Funny how things work out

TMFKATB and Elder S

For all two of you who pay really close attention to the photos that make their way into the Den, you may be saying, "Today's picture is a repeat, doofus. Get it together."
I know it's a repeat and there's a reason why.

Today's letter from TMFKATB was full of reassurances of that everything is going "super well!" It had been a good week but today was transfers and that can be challenging. Transfers can mean leaving an area you love and a companion you've worked really well with. It could also mean you're staying in an area that's been really difficult or you're going to be with that absurdly challenging missionary for one more transfer.

TMFKATB loves the area he's been working in for the last several months and has really enjoyed working with and learning from his companion. Today, he learned that his companion was being assigned to a new area and that his new companion wasn't new at all. TMFKATB's new companion is one of his favorites, a missionary he trained when he was brand-new to the mission. TMFKATB now gets to train him in the leadership role that they currently have. Suffice to say, he was, in his own word, "pumped!" He'd wanted very much to serve with Elder S again, so it's funny it has worked out the way that it has. So to honor the fact that they are working together again, I had to repeat a picture from their first go-round. We are happy for him.

It made for a good Monday. Given the week ahead, I'm glad it started that way.

Now that was a surprise

New companion, new house, new city. Wait...what?

With Winter Storm Juno and its evil love child, the Blizzard, which is so unfortunate to be known as because who doesn't love a Blizzard from the Diary Queen, bearing down on us, it might have been easy to forget that it's Monday and the day we hear from TMFKATB.

I say might have been because just after noon, I was finally able to come up for air from a super fun Monday of work, when his first email arrived. Like last week, he surprised us again. It's safe to say he was surprised himself. Not only did he get a new companion, a young man from Guatemala, and is acting as his trainer, he found out that he and his new missionary were being assigned to a new city. Right. Then.

So his missionary life pretty much changed overnight. He's a trainer, a brand-new district leader, and now trying to figure his away around a town he's never been in in his life and he knows not a soul. But, as he pointed out, he found a good hamburger place (he is his father's son). His letter reflected a little sense of being overwhelmed but his attitude overall was positive. He has a remarkable ability to find the good in pretty much any situation. That will serve him well the rest of his life.

We're glad to know where he is. It's funny that we spent a week thinking he was still in his old area and that all was well. The fact of the matter is that all was well, just in a new city. We're glad to know his companion is a native Spanish speaker. I'm glad he found a good burger joint. He's going to have to take me back there one day. I can't wait.

One thing I can wait for is this #Snowmageddon2015 foolishness. When you are hashtagging a storm, something has jumped the shark. Anyway, I've got to go figure out how to fire up my generator in case, as the weather hysterics are predicting, we lose power. This is one time when I need the internets to prove it is not "an infinite well of nothing" (all credit to the brilliant Mike Birbiglia) for that, so YouTube fail me not! Let's go find an instructional video!

When the trainee becomes the trainer

My favorite picture that he's sent us so far

We've tried to plan our Mondays around the 'ding' of the bell announcing there's something in the email inbox. That something, of course, is an email from TMFKATB. Today, he surprised us by being on 30 minutes earlier than usual.

Once we read the first couple of lines of his letter, we knew why he was early. He had news. His trainer is being reassigned to Tuxtla Gutierrez (TG) and TMFKATB was heading to TG as well to pick up his new companion - a brand-new missionary. After just about three months in country, TMFKATB will be training. He is also being given a leadership assignment and so his letter was full of appeals for prayer on his behalf. He has no idea if the new missionary he'll be training is an American or from Mexico or any where else in the world. He'll know more tonight. He's glad he's staying in his little town for now.

Although feeling a tad overwhelmed today, he's happy. The picture at the top of this post nails it for me. He has embraced the people he's serving and they are his family. I just look at that picture, that smile, and I am at ease.

Now, because he is my son and the manzana does not fall far from el arbol, he shared a couple highlights of his culinary adventures as well:

Green Enchiladas

Of these green enchiladas, which look freaking amazing, he said, "We ate these amazing green enchiladas. It was incredible. Super spicy and so dang good. I can't eat anything now without a tortilla!"

Apparently, he likes these gems

Of the cookies, he said, "Also these are the best cookies in the world. BUY THEM. DAD YOU WILL DIE. THEY ARE SO DANG GOOD."

The screaming ALL CAPS were his so apparently he means business. So it's a good thing I have the day off today. I'm on a hunt. So far, Amazon doesn't have them. Looks like I may need to hit a mercadito when I'm in the city later this week. I mean what kind of father would I be if I DIDN'T find these taste treats?