Rolla Holla, Monday, 31 of May, 2010

Even being here in the Internet café, typing, makes me anxious to get out and work. It’s funny, I’ve been pretty good throughout the mission at setting clear, actionable goals and then working towards them, but now I’m almost in a frantic rush to do EVERYTHING. So, this is my note to self: calm down, choose a few simple things and do better. That’s why I love President Hinckley’s counsel to just “stand a little taller.” In the hustle and bustle of life and the mission, we can simply continue forward, serving, loving, and doing our best, and then a little more!

To follow the request of the area seventy that all missionaries move out that live on chapel grounds, we moved to a new house. We lost some things: heat, paint, walls of something other than brick, and closeness to the chapel. But at least this week we gained a new pet cat. Chester showed up on our porch day after day for some unknown reason and so my companion put a box on the front porch for him to sleep in. Things were great until one late night, getting home from the work, my companion was playing with him and…he BIT him! Yeah, we didn’t expect it. So we took away his box priviledges and called Hermana Wade, the health specialist to see if we should do anything about it, haha. I think he’ll be ok.

We’ve been focusing a lot of our efforts on helping the local leaders to run the church correctly here in the PJC. Most of them know how it should be, some of them have even done it in the past, but now, they just don’t do it. It takes lots of patience and tact but has been an incredible learning experience.

So, today in we invited the District President, Pres Villasboa to give a short talk to the zone on how to better coordinate our work with the members here in Pedro Juan Caballero District. It was great to hear about his desires to better the district and his goals to become a stake. Most of all, I think it was great for the missionaries to see that there ARE leaders who care and want to help, and for him to see that we as missionaries REALLY want to establish the church and the work we are doing to make that happen. He also invited us to attend District Leadership meetings on Saturdays

In our Branch, specifically, the members and leaders are getting excited. We were able to work with Pres Nunez to set up a schedule for weekly activities. He called an activities coordinator and she is excited to plan and prepare and with our help, invite members so that the activities are successful. The youth is getting excited as well, and enjoy the Sunday school youth classes, as well as young women’s and Aaronic Priesthood classes that weren’t being held before (which means, we teach them often, but are working to change that).

This week we had a leadership meeting and then Zone Conference in Asunciòn. Since I was there all night after the leadership conference, Pres Wade invited me to his house to help him prepare a presentation for the zone conference the following day. The presentation was to help the mission get to know our new mission President, Pres Madariaga. After finishing, Hermana Wade made us some burritos and spaghetti, American-style, and we sat around the dinner table talking about the mission, and our purpose, and the great changes that will soon be taking place. It was an incredible experience.

Then, after giving the presentation the following day in one of the zone conference sessions, Pres Wade walked slowly from the big white screen to where Hermana Wade was sitting. As he walked he sighed deeply and said, “well, this whole thing makes you feel pretty darn dispensable, doesn’t it.” We all listened intensely, as we thought that he was ANYTING but dispensable. Thoughts ran through my head from the night before, hearing that he will only train the new mission President for a period of 2 hours before flying to the States and leaving it all in Pres Madariaga’s hands.

We talked about his life quest to become an indispensable member in the Kingdom of God. He talked to us about how really being indispensable means being the kind of person who SEES a need and then FILLS it. He said, “those are the kinds of people that the angels tap on the shoulder, when help is needed.” I felt the spirit deeply and have been striving and praying to see needs and fill them, and to become that indispensable missionary and member in God’s kingdom. It has brought a new and deepened sense of purpose to my mission and to each of my days as I am about my Father’s business. I invite each of you to pray for that gift and to see needs and then to fill them. I know THAT is the way to feel real joy in life, and to experience REAL growth and progress. I love you and miss you all. Have a great week!

Elder McCarty