Antofagasta: Learning new role and finding balance

This week went pretty well for me. I think I'm kind of getting back into the swing of things. Office life is pretty calm. Not a lot happens here. My companion (the old financiero who is training me) has some pretty bad back problems and it looks like he possibly could be heading home early so we really haven't been out to work that much. I've had lots of time to meditate and to study and then meditate some more and I think it's helped me out a little bit. I wish I could say more that's going on but there's really not that much going on so I guess I'll just explain what I do.

My job as Financiero:

1. Reimbursements- Any time any missionary that buys something that can be reimbursed I have to deal with it and/or tell them no.

2. Living Quarters- I am in charge of setting up contracts with landlords, paying landlords, arguing with landlords, arguing with missionaries when they do wierd things (i.g. some sister missionaries stabbed their refrigerator with a knife and let all the frion gases get out. Don't worry, they were trying to get the ice build up out so it's not AS bad as it sounds. Still not the smartest thing to have been done.) Landlords can be some of the most frustrating people in the world. Also all of the missionaries have to send me their pension inspections. 

3. Medical Payments- I help missionaries get money to go to the doctor.

4. I pay people- Literally every payment that the mission does goes through my hands.

5. Zone Conferences/When the newbies come in/When the old ones go out/Leadership Conference- We are in charge of getting all the food ready for all of these meetings and making sure all the stuff runs pretty smoothly. All of the Zone leaders come to Anofagasta once a month and we have to get everyones mail sorted and recieve mail from missionaries going to other missionaries and that kind of stuff. We also travel when we have zone conferences and help set them up in the different parts of the mission. President Dalton and Sister Dalton usually take the assistants and we take THE MISSION VAN. It's this brand new minivan and it's pretty legit. I will be getting my international license here pretty soon. (Thank you mom for making me get a new copy of my license a week before I left). The process is pretty easy and I don't have to take a driving test or anything so I think I'm safe.

6. Anything else in the office- We help each other out alot and are pretty tight here in the office. If something big goes down we've got each others backs. We basically run the mission because President Dalton spends the majority of his time travelling. I'm in here with Elder Gonzalez-gringo (my companion and Financiero Trainer who will be with me the entire transfer), Elder Spanbauer-gringo (The mission Historiador/Comisario), and Elder Morales-Chileno (Secretary of Travel and Visas).

7. Being a normal Missionary- On top of the aforementioned responsibilities and a bunch of other small stuff I do that I didn't really feel like explaining I am also a missionary. At five o' clock every day we shut down the office (returning later sometimes for emergencies) and leave to teach in the streets of Antofagasta. It's really wierd combining the two worlds. I feel like I have a full time job in addition to being a missionary. This part is probably the hardest to focus on because my mind is often times still so involved in the business aspect of things. 

So that's pretty much my life in a nutshell right now. Get up. Study. Go to the office. Go work. Sleep like a rock.

So now here's something I've been thinking a lot about.

Spiritual Thought:

2nd Nephi 2:27- Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

We have the ability to choose whether we want to be free and happy or in captivity and miserable. There are many things that can captivate our attention in this life and take alot of our precious time. If we don't choose wisely after a bit of time the things that we have chosen won't leave us feeling happy. Many times in my life and in my mission I've had to take a step back and re-orient myself so that the things that I'm doing are things that will edify me and in the end give me more freedom and happiness. I can also testify that studying the scriptures - In particular the Book of Mormon - and sincere prayer are two things that bring happiness and will always be of great worth.

I love you guys and miss you tons!

Elder Walker

Antofagasta: Transfer to Mission Home

Halo, Misión Chile Antofagasta, en que le puedo ayudar?

I am now the mission's newest FINANCIAL SECRETARY!!!

I got a call about two weeks ago from President Dalton asking me if I would be willing to serve in the mission office as the "financiero". My job basically entails anything that has to do with money in the mission. All of the money that the missionaries receive weekly, reimbursements, anything that has to do with the missionary living quarters and all other money spent by the mission runs through my hands. It's really not that hard though. The hardest part (as explained by Elder Gonzales, the Elder training me) is when we have to argue with the landlords about details in the contracts. 

We're going to rewind in time a bit. Last Sunday I had to leave my zone at 2:30 in the afternoon to get to the office before transfers to help out. Church ended at 1 so I had to be there, run to the apartment really fast and pack in about 15 minutes and then go to the bus terminal. It was kind of sad because I didn't get to say goodbye to hardly anyone in the ward. They also didn't let me speak in church because an area seventy showed up. All-in-all I just kind of disappeared. Luckily some of the members came to say goodbye to me at the bus terminal and I lost it and got kind of emotional.

Because of the special assignment I traveled alone and showed up in Antofagasta alone in the bus terminal with three suit cases. The office elders had given me the direction of my new apartment and told me to take a taxi there once I got into Antofagasta. As I got into the Antofa terminal at about 10:30 some random person who was taking lessons from the missionaries took pity on me, helped me with my bags and gave me a ride! Score one for humanity!

I got to the apartment and two of the Elders helped me get my bags up into the apartment. We have probably the nicest apartment in the entire mission and live with the four office elders and the Assistants to the the President. The Office Elders are all super cool and friendly. My companion's name is Elder Gonzales and he is from Colorado. He is my first "gringo" companion and I'm still in shock about speaking so much English.

We for the next couple of days were running around helping missionaries finish the mission and then start the mission with their trainers. We didn't have that much time to work in our sector proselyting but the time that we did have we had some amazing lessons and the people here are amazing! Our ward is named Quito and we share it with the Assistants and two other elders. One of the "other" elders serving in Quito though is my good friend Elder Giadach. We lived together six months in Arica and we both kind of freaked out when we heard we were going to be together again another six months.

Now that I'm all caught up here's a quick:

Spiritual Thought:

Luke 17:32 - Remember Lot's Wife.

Now watch this video - http://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/new-years-look-not-behind-thee?cid=HP_MO_12-28-2015_dPFD_fMRMN_xLIDyL1-A_

I recently hit my year mark in my mission and it's been a time of serious reflection for me. There are tons of miracles that I have seen and tons of things I wish I could have done better as well. The beautiful thing is that I can keep moving forward. I've repented of my past mistakes and I have made the resolve not to look back, but to keep moving forward. 

I know that Jesus is the Christ and that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us.

Feliz Año Nuevo

Love,

Elder Walker