Exciting Week! 7/19/10

Hey fam!

This is a really exciting week and a time of change and progress in the mission. We have recieved instructions from the first presidency as far as Preach My Gospel and the approach we use to teach it. Lots of missionaries get to the field with different levels of ability as far as teaching and focus - because the MTC focuses on the missionary discussions and not as much how to teach them. So the First Presidency has released a new study program to compliment (not replace) Preach My Gospel. There are 8 principles that this program focuses on to help us direct our studies and focus in on the real work. With this new program, missionaries will get to the field with a better understanding of what missionary work really is and not just how the teachers say it ideally is. When they get to the field, the mission will have been using the same approach and everybody will be on the same successful page. Right now, all of the Zone Leaders and District Leaders from the mission are in Carrasco doing a 3-day seminar for these 8 principles, and the seminar will be repeated every 2 months. It is pretty exciting to know that we are right in the middle of a BIG change. There are other small changes, like instead of zone conferences and interviews every month and a half, they take turns (aka once every three months) and Zone Leaders' Council is every month. They are really trying to get out of the "transfer cycle" way of thinking because months are the same all around the world, but the transfer cycles don't correspond across the missions. Pretty exciting.

Other than that we are pretty tranquilo. Analìa slept in yesterday because she had a huge headache. Wagner and I had an hour long companionship inventory to try and work out some of the kinks. I am super sick and threw up yesterday but we went out to work anyways and now I'm worse.


Dad -
If we go back Monday, that gives us time to make some visits and see some places. If you want to see more of UY, we'd have to stay longer. But I'm fine with Monday. Sad to know Mom won't be coming down, but we'll take some good pictures for her. :D Bring the D90.

>> From the information below, it looks like it would be best for me to arrive Tuesday (the flights arrive around 11:30am). I would just proceed directly to the hotel (just in time for a siesta) and wait to pick up Steven either Tuesday night or Wednesday morning after his final interview.
Agreed.
I think that's it. Good luck at work!

Well that's the news for the week. Give a big hug to Tina for me, I've been thinking about her this week. Keep goin' girlfriend!

-Elder Thorderson