Well, Elder Schaff really caught us off guard by writing emails on Saturday this past week. I usually sit down after church and write to him on Sundays, so he has email to read any time on Mondays, his old preparation day. Since he is working in the Mission Office Monday - Friday now, he had preparation day on Saturday. I guess I will have to write him by Friday evening now. Anyway, this is his news this week.
"Alright family! How are you doing! I bet I caught you off guard, yeah?
You didn't expect me to email you at 12 on a Saturday! Err.... I guess it's 3 or so there. But you get me!
First order of business, my preparation day will be Saturdays now. But, as we know, that is some prime proselyting time to go out and teach families. Thus, we may split the time between Saturday and Monday. (For behold, President Mackay did declare unto us that we can be agents unto ourselves and do what is right.) You'll have to send your emails a bit earlier now I suppose!!!
It's been a great week in the Mission Office. I actually really enjoy it. So there you have it. You put a nerd at a desk and give him a computer and he loves it. I'm the right Elder for the job apparently! This week I learned all of the responsibilities that are required to get missionaries in and out of the mission. I keep track of every missionary coming in and confirm their arrivals from the MTC (Missionary Training Center). I send out letters to newly assigned missionaries telling them of the CFM's (California Fresno Mission) standards and various other paperwork. I have to manage all the letters and arrangements for missionaries that will be departing as well. It's somewhat difficult to get rid of missionaries! (Haha) There is a lot that has to be done to get them where they need to be.
Now I'm learning the auxiliary responsibilities that are going to be more long-term, like updating the mission's annual history or preparing missionary identification reports. I'm also going to have to pick up on the responsibilities unique to the CFM system like developing the Christmas card list and such. It's a lot coming in, but I really like it.
In the great words of Elder D: "The more you work in the Mission Office, the more the Lord will bless your area." I believe it. We have received a ward to cover that is ripe to go and harvest with us. Spiritually and physically! They are excited to get out there and do some missionary work since prior to us the ward was covered by sister missionaries, but they also had 3 other wards to attend to, and there was a lot of difficulty to share the time correctly. Also, the grape harvest is coming up, thus physically, the ward will harvest with us.
My companion is Elder Biggs. We get along great. Really, the California Fresno Mission is a great place to be. There are lots of good Elders in this valley! Elder B is proof that our call to the Mission Office was carefully planned out and inspired. He is a Hmong language missionary. For the first part of his mission he covered Hmong areas and testified of Yextus (Jesus). I'm trying to pick up a few words in free time to sound cool. I think it would be awesome to learn it, but there really isn't enough time. Elder B says it makes no sense until you get the alphabet and how to read down and then you start to make connections. Anyway, what I was getting to is that a Hmong missionary and a Spanish missionary were put together in the mission office/Mountain View area. That is a significant sacrifice of language missionaries. Spanish not so much, there are still lots of missionaries speaking Spanish, but I did break the even number of Spanish companionships. But there are only 8 or so Hmong Elders!
Anyway, we teach really well together and have had some good experiences already with our members. After concluding one of the lessons, Sister L commented that what we shared was something that she really needed to hear at this point of life right now. The Spirit immediately filled the room.
Oh yeah, and the area is super rich. I lost my camera for a time (found it again though), but Elder B got some good ones. There is one with all of these huge houses and palm trees that looks like your stereotypical California. One of the members we met had a Camero and two different types of Mercedes and some other nice car that I forgot the name of. Gated community. Big houses. But their yards will never be as big as the ones in New York! Ha ha, we have more yard space than them.
Ask your questions if you have them! It's been a great week, and the time is passing super quickly. So very fast! No matter how long I serve in the Mission Office I feel that it will be over before I know it. We work from 9:00 to 5:00 there and teach in the evenings. That will make your days fly by.
I am therefore, doing great. Whatever you do mom, don't call the Secretary!" (It's tempting, but I won't call the Mission Office and ask for the Secretary.)
--Elder Schaff
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