The Week's Over - Friday, August 6, 2010

While in the shower I always plan what I need to do at the office. Somedays it is overwhelming, and sometimes I don't feel so stressed. Today I didn't feel particularly over worked even though I had many more things to get ready for the upcoming transfer in a couple of weeks.

I focused on the leaving missionary packets running off four talks by General Authorities that go inside, plus a goals sheet and a spiritual experience sheet that they work on when they go to the mission home for their final day. Also inside the packet is their flight itinerary, passport, letter from the mission president and any last minute mail. I got almost everything gathered and placed inside the envelopes except for the mail. There is still time for rounding that up. It is such a great feeling to be ahead of the game. Leaving things to the last minute sends me over the edge.

I am anxious to get the flights ordered for the seven Latinos going home in October. I have sent in the requests for the Americans, but it isn't necessary to order the ones for the South American countries too far in advance. I do like to have the itineraries in my possession at least six weeks before departure, however. I have been waiting on two parents to respond with the information I need. I have sent them second requests and Rich just noticed that those two parents have sent emails back to me. Yippee, now I can get the flights ordered first thing Monday morning.

The elders were in the office all day so it was good to have them around. Elder Hales and Elder Paz did run one errand, but then came right back to resume training. Things have changed so much since Elder Paz left the office, that he is a little overwhelmed right now. Elder Hales said that if he can keep up with the computer entries and manage the spreadsheets that he has developed for keeping track of things, that he will do just fine. He will settle into it in time, I'm sure.

Rich remained busy typing up his processes and it is going to be such a great advantage to the one replacing him and for others in the future. He had some instructions to go by when he took over the finances, but that was before IMOS came into being. With this new operating system it is like starting over, so he has had to revise all the existing instructions.

Elder Peterson hasn't begun typing his instructions yet and doesn't know how he is ever going to document how to do the temporary residency and immigration process. It is just too involved and has too many variables. He'll figure out something. He is such a help to me and when I even hint that I need anything, he is right by my side coming to my aid -- and genuinely happy to be of assistance.

The two "L's", Assistants Lazo and Lowry, were holed up in the President's office again working on a spreadsheet for missionary data for President Gulbrandsen. The "men in black" Hales, Peterson, and Paz look on and were duly impressed with the accomplishments. We have been entertained by these five goodlooking, sometimes crazy, elders all week.

The Gulbrandsens have been busy all week since returning from Tierra del Fuego on Tuesday. Today and tomorrow they finish up the week conducting interviews. Today they were in Escobar, and tomorrow they are going to Zarate. Next week they will have a few days at home without a conference, interview, training, or luncheon to host. They, of course, will not be loafing around -- no time for that, but will be planning and preparing for things yet to come. We plan on asking the President to focus on our future. We need to know when we will be replaced.

As we sat eating our hamburger at McDonalds tonight, we realized it had been a few weeks since we had been there on a Friday night. We weren't too thrilled to find a children's birthday party going on. It was quite noisy and very warm inside. I had to take off two layers. But, we enjoyed the food.

Before McDo's we went grocery shopping at Disco taking our handy pull cart for transporting the goods. Then we came home and talked with Melissa on skype. Marianne is at the Kroff Family Reunion camping out at the Ophir Canyon campground. This is the second family reunion we have missed.