Good Week!

We finished up the AUF- Address Unknown Files- for the ward.  It’s taken us several weeks, but we were able to update all of the information.  It’s gone pretty well. 

The other day was National Pancake day here.  A member cooked us pancakes that evening.   Here they are considered kinda  a dessert.  They are like super flat pancakes, kind of like crepes, and then they put ice cream in them with syrup.  They are supper good.   HaHa Get it (Supper) ahah oh- the jokes never get old!

Spent a lot of time out of my area this week.   One day was spent in a neighboring city for Leadership Meetings.   It only takes about an hour and half to go by car, but that’s in good traffic.  With rush hour it could take four hours.  So we headed out at 4:30 in the morning not wanting to be late.  The two district leaders and the two zone leaders in one car.  It was a cool drive.  There was an amazing sunrise that we got to watch over the country side.

The meeting was really good.   We ended up having a couple of visiting authorities also speak to us at the meeting in addition to our Mission Leadership.  One from the Presidency of the Seventy and one from the European Area Presidency.  They were in town for another meeting and heard about our conference.  So President asked them the night before it they would like to come. They were thrilled with the invite.  One of them said it was not a coincidence; the Lord had it in His plans. It was a powerful meeting.  We were counseled to carefully consider our goals.  We have a short amount of time and we need to do all that we possibly can in a day to do the work that the Lord has for us to do.  We were also counseled that we should choose the type of missionary we want to be.  Then constantly reflect that in our actions.  To serve with all your heart and lose yourself in the work.  Then who you need to be will develop.  When you lose yourself, the Lord changes you into what He wants you to be.  Also counseled to use the mission as a time to establish who you are and the rest of your life you need to remain true to who you are.  Something interesting- we were told we are expected to become converted personally and we can be hold accountable for that expectation.  Convert yourself.  When that happens the rest will follow.  If our missions haven’t changed us, then we are failing as missionaries.   We were admonished to be righteous leaders.  Whole nations can be destroyed and suffer in unbelief if it was not for righteous leaders- one example is Moroni.  The training was all day, so we didn’t leave the city until 6:00 which was towards the end of the rush hour traffic. The missionary who drove in, didn’t want to drive back, so I did.  Wow! That was a mess.   But we had a good time.  It was a really good opportunity, we had a good chance to talk about things.  And a good time to reflect.

Then a couple more days on transfers with some other missionaries in other areas.  One of the exchanges was with another missionary who came out with me.  Seems I am always around some of the guys I came out with.  It’s nice.

President and Sister Jordan came our ward and spoke on Sunday.  It was super cool.   Then we had a fireside for the youth and YSA (Young Single Adults) with them that evening.  It was all about missionary work and missionary prep.  President Jordan asked us to share some experiences with them as well. It was pretty cool. 

I found out I became a grandfather this week.   So in a mission you become a “father” when you train someone "your son."  Then “your son” becomes a “father” when they train someone- making you a “grandfather.”  This week I saw one I trained, with his new companion that he is currently training. We were able to get a picture together- it was really fun. 

Did service at one of the schools in the area and ran into a young lady from a previous area I served in my mission. It was weird!  But it was a good day of service.

 A good week- thanks for the letters, emails and prayers.  Love, Elder Stevenson