Another crazy week!

Haha it seems like I just wrote you, but this time it's because I really

did just write you! Kind of, 5 days is a very short time here in the mission field. Anyways, this was another difficult and intense 5 days, still it was a good one. I'd been slightly worried about a few things, it's said to always be difficult when a new missionary comes into the office as an Assistant because the work here is completely different from any work we've ever done before. Suddenly the priority becomes the office and ensuring that everything goes smoothly; however, Elder Brown and I are both pretty gung-ho about missionary work so I'd been slightly worried about my companion getting used to the office work, but it's gone well. It took a few days but I think he's settled into the work as an Assistant, and I think he did it a whole lot faster than I did. It's also been an interesting week because we've had a lot of communication with President.
There have been some companionship issues, a meeting, and the implementation of a new set of meetings throughout the mission that we've had to discuss and coordinate together. It's really an incredible experience to work with President and Sister Matsumori. They are literally people who have sat for years at the feet of the prophets receiving instruction, guidance, and direction. It's been incredible to learn more about leadership and for the past few days the words of D&C 121 have just been running through my head as I've sought to align myself more with what's taught in just those few verses. It's incredible how those verses literally describe how we should govern our lives in all aspects of our
lives. Teaching, administrative work, parenting, companionships, leadership, and even just our daily interactions with people.

We've also had some incredible miracles in our area! This Sunday we had a little bit of time to go out and proselyte and we visited a part-member less active family, the Sharpes. Only the father was home and he's the non-member. He received us warmly and invited us in, haha which was surprising to us since most of the less-actives in this area are less-active for a reason and they make it known. Still we were able to have one of the most spiritual lessons with him as we talked about families, how the gospel can help him, and as we shared thoughts from the scriptures and conference talks. The spirit was penetrating him and we asked him if he and his family would like to receive the missionary lessons and he said yes! It was super awesome! It's really weird to work with white people, they're a lot different than hispanics, but it was also an interesting experience to see how the spirit can once again magnify our words even to someone who runs what is probably a multi-million dollar corporation. We were also able to teach Phil more about the Priesthood, and this Sunday he passed the
sacrament with a few other recent converts who had yet to have the experience! It's just incredible to see the spiritual progression of these people as they make the changes that the Lord invites them to make!
Still, this week has once again been a humbling one. There are so many things to juggle and inevitably I've let some balls drop. Luckily they haven't been too crucial, but it's still been humbling to feel the weight of so many things as well as the weight of the trust that President and the Lord have placed in us. Needless to say there have been quite a few stressful days in just these last 5, but it's good. The Lord stretches us to points where we feel like we're going to break, and then we realize that if we don't turn to Him we really are going to break! Haha but luckily I've been able to learn in just the past few days once again how much more real the enabling power of the atonement is in my life. It's always really easy to have faith that others can change, that others can progress, but I believe the trial of my faith has come in believing that the Lord truly can change me and make me adequate for a task. But I testify that He does indeed answer prayers and that the Atonement really can enable us to do things greater than we ever could have done on our own. That has become an even deeper reality for me this week.