WEEK 31 - The Mormon Wolf Of Wall Street

That’s the best way I could possibly describe my new mission president, President Garn. He is such a business guy it’s crazy. Like, I am living Succession right now. We were in a meeting with President Garn this last week and he brought in a guy who is the son-in-law of the apostle Elder Rasband and then took pictures of us and told us that he was going to send them to his father-in-law and that Elder Rasband knows all that we’re doing and trying to do with media in the mission. LIKE WHAT!?? Then President Garn proceeded to call in like 5 people to the meeting we were having and name drop Gladys Knight, Rudy Ruettiger, and the entire cast and crew of The Chosen. I think there are a lot of divine reasons why I am meant to serve with President Garn, especially in regards to what I want to do with my life after the mission.


In the full-time media team, everyone is on top of their game. The productivity is through the roof and it honestly feels like we are starting a startup company and straight out of The Social Network (2010). We go in and out of meetings with President Garn, Salt Lake City, other missions throughout North America, and within our own mission, getting from point A to point B in our shared minivan. In between never-ending phone calls and meetings, we spend our time diving into the depths of our assignments, my mind being completely filled with ideas of content, ads, and improvements we could implement to get to the point where we are baptizing 150 people from media this time next year (which President Garn divinely established as our goal). I am in charge of every single thing that this mission makes and completely responsible for making those things happen. In other words, I am living my dream. I have seemingly found a way to combine the passion of my heart and soul with the great and divine commission extended by Jesus Christ to bring other people unto Him, and it’s incredible. I can’t stop saying that, because it truly is. 


I have no other words to describe this past week. I’m living with four of the best missionaries of all time, in one of the most productive spaces ever, with my dreams right in front of me. Speaking of which, let me introduce y’all to the team. Elder Phan and Elder Naeini are the Social Media Leaders of the mission which essentially means they have as much power as the Assistants to the Mission President, without having that title. They are the ones that put this team together and they are the ones that make things happen. Thus, they are our leaders in this team (so appropriately named “Seal Team 6” by President Garn). Elder Scott and Elder Sanford are in charge of media referrals and training that is being implemented throughout the mission. Their goal is to train the mission on how to handle referrals, or people who knock on our doors. When people see our ads (that I make) or ads by the Church and they decide to click on them, we receive their information within our records and the ball is then in our court to reach out to those people and teach them. Media referrals are so much more likely to be willing to come unto Jesus Christ and to receive the missionaries, so they are incredibly precious. Elder Scott and Elder Sanford are here to make sure that the mission knows how to effectively contact and teach these referrals. The group consists of an Australian, Vietnamese speaking missionary (Elder Phan), a Chinese, Chinese speaking missionary (Elder Naeini), an American, Vietnamese speaking missionary (Elder Scott), an American, English speaking missionary (Elder Sanford), and me, an American, Spanish speaking missionary. We basically have the scope of the entire mission all in one shared apartment. 


Elder Sanford is also my companion and I love him; we connected almost instantly over our shared love for movies. He is like this older brother figure to me and I just know God (and Elder Phan and Elder Naeini) knew what He was doing putting me with him. In an environment where we are solely dedicated to media for the majority of our days, the synergy and motivation that a companionship needs is so vital to make sure that the area, as well as our friends, is taken care of. We only have four hours to proselyte within the day so when we do, we need to be as efficient and effective as possible, and because of Elder Sanford and I’s instant connection, the work really works–and it works really, really well. 


Even after we get home from proselyting, the work does not stop. We have been grinding until 11:30PM every night and then turning around and doing it all again starting at 6:00AM the next day. There is so much work to be done. Our goal, as I mentioned in the last email, is to become the best media mission in the entire world. To do this, we need to establish a culture where media can be cultivated and referrals can be taught, but we also need to have enough content that is being made, seen, and interacted with. We are laying the foundation for everything that is to come in this transfer. We are setting standards of excellence for the next three years that President Garn is serving as a Mission President. I couldn't be more excited. It is my own selfish desire that I might be able to do this for the rest of my mission and get to see the fruits of our tireless labors, and I firmly believe that I am a part of a great change that is going to happen within not only the Texas Houston South Mission, but also the world. Missionary work will never be the same after this transfer.


Well. I think that is it for me this week. I am definitely missing out on a ton of details, but I don’t have much time to write any more. Even on P-Day we are grinding. Like, we’re going to go get our hair cut by one of our friends and then get a tour of the ABC news studio here in Houston by the Second Counselor of our Mission, President Jacob Rascon, who is an anchor and journalist, and then go to a Brazilian steakhouse that one of our friends is taking us to–there is never a dull day here in the full time media team. I’ve also been given a computer (FINALLY) so expect lengthier emails from now on. Love y’all and make sure you follow Near Him and Vida Mejor Houston on FaceBook so you can see all the stuff I ever make or tell people to make.


P.S. Thank you for paying your tithing because you have allowed me to purchase an insane amount of film equipment. Like, an amount that President Garn had to check with his financier, as well as make some calls to Salt Lake to get. All because he wants me to be making the best content a mission has ever made. So, thank you.


If you want to see all the pictures ever, go here. 

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/6VcLH45f4rX9Q26j7    



If you want to see just this week's pictures go here. 

WEEK 31: 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8f1R3poRVjVszpvR9

























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