It came and went and here we stand with what it's given us! I love the changes, because I know that God inspired this ordained mission president of ours with all of the things that have happened. So it feels really good and I'm really excited for what's coming up.
The changes themselves went by very, very smoothly and everyone got more sleep than usual. Elder Valenzuela has finally left us, to go train and open an area that was closed for almost a whole change!!! That is an excellent missionary and we hope to see a lot of great things from him.
The new missionaries were really, really good this time around, and I was happy to be able to take care of them for the day and night. We have what I believe to be our first missionary from Beliz in the mission. Beliz is a country in Central America, but it's an English speaking country with a really diverse population. It's tiny though and the Church is undeveloped, so it's quite rare to have him. We received a fair number, not a lot, nor too little, and there weren't any big surprises that threw things off. Except for the day or two before we were notified that a certain Hermana never reported to the MTC and would, therefore, not be coming to the mission. That was actually going to cause a really crazy awesome change in which I switch Wards and the District grows and all this cool stuff happens, but now that she's not here I'm staying in Campo Grande and everything's kind of as per usual there.
The night before the new missionaries meet their trainers, they stay with us in our house, and I give a devotional every time to help them start off their mission right. And this time it was something that I've been thinking about a lot. It was this: starting with the end in mind. Or even really just working with the end in mind. Keeping yourself focused on those desired ends that you have in front of you. I realized that what we call goals often aren't truly goals, not truly where our heart is. I came to understand that what a goal really is is when you want something so very badly that, making the decision to achieve it, it spills out onto paper. I also realized that so much of being able to achieve these things is defining them well and understanding their component parts. You can't just write on a piece of paper that you want to baptize someone every month, and you can't just want it either. You also have to know what it takes to do so, and build up all the little goals and plans that go into achieving that big goal. It's all kind of something that we've heard before, but it was something that I think hit home for the missionaries. They'll be starting their missions well.
So, that's changes. This is my first change in the office where I'll be having a permanent office staff. Every other time someone's been coming and someone else leaving. Also, I am now the old man of the office! I have more time in the office than anyone else here! It's weird. I still don't feel like I've been here in the office for that long, does it feel like it's been that long to any of you reading these? I dunno, but it's shocking to me to realize.
We'll see if next change I get a replacement, that would give me at least four and a half months to just go out and preach before I finish my mission.... We'll see what happens!
Anyways, you area all wonderful. I testify of the truthfulness of the Gospel and testify that God loves us. I know that when we do what is right, He rewards us incredibly, and I hope that you all get to see it as well.
Love,
Elder Harris
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