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| Anziano Toronto in front of the Old Vatican |
Carissimi,
This week was a week of learning, as is every week in the mission. We continue to teach lessons and meet people at a feverish rate, but with this comes a recognition of the Lord's hand in all things. My favorite chapter in the Book of Mormon right now is without a doubt Alma 26. I know I am nothing. My strength, as one called by the Lord to serve the Italian people, is not my own, and neither do I boast in my strength, but rather I boast in the Lord. For who can glory too much in the Lord, asks Ammon, and I echo the same question!
You are probably all cursing my name, since no one received mail yesterday, but that isn't because I don't love you. Rather, it is because we had Zone Conference! Missionaries from all across the eastern half of Sicily gathered here in Catania yesterday to learn from President and Sorella Pickerd.
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| Sicily Zone Conference |
Throughout the day, we watched trainings, learned doctrine, and ate lots of panini and cannoli! My favorite analogy, by far, was related by Anziano Chilvers and Anziano Berger, our two Zone Leaders. During a training discussing the importance of teaching to the invite, or in other words centering our lessons on the actions that would bring our investigators closer to Christ, Anziano Berger began to relate this kind of lesson to EDM music. This type of music, for those as unfamiliar as I was, begins subtly. The music grows, swells, and eventually reaches a high, undulating peak. Then comes "the Drop"... this drop is what the song builds up to, and without it, the song leaves the listener feeling unsatisfied! This drop is crucial, but is also rendered meaningless without the build. If there is no build, and the song remains constant for a minute and a half, then out of nowhere drops, the listener again, is confused! We must find that middle zone, that song that blows you away, and leaves you wanting more! These songs that we teach every day don't have common EDM titles, but I'm sure "the Restoration," or "the Gospel of Jesus Christ," could catch on real quick if the people of Italy got a hold of it. We teach them the doctrine, bearing testimony as we go, and promising blessings on condition of obedience, but these things are rendered meaningless without inviting our investigators to act, and thereby gaining their own testimony. The drop, or the invite, is absolutely critical.
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| Sicily Zone Conference |
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| Anziano Toronto and his companion Anziano Rodriguez |
While many BYU fans this week enjoyed watching the cougars topple #1 Gonzaga in basketball, the only slightly less significant Catania Zone Calcio February 2017 Championship was underway. Pitted against each other were the districts of Catania and Messina/Reggio Calabria, while Siracusa was split in half to maintain even teams. Despite falling behind 1-5, much like our Cougars, the Catania district marched back into contention, tying the game at 6-6. Again, their defense faltered, and they fell back in a deep hole, down 6-9. With the game on the line, the defense held fast, and the offense began to click. 9-9, and the classic and fateful words, "next goal wins" were uttered. Like a lightning strike in a Summer storm, as Elder Holland would say, Catania snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Yours truly did much more damage on the defensive end, but he finished the day with a hat trick, thanks in a large part to unselfish play by his teammates. If only ESPN had been there to televise this historical comeback...
Tune in next week to follow up on our friends Alfio, Sri, Linga, and Rajish, and many More!
Love all of you,
Anziano Toronto II
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| Anziano Christensen, Osmond, and I at the Colosseum |
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