3.2.15

Ok, so Flores Barrio 7 is AMAZING!!!! What happened was there was a change in limits in the Flores Stake and we received Barrio 7 (which is like a normal functioning ward!!!) We have a full set of leaders, deacons go around collecting fast offerings, someone has a calling to lead the music, ward council and correlation have everyone that needs to be there... it's incredible. President told me that it is our strongest ward in the entire mission. A problem that they had in the past is that the missionaries were always truchos (fake/rule breakers) and would baptize people outside of the ward boundaries and would baptize unprepared kids because their mission is a BAPTIZE or go home mission. I love my mission! It is so much better than the others. When I met the bishop he just started talking about how much he loves President Smith and how he's focused on what the Lord wants him to be focused on. He teaches us as missionaries so well. He told me that President always sends his best missionaries to this ward so that made me feel good. I wish I could explain how awesome this ward is. I've spent so much time in helping wards function correctly and now I'm in a ward that will work together with us in the direction that we've received from Elder Ceballos and Elder Viñas.

Elder Liporada is my new companion, like I said. He is amazing!!! He's from California and his parents are from the Philippines. He went to BYU before the mission and loves playing volleyball (we went to the stake center and played today... it was awesome). We did the usual… get-to-know-each-other stuff that I always like to do in order to start off the change loving each other.  And then warning each other of things that would make us hate one another. I was sure to let him know that I hate it when people eat food like a cow and warned him that I might attack him in my sleep. We swapped girly friend stories/situations and other fun stories and expressed our love for one another (: The first day we woke up and did exercises and he was so happy that I like to work out. I brought up some things that would help out our ward and that would help these members start progressing more, raise their spiritual level and work with us by leaving and visiting with us. He loves everything I say and more than anything, he loves the desire that I have to really help the ward members and organizations magnify their callings and obtain a large variety of spiritual experiences that will help them become happier. Every night he tells me how tough the last couple of changes were and how stoked he is for this change! He and I have swapped companion and personal goals and I'm so grateful that the Lord put me with someone that'll help me achieve these goals. WE'RE ON FIRE!!!!

So, with the Zone we did a get-to-know-each-other activity and invited them to do the same thing that we did... get to know each other in and out, communicate clearly and openly and be willing to receive correction. Miscommunication is the number one cause of crappy companionships (and marriages I'm sure) and if they hate their companion, they won't work how they need to work. They need to talk things out at the beginning before their companions get on their nerves.

We also have AMAZING Hermana's in our ward. Hermana Baca is like the Sister Assistant, and Hermana Hafen was in my Zone in Tacuarembó. Our ward is so STACKED it's almost unfair for the other wards!

We talked to the Sake President about what he wants us to focus on with regards to the new direction and I LOVE IT! We had an amazing meeting and then used it in our meeting with the district leaders. We talked about their important role in this work and a lot about FOLLOWING UP. It was awesome how we all talked together and they left PUMPED to talk about the plan with their districts.

If there is something that I've learned so far this change, it is the importance of communicating and helping others have positive experiences. The reason why we started off so well is because we're talking and creating positive spiritual experiences for EVERYONE. I love this work... I'll write more about how awesome the ward is next week.

I'm so proud of Conner. I seriously jumped in the air and told everyone in the cyber that he got accepted. I'm not too trunky... I'm too pumped on this new change and soaking up what the Lord wants me to learn.

I love you all!

E' McRae