The Work Marches On
This has been a week of the Lord showing His hand in the work. Next week is transfer week, and as part of the transfer we are losing a secretary and an assistant. The assistant leaving was something we all knew was going to happen. The secretary leaving was only speculation. Elder Alexander who has been our technology secretary loves to try to get information out of the assistants so that he can have the "latest scoop" on the rest of the mission. It was fun watching that all play out as he really wanted to know if Elder Baxter was going or staying. President Heckmann had some fun with that and waited until the new secretary actually showed up to have a "big reveal" with the secretaries. Elder Berge came into the office and they both kind of freaked out a little but then President Heckmann told them that Elder Berge was actually there to replace Elder Alexander and that Elder Alexander was going to move over and take on the Travel Secretary/Mission Secretary role. We will miss our "Resident Brit", and will certainly miss Elder Spilsbury as he will be going out into the field for his last transfer.
When we signed up for the Mission Office role we did it so that we could be close to the missionaries. This has been wonderful, but we have to see them move on, and they always take a piece of our hearts with them. Over the next two transfers, we will send home 4 assistants that we have worked with, and one secretary. Of course, we are excited for them, but there will be a real sense of loss for us. However, the work goes on, and new missionaries come, and learn, and grow, and move things forward in wonderful ways.
On Monday, Elder Evans asked me to take his institute class for him on Friday. I always jump at that opportunity because it's a lot of fun teaching the class, and the YSAs are wonderful to be around. However, things got pretty busy so I didn't have as much time as I would have liked to pull everything together. So, on Thursday I had to kind of separate myself from the office work and be "heads down" on the lesson. I was able to look through my notes again on Friday, and I felt like I would be able to get through things well as long as I had my notes in front of me. Well, Friday we drove the car home because we needed to take the mission's big rice cooker to institute for the meal, and Brenda offered to take my notebook while I carried the cooker. We got home, and I had just enough time to read through the scriptures for the lesson (Acts 13-15) and head over to the chapel to set everything up. As we were getting ready to leave, I asked Brenda where my notebook was. This started a frantic search, to no avail. Heavenly Father just wanted me to be completely reliant on Him to get me through my lesson. I don't know if I have prayed that hard before teaching before, but when it came time to start, I had a real sense of peace come over me, and the lesson went just fine. I know that He knows my need, and there are real times when He wants me to know that He knows and that it's ok to rely on Him.
On Saturday Morning, there was a baptism which was really wonderful. A sweet sister that the assistants taught got baptized. What made it special is that Elder Crane's father, who is a college professor was in town with a bunch of his students who are doing a study abroad with him, showed up for the baptism. It was a very touching scene when father and son were able to hug each other. The sister who was baptized had heard "My Shepherd Will Supply My Need" and really felt the Spirit which was one of the things that helped her to accept the Gospel. The missionaries decided it would be fun to surprise her and we worked that up as a musical number for the baptism. The Elders did a pretty good job. It was fun to sing, and the Spirit was there with us.
Saturday night was the Adult Session of stake conference. The acoustics of the stake center really made it hard for me to hear, and I forgot to wear my hearing aids. The result was I couldn't understand most of what was said, and even Google Translate couldn't make out most of the words. I gained a whole new appreciation of what my sweet Brenda goes through every Sunday. I sometimes need to have Heavenly Father remind me from time to time that I really do need Him. Apparently this is the lesson of the week for me.
Today was special because one of the new converts from a month or two ago was able to be ordained an Elder. It was really sweet for Elder Baxter to be able to ordain him. I know it was a sweet experience for all involved. The work is really going forth because Leon was one of 46 men who were sustained to be made Elders today, and that was just in one of the stakes here in Barcelona! Pretty amazing. The Lord really is "hastening His work!"
We love you all!
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