Dear World,
I´d like to start this week with a notice/apology/a little funny thing that maybe you didn´t notice. Uncle Tom informed me that I accidentally misspelled ´funky´last week by forgetting the n. That was a close one but pretty funny. haha
Anyway, what a difference a week can make! I am actually glad that it´s been difficult though because I´ve really been learning a lot more about myself and things I need to change. Thanks for all the support emails, I guess my emails aren´t as transparent as I would hope. Pretty much everything changed this week and my situation is completely upside-down than it was this time last week.
It all started right here in this very lan-house. Pres. Jackson sent me an email that said, "It´ll be nice to see you this week." Only there was no reason for him to say that because we didn´t have any sort of conference or training that I was part of. So I called my district leader Elder Vidmar and asked and he said that the only thing on the mission calender was leadership training and that Pres. Jackson might have been talking about that. But I´m not (wasn´t) a leader so I figured it was just a mistake.
The next day Elder Vidmar called back and asked if I had called our zone leaders about my email and I said no. He said, "Well it looks like you´re going to leadership training this week." A few calls later, it was all worked out and it was certain that I was invited to the training so the next day we headed off to Ferreira.
I spent the next two days in leadership training with all the district leaders, zone leaders, the assistants, and Pres. Jackson talking about the mission´s difficulties and teaching principles. It was awesome! Sure I only knew a few people but it was still good. I was the youngest missionary there so it was pretty intimidating. The second day I was voted by our zone to represent in the practices so we practiced introducing ourselves and how to start teaching someone. I accidentally turned it into a baptismal invite and committed our 'investigators' to baptism in front of everyone. It was really funny.
The rest of the week was nerves and confusion. Transfers are this week and no one was sure what was going to happen. Elder Vidmar is going home soon so he was sure he was going to be released so it was most likely that I would not be transferred and become the new district leader because that´s usually where you start in mission leadership. But we just had to work til the transfers were announced yesterday.
We are really focusing on marriage for our older investigators because that is the only thing that is holding back a big part of our teaching group. We taught them all about the law of chastity and the purpose of the family, inviting them to pray about marking a marriage date. Hopefully that actually do it because the Lord isn´t going to tell them to keep sinning.
Sunday was fast and testimony meeting but all of the youth were gone because of Carnaval (Brasilian Mardi Gras). The church sends everyone camping during Carnaval so it was just the older people. Testimony meeting was all about how the camping trip is awesome and Mônica, Valdo´s daughter, decided not to go the last minute. I felt really bad.
Anyway the night rolled around and the secretaries called. To our surprise I was transferred! So then it was pretty much anything can happen. About 11:30 at night the assistants called and told me my designation... ZONE LEADER!!! Oh my freak! I´m so excited but way nervous. I only have 9 months on the mission and I still have a ton to learn but I know the Lord will qualify me. If I rely on him everything will work out the way it should. This is a chance for me to prove to myself what I´m capable of and to renew my excitement in the work. Pray for me! Please!
Oh and by the way my birthday is this week. Don´t forget, the 9th. I have an account at Zions Bank. Hahaha! Just kidding! Can you tell how nervously excited I am?
Anyway I love you all.
Elder MacLane Taggart
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