Zone Leader Adventures

Hey Family,

Today I hit 11 months!!!!!! Almost got that first year done, and I feel like there is so much to do before I finish my first year.

Sorry, this is going to be short this week, I can barely sit up to write. Today I woke up really sick with a fever and vomiting. Getting out of bed, I passed out. The mission doctor came and checked me out this afternoon, and I am now taking a bunch of medicine. (With all of the travel and the medicine, I had to take out some money. Sorry!) If I still have a fever tomorrow, I have to go get my blood tested every three days..:(. Please pray for me because right now I don't have time to be sick. I think it is from all of the traveling that I did this week, mixed with the stress of a new assignment, and not to mention it has been raining non-stop since we got here. The river flooded the other day and we were walking knee deep in water.

Elder Cavenee and Elder Barrientos "The Rain came and Floods Came UP!"

So...I am Zone Leader in Cuotza. My companion is Elder Barrientos and we are in charge of 10 elders and sisters. It is crazy being a Zone Leader. Apart from worrying about you own area, we are responsible for making sure all of the others areas are completing  their goals. Our zone is a bunch of areas spread out with about an hour commute in between each area. We are constantly on the phone with the assistants or with our district leaders to see what's going on in every area and to give reports. It is very stressful.

Normally when it is an Elder's first time being a zone leader, they are put as junior companion, so that they can learn from their companion how to be a zone leader. Elder Barrientos only has 6 months in the mission, I only have 11and it is the first time being zone leader for the both of us. They called me as Zone Leader 1, that's senior companion, so we have no-one teaching us how to be zone leaders. It is very exciting. As zone leaders we are going to be traveling a lot to do baptismal interviews for our district leaders and divisions with the rest of the Elders.

Elder Cavenee and Elder Barrientos Zone Leaders of this Zone

Elder Barrientos and I are like twins. We have the same ideas, like the same things, and work in the same way. He is an awesome companion, and I feel that we are going to have a lot of success together. He really wants to work, fast and hard...which I love:)

My new area is 4 Caminos in Agua Dulce Veracruz. It is an awesome area. I don't know if it is better than Frontera yet, but it might be. The difference is that here it is always raining and there are so many hills. The people here are so nice. They almost always accept to listen to us. It is amazing. We were going to have a baptism this last Saturday, but the nerves got to her, so we have to work with her a lot this week to get her to feel the Spirit and help her be confident. We also have several other investigators working towards baptism too. Right now though, we are praying and working to find a family, or several families to teach. We set a goal to baptize 15 this transfer, and I think that we can do that. Pray for us and for all the people that we meet…that they might be willing to listen to us, and that the Spirit will be able to touch their hearts.

We decorated the house with the lights that you sent, and my companion bought a little Christmas tree. It is so fun getting ready for Christmas. We are helping the ward plan several activities. My companion and I are also planning a Christmas dinner for the bishopric and their wives in our ward. This month is going to be super fun.

Matching Ties....Brett's request for Christmas.  These are Christmas ties.

Right now we are using the new Christmas video that the Church put out called ''Ha Nacido un Salvador'' or ''A Savior is Born''. It is a really awesome video and my favorite kid is the little black one. He talks with a ton of emotion and excitement.

During this season, remember the true reason that we celebrate Christmas. Yeah...it's fun to get and give presents, or decorate every inch of the house, but the true meaning is that Christ was born. Think about what our lives would be like without Him. Remember Him.

I Love you all and hope you have an amazing week. Any of you can use any of the things that I sent home:) Enjoy them.

Love,

Elder Cavenee

P.S.

Zone Coatza

The rains came down and the floods came up

Matching Ties