Zone Conference

(This is the second of two letters posted today - since I was a slacker and didn't get last week's letter on the blog. Be sure to scroll down to read Clark's letter from last week.)

Well, since the last time that I wrote, "a lot" has happened in these three days. Sunday, we had a normal day at church. Our main investigator was still in the hospital. Then there was a fireside that we attended with one of our investigators about the Bibilical proofs of the Book of Mormon. It was really interesting and the person that did it has studied the Bible in Italian, English, and Hebrew. So he is a pretty informed man. He is part of a senior couple that is working in Palermo. They did a good job. Then later that night, the assistants arrived from Rome to do exchanges with us for Monday.

Monday morning, unfortunately for Anziano Hansen who was with me, we went to the Questura to do some paper work so I can be a legal "immigrant" until the end of my misison. So we got that out of the way. Unfortunately it took all morning. So in the afternoon we went to the north side of the island to meet with our new branch mission leader and do correlation, and then he came with us and we went and visited some less-active members. Meanwhile, my companion and the other assistant were able to visit Mariapia in the hospital. She should be out next week.

Then on Tuesday, we woke up the assistants, took the bus to go to Catania, and we picked up the elder from Reggio and 68 sandwiches, and we went down to Catania. Then I was given the calling with one of the Assistants to drive to the airport and pick up President and Sister Kelly. Driving isn't a problem for me, but being the driver for the mission president, I seemed to drive with even greater ease and increased concentration. We arrived at the church without any problem. Then the conference was good. President trained us on these new lessons that will help us be better teachers. After the conference, it was my duty again to get President Kelly and his wife to the airport. I was proud of myself as I had driven to the airport only once, but I did it without making any wrong turns and fairly fast also. Sister Kelly asked me if I had seen "The Princess Bride," and I said, "Yes." And she said, instead of Miracle Max, I was Miracle Hatch, because I drove there and back with no problems. It was good. Then we drove back to Messina.

The realization set in. All of the cities that Paul stopped in on his way to Rome are all the cities in Italy that I have been to - Siracusa, Reggio, Calabria, Pozzuoli, Tre Trimestrieri, and Rome. That is pretty humbling. I have walked where thousands of years ago, the Apostle Paul and Peter trod. It is cool.

Welp that is it. Love you all!
Anziano Hatch