Well... - December 3rd

Well...

I can't believe the mission ruined my fun in telling you all about my arrival date. I suppose they just had to do their job. So here are my thoughts and the whole process that happened. So, I had been waiting for interviews to talk with presidente del Castillo about everything. This transfer interviews happened one week later than usual due to the zone conference with Elder Bowen I imagine. Come interviews and I talked to president and he asked about my health, my faith, my obedience, etc. Due to my sick experience and his concern for Elder Cortez, I almost didn't even want to ask about leaving early. I expressed my concern about my school situation anyways and he just kind of looked at me like, "well what do you want me to do then?" So I said I was hoping for more information that afternoon from you all and I was trying to organize everything. He said to call him if something happened. So after last weeks emails, it was clear that starting school two weeks late was not going to work at all. So I was stressing out and trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I almost called president that very night, but couldn't bring myself to do it. I wanted to meditate over night. That night through my tossing and turning it became clear to me that I needed to at least leave one week early if at all possible. But first I needed to call president del Castillo to see how possible that would even be. So I called and asked if it would be at all difficult to leave a bit earlier and he said, "no, it wouldn't be difficult at all. You just need to call Elder Knight and talk to him. He is in charge of things like that. Just tell him like the 5th or so." So that afternoon when the office hours had started and I was in the pensión for afternoon studies I called and talked to him. He said, "Elder McDonald! Hace un tiempo! (I was his zone leader in Eldorado)" Anyways, I talked to him about leaving sometime around the 5th of January. He asked if I had talked to president and I told him that I already had. So he said it was alright and that the lady from Salt Lake that normally deals with things like that wasn't working the rest of the week and so he would probably figure it all out on Monday and give me a call. So I left it at that for a few days, but come Sunday while we did a fast for Seferino with Seferino, I also was fasting about my situation and that all would work out for the best. That night I slept uneasy and had dream thoughts about the 25th and leaving with everyone else. I had been worried about traveling alone and plus still starting school late. It didn't sound very appealing to me and something just wasn't agreeing with me. In my fevered sleep I had taken the decision to leave on the 25th though and it just seemed so right upon waking up that I called Elder Knight later in the morning before people would be working in Salt Lake and told him that if he could get me out on the 25th that would be much better. He said he would do what he could but that he wasn't sure that it was possible or not. I felt fairly confident that it would be possible and as I talked with Elder Cortez we reasoned that the actual flight wouldn't be until the 26th probably and the bus ride down to Buenos Aires would be on the 25th. So that was to my advantage. Anyways, after proselyting and lunch Elder Knight called and talked to me again and said it looked like it would be possible to leave on the 25th and that he was just going to go and talk with president about it in the meeting they had with him in 20 minutes. After studies when we were just going out to work again he called and told me I would be leaving on the 25th. It all seemed right to me. We have a baptismal date with Seferino for the 20th of December and are praying that he makes it there. I worried over transfers a bit after the news, unsure if they were going to move me or not (but pretty sure that they wouldn't) due to the comp change they will have to do mid transfer so that Elder Cortez has a companion. So last night we found that I am staying here anyways for my last three weeks which was a relief. I am not ready to leave all the people of Miguel Lanús quite yet. I feel that I have given my all during my whole mission though and that I have no regrets upon looking back. Now I just have to work double hard to make these last 3 weeks count for double and listo. I am excited for a few days of rest before jumping into school and the chance I will have to see family and friends.

Seferino is doing great and is really trying hard to quit drinking in order to be baptized the 20th. He has already stopped the majority of his drinking and slipped up a couple times in the last couple of weeks. I don't think he has had anything to drink for a week and actually he told us of how he declined an offer from one of his buddies. Elder Cortez gave him a phrase to say when people offer him a drink, "no voy a tomar porque amo Jesus." In the situation he told us about he declined saying, "¡no, Jesus no quiere que tome!" His friend left him alone. So he is well on his way.

Well I am going to come back later and try to write a little more, but I wanted to let you all know what was going on (bummer that the mission already spoiled the surprise).

love you all,

Elder Aaron McDonald