This has been an extremely busy and difficult week. We knew it would be, so kind of braced ourselves for it, but it still took its toll on us. We are now back in our apartment and it is 8 am here. (I am listening to the BYU game while writing this.)
TRANSFERS: (Combios take place every 6 weeks)
On monday we were sending missionaries home that have completed their missions. That isn't too bad, as we have to do some driving and picking people up, but not too much more to do with them, but we also had to get ready for Tuesday when the new missionaries come in. Here it is called (Combios) which means (change) in Spanish. In English they generally call it (Transfers), but they do not call it that here. We received eleven new missionaries, for whom I also had to do driving and picking up, etc. Also we had to prepare purchase and prepare food for them on Tuesday at the mission home and then prepare the office for the meeting on Wednesday when their companions arrive and they leave for their sectors. Again driving people around and food. prep. On Wednesday the new missionaries meet their trainers and the two of them depart after lunch for their new areas of service. This is always a three day process: Mon (old ones leave), Tue (new ones come), Wed (new ones meet their trainers) and after an orientation and lunch, they go out into the field. The next combios (changes) will be two days after Christmas on Monday 28, Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30. We will have over 20 missionaries leaving for this one. Every six weeks this takes place and there is a lot of work and preparations that take place to get ready for this three day process. As there are 52 weeks in a year this process takes place 8 times each year. This means we will work with 12 of them (three day process) during our mission.
ELDER QUINTON L. COOK: (Apostle)
Elder Cook was to arrive on Friday with two other general authorities, so we had to make certain everything was clean and in order and then shop and prepare food for 120 missionaries to be served in the office on Saturday and prepare 60 lunches for those having to catch a bus and leave right after the missionary meeting on Saturday to go back to their sectors. That was no small chore. Mom and I were both worn out every night Serving 120 hungry missionaries right after going to a conference for two hours in the morning was a real effort. Unfortunately we did not have the help we needed, as the office missionaries were tempted to go and see their former companions and visit with other missionaries. We found ourselves in the office alone trying to do everything for a while, but fortunately some of the other missionaries offered to help us and we made it through the day.
ELDER COOK'S TALK: (to the over 200 Missionaries)
We enjoyed his talk particularly as he spoke in English and had a translator for those who speak spanish. It was interesting how they did it. He talked only in very short sentences, so it flowed right along (English) then (Spanish). He told the missionaries to write the four things down that he wanted them to hear. He told them:
First 1- They are to be ward and branch builders by -- Baptizing, Retaining and Activating. He wanted them to be friendly, smile, know names of ward members, and be a big support to the wards or branches they are serving in. He wanted them to make a differences in the wards or branches they are serving in.
Second 2- He told them they succeed when they invite people to learn about the Mormon Church - the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regardless of the outcome, meaning whether they join the church or not.
Third 3- He told them that they are the message. Their smiles, their cheerful faces, their attitudes. He told them to Be righteous and Follow the Savior.
Fourth 4- He told them to focus on their spiritual power on teaching, planning and purpose. He bore his testimony, and said even though they (general autorities) are advised to not share in detail their spiritual experiences, he said he knows the Savior's voice and he has seen his face. But he did not elaborate on this.
Tomorrow (Sunday Nov. 22), Elder Cook will speak again in a special multi Stake Conference here in Antofagasta. Fortunately, we do not have have any more responsibility regarding his visit and we can rest now with not the pressure, for the upcoming week.
INVESTIGATORS:
We are pleased to report that we have had some good experiences with investigators this past week.
----Hugo Rivera (age 40 not married), who I met at TurBus four weeks ago, has now been to church three times and is planning on going to the conference tomorrow. The elders working with him are very excited about him. It had to be a miracle that we met him. He has only had 1 or 2 lessons so far.
----We also met with Claudio, Monica, and children Gabriela (age 7) and Phillip (age 20) and went with two young single adults in Katherin's car ( she is the wife of the area 70) up to see them. We were received very well and had a good time helping Phillip to meet some of our young single adults. We hope that perhaps Phillip (who is on break from his University studies until April) will make some friends in the church. This is a start in the right direction, but the Young Adults will have to do their part.
----We also have Alfred Yanez, who we met at Liders four months ago, taking lessons from missionaries and is possibly looking towards joining the church.
--- We went to only 1/2 hour of Edwards's Rugby game. However, he was on the bench so we didn't get to see him play. For some reason his mother or siblings do not come to watch him play, but he likes it that we come. He wants to get back together with us.
----We have a number of other investigators we are working with, but have not had time this week to do much with them, but I did call several of them on the phone.
We don't keep track of how long we work daily, we just work until we start feeling exhausted. We are staying healthy and are generally refreshed after a nights rest for the next day, even at ages 75 and 73. Fortunately this next week there is nothing major, so we can get back to our regular tasks. The MAIL room is packed with packages that are coming in for the missionaries and more come daily, but they all have to be picked up at the Antofagasta post office which is a long detailed process (one package at a time, could take way over 1 hour to pick up 20 packages). We plan on having the missionaries pick up the packages, we we cannot carry them to the car (two blocks away from the post office.)
LOVE TO EVERYONE:
Please know that we are missing everyone and wish that we could be with all of you for Thanksgiving. I started thinking of the holidays and they are going to seem kind of empty without being with all of you. We do hope we can TALK to each of your families on Thanksgiving day. We get home from the office around 5 PM. So that is 1 PM your Utah time. We will be here the rest of the evening as we have nothing planned - we just want to be home to talk to our children and have them sing to us the chorus of COUNT your MANY BLESSINGS in Spanish.
Nevertheless, we find our mission time passing quite fast because we are so busy, Since the past 6 months went by so fast, the next 12 months will go by equally as fast and we will be home again for at least Christmas of 2016.
SPANISH PROGRESS:
We are using the new materials Bryan sent us and appreciate his help. He also gave us the book of John in spanish and english and it is helping us alot too. Every little bit helps. We are making process an inch at a time!
Love to you all and we Count Each of You as a Blessing in our Lives,
Mom and Dad
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