Feliz Dia del Padre!

21 Jun 2010

Dear Family,

Happy Father´s Day Dad!!! I love you, Mom, and the rest of the family so much. Mom said that she felt bad that she couldn´t "pamper" you on your day, but I have learned that spending such a day serving her can make it a much more happy and memorable day. Thank you for the example you give us, your children, and the care you give to our Mom. I hope your day went well and that happiness and joy can keep entering into our family.

Mom, I hope that you can keep getting better. This past year has really taught our family that this body is fragile and that life is passing. But gives us even more appreciation for the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He died and was resurrected for us so that we might one day rise again. How much greater joy will you have for passing these trials faithfully, submissively, and happily! I will keep you and the entire family in my prayers.

And thank you very much for my birthday package. I am very grateful. I have to inform you that the Prego Sauce broke open inside, causing problems with it all, but I got it well. I normally wait until my birthday to open it, but it got to me already open. So, I started enjoying the trail mix immediately, but I have not yet opened the cards. I also took out the blue tie and started using it, but I left the brown one in the ziploc bag. A week later, I looked at it again and there was mold all over it. Apparently some of the sauce got inside that too. So, I´m really glad I took out the blue one when I did! And thank you for the snickers too. And my companion is very grateful too (and I also enjoy the packages he receives).

I felt quite strange today. We had transfer meeting and I am now officially a "pastor." Elder Gilmore and Elder Sabey return home today. So, I´ll see them again in BYU afterwards. And so do a lot of other missionaries with whom I´ve worked. There are also a lot of changes in the mission, like always, but I stay with Elder Berglund in San Justo. There was a surprise with the Elders in my district. Elder Mather and Elder Barrios (two of the best newer missionaries I´ve seen. During divisions with them, I truely felt that they were teaching me.) were both transfered. I didn´t think that would happen. And Elder Fuentealba and Elder Hobson are training. So, I´ll use the end of my mission to help them train their new companions so that these new missionaries can grow with the new visions for the mission. Another interesting thing is that Elder Chamberlain, who was in my MTC district, is the new Assistant to the President. He only has the next 8 weeks (he´s extended 2 weeks) to be the Assistant (one transfer). That was very interesting. Probably to let the next Elder that the President has in mind to have another transfer as zone leader and have the necessary experience (I think Elder Brooks who started in Castillo 2 when I was with Elder Rivas). Yeah, the mission has become my life and I love it. I´m also enjoying a lot more than I used to being District Leader. It is a lot of work and effort and at the end I will have fulfilled that assignment for a third of my mission, but it really has taught me to serve and love the other Elders. Every time I see Elders that were in my past districts, as with my past companions, I feel a love for them and a desire to be with them again. I´m glad I could have helped each one of them. And I´m happy to keep doing it.

Yesterday was a day that was kind of hard for me. Being Father´s day, a lot of people went on visits. So, we didn´t have any investigators in Sacrament meeting. When Elder Aidukaitis came, he said "Rule Number 1: A missionary does not assist sacrament meeting without and investigator. Rule Number 2: A missionary doesn´t fault sacrament meeting." So, we broke rule number 1 (not rule number 2). We could have worked harder during the week to have one. We did leave during the first two hours to invite everyone we could to enter the church to learn about it, but no one entered. But, instead of let me get it down, it means that I´ll work even harder so that it doesn´t happen to us again. To make this the best transfer I will have. To prepare this mission to baptize every week.

I love the Lord and I love you all. This is the work of the Lord and when we forget ourselves, God gives us strength even when we are tired and stressed. He gives us the relief of happiness and joy. He will be with our family so that our faithful service, which we will do all of our life, will prepare us for life eternal. I know He is there for us always.

Love,
Elder Drake Ranquist