Letter #80

Here's the letter I tried to send yesterday. I don't know what happened. Sorry.

Dearest Family,

Today I am feeling very, very busy. My head is spinning. But that may be because of the chair that I'm sitting in. We're playing part time secretaries today, and this week, and once again my preparation day is in the office. . . Unfortunately it is because of this that I have not written letters nor taken a nap for some time. But that's alright. I trust the Lord will bless me and give me strength to keep going.

(I'm game for any speaking assignment or workshop within reasonable limits : )

So, as much of my week has been working on transfers and counsels and super secret assignments I'll tell you a little bit about that.

Transfers really start on week one when we already start to look ahead at what is going to happen in six weeks. As the weeks go on we start to have a more and more complete idea of who is going to train and who will be a district leader and zone leader, and where they will go in the mission. This transfer I did some really radical things to try and help the mission be more effective in a time when the work was really going to change. This included writing formulas to calculate the way areas were growing and match these areas with the ways missionaries worked. Based on this we closed areas that were not going well and not changing and also opened many areas not formerly open. These changes go down to the line, up until today when they can still change, as happened ten minutes ago. It's exciting. Like March madness with 200+ missionaries and the logistics of the 3rd largest mission in Brasil. Travel is incredibly complicated.

What could make all this MORE complicated? ? ?

We decided to do all the transfers in secret : )

That means that trainers will not know they are training until tonight, even as they were all brought to Londrina with their suitcases without any knowledge of why. That means all the zone leaders have no idea who will be their next companion, and the new zone leaders have no idea that they were called. . .yet : ) Ahhh, the things we do to help the missionaries get excited and increase their faith. It's good though.

Transfers also mean that we have to plan trainings for the new missionaries and trainers and for the counsel of leaders that takes place the next day on Wednesday.

I spent about six hours this morning just taking calls one after the other from missionaries concerned about transfers and the like, or advising them about missionaries that were coming/going etc. They are still calling!

Also this week we had and still have to resolve concerns with various bishops and stake presidents. We act as mediators somewhere in between the President and the missionaries.

Well, I've got to go bring the missionaries to their houses! Nine are sleeping in our house tonight and it will be fun as two were my companions, Elders Alves and Arnaud. We borrowed mattresses from the neighbors and pizza will be shared for sure. Tomorrow I have an early visit to the airport to get the newbies and then training until the night.

Love you,

Tanner