Hey all! The first week in Varese was great. I was a bit out of my comfort zone for the first few days. I didn't know the members. I didn't know the people we were teaching. I didn't know the area. I was in a new place/apartment/bed etc. The adjustment period after a transfer is always a little crazy. I've gotten past it though I think. I feel pretty comfortable in Varese. The layout of the city is weird, so I get a little lost sometimes. Luckily I've got a map plus a companion who knows what he's doing, or at least pretends.
The city is right up in the Swiss Alps, surrounded by hills and lakes. As a result, there's also a lot of rain. I'm going to need to get myself an umbrella. The city itself is nothing too special. It's well kept. It's old. It's Italian. But the province around it is "bellissima!" We're going to the Lake of Varese today. There's apparently a cable car that goes up the mountain. That should be exciting.
My new companion is Anziano Atwood. He's from Pleasant Grove, Utah. That's my fifth companion in a row from Utah, and second from Pleasant Grove. He's a nice, honest, humble guy. He's got some sass though too, so I like it. He's hitting his year mark in a few weeks so we'll have to have a party!
Speaking of parties, HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA! And Happy Birthday Me! I love the Fourth of July. My favorite Fourth of July past time is grilling at Grandma and Grandpa Venturini's and shooting off fireworks, then watching the neighbor Stan do the same thing, but twenty times louder. Hehe.
Our branch here is decently small. I haven't had an accurate measurement yet because we were missing a lot of people this Sunday due to EFY, vacation, Young Women's Camp, etc. I think there are about thirty active members though. The church isn't in the best location. It's hidden in an office complex on a side street. Above us there is a dance studio and next to us there's a club and an Evangelical church. Between the three of them, they make enough noise, especially during our Sunday morning meetings. In the evenings, the neighborhood is a hang-out for all the punk kids who leave cigarette butts and beer bottles all over the ground. We have to go to church early and clean it all up before the members get there, otherwise it's just disgusting. We might be doing a service day soon to give the outside a deep cleaning. The inside of the church is really nice though. It also has a nice piano. There's someone in the branch who plays though, so my fingers get a little rest!
Sorry, for the short email this week. I ran out of time responding to other people. Next week I should have more to say though, and hopefully some pictures. My SD card seems to have taken a virus so we might have some pictureless emails until I can figure out what's going on.
The Church is true. I love being a missionary. It's so much fun. Really it is. I love to see people changing their lives. It makes me so happy. And I'm sure it makes God even happier.
All the love, Anziano Simcox.
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