Mason's Letter -- Dec 4, 2010

Hey familia,

So yeah I know this email is a little bit early. My pday has changed to Saturdays because I'm now in the office as the new AP. So from now on I will be writing to you all on Saturday. So now you have to write to me a few days earlier as well. Sorry haha. But yeah this week has been really crazy to say the least. First off I was way surprised to get a change from my area. So I had a lot of work to do to prepare the area for the new missionaries since they would be thrown into the area without knowing anything. I think I left the area well for them. The old AP got sent over there to Choloma with another ZL, so we just switched places. So I'm back living in the city of San Pedro. I now live right downtown with the ZL's of SPS. So us 4 live in the same house. That's pretty fun. From what my comp says I will be here for a good 7 to 9 months, almost 'till the end of my mission. So in all I will have been here, in the city, for basically all of my mission. I know it really well already. My new comp, the other AP, is elder Rodas, from Guatemala. He is a really excellent missionary and will teach me a ton. He is really self-less and serving. He is older than me though because he is a convert of about 3 years. He is 25 years old I think.

So I've been thrown into the responsibilities, and I'm trying to learn everything that I've got to do. There is a lot to do, but it will be great. So the first day (Wednesday) we just had to take around the missionaries that finished the mission. We took them to a few shops here to buy some souvenirs and stuff and then we went to the president's house. There they had their final interviews and just chilled for a while. So we just chilled with them and ran a few errands. Then sister Veirs cooked some awesome spaghetti and brownies for dinner. Oh how I've missed home cooked food! It was so good and I will definitely like that part of the new job.

The next day we had to wake up super early (at about 3:30 am) to take the missionaries to the airport. We took them there, got them all checked in and left there at about 8 am. Then we went to the office to do some work there. Then president took us to lunch at TGI Fridays and we went to his house to help him organize where all the elders are now after the change. I got to call the parents of the newbies and tell them that their kids were all here safe and stuff. Then that night we went to an appointment that we had and we put 3 baptismal dates, so that was exciting. It was a really spiritual lesson, and it was great to teach with an elder who teaches really powerfully.

So right now we actually don't have an area or ward to work in. The AP's before us had an area, but we had to put elders there because we had a lot more new elders come. So right now we don't have one. But we work with references in a branch here close that doesn't have missionaries. So that's where we have had the appointment. So for now we have a plan to just travel throughout the whole mission helping the other zones and areas and basically just going wherever we want on any given day haha. That should help a ton.

The only bad thing about the new job is that now we don't have a car to ourselves. About a year ago the church took one car away from every mission in Central America to save some money or something like that. So we have to share the cars with the secretaries and pres Veirs. But at least I'm back to driving! It is still a pain though because missionaries in the states have a car for like almost every companionship and we dont get jack, I mean 2 cars in the whole mission??? I will see what I can do to get us a new car haha.

So right now we are in LA CEIBA!! There is a stake conference here so Pres Veirs wanted to come up here for that. So we got to come with him. This change they opened up the area of Independencia and put 2 sister missionaries there. I don't know if you remember but Independencia was part of my first area along with Miramar. Well now they have missionaries in the both wards. So yesterday we went with the sisters in Independecia because I know the area perfectly and we showed them around and I took them to a bunch of my old investigators. We went to a bunch of them and we got into a bunch of houses and taught some good lessons. So it was a good day and we really animated the sisters, because opening an area is really hard because you have to start from scratch. It was also cool because I saw a few members here and the Martinez family (Elder Brown´s and my converts). It was cool. I will see them again on Sunday at the conference along with a whole bunch of other people that I know. I'm really excited for it.

It's fun to relive some memories that I had more than a year ago. It's weird to think that I'm actually writing you all right now in the same internet place that I wrote to you from last year. haha. I'm excited to see Jackie who is preparing for her mission and is planning on leaving in May. I've kept contact with her and she has stayed really strong in the gospel, she has even gone to the temple already to do baptisms for the dead! So awesome because here going to the temple is a huge sacrifice. Today we will do some shopping here in La Ceiba and then we will go to the preisthood session of conference with pres Veirs.

So this job has been really tiring and busy, but so far really fun. I love it. It has some perks too, like pres Veirs taking us to lunch all the time at Pizza Hut or Fridays, and getting to travel all over the country to all the areas. I'm really excited to get to know all the areas. Most of all I'm excited to be able to help the whole mission have more success and to help the Church grow here. I love talking to pres about how to improve things here. I'm getting to know him really well, and he is so awesome. He does have road rage though haha.

So recently I've been really praying for Christ-like love and charity for other missionaries and for all the people here. I've really felt my love for others increase in this last week. I honestly feel such a huge love for all of the missionaries and for the people here. I've never felt love like this for people I don't even know so strongly before. It really feels great and makes me incredibly happy. I can't even imagine how much love Christ has for each one of us. I think that is why He has so much happiness and why the gospel makes us so happy and joyful. It is all because of that incredible love. I love you all so much, have a great week.

Love Elder Mason Cardon