I am always anxious to hear from Elder Schaff on Mondays, and to be honest, I never know what he will tell us. I knew that Elder B had finished his mission and would return home, and that he would get a new companion, but I did not anticipate them being transferred to a new area one week after transfers were put into place! Mission life is a roller coaster of change. Here is all of his news, and some photos too.
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| Elder Schaff saying good bye to Elder Baconawa |
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| New companion, Elder Laughlin |
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There goes Elder Baconawa, and here comes Elder Laughlin! Elder L and I are doing wonderfully together and having laughs along the way. He's been carrying his camera around as well, so he's actually gotten some pictures of Chowchilla that I ought to have landed. I'll see if I can get them from him!
But the big news is far more than a new companion, it's a new everything. We got a call Wednesday afternoon around 1:00 pm, from none other than President Mackay. He told us we are being emergency transferred!!! What?! I thought this is just a thing that happens to other missionaries, not me! But we're leaving today! We have to be at the mission home at 8:30 pm tonight. (Monday, February 19th)
It happened because Elder Hales has to return to Puerto Rico. If you remember the 3 missionaries from Puerto Rico, Elders Bradford, Allen, and Hales, the first two were taken back in December and January, and now Elder Hales is leaving. Because of the hurricanes they were taken off the island, but the island has been stabilized quicker than they expected, so back they go. It created a vacancy in leadership in our mission though! President called me to be a District Leader again, and apparently the Lord needs me to be a District Leader in Madera instead of Merced. (Because Elder Hales was the District Leader!)
"Well that happened." This has been Elder L and I's catchphrase. whenever stuff happens to us, we say it. We've been having good laughs as we go along, but we both know when it's time to get reverent and a bit more serious and do so when we need to. We've been working hard and did everything we could to bless Chowchilla before we left. We set things in order and said good-byes to as many as possible, while giving our final testimonies to them. This had enough of a spiritual effect to inspire one of these members to return to activity!
I was also impressed with Elder L. Day one we sat down together and discussed goals for the transfer and what we want to do, who we want to become, and how we're going to achieve it. We made a great plan of action to really do this work the Lord's way and give some consecrated service. His desire to do what is right and to improve has been wonderful. We're both going to Madera together, so things will be alright. We'll join Elder Corless there, and be a companionship of 3 for 5 weeks! It may not have the same dynamic with three, but we'll do our best to make it work out. I believe this is the Madera First Ward, an English Ward in a Spanish area, so it should be interesting. Hopefully the finding of people to teach isn't as rough as Chowchilla, that can be a downer!
That's about what I've got for you this week. My study of the Book of Mormon led me through 3 Nephi chapters 16-20 this week, (chapters of Jesus Christ's ministry to the Nephites.) and I pulled out a lot of wonderfully spiritual teachings from those passages. One of the better moments was when I sat pondering the meaning of the ring of fire encircling the people and also the ministering of angels in words that cannot be uttered and written. Then I made the connection after some prayer, examination of footnotes, and consideration. I felt that the ring of fire and what happened inside were the full spiritual power of the Holy Ghost. What took place in the circle were celestial things, things so great that the only way they could be described to us is "an unspeakable (or unimaginable, or marvelous) joy" that the people felt. It was really cool to put that together and fathom slightly better just how great the eternal life our Heavenly Father has prepared for us will be, if we will just endure to the end and do what is right!
--Elder Schaff
Bonus: Elder Laughlin's camera roll:
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| Spring has arrived in Chowchilla, there are blossoms. |
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| Elder Schaff with his red bike. |
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| Elder Laughlin and Elder Schaff |
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| Elder L by metal animals |
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| Main road in Chowchilla lined with palm trees. |
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| The yee yee truck. |
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| Silly faces, fun companion moments. |
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| Saying good bye to members in the Chowcilla area. |
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| Elder L holding a chinchilla. |
We made a silly face, finally snapped the shot of the metal animals, saw a truck that said "Yee yee!" and took a picture of Chowchilla's main road with it's lovely palm trees. These are indeed the most interesting things in Chowchilla.
We held a chinchilla in Chowchilla!!! Match that! (I didn't remember to get a picture of me holding it, but it was so soft!!!)
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