This week was packed, and really interesting...
Week 1 in the office was the routine: Goodbye dinner to the retornos, welcome to the newbies, and new leadership training. President Salerno wanted me to lead most of the trainings, because he wanted Elder Singh to see how we do things in the office, so I still had to carry the load, and it was like all other week 1's... TIRING!
It was extra weird because Sage Beesley, a high school friend of mine, came to the mission! She looked pretty shell shocked! It was cool to talk to her though, and I think she'll be fine. She went to Ushuaia, so I'll be seeing her soon! We totally forgot to take a foto though (sorry Mom!)
At the end of the week, we had booked a flight with LADE, the trashiest, sketchiest airline on the planet, so that I could get down to Rio Grande. It's cool though, because instead of 19 hours on a bus, you have 2.5 hours in a flying garbage can that actually costs less :D However, Friday night, as I was halfway through packing, and getting ready to go to a dinner with Daniel y Maria (my investigators when I was a LZ in Comodoro Norte), the airline called me (at 7:45 PM) and cancelled the flight! I was MAD!!!! So I threw everything in bags, ran to the terminal, and took the last possible bus to Rio Grande. It was a close cut!
So yeah, I passed almost all Saturday on a bus that almost left me in Chile! I've become a pro at sleeping on busses though (I use my suit coat as a blanket, and I'm gone) During the trip, I met Jennifer from Italy who speaks English, she told me all about her travels (and gave me a ton of travel tips fof the Europe trip that I want to do with my #OfficialBestFriend Elder Austin Ramsey) and I met Guillermo, a petrolero that transits between Comodoro and Rio Grande for work. Guillermo didnt really want anything, but Jennifer was super cool and accepted a pamphlet of the Restoration. I hope she reads it!
When I got to Rio Grande, EVERYTHING CHANGED! Right before I came down here, President Salerno decided to make a few more changes... He assigned me to Rama Chacra de Rio Grande, as the new Lider de Distrito of Distrito Chacra! My new companion is Elder Lees from Mesa, Arizona (2nd companion from Mesa #Farabee) and he's in his 2nd transfer in the field, which means that on top of DL, I'm a trainer!
I'm beyond pumped for the new asignacion! Elder Lees is a capo, and he already speaks spanish well. Plus, I got to speak with the district last night, and they have a lot of potential! Deep down, I feel like the Lord knew all along that this was going to happen, and I feel like Chacra is the place thats meant for me!
I'm happy for all these changes because the truth is that I was feeling a bit bad when I first got here... I couldn't believe that I wasn't assistant anymore, I don't have a car, I'm far from my family away from home (President, Hermana Salerno, Ekblad, etc...), and on top of it all, IT'S COLD DOWN HERE! It's really, REALLY, cold! Plus, I don't regret extending, I really don't, but the thought did cross my mind that I would have been hugging Mom this Wednesday, and for the first time in my mission, I actually asked myself "What am I doing here?". In Tolhuin, maybe I felt that way sometimes, but I always knew deep down why I was there, but this week, I actually didn't know what I was doing on this freezing island without my minivan.
So I prayed. I asked God to show me why I'm here, why I felt like I needed to stay. And on Sunday, as I was in Priesthood, we read these scriptures in D&C 64:25,33-34 -->
25 Wherefore, if ye believe me, ye will labor while it is called today.So that's what I decided to do. In that moment, I said inside myself "Father, I may not know what I'm doing here, I may not know what my purpose is, but I'm gonna do what I always do, from Tolhuin, to Gallegos, to Trelew, to Comodoro, and back to la Isla: I'm just gonna do what's right" That's been my whole mission! I haven't been perfect, and maybe I haven't always had a clear vision of the work, but I just keep working, and keep trusting in the Lord, and keep giving until the last drop. So I'M PUMPED! I think the Lord wanted me to figure all that out, and now He's revealed to me his real plan: CHACRA! We'll see how it goes!
33 Wherefore, be not weary in well doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.
34 Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.
Apart from all that, I learned to make an asado with President, and Hermano Sielas was way happy to see me, but is going to be heartbroken when he hears that I'm going to another branch!
FAMILY! I'm pumped that you guys are going well! You're all so trunky haha! We'll be seeing each other soon :)
MOM! Congratulations on the new full-time job! I'm proud of you! LOVE YOU!
SOFIA! Capa, capa, capa, capa, capa, capa, CAPA! Bien ahi con el tercer premio, sos una capa pero re capa, sos re inteligente. Felicidades loca!
TE AMO! I love you guys! Have a good week :) - Elder Jimenez
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