Hello!
This week has been a huge change for sure.... let's just say working in the office is VERY different from what I am used to haha. I am still getting used to it for sure and will be for quite some time I am sure, but some things I have learned so far are:
1. President and Sister Lew are AWESOME and super funny. I really keep feeling more and more like family with them
2. There are heaps of missionaries in our mission- 210 to be exact right now, and each and every single one of them is specific and unique. We definitely don't have any "cookie-cutter" missionaries here in the Australia Sydney South Mission
3. Helping President plan out transfers feels like studying advanced chemistry for 12 hours straight. Honestly..... my mind went numb with how many names we were talking about and where each should go and why and then someone else brings up another point and that whole plan you had just made is now changed and you repeat that process about 90 times before it is finalized who will go where with what companion, serving in what leadership role. Not to mention, while planning for this transfer you also have to keep in mind the future transfers as well- who will be going home soon, who looks qualified to serve in leadership in coming months and so on. There is a lot to talk about, and a lot of pressure as well because these decisions could greatly affect the next 6 weeks or more of someone's life. They don't get to choose where they go, President does, and he greatly depends upon us as assistants to give him proper reviews and good feedback, and asks us our opinion on each and every missionary.
4. (I am still figuring this one out, and this is the weirdest and hardest one of all) We are not expected to maintain the same missionary schedule as regular proselyting missionaries. There are times where we have to stay up past 10:30pm in order to finish planning out travel details for transfers, create reports needed for the upcoming week, conference, etc etc.... We don't have an assigned P-day in order to shop, email, clean the flat, or do anything else to just relax for a bit, and so we have to just find the best time to do that throughout the week. It has been a really unique twist for me- we will be driving from one appointment to another and have to duck in to buy groceries, then the next day we had to wash the car, and clean the flat when we can. It has been a really weird switch going from being so structured every minute of the day to not being able to be structured out like that. I think this one I will have to keep getting used to because it is so foreign, but I am very grateful for Elder Williams and Elder Puriri. They have been the assistants for the past several months, and so I get to tag team with them until Elder Puriri goes home next week. I can sit back a bit and watch them and learn before I have to get thrown into it full on. I am glad that I can trust them as well, they are excellent missionaries!
5. There are a lot of things that go on behind the scenes to make a mission run. I think honestly my companions have gotten over 30 calls each day asking different questions, resolving people's problems, and finding out things that need to be done. Almost everything that goes wrong, needs fixing, or is in need of help goes through the assistants. It is a lot of work, but I am glad I can be of help... hopefully :)
That is all I have time for now, write more later when I can.... I plan to just write a bit and save it in a draft until I actually get a letter written up, so if the letters are a bit sporatic and random, I apologize. I am trying my best :)
Love you all!
Elder Shafer
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