Well, the title says it all. This transfers week has been MIND BLOWING to me! It was completely the unexpected and it changed everything i was preparing for. Everyone in our district was thrown off by our mission President. Anway let me get to the quick story of i all...

    Monday Night we got our phone calls of who was being transfered and who was being leaders and who was training and such. I did not get anything because as president had told me 3 times during the last two week as well as Sister Wall, we all knew that Elder Miles was going to come back and serve with me in the same area bringing a car for him because he could bike. So everyone already had this in mind and had that confirmed 3 times. Anyway we knew of those who were in our zone who were transferring and what not. The next day (Tuesday Night) we get a random phone call from Elder Miles himself! And he told us that President Wall had showed him the transfer board so he knew about everyone and everything that was going to happen. And Elder Miles likes to mess with us a lot so then he told us that he was not coming back to Kenner with me. So we were shocked and confused. But we did not really want to believe him since he messes around alot. Anyway, He gets our minds all lost and confused the night before transfers and we stayed up a long while trying to figure it all out and all the scenerios. Still i am thinking that Elder Miles is coming with me though. Next day comes and we get to transfers and one of the A.P Elders puts me with the newbees and trainers and i didn't think much of it since i am basically new as well... Long story short transfer meeting starts and President Wall calls Elder Miles to the Mandeville area training Elder Madsen which is across the lake of Kenner and then calls my name, releases me as a Zone Leader and calls on me to train Elder Page in the Kenner Spanish area! 

     

     I was completely shocked and overwhelmed by this call. I did not anticipated at all and idk how prepared i am truthfully i feel a bit shaky about it. Elder Page is from Utah who is big in wrestling. He knows very little spanish so we will have a good amount of things to work in. Now i really have to step and and be an example to him so that he may learn from me as well as i from him. I personally still am trying to settle in back in Kenner as you know i was going back in forth between Metairie and Kenner before this. So i have to remember all the bike routes and everything again. Well refresh my memory really. But i do ask for your prayers please that i may be able to take over this area with confidence and that i may feel relaxed as i train. I just got finished training last week so maybe that is why i feel like i am not completely ready for this but we will see what happens. I am in the Lord's errand and I know he is with me 24/7.

    This is a whole new adventure for me! Training for these 6 weeks and then we will see what happens. after. But my focus now is to help Elder Page with as much as i possibly can. So much to do and so much to try not to stress over. Ooooo man. Well hope your week is as surprising as mine!

Love you all!

~Elder Caiña

You be being alright?

     Well time for another weekly update! Working as a Zone leader never ends. It just keeps going and going and time flies by so fast that it is just not fair sometimes. In a way it is good, but really it is not. I seriously wish time went slower sometimes just so we can get everything done in time and still have time to do some personal stuff like Journal writing and such. It has been a load of work every day but nothing we can't handle.

    As you all know it was Labor Day this Monday so that is why i did not write to ya'll. And we didn't have time to go yesterday to the library because we walked everywhere yesterday and for part of today as well. But now we finally made a walk here, so it is sorta a preparation day today. 

    Not much has happened in the last few days. Sad news first, one of our best investigators, Abraham is moving to Houston Texas because he has a job over there! He was seriously perfectly ready to be baptized! We were really sad to hear the news but he said he still wanted to be taught so we will be finding the missionaries in Houston to go over and teach him once he settles in. We are happy for him and we are going to be staying in touch!

     Last week we had a ward BBQ for just about the entire night. And the Elders ended up cooking all the food. I do not think they heard of how well missionaries cooking is? But thankfully everything went well. On the same night we went to visit and investigator who had stop going to church. After many nights of trying to contact him, he finally was home that night. As we taught a strong lesson of faith without works is dead. He came out with his struggles. He told us a few things that he needed to get back to doing as well as attending church. And on Sunday he showed up with his mom and his family and it was a beautiful thing to see! He should be getting baptized soon because he said he wanted to do it when his mom was here. And now that she is, we will see what happens in the next week or two. 

    Also this Sunday the church was filled up more than usual! And we knew why. we saw 3 less active families from my area (Kenner) show up. And not only that  but less actives from the other missionaries areas as well! We were SOO HAPPY that day and personally for me i was filled with joy and it is just and exciting thing to see. Knowing that one's hard work is paying of and that families are coming to renew their covenants knowing that they will also receive many blessings. I am really hoping that we see them more often in the future. The work is progressing here again in the New Orleans 2nd ward. But we just have to be patient and persistent. Slowly but surely we are moving along. Since i got here for the first month we had about 130 in the ward. now we are seeing more around 160 or 170. The work is beautiful!

    That is the biggest thing i learned this week, that perservierance and patience are VERY effective! We can't quit because we never know when someone will randomly change or do something to make them progress with the gospel or with life. We just have to keep helping. The Lord has his time, so endure to the end!

    As my wonderful friend who is in the San Diego California Mission told me about patience in the scriptures. Hebrews 6:9-15! 

    Well hope ya'll enjoy the rest of your week! 

Love ya'll,

~Elder Caiña