Branch President Barnard

December 14, 2009
Hola Familia,
Well it’s been another week here in Barranca. The week in itself was actually kind of a strange week. I’ve got a cough and with grandma’s funeral and all, it was really hard not to think about the fam etc. and what was happening at home. I'm glad to hear the funeral went well and everyone is now safe and sound where they need to be. You guys should just take a day or two and rest up and recover physically and mentally because I am sure it was a stressful week and especially if you are sick just REST. But ok that’s the end of my family advice section.

So as I said it wasn’t the most focused week of missionary work in my life, but we just gotta keep on keeping on. We did have some good lessons and the Lord gave us a great blessing to cheer us up, a family of 5 who seems to be very ready to accept and live the gospel. Although they had a last minute thing (like all of our investigators again) they seem very good so we have high hopes. We seem to have found a good group of investigators to work with now so although we will continue finding new ones, we now have some good people to concentrate on.

They say that there is a package for me in Bogotá and they will mail it tomorrow so it may be a Christmas Package. Also unfortunately we are still in the good ole truck stop hotel. There was a 6´4 ish used to be man/ now woman who used to live in the room next to us that always said hi to us and he/she left this week which was good news :) It sounds like they are finally getting to the last part of the papers for our house, but what’s new.

That is true about the harmonica. I got hold of some music for a few church songs so I can play them and have figured out some other songs like home on the range. The other day at a baptism we, Elder Williams and I, played How Great Thou Art with guitar and harmonica, haha it wasn’t the greatest group ever but it turned out alright.

Today for Pday we did... nothing. The other Elders went with David and Shirley, the members who always help us out. They invited us over to the headquarters of the Oil Company to play sports etc. but I have been getting sick with that cough etc. so I decided it was smarter to just chill and get some rest.

Ok here is my crazy news. Elder Williams, a while ago, talked to President Hacking about the idea that the missionaries should have some leadership in the church here just to get things going in the right direction. Then this week after a priesthood meeting I felt the same thing so I called him and he said he already had it planned that we would be put in as councilors in the Branch Presidencies whenever the District President here got it all organized and decided what was best to do. So I was somewhat expecting that. Sunday morning we passed by to take a few investigators (2 families of 5 and 4) to church. Unfortunately like I said, they had last minute things come up. So as we headed for the church I got a call and it was President Camacho, President Hackings second counselor who covers Barranca. He asked if I would take long to get to the church and I told him we were very close so he said ok and that he would like to talk to me before sacrament meeting.

So I figured that what Pres Hacking had said was coming. So he invites us upstairs in the church house and has us sit down. He brings in the District President also and they start talking and the District President tells me that because the Branch President hasn’t been able to attend because of work, and because the branch needs help that they are going to release the Branch President. Then he called me to be the Branch President!?....... I was basically shocked. It had crossed my mind that we may get callings in the branch to help but I never expected this. Then he asked me what I thought about this new calling and I told him it was a complete shock but that I would go and do what the lord commanded and do my best. He then explained to us all the stuff about how the branch was struggling and the idea is that this would be a temporary thing (a few months). We would need to use the experience we have to help turn things around and help prepare Bro Benavides, the first councilor right now, to be a good branch president. Haha what experience are you talking about I’ve never done this. But the truth is I know we can help this little branch. At least my comp and I have had the blessings of growing up in the church and I have had the chance to work with Pt Hacking and Camargo so we know how things should be. Then, they had us go back down and start sacrament meeting.

During the second class they took us up and set us apart and conferred me the "keys". So at the end of the day I am the Branch President of Los Pinos and my companion is my second counselor. After church we had to organize all the tithing /offerings etc. which I have no idea how to do. Luckily Hno Benavides has been counselor for over a year so he knows how to do that part and my comp was the ward secretary at home so he also does. I also pulled aside the old Branch Pres for a minute after church just to tell him sorry if this happened as a surprise or he felt bad and that I was also very surprised and would need his help. He wasn’t mad at all and said that whatever questions I had, he was there. He really is a good guy but with his work he just never had time to do everything.

After lunch we headed back to the church and our "presidency office" to start reading manuals and looking at the MLS (church computer system) . The MLS manages everything from the money, to callings, to ward lists, to stats. Luckily my comp knows how to run it and I am pretty fast with computer stuff. There is a big old manual for Stake Presidencies and Bishoprics that has about everything you need to know - from how to bury people, to how to do interviews etc. I called president Hacking and he just told me to keep it as simple as I could and not get too worried about all the complex details. So I really don’t know what to think, I never expected anything like this on my mission. I already know I am going to delegate tons and use my counselor’s lots and do the best I can to help get this Branch turned around. As much of a surprise as it is, I know its going to be a huge learning experience and we already have so many ideas to get things improved here.

First we’re going to have all the meetings here (PEC, branch presidency, ward council etc) Also, I want to start giving assignments and callings because many people have nothing to do and there is a lot that needs to be done, which will help them be part of the branch. And the best thing is we are missionaries, we have all day, everyday so whatever we have to do we can. In the end the goal is to help prepare Hno Benavides to be a great Branch President and leave the branch with a good foundation and going in the right direction. So I'm going to have to get myself much more familiar with that manual. The hard thing for me to get my head around is things like interviews or personal problems that members have etc. So one thing I know is that I’m going to be calling President Hacking like crazy and praying really hard.

Pres Hacking also told us that it’s important that we find a balance, missionary work will be a little harder but we are still missionaries and we have to be teaching all that we can. Hopefully we can just keep things simple and strengthen every member and bring back those that have fallen away. I know that the Lord calls who the Lord qualifies and with weak and small things he brings to pass great things.

Well I am about out of time. Never a dull moment in the mission stuff. I love you all and you are in my prayers, especially lately, and I am really going to need to be in yours. I love you fam, you’re the best, please when you are sick, or stressed or whatever it may be, get some rest and remember the scriptures and prayer. Here goes nothing. Until next week. Elder B