A Quick Review of our Days of Service

We are six months into this mission already. It is so amazing how fast time passes when you are busy. As mentioned before, we serve in the mission office from 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday. Sometimes the days are a little longer. Elder Servoss pays the bills for the mission and tries to keep everyone happy. Generally as long as he makes all of the rent payments before the first of the month, things go smoothly. He often does the paperwork to open new apartments. Sometimes he deals with billing errors and other financial matters. SAt times there are special projects with the cell phones. Usually the only requirement is the monthly review of the cell phone report.

Sister Servoss is constantly working on letters. She does sets of letters for each arriving and departing missionary. The parents are informed, the Stake President, the Bishop and sometimes others. She is very thankful for the computer and the things she is able to do with it. Once a month she also does the newsletter, complete with color pictures and graphics. She works on travel arrangements for the departing missionaries. She must coordinate the departure date and the city that they will return to. She then sends the information to Salt Lake and they do the flight reservations and scheduling. Every six weeks we have new missionaries arrive. She is involved in planning, preparing and serving meals to those arriving. Then the next day she does all of that for the departing missionaries. On the arrival night, each of the office staff makes a short presentation at the new missionary orientation meeting. It is so great to be able to get to know most of the missionaries and see some of the perspective of the mission president. Sister Servoss is usually the first one to be notified of the callings of new missionaries. We have a great life here and are happy to serve and help to lighten the load of the mission president and his wife.

On the weekends we are busy with the local Ward. Last Sunday we taught the Sunday School class. Sister Servoss used a great object lesson to illustrate our agency and ability to make choices. She displayed a brownie mix box, an egg, oil, and measuring spoons. She told the class what the instructions called for, but illustrated how she could change the mix of ingredients if she wanted. By making changes the end product would be different. Our choices in life are much the same. We can follow the "directions" and get a good end result, or not follow the directions and end up with something less than desired. In the mission field strict obedience is required and it brings great blessings. The positive attitude reaches new heights when everyone is obedient. One of the rules is for the young missionaries to arise at 6:30am to start their day. One of the Elders, who is an Idaho farm boy, said he is happy that he gets to sleep in until 6:30.