Week 79 Letter

Monday, December 8, 2014

Famlee!

This week has been rather eventful... and busy... and awesome. We flew all over. I flew at least 2500 miles this week last week... Lisbon, São Miguel, São Miguel, Terceira, São Miguel again. Crazy! I feel a lot better now though because we got to spread some fire around our zone.

We received transfer calls yesterday, and I stayed with the same companion in the same area. I was really happy for that. I was afraid I would get pulled and moved after one transfer which has happened to me a lot. I would LOVE to end my mission here, but that would mean staying in this area for a total of 4 transfers which hasn't happened to me my entire mission. We'll see though, the lord knows what needs to happen.

Sister Fluckiger somehow got ahold of the family picture and sent it to me. Mom also sent it to me, but I just don't know how sister Fluckiger got it... But this was her message to me:

Look what I have!!!
I LOVE it!!  And I love you!!
Sis F

Hahaha, my mission president and his wife love hearing about our family. One time I was in a car in Porto with sister Fluckiger and she made me tell her the entire adoption story. They think that you guys are the greatest, and I agree. 

So this transfer brought a few changes to our zone, which once again showed me how inspired our mission president is. I was feeling that all of the district leaders here in the zone needed to be changed. They were having a lot of difficulties this past zone, and I felt that to get the fire we need out here we would need fresh leadership. And guess what happened...? The areas where the district leaders are were switched so we now have all new district leaders, and they are all new to the islands. I think what happens sometimes is that a good missionary gets sent out to be leaders in the Azores excited, but then they pass a lot of difficulties in the work and lose some of their fire which in turn effects the entire district. That's at least what we were seeing this last transfer. But to see that took a lot of evaluation and study on top of lots of divisions, none of the which president can really do with all he has to do. However, he doesn’t do the transfers alone, and the results of these transfers in this zone testify to that. 

I'm having a hard time with English today; hope this is all making sense. 

Happy birthday Dad and Shane! I love you both and am so thankful for your examples! You both have had a HUGE impact on my life. 

Cameron, I am absolutely stoked for you. I am going to miss you SOOO much, but I am so proud of you. I will be honest, I was really, really scared to leave home and start the mission. I even let myself feel inadequate sometimes in the beginning. But don't let that happen to you. It will be sad leaving the family, but in a few months’ time the thoughts or longings of home with pass, and you won't mind being away. Go get them. Be humble, be teachable, and love everyone. Especially your companion and mission president. Be good in the MTC. There will be a lot of people who aren't. Pray a TON. You will need it. Smile a TON. Others will need it. Know that I couldn't be more proud of you. I love you SO SO much. I am making a goal to write you a lot during your mission. I will stick to it. Go get them. You might feel uneasy, maybe even sick leaving, but put those feelings aside, and lose yourself early in the work.

I love you all so much. Cameron, I really can't get over the fact that you are leaving. I will continue to always pray for you. And all the rest of you as well =)  Big hugs for everyone!

Elder Lee