Good Bye Elder Anitema

This week has been pretty Hectic.

Elder Anitema has left me. He flew to Tonga on Sunday. Hope that somewhere along the lines I will visit him and his people or he will visit us back in the states. He is a gem and I have basically known the guy my whole mission. He will be missed.

My new Companion is Elder Tartaglia from San Giovanni in Marignano, Italy. He speaks Italian, French, German, Spanish, and a tiny bit of English ha-ha. It makes it fun. I am finishing his last 3 weeks of Golden training. They refer to missionaries who just came out as Goldens because they have a spirit and fire about them like none other in the mission. Hopefully we can coast that through into some blessings this transfer.

I am still in Kelmscott. I am no longer a district leader. My district has dissolved into another because of lack of missionaries coming in this most recent transfer. I am a little bummed, the zone is pretty new in terms of people. It just means new people to see and new places to go to. While in between sending Elder Anitema off and getting Elder Tartaglia, I was with the Zone Leaders for 4 days. That has made me appreciate just being a normal missionary. The Zone Leaders are always off helping the ward and other missionaries. I enjoyed it though, it was fast paced and plus I got to mooch off of their food for a while.

This past Saturday I was able to set our investigator John on baptismal date for the 6th of January which is very exciting. I am a little envious of the Christmas sweater weather at the moment because it is boiling lava hot and will only get worse as the season progresses.

I really enjoy reading the Ensign, I never thought that I would but I do on the mission ha-ha.

Committment

That is good that the boys are keeping busy. I feel like I got into the most trouble when I had the least to do. So keep pushing them to do something. There is a talk given some time ago that our mission president gave to us it is called “The Word is Commitment”. I have really enjoyed it. It talks about becoming and a quote that I like from it is “be something” from Abraham Lincolns mother ha-ha.

I have been reading in 3rd Nephi were Jesus is teaching the people. I would say something that has helped me the most in the mission and when I have done it back home has been losing myself in study. It helps me to humble me a bit. This week we had interviews and exchanges. Today we are going to the temple.

I enjoy week five of the transfer it is this week because it is a big spiritual smash and it brings a lot back into perspective for me. Anitema leaves for the mission office next Friday it is interesting to see what it is like at the beginning of a mission and how people develop in the end of one. I guess that is me for now.

I have been getting weird tan and burn lines. I will keep you updated on new companion stuff and all that jazz when it comes. We have Zone p-day next Monday at the skews a missionary couples and we are having a big sausage sizzle or barbie ha-ha.