Dearest friends and family,
My last week in the office ended up being an incredible one!
I feel like I was able to do Quito perfectly. What I mean is: I started my
service in Ecuador far away from the offices of the mission here in Quito.
After that, I was sent a smidge closer but more north and east to Tulcan and
then Ipiales (Colombia). Later I went to Cayambe, considerably closer to Quito,
and then boom, I was assigned to a sector as close as you can get to the
mission office.
I arrived here on the 16th of October, a little less
than 6 months ago. I came with high hopes and lots of smiles. I learned a good
amount of the city and the bus system. We did amazing things every P-day
(Volcán Pululahua, Lago Cuicocha, 3 trips to Otavalo, Teleferico and hiking, Mindo
twice, basketball with President Murphy, bowling, Quicentro, Centro Historico,
and with so many laughs with Elders Morton, Castagno, George, Welch, Millett,
Aquino, and Ross.) I learned a new skill and the huge mission responsibility of
mission financial secretary. I ate new and different foods. We found, taught,
and baptized various people. I spent time in the homes of amazing families
(Familias Muñoz, Campo, Enriquez, Ordoñez, Rivera-Millan.) I feel like we have made
a difference here in this part of the world. We were able to help so many
people. I had amazing companions and felt closer to some of my best mission
friends. I received a lot of counsel and learned valuable life-lessons from the
direct contact I have enjoyed with President and Sister Murphy. I learned to be
and feel more confident and able in the ways I communicate. We have achieved
many things here. And now the time has come that I will take on a new adventure
in another part of the mission.
My new sector is a place called La Tolita in the
zone San Esmeraldas and my companion will be Elder Chavez. And I am so excited!
I’m going back to the coast (sorry Grandma Liz). I feel ready to go. I feel
pleased that President Murphy had the impression and confidence to send me
here, because I know it is exactly where I’ll need to be. I was feeling a
little like I wanted to leave the office and be a regular missionary, but President
has asked me to be zone leader of a 28 missionary zone and that has really rekindled
my fire to continue helping other missionaries as much as possible. That’s what
I love most! I’m also content knowing that this is probably the last time I
pack my bags and travel to a new sector. The next time I do that, I’ll be headed
for a very different destination. I love the feeling that I have yet again of
an unknown, undefined opportunity. It’s like a warm, yellow and red sunset on
the blue horizon of a new clear day. That is my favorite! There is no one
deciding what I’ll make of the next 4 months of my mission but me. Its “take 2”
at the coast and I know I'm going to do it much better this time. It’s time to
go, to see, and to conquer.
I relate that feeling directly to the one that I have about
my future after the mission. I have a lot of decisions to make. I’m stressed
thinking about it, but I am not worried. Like this one, that is just another
unknown, undefined opportunity, and I’m already content thinking about how I
know that I’ll go and do exactly what I need to.
Everyone, let’s look up as we press forward because life is
amazing and there is so much work to get done. If you do that, you’ll get to the
right place. Or maybe you won’t. Who cares, destiny is really good at giving us
lots of options that end up being the perfect ones.
With lots of my love,
Elder Ericksen
No comments:
Post a Comment