Zone Leader and therefore the responsibility to drive around to various places in Italy. But it isn't too bad. Maybe I have just become one of them, and I just don't notice. But we are safe and always drive defensively. Well, that is pretty much it for me. If I were to ask for something for Christmas, it would be candy. Maybe some money. But I just don't need anything, so...ya.

Love you all,
Anziano Hatch