November 23rd, 1963

November 23, 2021

Date: 11-23-63

This morning at church we had a couple of Italian investigators so we had the service in Italian. The Sunday before last I gave the sacrament gem in Italian and this last Sunday it gave or read the prayer on the water. So things are going pretty good but still can use much improvement.

This has been sort of a mixed up week. So many things have transpired. I am still a little dissatisfied with my companion brother Monson. I'll have to admit that he does have a better knowledge of both the German and Italian languages but he just wouldn't go out and work. For the last two months how I've been trying to push and pull and lead him, but it is almost impossible. I guess I'm just going to have to accept the pace that he sets for our joint effort. I must have had it real god with my first companions. We always had study classes and got out of bed on time0 but Monson is impossible and sloppy. He just lives in his own dirt. I just bugs me- I don't think he has washed his face in three days and you can imagine what the B.O. is like but he knows know the language and he is my Senior. I guess I will have to endure it.

Oh, back to this mixed-up week. It all sorted with us getting "thanksgiving" mixed up. We thought it was on the 21st of Nov, but it is on the 28th. The whole district planned together to have a real American style feast. Realizing our mistake on Tuesday we decided to have our "Thanksgiving" a week early which we did. It turned out real nice. We had Turkey with all the trimmings even the pumpkin pie. Quite reasonable also only 13 swiss francs a piece. Boy, we also had the opportunity to visit a very very old Roman Castle in Bellazona (warzone) Latin translation. It was first built in about 600BC It was unquestionably the best and most well preserved castle that I have seen in Europe. The sun was about setting so didn't take any pictures but I hope to take some in the future.

Today was very depressing-after a fairly good day yesterday. We are trying to get a few of the Italians here together to from a club. Most of the Italians are from Southern Italy. There are some really good heads. Last night they formed a club called the "Ferbia" is it a girls name. This club is some thing that is a bi-product from the English class that we have been having. And Brother Monson has been doing a fine job teaching the class. But after our fine success last night with the Italian class, early this morning after doing a little tracting we ran into the other Elders here in Lugano all four of them. They asked us whether we had heard. We said "heard what?" Then they explained to us that the President of the US had been assassinated. It as hard to believe. It was a most horrible and untimely thing. It makes me believe even more strongly that the people of the world need to live the gospel of Jesus Christ as much today as they did yesterday. So think the times have changed, but in reality with people are the same, it is just that we have more gadgets now than then, but we must LOVE our neighbors just the same Life must go on, and we will receive the reward for our work.