Halloween Update

This week has been very good. A general authority came, brother Christensen, and spoke to us. The very antithesis of Elder Pearson from last year. He said numbers and systematic bureaucracy were necessary but if they are the goal then the work means very little to the people who teach. He then went on to talk about doing good—not because it will help missionary work—but because it’s the right thing to do. Be motivated by love, not duty and it will forge better relationships with the people you come in contact with. He said of faith, hope, charity, and love; charity is the most important. He then did a question and answer section and I asked him if I could exercise faith and still have doubt. He said that faith is a way to combat doubt…and that answer is something I like. We doubt, but then we do things anyway in good faith, and if it was something good to have faith in then the doubt goes away. Indirectly indicating to me that doubt is part of the process that leads to greater faith and eventually conviction.

The office is crazy. There is no real protocol for anything and the entire system was very messy, but me and my companion are cleaning it up and installing a new system on the computers call iMOS (internet Mission Office System), and that will streamline a lot of work and organize everything so that it’s not just all word of mouth instruction, but protocol so that nothing falls through the cracks. My position as finance officer is very stressful…or rather busy and it makes time fly. I love it. I manage assets of a little under a half of a million dollars for the mission budget. Very cool and a large responsibility.

Also my Sister got into NYU. I am so proud of her. She is such an influence in so many people’s lives and she just emulates happiness and fun! I think that many successes and amazing accomplishments await her in the future!