Training, Day 3 - Thursday, July 22, 2010

Today is my father's birthday. If he were alive, he would be 107. He passed away at age 85.

A pleasant morning greeted us when we woke up. The sky was clear, but the forecast said it would be partly cloudy with the temperture at 55. That's not bad considering what we have had for the last two weeks. Of course, that's the outside temperature, not what the inside will feel like. It is always colder.

We were ready to leave for the office at 8:30, and this week we have taken advantage of arriving a little early because when the leadership conference starts at 10:00, the internet is turned off in our office because the President brought his wireless router from home to hook up for the computers he was using for skype contact with the South. Our PC's in the office do not work on wireless internet, so we hurry and do what we need to do on the internet before it is switched to wireless. Then at the lunch hour they hook us back to the regular internet until the training resumes in the afternoon. It's been okay for me because I have plenty of things I can do without the internet. I can't say it's that way for the other three desks, however.

The main thing I needed to get done this week was email the flight plans to the parents of those missionaries leaving at the end of August. I successfully completed that today.

Three laptops were used to skype the zones in the South. It worked good and President was pleased, as were those participating on the other end. Isn't modern communication wonderful?

Mission leaders gather for day three of the Leadership Training. Everyone seemed excited and ready to go forward implementing what they learned. Of course, it needs to be passed on to the other 100 missionaries. Hopefully they will feel the spirit as these missionary have.

Elders Kroff and Peterson went to the bank this morning and they were successful in FINALLY cashing the checks to replenish the financiers cash drawer. It was getting mighty low and became a source of stress for the eldest missionary in the office.

Elder Hales took advantage of sitting in on the training at the invitation of President Gulbrandsen. He wanted the young elders and all of us in the office to feel free to come join the group if our time would permit. So, Elder Hales spent a good part of the morning listening to the training and I went over to see one of the videos that goes along with each lesson. The one I viewed dealth with how to get investigators committed to attend church. It was good and gave examples with real people and real conversations. I hope to be able to view the others as well.

These zone and district leaders are very effective missionaries. Think of how much more success they will have using what they have learned. Standing is Elder Diaz (Argentina), then Elders Peinado (Columbia), Urra (Chile), Tapia (Argentina), Beagley (Ogden, UT), and Vega (Perú).

Elders Valente, Kroff, and Peterson warm their hands on this wall heater in the church. The chapel and cultural hall do have forced air, but not the hallways or classrooms. They only have wall heaters.

Lunch was served which consisted of milanesa, rice, green salad, bread, chocolate cake and fruit. This group of hungry elders approved of the menu. They are so cute and exciting to be around. Missionaries are the best!!

Maria Vecchiarelli cooks for our zone conferences held in the San Fernando chapel. Today she had sweet young Malena Peñalosa helping her. Great members!!

Tomorrow morning President and Sister Gulbrandsen are leaving to go South to meet the missionaries down there and hold a zone conference. Elder Lazo will accompany them. There is a new elder arriving tomorrow and since they won't be here to receive him, Elder Lowry and Elder Hales will pick him up at the airport. He will be in a threesome with our assistants until the next transfer. We will get to meet him tomorrow as he will come to the office to receive some instruction in finances from Elder Kroff and I can give him his new missionary binder full of information. That will have to do until the President talks to him on Monday. He will be in good hands with Elder Lowry.

The discussion in our office for several days is how to get the supplies and mail delivered around the mission since our previous schedule is no more. This week and next have usually been zone conferences where the supplies have been delivered, but since the leadership training has trumped that, we are scrambling to try to figure out how to get the missionaries their supplies. We think we may have figured it out for this time. We'll see!

I spent the afternoon in my cold supply room sorting and getting the boxes filled with the mail and supplies for the South. I had to start somewhere. Tomorrow, I may be in there all day.

The church cleared out shortly after the meeting ended, the President left, and things calmed down quickly. Our office elders were able to leave earlier than they have been able to for several days, and we also. We made it home by 5:00 today. We stopped at our little neighborhood grocery store to get some eggs and bread and a few other things as I will be preparing breakfast tomorrow for Elder Peterson. He is coming to our place at 7:00 in the morning since Elder Hales will be leaving for the airport with Elder Lowry to get the new missionary. I think I'll fix french toast and eggs.