And thus begins my 15th transfer. Wow I'm old.
Transfers went really smoothly. I am still amazed at how non-problematic the whole week was. On Wednesday the new missionaries arrived on time, got out of customs even earlier than usual, and didn't lose a single piece of luggage! The bus to pick them up from the airport was even early, so we didn't have to wait at all. Traffic wasn't a problem. There was no construction to block us on the roads. The reservations at the hotel and the restaurant were good. Insomma, everything worked like it was supposed to! Thursday, we got all of the departing missionaries to the right places. We got to wake up super early Friday morning to take them to the airport and help them find their way around. That was actually pretty enjoyable. Compared to my first transfer here when lots of things went wrong, this was smooth sailing!
These next six weeks will be decently busy. We have a zone conference in a few weeks. An area seventy will be coming to tour the mission with President and Sister Dibb. We get to pick him up at the airport in Florence and go to the conference there. I'm excited. Then before the next transfer we'll also have Christmas zone training meetings. We can't call them conferences because we have this whole mission tour thing, but it's basically a conference. Those will be fun too. I always enjoy missionary meetings. I love seeing old friends and sharing good experiences. Most of all, I just like knowing that there are other people doing the same thing that I'm doing. Especially in Pesaro, where the next closest set of missionaries were about an hour away, it was encouraging to see other missionaries and share experiences. In every other city I've served in, there has always been at least one other companionship. In Navigli this last transfer there were nine missionaries! That was a little too crowded in my opinion, but hey! It was fun.
This week, because of all the transfer logistics, we haven't been able to do a whole lot of "missionary work." I gave a pass-along card to the guy working in the post office though, so there's something. Being in the office has taught how to look for unplanned opportunities to teach and/or serve others. With limited time to do all that we need to do, setting priorities takes on a much greater emphasis. I've learned a lot about service and how important it is. When Christ was on the earth, he did a lot of teaching, but the most effective way he taught was by serving. In the Bible we have record of a few sermons he told, but for the most part, he was out serving others. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:40). "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God" (Mosiah 2:17). I've learned that there are many ways to serve others and one of those ways is to simply be a friend.
Two people that we've really been able to serve in this way are Ronaldo and Dolores. Dolores was diagnosed a while ago with liver cancer. We've been visiting the two of them to give them company, teach them about the Gospel, and be their friends. In the last few weeks as Dolores stayed in the hospice center, we did our best to visit and to just help her feel less lonely. On Tuesday of this week, Dolores passed away. Although we've only known them for a few months, I feel like I've known her for much longer. It's hard to see her go, and it's even harder to see the toll that it's taking on Ronaldo. This experience though has taught me a lot about the Plan of Salvation that God has made for us. This life would have little sense or purpose if it only consisted of birth, death, and experiences in between. Life is something that is meant to be eternal. We existed before birth and we continue to exist after death. Ronaldo has really been able to find a lot of comfort in knowing the Plan of Salvation. We gave them a little pamphlet of the Plan of Salvation. Dolores liked to keep it under her pillow and Ronaldo said that he wanted to memorize it because he liked it so much. They asked for more pamphlets so they could give them to their friends. Dolores talked about the Gospel with everyone. She prayed sincerely and loved God. She had a very good heart and a good sense of humor. I'll miss her very much. I will always carry a little piece of her and Ronaldo with me.
That's my testimony. God loves YOU! Don't forget it. Love, Anziano Simcox
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