"Don't waste time, but take all the time you need."

Wonderful thing for Monday, 9 March:

I'm learning that it's okay to take the time that priorities need to take.  Blaine seems to get so much more done than me.  He certainly doesn't expect me to do what he does.  I put pressure on myself to be like him - but I've never been like him, why should I start now?  Just because we're serving the same mission?   

No - I do different things and have different priorities even now. It seems a fundamental lesson that things take time, but it's one I've had a hard "time" accepting.    Part of that has to do with how easily I can get distracted, then be surprised when two hours have flown by; so, I'm also learning that staying focused is doable for me - the kind of "staying focused" that I can do.  

Yesterday and the past few days,  I've let my priorities take the time they take.   Not surprisingly but certainly gratifyingly, I find at the end of the day that I've actually accomplished more, even though in the morning I was tempted to feel that I wasn't getting anything important done!  

Have I mentioned how much I love this mission?\

(The quotation in the title comes from Chieko Okasaki.)

fun thing:

I think about every single missionary companionship in the Prato/Florence area is a "training" companionship - that is, every senior companion is training a new missionary  Sorella Johnson has  Sorella Pulli (sounds Italian, and it is, but she's from Huntington, UT1); Elder Christensen has Elder Greene; and yesterday in Florence we met Elder I-can't-spell-his-name, who is Elder Staheli's companion.  We have zone training Thursday so we'll get to meet all the others.   Such a wonderful spirit they all carry!

Have I mentioned how much I love this mission?

Another fun thing:  Olivia's and Sophi' pictures for us, sent by Bonnie and Ben and brought by Ismar (blogpost for March 7).

Good things beget good things

Wonderful thing for Saturday/Sunday, 7-8 February:

Added benefits.  We are a little concerned about the need for greater unity among the members in this area.  It takes awhile for people to feel comfortable with each other (new stake, new wards), but a lack of unity is a breeding ground for contention, and for distancing oneself from the precious precepts and connections that come from gathering together often to worship and to fellowship.   Life here is very hectic, and people really have to work just to have time for family and study.

Imagine, then, the added delight, after having made a Pathway presentation - which itself took place after the three-hour meeting block and after lunch at church - to see that people didn't leave immediately, but stayed for some time, visiting in random groups throughout the chapel and the foyer.

It felt good, very good.

Part of the philosophy behind Pathway is the importance of "gathering"; if a fringe benefit would be a more willing spirit of gathering together in general, hallelujah!

http://www2.byui.edu/Presentations/Transcripts/Devotionals/2006_10_31_Bednar.htm

fun thing:   conversing with Lorena and Miñaca on the way to and from Seminaries and Institute training Saturday.  Such wonderful women and sisters-in-the-gospel.

Just gotta make time for exercise...

Wonderful thing about all the days since the last post:  Sometimes there's just too much to do!  We have our "normal" occupations, teaching institute and now a missionary preparation course; doing our weekly home evening; meeting with the institute presidency weekly and following up throughout the week; going to institute in Florence at least once every couple of weeks; going to missionary district meetings every week, alternating between Prato and Florence; attending lessons taught by missionaries; attending ward council meetings weekly in either Florence or Prato; visiting members, particularly young adults, in both wards...Thank heaven we're serving full time, because now we've been asked to do training meetings in three areas of the stake for YM/YW; we've been called as training specialists in the same; I've been called as stake YW (Young Women auxiliary of the church) secretary; we've been asked to expand our work with young adults to Pisa, Livorno, and La Spezia; AND we're acquainting ourselves and others with the Pathway program, which right now means visiting the ward/branch councils in the stake twice in the next few weeks, once to inform the leaders, and once to recruit interested members.  Every night we're out late and every day we're working on these programs.  Love it, it's happy work that invites the fruits of the Spirit!
p.s.  If you don't know anything about Pathway, check it out on pathway.lds.org.

Fun thing:  Blaine's biggest worry about this mission was that we wouldn't have enough to do...