Dear Family and Friends,
As the the week comes to an end and you have to finally write about what actually happened, I always evaluate on the things I did. Did I help someone in need? Did I talk to everyone I could? Did I make this week worth it? What could I have done better? It's hard to constantly thinking of your performance (good thing I've had some practice with that from violin) but I promise you it's worth it. There's a difference from saying you are a missionary and being a missionary. I hope that my words express that I am honestly trying notwithstanding the many weakenesses I have and the faults that still get me.
Comunque, it was a great week to be a missionary here in Sicily. We had a conference in Palermo, one of the cities I have yet to serve in. So while everyone else was taking trains and buses, we took a nice classic road trip. And of course we stopped for a gelato and brioche, probabĺy one of the best I have eaten (because that's what Palermo is known for). There were so many missionaries that I haven't seen in a while so ot was great to catch up and just enjoy a great night before the conference. The next day, Elder Engbjerg (eng-byow) came and spoke to us as well as President Pickerd about focusing on the fundamentals, but especially about loving others, finding the One everyday, and never giving up. I have to say I quite enjoyed it but the fun did not stop there.
The day after, Anziano Perfili and I along with the sister training leaders caught a plane all the way up to Roma! There we held a council, bearing testimony of how we can make the mission more successful and it was just powerful to feel the Spirit and see how we can improve our mission leadership. It was definitely a fun trip there and back, and made me want to try better.
Side story: Well I thought the plane ride would be a good time to practice talking to the One and so I tried to strike up a conversation with the person sitting next to me. Turns out he's from Vittoria, which was a city near Ragusa so we had plenty of things to talk about. Just a nice conversation. And you know what, on the plane ride back the next day I sat next to someone who was from Ispica, another town in the province of Ragusa. A couple tender mercies that just show the divine design of God in his plan for me.
Also funny story: I made cheesecake for the break the fast pranzo after church and all the members really enjoyed except for the first counselor who insisted that we should have made brownies. So far, he's one of the only Italians that would deny the cheesecake, unlike one member who asked to take the leftovers home :)
Being away was great, but we basically came back with only 2 days to work for the week. We made a goal to call everyone in our phone and out of it we actually got 3 potential appointments. But that night was also life changing. We were walking along the Lungomare and I felt the prompting to talk to quite a few people. But when it came to the opportunity, I backed out. I'll be honest and admit that I am scared to still talk to people. It happened so many times that night and I began to get really anxious. I have looked to people like Anziano Perfili around me to solve my problems, but this time, I finally looked up to Christ. In the last ten minutes I finally stopped 2 ragazzi, asked them some questions, they weren't interested and we left. It might not seem like much but I knew God was pleased that I tried because as I always forget, that's all he wants me to do.
This week will mark an entire year that I have spent in Sicily in the same zone. Everyone asks me, doesn't that drive you a little crazy? Sure it can, but I think it's something God intends for me to learn really well. To be content with the life. To be the difference and help others do the same. It's so hard and I am only touching the iceberg on it. It's my challenge, my struggle, and I'm finally going all in on talking to everyone, not being afraid, and finding the One to help each day. To put it simply, I'm trying to become like Jesus and help others do the same, no matter how difficult it may be.
Vi voglio bene!
Anziano Price
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