Wow, another big load of packages were at the Aduana for our mission. We picked up 19 more packages. There will be a lot of happy missionaries when they get their packages from family and friends. This is the last time we will be going to the Aduana before Christmas and unfortunately not all of the missionaries that are expecting packages will get them. We are aware of several Elders and Hermanas that are expecting packages but they weren’t there today.
Office Elder Trevor Huey is one of those Elders that is expecting a package from home. He was with me at the package pickup counter as the Aduana staff was making a pile of boxes on the floor behind the counter. Each package has to be logged, counted, inspected, etc. The process continued slowly as we were handed another package that wasn’t for him. Elder Huey kept hoping but each package was for another missionary. Finally the pile was down to the last three on the floor and as he and I leaned over the counter we could read 2 of the last 3 labels from a distance and they weren’t for Elder Huey. The last package was hidden under the others and we couldn’t see the label yet. Elder Huey was hoping beyond hope that the last one would be for him. Finally after being at the Aduana for almost 2 hours the final package came into our view, it was for…. Elder Harris, not Elder Huey! With a sigh he said, “It will probably be here next week”.
Assistant to the President, Elder Casey Akana, was in the office this afternoon and the other office Elders were teasing him about a letter they had just prepared for him. Elder Akana will be released next transfer (January 18, 2011) in 4 weeks. The letter contained his flight plans home and other information about his release. He said, “Don’t show it to me, I don’t want to see it, I don’t even want to think about it.”
Elder Akana is a very good and dedicated missionary. He doesn’t want any distractions; he wants to work hard for the Lord right up to the last minute of his mission. Elder Akana is a great example of a hard working missionary for all of the younger missionaries. He teaches as much by example as he does by lecturing in training meetings. He is a tremendous asset to the mission and Hna. Johnson and I love him like our own sons.
Today I got an e-mail from Hna. Rebecca Mehr (She and her husband are the Caribbean Area Public Relations Missionaries). She asked me to sign a release and send it to SLC to allow LDS.Org to use the pictures that Hna. Johnson and I took of the huge service project we did on Saturday, October 30, 2010. Church members all over the DR cleaned up the coast line. The Santo Domingo West Mission had about 100 missionaries at the Haina Harbor cleaning up mountains of litter and trash. It is really exciting to think that LDS.Org might use one of our pictures. We’ll see.
No comments:
Post a Comment