Miracles Happen....once in a while

Hi there family,

So as you all know I'm in Bolivia. And I had a birthday. And I just wanted to let you know I'm thinking about coming back every year for my birthday. I wasn't really looking forward to Thursday at first because I was going to be away from familiy and all, but it turned out to be a great day. The office work didn't stop, I had lots of errands to run, lots of reports to type and an informe for the stake presidents of the mission that I had to redesign and send off to Presidnent to aprove (who was in Puerto Suarez). I got lots of cake and lots of birthday songs. A group of the latins here tried to sing happy birthday in english. It was awesome. After, they all sang in spanish. It was much better. I'll send lots of pictures. 

This week was full of fun stuff. I spent a lot of time in the clinic with my companion again. One of the sisters here had to get her gallbladder removed because there was an emergency and the hard part was she was in Bermejo (3 hour car drive and then a 2 hour flight to get to Santa Cruz) So my job was to quickly coordinate all of her transport to make sure she didn't die on her way here and then to rush her to the hosptial once she got here to Santa Cruz. I'm getting way better about buying plane tickets. I've memorized the flight schedules of every airline, everyday, to every airport that is here in the mission. And to La Paz because sometimes the conejeros de Presidente have to travel there. Also I know by name the front desk people of some of the nicest hotels in Bolivia. There are some sweet benefits from working here in the offices. 

We are working a TON on getting things ready here in the offices for the opeing of the 13 new areas when the 27 missionaries come this transfer. We have to buy literally 2 of everything that you need in a house: beds, dressers, mattresses, fans, desks, chairs etc. And its a pain coordinating with the people here. You can't just go to a Costco and buy everything. We have a guy name Hugin that does it all for us, we just have to coordinate literally everything. Its been hard too with President in Puerto for this week but not to worry, all we do is win win win no matter what. 

Also this week I got my stamp. I'll send you a picture of it. I use it to sign important documents. I get to keep it forever. I'm excited. 

This week I also learned a lot. Well at least I feel like I did. I learned more than ever that the spirit is real. He literally fills our bodies. He testifies of the Father. And he gives us the help we ask for. 

I learned this yesterday. We had 2 important lessons with a couple less active families and we asked a few members to accompany us. We had our lesson plans and we were super excited to teach. We started our lesson and all of a sudden we were out of time and had to leave. We taught nothing of what we had planned, we testified, but not of the things we had planned, we read scriptures, but not those that we had planned. The spirit was there. And the miracle was that we did nothing. The members taught almost all of the lesson, we just helped them have a flow of some sort. We left these famiies pondering on their life, decisions, and desires of their hearts. We left a spirit that their home had previously lacked. The spirit is real. It brings us happiness in this life when we literally are in darkness. I've seen it and I know its real. 

I love to learn. I love to serve. I love Bolivia.

Oh. I love cake on my birthday too.

Hurrah for Israel!

Elder Gehring

Aftermath

Bday plates

Birthdays

Box of goodies

Cake from the LDZ

Cake in my face

Cake on my nose

Candles

Drawing from Melanie

Elder Knight and I (he's the assistant to president)

Elder Knight and I eating KFC

Emma's cat

Gering

Jumping rope

KFC

More opening

My stamp

Opening

Opening

Package

Package

Pedro and Laida

Pillows for the new houses

These are 2 empty water jugs. I'm using them as glasses. They didn't help me see better....

This is the pysical transfer board that has pictures of every missionary. And this is what president does when he doesn't want anyone to see the changes hahaha

 

Singing