March 26, 2012

Dear Family:

Hey everyone!!!!! Wow life as the assistant is very busy!!!!! Especially the week after transfers, you are very busy! But now things are beginning to "slow down.":) This has been a way fun week! Really even though it has been a flood of information and of things to try and remember, moving from place to place it has been a super fun week! I can tell that I am going to enjoy the opportunity to be serving with Pres and Sis Shulz!

So this is what has happened since the last time we emailed....

Last Saturday was transfer news day! In all honesty the whole day my stomach kept turning for no apparent reason. We went about our day and then I received a phone call from President. He said, "Hello who am I speaking to? I said "this is Elder Alba President." He started to laugh and said that he knew it was me he just wanted to make sure I knew it was me. He proceeded to say that we had a big transfer coming up and that there were going to be a lot of new assignments and that he had a new assignment for me. I said, "President I will do whatever you want me to do." He said, "Even to go to Buokrom (the area I was supposed to go to last transfer)?" I said "Would you like me to go there?" He laughed and said, "no!", he then said wanted me to pack my bags and to come to Cape Coast. He said he wanted me to come and be his assistant. The way that he said it, it was almost in the way of saying "I need you to come home." So I said, "ok President, I can do that for you." He said that he and Sister Shulz would also help train me and that we would all work together with the things that were coming up in the mission. And that was when President called me to be his new AP!

So Monday Elder Hair (We served and worked together in Sunyani. He is a great Missionary!) and the old AP came and picked me and all the other missionaries who were going home and took us to the mission home. That night was their going away dinner and interviews with Pres. and Sis. Shulz and then the next day (Tues) it was off to Accra! We arrived at the temple, got changed and went straight into the session! The temple was amazing!!!! I miss the temple so much!! It is going to be sweet being able to go every 6 weeks from now on:) The temple was so great! It amazed me how much I could remember from it even though it had been so long since I had gone! It was a very neat experience!

After the temple we took everyone to the airport! It was weird to see everyone going and to say good bye to them! IT was weird to think that in just about 6 months it would be my turn to board the plan and make the trek home:) We got everyone and then it was straight to the MTC to pick up the new guys, we spent the night there and then came back Wed. morning and had a small orientation. President Shulz asked Elder Hair and me to instruct on the morning and evening routine and the importance of it. So I talked about the Morning routine and how it is the indicator of how the rest of your day is gong to be. I shared the quote by Elder Holland said about the way the you go about your morning routine is and indicator of how your day will be, your week will be, your month, your mission, and how the rest of your life is going. I  think that it went really well. It is good to see all the new missionaries and to welcome them to the mission.

Everyday we have been going over and learning different responsibilities of the AP. There is A LOT!!! And learning to drive a clutch as well... I am actually doing really well! I have really only killed it maybe a handful of times! You would be very surprised:) So now when I go home I will be able to drive any car:) This coming Wednesday we will go again out to Accra to get my license!

There are also some nice little perks to be the AP: hot shower, AC, traveling around the mission, but the best part really is being with Pres. and Sis. Shulz. Just being with them you really do learn a lot from them! I look forward to the chance to continue to work with them and to be able learn from them! They are such great people! I am glad for the chance to spend time with them and learn from them!

I can really see that with this new assignment that time is just going to fly by! This past week, because it has been so busy, the time has just flown by!!!! I can't believe that it is already Monday! So if time goes by this fast, imagine as things get closer to the mission split and then before I know it I will be at the end of my mission! I will just have to adsorb all the new stuff and be prepared to do all that I can to be able to fulfill my assignment and to do all that President needs me to do.

So for the newsletter: "My friends!!!!! It is such a wonderful blessing that we as missionaries have to be lead by such inspiring men as our Mission Presidents. Just from the first week that I have been serving as the AP here, I have seen how much our Mission Presidents do for us as missionaries and how much they care about us. They have so many responsibilities, so many things on there minds that they are constantly worried about, but they are so in-tune with the Spirit at all times! I would encourage you all to pray for your Mission Presidents everyday and to express your gratitude to them either in person, our in your Presidents letter every week! I am grateful that I can learn from Pres. Shulz at this time! Make the most of the time you have left on mission! Before you know it, you be boarding the plane heading back home:) Thanks for the great examples that all of you are to me!!! Keep up the good work!

Thank you all so much for all that you do for me! I love you all so much and look forward to hearing from you next week! Love you!

Love your son and brother,

Elder Ryan S. Alba