Wooh what a week I have had!...It was just a huge blur...

This is the TEAM that makes it all happen

The Office - March 2014
(following photos and captions courtesy of Hermana Prince blog)

Elder and Hermana Aagard...Health secretary and mission nurse

Elder Aldunate...Assistant to the President

Elder Longorio...Materials and Housing secretary

Elder Eliason...Assistant to the president

Elder Mosqueira...Registry secretary

Elder Gallardo...Secretary to the President in training

Elder Sanhueza...Financial secretary

Elder Miranda...Secretary to the President

Our New Assistants

Elder Eliason and Elder Aldunate

With Presidente Prince!

Some recent converts in Terron! 

Hello from la oficina!

Filling out the brackets for March Madness

is NOTHING

compared to receiving 27 new missionaries at one time!

The logistics are overwhelming!

Here are a few of the things that have to be figured out...

1.  A bus big enough to move them and nearly 54 pieces of luggage from airport to the various points of drop off for the luggage.

2.  Getting Visas registered at immigration when they only allow 6 a day from your group!

3.  Having enough beds to sleep them the first night they arrive so they can have training the following day...and NOT put the sisters with the Elders.

Meeting their trainers and having enough tables and chairs for everyone to sit and eat together...that was lunch for 68!

Hola Familia!!!

Wooh what a week I have had! It all started getting to the office on Sunday and from there it was just a huge blur....

Monday- was spent learning a bunch of the new duties and tricks on Excel, picking up all of the informs and putting them into the system, Office meeting with president and all of the secretaries, getting all of the logistics ready for when the new missionaries were going to come, and finally heading out to our new area which is called Terron Colorado. It is an area up in the mountains and so it is pretty chilly at night, and we also have some cool sights walking up the mountain of all of Cali. We got to know a few members, a few recent converts and investigators to help us get started in a new area. This is the 3rd time in my mission I am having to open an area (or when 2 missionaries arrive at an area where they haven't been) and I am super excited to see what we can do with it. 

Tuesday- Got up at about 4:30 to go to the airport to receive all of the new missionaries... ALL 27 OF THEM! Took us a good while to get them all set up with their bags in the huge bus we rented to accommodate them all. We gave out a little breakfast that Hermana Prince bought for them, and headed to Cali. We got there and set them up for interviews with President. While they were all waiting we gave a little introduction to the mission and a training about ward council that we had in the last zone conference. We want the missionaries to be able to be a strength for their wards and branches from really early on in their mission. After that we went up to Cristo Rey to sing " Called to Serve." That moment was super weird what with that being my first time being up there since I was the new missionary singing. After that we returned to the office to watch Ephraim's Rescue and then plan with President the training for the new missionaries the next day. Then in the office till about 11 planning logistics for transfers. 

Wednesday- Got up at about 4:30 again to help coordinate transfers in the terminal. That was super hectic, so many tiny details that go into that making sure no one gets left alone and making sure we don't send a group to the wrong place. So that lasted about till 9 and then we headed back to the training of the new missionaries. While the trainers are getting their training we were explaining rules and administrative stuff about the mission. 

Then the trainers came over and the fun part began of shutting their eyes and putting their trainers behind them and then having them turn around to see their new trainer.. a great moment! Then it started to rain SUPER hard and caused the room to flood. It was the first time that had ever happened in the history of the mission. So we called it a day and did everything we could to get everyone out of there and in their areas. We took the ones leaving Cali to the terminal and sent everyone off. After not being able to believe that everything was over, we were able to go to Terron to meet more members and investigators. 

And Thursday and Friday were regular days in the office planning the webcast training for the new investigators to make up for the rain delay we had. Also for the specialized training we are going to give to all the district leaders about divisions, baptismal interviews, daily verification and district meetings. 

I am learning a lot in this new assignment I have been given... it is quite a bit different than what I am used to, but it is also fun thinking of all the ways we can get better as a mission and how to best transmit President's vision to everyone. 

I live in the nicest house in the mission now, with 5 other missionaries in the nicest part of Cali. Cali is just gorgeous, I have been without a camera this week because I left in Popayan.... hahah. But I get it this week and I'll snap some pics of the scenery if I can! 

I am so happy right now and really excited for this upcoming week because we start our divisions with the zone leaders! We are going to be traveling all around the mission these next 2 weeks and I am super excited for it. I am ready to give it everything I have for these last few months of my mission, I have been at it a while now and I know the Lord has saved something special for me in this last part! I love this Work... enough said! 

Have a great week!

Elder Eliason