Happy New Transfers!

Wow, so sweet to see the church's 5 new year resolutions, as some of mine I made are very similiar. I am super excited for this new year and trying to become a better person everyday. I have been so very blessed during my life and these past year/s as a missionary and have had many opportunities to grow, especially in these last 6 weeks. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for the plan of salvation. So many deaths are being experienced at the moment, but my knowledge and testimony brings peace to my life and understanding of the gospel. I am happy that auntie Alice can rest in peace now, what a wonderful woman!  

This week has been absolutely crazy and so much has happened and it has honestly been one of the most stressful crazy weeks of my entire mission. So many times I just felt like punching a hole through the wall while I felt someone punching a hole through my head. Monday night we received the zone leaders from Kenema and Bo and we had such a great time, although I didn't get to hangout and talk as much as I would like because of the duties we were doing down in the office till 10:10 at night ,but it was still great to see Elder Stanford, Mills, Despain, my boy Hales, and Symons, and Serafine, Woodhead, and even old compy Jones. What a great time! Tuesday we had our MLC meeting and it was super effective and we talked about some very serious topics and mission changing decisions, so it was a great opportunity to be trusted with my opinion and the opinions of all else and be able to make decisive decisions to make a better change in the work here in this country...sure was nervy though. 

Tuesday night, new years eve, I set my alarm for 11:55 and Elder Jones, Nwosu, and I got up and walked outside to find that the ENTIRE chapel was full of people. The parking lot was full of cars(never seen that before) and the chapel was packed past capactiy, people were sitting in the hall ways down stairs listening as people bore testimony and they sang hymns and they were so strangely reverent as the rest of the town was exploding and shooting fireworks and what not, and here were these great people 25% or more were investigators probably, and here they were at church to start the new year...what a resolution to become better and put CHRIST first in your life. what better way? it was so great :) we had fun and some people saw us watching and started to head our way so we greeted and retreated back into the house of many missionaries and went back to sleep... I had an awful time sleeping because the missionaries got up at 4:00 to get out the door and get out to the east and they were making lots of noise, so yay...January first, missed my alarm and woke up at 7:00.... great way to set off the new year being more obedient right? and missing my workout? hahaha, oh good times :)  

After that was finished, we were set to work on more innovations and more work, especially trying to implement all the decisions that had been made. 

Wednesday...we received transfer news from President Ostler...and then the work began, we had to organize the transfer sheet for the next 3 hours, and president couldn't even send it to us because the internet crashed for the entire week, so he had to drive down from his house just to give it and print it for us, then we worked on it all night making the transfer sheet, woke up the next day and spent the ENTIRE day working out the transfer movements. Its not easy, let me tell you, coordinating drivers and vehicles to move around 157 missionaries in the span of 2 days, but we worked hard and we got it all done, with not too much sleep lost. but some headaches and frustrations and some tempations to give up, but WE DID IT! many pieces of paper thrown away, many heads bashed into the table, but its done, and its going on right now, people are being thrown all around the country and we pray that we made the right decisions. I didn't realize that we had to do it all until I was told, you guys make it up...Uh...I can do that? I have to coordinate all the drivers and what not? But, I hope it all works out...I pray :)  

Sat in the office doing all sorts of work from Wednesday to...well today. we didn't even have p-day today as we have just been in the office. Lets see a crazy list of the stuff I have been doing...Programming phones, printing maps, drawing areas, correcting phone lists, making newsletters, transfer movements, transfer sheets, mission rosters, mission logo, follow up calls, taking care of sick missionaries, setting up nets, dishing out pillows and doxy and water bottles, trying to find which apartments need additional mattresses during the transfers, helping make sure every apartment is ready for the new missionaries, ordering food for orientation, preparing food to feed new missionaires, purchasing tickets and preparing transport for the sea boat and bus, wow it has been complete insanity...and its almost over...or actually the fun is just beginning but, we are doing out best :) created a pretty nifty letter with Sister Ostler, which took SIX versions until it was perfected to her liking, which was fun as I got to learn word better, and frustrating as I murdered probably 10 loving trees...but small small, its getting done. 

excuse my vexing, i really am a happy person :) 

So, continued to revise and do this work and then got to go to church and take the sacrament and have a FUN time with our bishop in coordination meeting...oh can't wait to tell that story one day... then actually got to go teach a lesson! to one sweet girl, whose name is H B and she has been coming for the past 3 weeks now and she is so great! 

Today, set up nets and what not and been in the office just preparing things all day, and finally have a minute to message my family which is very sweet :) I love you all and hope you have a wonderful new year. Happy 2014, so good to be in 2014! I come home this year hahah 

well, everyone have a wondeful 2014, love you all so much! 

Love, 
Jesse
Elder Sumrak