Elder Rose is the new District Leader!!!

 Yep the title gave it away...Luke just got called as  DISTRICT LEADER!!!!  Holy cow that was fast!  He has only been in Argentina for about 2 1/2 months and already taking on some new responsibilities.  He is feeling VERY humbled right now.   And besides being a District Leader, he is also going to be training a new missionary in about a week.  CRAZY!  

This week he poured his heart out to the Branch President and told him he is here for the Coriantes Branch  and wants to serve the people.  And he asked him to be patient with him because he has a lot of learning to do.  And then the Branch President opened up to him and asked what Luke thinks the Branch needs.  Luke was very honest and told him if they study the handbook more that they would be blessed.  He said they should focus on the talks in Sacrament meeting so they are more focused on Christ.  The Branch President loved his counsel and they are both excited to work with each other more closely.  

Luke's cute companion Elder Ramos is going to be missed BIG TIME when he goes home next week.  He has taught Luke so much and they have truly come to love each other.  Luke told him he is going to have a hard time trying to take his place in the branch as the senior companion and Elder Ramos wisely told him not to try to be Elder Ramos but to be Elder Rose.  He is seriously such a good role model for Luke and I thank Heavenly Father everyday that Luke started his mission out on the right foot with such a great trainer.  

Luke said they had a great week and worked very hard.  They were so obedient and got up on time and went to bed on time each night.  They worked their tales off and then on Saturday started a very sincere and fervent fast, asking Heavenly Father to help the people they were working with to come to church.  So Sunday morning when they woke up starving they were dreading having to wait the 3 hours until church started.  They were both exhausted and decided it wouldn't hurt to take another 20 minute nap.  So they got up at 7:00 am but went back to bed.  All of a sudden they woke to their phone ringing and it was the other elders in their branch wondering where they were...it was 10:00 am!!!!!!!  YIKES!  Church starts at 10:00!!!!!  Luke jumped up totally freaked out!  They got up and dressed immediately and then RAN to church.  Coriantes is having record heat right now and it was 118 degrees!  That's crazy hot! They got to the church and then the brother who is at the door that takes everyone's temperature took theirs and they were way to hot!  So they had to run out in the shade and fan themselves to cool off after their frantic run to church.  They finally cooled down and they let them in.  The other kicker is that Luke was supposed to speak!!!!!  By this time it's 10:30 and luckily the speakers are last.  He is sitting there fretting and trying to think of what he was going to say (he was kicking himself because he was so excited to address the branch but didn't get a chance to prepare).  But then there was a tender mercy and the two speakers went over time and so they postponed his talk another week. :) PHEW!  ha ha ha!

I am so proud of Luke and the growth he is experiencing.  It is so amazing to hear him talk about the people he is serving, I can feel  the love he has for them.  And I think the thing I love the most is hearing him recognize God's hand in the work.  He will tell me about the little miracles that God puts in his path and it touches my heart and reminds me of when I was a missionary and I was constantly in awe of the tender mercies and miracles that I witnessed.  

I love that boy!  What a blessing it is to be able to talk to him each week.  He just talks and talks and has so much to tell us and it is a complete JOY!  I need to learn to just keep my Mondays open.  This morning he talked for almost 2 hours!  The gospel is TRUE!