Traveling to Aracaju

I'm REALLY EXCITED to go back to Aracaju for a little bit. I'm probably not gonna have time for members, but I'll certainly have plenty of time in the car with Pres./Sister (since it's the secretaries' turn!) and my comp. I'm looking forward to it. And also giving a kickbutt training that DOESN'T leave everybody sleeping. I already gave two of these, and now we're up to the last bit - I'm hoping it'll be a blast like the first ones! But I'll save my "GH" moments for later. If I'm lucky, I'll have a few photos...and a refresher on the difference between the two states in my mission. I really do want to get to know the rest of Brazil, because of E. Rios - he's a Mineiro, or rather...he's from Minas Gerais. Which is supposedly one of the most developed states in Brazil. I might live there if I had a good reason to stay in Brazil for a bit (no epic foreboding intended!). :P

 

I'm beginning to realize the importance of surrounding oneself with good influences, and how it can greatly affect the ease with which one lives the gospel. Environment is an important thing mentally, physically, and spiritually. I think that that's one of the great reasons that modern prophets have invited all young men to serve as missionaries: so they can come to know a more spiritual atmosphere. I wonder now how different my development as a person would be if I hadn't stepped into the Provo MTC on December 28th, 2011. I can't imagine it being better than what I've got now. That perspective helps me immensely when I count my blessings. Counting even the tiny blessings, enumerating them all on perhaps a sheet of paper, is something I tried doing at the suggestion of an RM friend of mine. It's kind of weird how being grateful simply dispels most of any stressful factors from my mind when I need it, when I'm more focused on just making the decision to be happy. It's an interesting experiment - you should try it! I'll send a more detailed example in a letter - right now there's other things I need to toss in here real quick!

 

All in all, the mission's going well here - no complaints, and in two weeks we've got another transfer coming. Hoo boy...that's gonna be a lot of screen-staring and mental work. But it'll be worth it. And at the end of the day, the most satisfying feeling is knowing that I literally worked my best. I want to keep the habit I've got of giving a good account to God every day, for it results in the greatest satisfaction I feel on it.

 

This is something good to do - start, pause in, and stop each day to pray and converse with God about the day's trajectory, and your proposal to Him about how you'll spend your time. You'll be surprised with how you feel at the end of the day. And you'll want to repeat it, and make it a habit if you're living right. Just remember John 3:21, and that the greatest thing we have to offer to God...is our willingness to change.

 

That is what it means to be in the service of God - it is to seek to realize His will, without regard to your old habits and what needed to be modified within you so that it happens. E. Holland referenced to it as he cast a creative light upon Christ's visiting the Apostles as they fished again - doing the same thing, in the same place, after walking with Him for 3 years. Once again, Christ called them to help Him to realize His work, casting themselves from the ships of their old lives that they had returned to, and thus Christ questions to Peter provide us an example that is instructive in application: "Do I love Him? Am I showing this love in all that I do?”

Don't ever be afraid to write something spiritual!  I always look forward to your correspondences, because they always build me up too. Thanks for helping me get to this point, everyone! It's because of small things like that that my mission has been such an immense pleasure.

 

Hmm...well, my head's been sufficiently emptied for now. Tchau for now! Don't forget to wriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiite!

 

Love,

-E. Gubler

Secretarial Duties

 

Heh, tablets are taking over the world. I'm not worried, because I know I'll get one. But for now, I'm stuck with "ancient" desktops. I wonder sometimes just how I'm going to take advantage of all the new tech when I get back. For sure most of my stuff's out of date...but that's alright. My iPod hasn't run out of space yet!

 

But anyway. It's much more difficult not to think about things outside of the mission sometimes, while us secretaries have to handle everything in the world that it interacts with. We go arrange for Subway in meetings (delicious!), we handle the logistics every time people get moved around (transfers being the biggest nightmare of them all), I run frequently to buy things here and there for the office/President. I have to get to know basic geography of Brazil and flight codes, and I now know at least half of the neighborhood names in the mission because I pass references with Google Earth. I like to call it Google Deus sometimes, because with all the info Google's got I can literally walk WITH the missionaries in a virtual environment and point out points of reference, read numbers and names on houses, even grab phone numbers from advertisements. I'm no pro with navigating the mission, but now I feel a lot more secure about getting around in it. I can't remember what it was like to be so unaware of the mission around me, because now I know exactly where every area is located, and who's in it. I sort of memorized everything without really making an effort too. It's kind of...cool.

 

I'm gonna be here for another four months, so I plan on making some organizational changes that will facilitate secretary functions. I'm limited with the technological wizardry I can use, since there's no guarantees of the technological intelligence of the next secretary, but I've always got something to occupy my time. 

 

Right now...I'm just happy for writing so much today. I've had to neglect writing to people because I'm stilling learning to cope with all the secretarial duties, but most of it is down. Now we have time to go out, and to find people who need to be found. We baptized 3 people in the last 3 weeks, and it was a family! We like to joke that despite having WAY less time than everyone else somehow we managed to baptize just as much as the rest of the zone. The assistants have changed the organization a bit too, and for now the entire mission is a little more excited as the Church is changing the monetary distribution system to missionaries currently. My comp's having a lot of fun with that.

 

Anyway. That's about all I've got in my head. I hope everybody back home is well, and that they're WRITING ME! Don't ever forget to write, people!

 

-Erich

 

Just 2 of us in the office now

This last week was interesting, because after some shifts in the mission areas here the other two non-secretaries in our little quartet were transferred. I'm now the official only companion of E. Rios, and we rock in the organization department. :3 And now our ward has two other full-time missionaries that proselyte the whole day, so now we're not scrambling to handle all fronts with the three hourzinhos that we get normally...IF everything goes according to plan. I've noticed it's a lot easier to plan with smaller units...funny how that works, innit?

Actually, this last week I've deepened my understanding, and learned the value of delegation. With a little follow-up from Pres. I'm learning about the Franklin Covey method of handling priorities.

Everything just went better with planning and allocating time for everything. I'm looking forward to this next week, because I'll have more time for my journal (since I'm...like...a month and a half behind) and recording both the large and small plates. I'm hoping to make something that we'll all treasure when I get home, so I consider it a priority. If you think about it, though, letters are also small plates, if you make them that way. Look at the Bible, for instance - the New Testament is composed of many such letters to the growing stakes of Zion after Christ's death.

Alright, I'll cut off that line of thought. However, I'm immensely proud of the work I did this last week, and of my companion. He's a great guy, and he reminds me a lot of one of my computer friends back at home (you guys know who it is ;). I know I can count on him, and I think that's why I've got a feeling the next few transfers in the office here are gonna be swell. I'm excited to help out my mission in the way I am.

Hmmm...for now, that's all I've got. The new guys that are living with us are rambunctious, but it makes for a lively living here in the Farol area. I hope everybody I know and love is well, and that they're growing closer towards God every day. Don't forget to write, as always; I'll try my best to get the E. Bednar notes to all those I've promised shall receive.

Love,
Erich