WHAT ?!?!?!?! I'M TRAINING?!?!?!?!?!

So...uh....this week has been the craziest week of my mission. Actually only the craziest 48 hours of my mission. So the first part of our week was pretty good. We've been painting, painting, and painting our apartment for the most of the week in our free time (and because we don't have the largest teaching pool in the world, we kind of had a lot of free time). We had our apartment inspected a few weeks ago, and during it, the senior couple that did the inspection mentioned that we needed to talk to our landlord about getting us paint so that we can make it look better. It wasn't anything we did that made it so bad...it's just...old. The building itself is at least 45 years old, and missionaries have been living in it for a good 10 years. You can only imagine what an apartment looks like that have had bored teenagers living in it for ten years... There were tons of little holes, dents, scratches, etc. in all the walls, so we fixed those up, fixed some of the heaters along the floor, replaced all the old light bulbs, and did a whole bunch of other handyman work. After that, we got a few buckets of paint from our landlord and painted all of the walls in the downstairs portion of our apartment. We haven't gotten to the ceiling, yet, but it automatically looked 500% better. We put two thick coats on so that the walls look brand new (although you can still see the imprints and little dents in the wall). We've just been in handyman mode lately. The senior couple in charge of maintaining the apartments is absolutely in love with us. They're so happy that we're doing this because we're making the apartment so much better for the missionaries that will live here after us. So yeah...the only thing we need to do now is replace the carpet. I said that the building is at least 45 years old...well the carpets are just about as old as the building. They are absolutely disgusting. We probably vacuum 3 times a week...but they're just so bad that you can't really do anything with them. They are supposed to be a light cream color, but they are mostly a darker brown everywhere. Along the edges against the wall, and up the stairs, though...they are almost black...no joke. It's really gross. I hate walking on it with bare feet. Haha we took carpet cleaner and a rag and scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed one area of the carpet, and when we saw what color he carpet was supposed to be, we wanted to throw up...

But anyways...that's all soon to be taken care of. Back to the much much crazier part of my week:

So on Tuesday, Elder Sprunt (the companion of the Elder that went home last cycle) went home himself. He went home for a much different reason, and will be returning in just a couple weeks. A couple of years ago he had a cyst removed from around his tailbone, but recently it's been slowly getting worse again and is starting to become inflamed. He just had to go home and have a simple surgery on it, but then he can be right back out. In the South Manhattan zone, there is another elder who is also having some problems and will be going home for a while. So...President Morgan decided that he would just do what he was going to do in three weeks at transfers anyway, just a little early. While Elder Sprunt drove to Scarsdale to go home, he took Elder Nielson with him!! So Elder Nielson is in South Manhattan right now!! What the hay?! 

So what ended up happening is me and Elder Fuller, the only two elders left in this district, are now companions...and we are having to cover both of our areas!! Ahhhhh!! Not again!! So as of now, we are PACKED this week of things that we have to do in both of our areas/wards. It's okay, though, because it makes the work SO much easier when you are busy...plus I love Elder Fuller. He's such a good (NORMAL) guy! I get along with him great!! I actually feel like I can be myself around him.

So anyways...if that wasn't enough...President Morgan called me yesterday and told me that because Elder Sprunt went home, and he was the district leader, he wants ME to serve as district leader!!!!! Ahhhhhh!! I've never been in a leadership position before, except in the MTC as a zone leader (but we all know that that doesn't really count....nobody knew what they were doing in there haha!). I'm soooo nervous. But I know that it will be really good for me. I've noticed that I'm not exactly the most self-motivated person in the world, but when I have others counting on me, and I have to be an example to others, I do much better. I'm hoping that it will be the same thing with this.

If THAT wasn't enough....there's one more thing that's the icing on the cake with this whole crazy mess....

So on Monday, when we were figuring out Elder Sprunt's traveling plans, we were talking to President Morgan and he was telling us all what was going to happen. He told Elder Sprunt that he would be returning to this district when he comes back, and that he will be with Elder Fuller again. Then he goes, "...and as for Elder Stafford....well, unless The Lord suddenly changes his mind last minute...you're going to be training a brand new missionary out of the MTC next cycle...."

......................

WHAT?!?!?!  I'M TRAINING?!?!?!?!  I don't know how to train someone!!!!  Oh my word...I just about died.....

Oh my.....this has all just been too much haha. I don't even know what to think. I'm like not even freaking out anymore. I'm more just in a daze haha. This has been the most insane few days of my life. One minute me and Elder Nielson were just boppin' along here in Newtown having fun...when suddenly he gets thrown down to South Manhattan, Elder Sprunt goes home, me and Elder Fuller have to take care of two areas at the same time, I get told that I'm going to be a dad (that's what we call trainers here: "dads" and their trainees are their "sons"), AND I'm going to become a district leader for the first time.......

So yeah...there ya have it...the most random and crazy weekly letter I hope you ever get from me. Hahaha! oh gosh....I'm doomed.... :)

Anyways...let me know how all of you are doing this week. I hope everyone stays safe and out of trouble...especially you Grandma! I know how much of a trouble maker you are! Haha just kidding :) but yeah...I'll talk to you all next week if I make it through these next 7 days!! Love you!!

-your soon to be dead missionary,

Elder Stafford