For Sure

Well, it’s coming to an end. I will be leaving the offices the 11th of February. I had my interview with President, and it was good, short and sweet, and full of the spirit as it always is. He made a comment to me that really made me happy, and more than anything, shows I did my best. I would do anything for that man.

I’m not going to lie, it will be sad to leave Independencia. I will miss a lot of people. It’s a great ward, young, and still learning the ways of the Lord, but they’re progressing.

Workings of the Office

Well, this week has been really crazy with learning all the new stuff in the offices and learning how to do everything. It’s going to be really tough, but it will be good.. Lots of responsibility, but I like it.. I miss preaching and teaching.. but with me learning and everything, we can't get out and teach. Once I get the hang of it and my comp gets a hold of his, we will be up and running. This Wednesday, that is coming up are those changes, and my trainer will be gone and I will be on my own... We will see how it goes..

OLD..................................NEW
AP – Elder Field.....................AP – Elder Anderson (North Carolina)
AP – Elder Vargas, L.................AP – Elder Ticona (Bolivia)
Secretary – Elder Gomez..............Secretary – Elder Rich
Letters/Paperwork - Elder Torrejon...Letters/Paperwork – Elder Vargas, I.
Financial Clerk – Elder Herdt........Financial Clerk – Elder Herdt (same)
History/Records – Elder Roldan.......History/Records – Elder Roldán (same)


Now with the changes, all are leaving except for Roldán and Herdt. Everyone else will be new.. A new office haha.. It will be interesting.. Normally there are 6 elders in the offices, and right now we are 9. It's a little crammed with only 2 bathrooms and 3 rooms to sleep in, but at least we have a mattress for every one of us. It will be nice and good when we all have everything in order and organized.

More info.........

I love being here in the offices with Elder Herdt, it’s the bomb. We have fun.. we don’t goof off, but we have fun. I love Elder Herdt, what a treat it is to be here with him.

It's kinda crammed in here right now.. normally there are only 6 elders here in the offices.. We're now 8 and there will be nine before things settle down. It will be the bomb this next change and the mission will go up and up… I am going to love it….. (The 6 usual ones in the office would be the 2 assistants, the secretary (Landon) and the financial clerk (Herdt) the records clerk, and the mail clerk).

I get to go to the post office twice a week with my companion, to pick up packages, but the last two weeks of changes are so hectic, I hear the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of change week, we only sleep like 4 hours in 3 days !

On P-day we went to a church and played some soccer, then we went to a market place and bought some things. My area that I work in has Mega Plaza in it. It's like the mall, haha, it's cool.. Whenever we need something we can go there and get it because it's in our area. We can walk to our area, if we need to, from the offices, and I know pretty much all around the offices the areas and everything.

It's crazy how much you can get to know a place in such a short time. I can still remember all my areas, names of people.. street names, where everything is at, etc. Someone could tell me what street and what number of the house, and I can picture it in my mind and the house at times, because I have passed by the streets so much. It's amazing, it's truly a gift God has given me. I love it and am so grateful..

In the Offices....and learning to be a Secretary

Hello everyone, I'm doing great… Saturday is our P-day, and it’s a little bit different writing and relaxing on a Saturday, but I like it, I won't lie…

I love the offices… I'm here being trained by Elder Gomez from California. He is training me how to do my job. Everyday we work in the offices until 1 or 2 in the afternoon, then we get out and work in the field.

My job here entails scheduling flights and booking hotels for all the missionaries and President Perez, doing the agenda and calendar of President, and anything that has to do with the changes of missionaries. I call to the states almost everyday, haha. I speak in English on the phone which is really really hard by the way… I mess up and probably sound like a little kid when first learning how to speak, but oh well… I love it. I could see myself working in this type of environment.

Being secretary, you come in contact either by phone or in face with every single missionary in the mission at least one time a change. I handle all the new people coming in and leaving. I see all their pics, and let's just say, by the end of it I will know everyone in the mission, haha. How crazy..

One thing that made me really trunky, is I have to call home to all the parents of the kids that are going home and tell them, "Your son will be home at such an hour, please be there to pick him up", and they're like, "Oh, don’t you worry, I will be there, it will be so nice", and I'm just like, "Oh ya, well I have over a year still", so ya.. haha.. I love it....

Well, I love you. I know this work is true. I am now on the other side of the work, seeing the gears work in the offices, and I love it. This time in my mission is going to be very special to me. I know this is the church of God. I love you all, and thanks for everything. Wish everyone "HI" and tell them I love them.

Exciting News - Sad News

Well, hello all in Morgan, and the states. I have some exciting news for you guys and also some sad news. It looks like I will be leaving Tarapoto a little bit sooner than I thought. I will be leaving for Lima tomorrow in the morning at 11:30 am. I will be the personal secretary to President Perez.

I will have 2 weeks of training there in the offices, then I will be all on my own, working in the offices during the day, and in the mission field during the afternoon and night. It will be something else, working with President. What a great experience it will be, and more, my good old buddy from my group, Elder Herdt will be there by my side the whole time. I believe I will be there for 6 months. We will see how everything goes.

I'm really excited, but at the same time I am really sad. I have only had 4 baptisms here in this area in 4 months, but I think I have visited every house of every member and had a spiritual experience with every single one. I'm very sad to leave these people, and what's worse, I will have no time to say good-bye, and I will leave all these people that I love and they love me, and I feel horrible (about that). I will leave a letter behind, but I still feel bad. We're teaching alot of people this week and it has been great. I love you all and take care.... may God bless you ... I love you.