aloha!

ALOOOOOHAAAAAAA!!!!
Not sure why I said that, but maybe it´s because I´m on the coast now and see the ocean quite often. So let me tell you all a little about my week. So first thing. I was pretty sure I was going to be moved. I had been with my comp for two transfers (which is usually the max) and I just felt like a change was coming. It was. So president usually calls on Friday or Saturday. Most of my calls have come late Friday or on Saturday at any time. So on Thursday night, my comp looses the cell phone. So I´m like a little stressed that the call would come and we wouldn´t have the phone, but not too bad because usually he calls later. Or so I thought. Friday we are looking desperately for our cell phone and call the Hermanas from the church. They tell us that president had called at 8oclock that morning. AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!. So we eventually find out where our phone is, but aren´t able to get to it until 4 that afternoon. Eventually we get in contact with president and he tells me that I´m going to be the new financiero (a huge responsibility) AND that I was going to be leaving the next day right after the musical. Woah. That´s pretty intense stuff. So I a nut shell this is what happened. Saturday morning, we had a baptism with Mané. It went smoothly and we had not problems with anything. He got baptized and I was able to see as the spirit worked within him and allowed him to feel the purity and love of his Father in Heaven. Later that afternoon we had a musical. The chapel was full (it´s not a very big chapel, but we were still excited for it). Lots of investigators came and things with the actual play went great. It was short, but a lot of fun. I basically directed, musical directed and choreographed the whole thing (well choreographed half). It was intense. But a lot of fun, and a good learning experience. The hard part came after the play. I hadn´t told anyone I was leaving. So I said afterwards to all the "good jobs" and stuff like that, hey, I´m leaving, can you sign my journal? They weren´t too happy. But that´s life I suppose. I only had about 24 hours notice and I didn´t want it to affect the play at all, so I kept quiet. But I think they probably got over it. It´s hard to leave an area, especially when everything in front of you is hard to see and a little menacing (meaning the office) but we made it through. We also had the chance to talk with Elder Ruiz de Mendoza, an area seventy. He told me something that I really liked. He talked about joy. He talked about what joy is and how we can use it or feel it. Basically what he said was that joy is more than happiness. Joy is something we can feel even through tears, pain, grief, and in the middle of whatever trials we are passing through. Sure we might not be happy about the situation, but we can still have joy. Because joy comes from a knowledge of what is up ahead. And what is ahead? Eternity. Eternity as a family, eternity with our Father in Heaven. So as long as we are doing what is correct, no matter what happens, we can feel joy. And right now I feel it. The mission has allowed me to feel joy. Even in the moments where I am not happy, and they do happen, I still feel joy. And sure there are even times where I loose that joy, but those are the moments that I need to change what I´m doing. Sin is the only killer of joy, and the way to fix joy is to repent. I love repentance. So much that I use it every day :) We all need it, and the fact that it is available to all of use is amazing. So keep on repenting, I´m right there with you all! I love you all so much and hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, I sure did! We had a turkey dinner with all the missionaries in the Málaga and Granada zones and then we played football with our mission president. The highlight of the game was a trick play by president Deere. He was the quarterback and after snapping the ball he handed it off to his 17 year old daughter Annie and shouted, " DON´T TOUCH HER!!" So we didn´t :) And she ran into the end zone for a touchdown. Super funny. But things are great. Oh I have one more request for the Christmas package, if it is not yet sent. You know those "That was easy," Staples buttons? Well you can buy them at Staples and for some reason I really want one for my desk here in the office. Add some comic relief for the long hard days. Thanks for everything and send me some pics of Peter Pan! And the baptism!
Love ya,
Elder Charlie Flint