And goodbye to the iPod. FYI, the term “thensologue” for those unaware is a word David made up himself meaning “quote from a movie.” Sort of like “thrithamoth”, that blast of hot air that you feel when you open the oven. I don’t make this stuff up. David does.
Anyway, after nearly 6 months in the same city, David is moving on. But where you ask? Read on.
Subject: (from Groundhog Day) “I’m a god. I’m not THE god. I don’t think.”
This week was a week of change. Everything is different now. First, congratulations to Julie and Dave for James’s progress. That’s super good news! I’m glad that he’s doing alright, but am a little sad I haven’t seen this picture with his eyes open yet...
Biggest news chronologically: My iPod got stolen. That’s stupid. Here’s the story. I never take it out of the house because I’m, ironically, scared someone will steal it. So on Wednesday, when we had district meeting at the church, of course I left it there, sitting on my desk, plugged into the speakers, like always. Elder Hardy and Elder Gonzalez came late to the meeting, so they were still in the house for a bit, and the guys who bring our purified water came by. It’s two guys, so one started loading the water in the house, and for some unfathomable reason Elder Hardy and Elder Gonzalez both went outside to talk to the other guy. Good, guys. Leave a strange Latin in our house alone. After that, they left, but Elder Gonzalez had forgotten his Preach My Gospel, so he went back to the house to get it with Elder Pineda, another Latin Elder. When I got back to the house after the meeting, no iPod. But also stupidly enough, that was the only thing they took. Not my comp’s camera, not the speakers even. So I called the water guys, and it turns out that they’re the owners of this branch and have been running it for nine years without ever receiving a single report like this before. They even have police background checks and stuff. Crazy. But we’ve been investigating for a while now, and it seems like they’re the only ones that could have done it. But it’s stupid. And I feel bad, because if I catch one of them, he loses his job. It’s lame.
“Well, at least I’ve still got this watch.”
“You stole that from my kin!”
“Yeah, well he was going to rat us out anyway.”
“You didn’t know that!”
“Well I was borrowing it until we DID know!”
I’ll give a quarter to anyone who tells me what that was from.
Elder Wardlow and I finally had changes. He headed off to Belize this morning. It was kind of expected, since even the president told him to pack his bags, since he’d be leaving, over a week ago. But still. We spent all day Sunday saying goodbye to everyone, and reassuring them that I would come back with my new comp soon. I was kind of happy that he was leaving and not me, though, because next month we are basically guaranteed four baptisms, three of which are a super powerful, golden family. The fourth was a guy that has wanted to get baptized, but for some reason just wants to do it in February. And I was thinking that maybe Henry will get out of jail soon, so he might get baptized, too.
Still, waiting for changes was intense. We had bets on what was going to happen. I figured I would move up to Senior Comp or something, and Elder Hardy (came in the same time as me) would train. I didn’t even dare dream that I’d train. Or move up to district leader, even, although neither would have been odd as far as mission assignments go. It took forever for them to come, but they did last night. Elder Wardlow, being district leader, answered and got to know first, which is frustrating. Super intense. But here, at the turn, I must leave you, Arrington family, yes YOU Arrington family, sitting at your computers, awaiting your deaths for my murder.
Sorry, I couldn’t think of a good way to end that thensologue. Also, I have nothing else with which to say here before I move on except that this computer doesn’t want me to upload pictures. Frustrating.
Also, we got a baptism this week. His name was Alex, and it was really sweet. He knew all the doctrine, but didn’t handle the pressure of his interview very well, so he failed it. We retaught him, had another interview, and it was great. Then the baptism on Saturday. That makes five so far in Atiquizaya.
So yeah, changes came, and they weren’t what we expected. Elder Wardlow still was going to Belize. Elder Gonzalez is opening an area with a missionary who is changing over from the East mission. Elder Hardy is training. And me? I’m leaving. Two new Elders are coming into Atiquizaya. So much for my sweet family. An Elder Lopez gets them, and he’ll also be training.
And where am I going? San Salvador, in an area called, I think, Monserrat. As the new General Secretary of the Mission.
Wait, what?
I’m still not super clear about what that means, but this is what I’ve gathered. I’m the guy in charge of anything the president needs. When people call the office, be it upset parents missing their missionaries, area seventies, the prophet, etc., I talk to them. I will be in the office, and my job will basically mean I have to know more about our mission than any other person in the world, including the president. I’ll be working closely with him and the assistants, so I’ll learn a ton. But I’ll still have four hours or so to proselyte, and I’ve heard that the area is nice. And I get to live in an even nicer house than I’m in now. And Elder French, the current secretary, will train me for this change. Oh, and no big deal, but I get to drive a car.
So there you go. Make of it what you will, but I’m excited for this opportunity. Basically I’ll be in charge of all communication throughout the mission. And I get to pick up the mail, so I don’t have to wait forever to get letters.
Okay, I’m out of time, but hopefully that was a very exciting email for you all. Thank you Emily, Dad, Mom, and Stacey for your emails. I rather enjoyed them all.
I love you all, and keep emailing me. I love it!
Elder David Arrington
PS: Just in case you were thinking about it, you may not need to buy me a new iPod. I’ll be in the office for a while with a computer, so I may be able to just access a homeserver music thing if it works better. I’ll let you know.
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