Houston, We Have a Problem
Hey friends! Welcome back to another week in the office or, for a more accurate description, mission control of mission São Paulo Leste. Why mission control, because every problem, even if it's not financially, passes by us and we often get to be the ones to solve it. You thought last week was crazy? Well you're right however… someway omehow… this week was even crazier. We were getting calls left and right of things that needed to be done, changed, or solved. Trainings, material runs, 2 zone conferences, emergency transfers, audit preparation, this week was non-stop. To preface this email: I love my APs so much and I love my calling as a secretary. I am not complaining, solely telling y'all all the adventures I have.
Zone Conference(s)
Zone conferences were Tuesday and Wednesday but for the office it was a week-long ordeal. This hecticness started Monday afternoon. We do not have an executive secretary or a materials secretary who handle the restock of all the materials missionaries, from copies of the Books of Mormon to random pens and pencils to getting lunch organized and tables delivered to the conferences. On Monday afternoon it set in that none of that had been done. Over the next few hours we organized materials and a delivery driver to get everything there the next day. Over 70 boxes full of Books of Mormon, pamphlets and other stuff. Monday evening we thought we had everything ready. We thought wrong. During our mission wide meeting the APs say that the secretaries (us) were preparing training manuals for all the new missionaries. We looked at each other extremely confused. We didn’t know about that. About an hour later we got a text from our APs asking us to print and assemble twenty-one, sixteen page training manuals in three languages to be used at a zone conference the next day. Back to the office it was. By the time we got back it was almost 9:30pm, time to get ready for bed but instead all 5 of us locked in on assembling the books. We told President that we were in the office late and his response was so funny (se my Google Photos). Anyways we ended up leaving at 10:40pm and didn't sleep until 11:20pm because we got pizza as a reward.
Tuesday was our zone conference, starting at 9:00am… but wait, the materials never actually got delivered, just organized in the office. That's because our delivery driver (the best member ever dealing with our last minute phone calls) wasn't able to start delivery runs until 9:30am and we had to be in the office to load the truck. I stayed with the other companionship while we sent my comps to conference to help unload. After 3 trips of deliveries, and watching parts of conference in between, everything got there. Great, now we can relax and listen to conference… nope! We found out that lunch was also not set up nor confirmed so we jumped right on that. The APs also had us set up the stage for our mission photo. After all that we got to watch a few more parts of conference and then lunch arrived and we went back to unload and set up. Finally finally we had a chill moment to breathe, eat lunch, chat with friends, and hang out. However it was just a moment because then we had to organize materials by area to get them all shipped off with their duplas. Eventually, everything was done and we were exhausted. I would even go much as to say that this description is an understatement. We got back to the office that night and had to assemble a few more training books and we even managed to squeeze in a lesson! After that it was straight to bed.
Wednesday we ran it all back again. I would tell you again but it's practically the same story. Organizing, deliveries, more organizing, lunch and photo setup, lunch, distributing, and this time add clean up to the list. 48 hours of almost nonstop work but I wouldn't trade it for anything. The blessings came when I got to sit and chat with a lot of good friends that I wouldn't have had the chance to see otherwise. Also, yes, we had to go back on Friday with our delivery driver to get all the tables and extra materials back to the office. Literally a week long ordeal I am not lying. Was this week hectic? Yes. Am I exhausted? Of course. Did I love it? Yes. I wouldn't change a thing.
Mission Control
On top of the zone conference problems we ran into we also got lots of phone calls this week with more problems. Thursday night we got a phone call from our beloved APs at 10:35pm, “Elders we have an emergency transfer, we need bus tickets for 4:30am.” “Okay, we are on it.” Good thing we literally love 15 seconds from the office. My comp and I went over to the office and didn't leave until almost 1am. We couldn't find the credit card information, our senior secretaries weren't answering, the websites were down, nothing was going right but after lots of prayers, inspired problem solving, and a prompting to make a phone call, we were able to get the bus tickets and get the Elders safely to the office.
On Friday, President was in the office with us to solve a bunch of problems before our office audit. This included us finding missing payments, getting hundreds of documents signed, organizing 3 months of invoices in numerical order, and random other missionaries problems. As we solve problems more come in. It's insane.
Saturday, today, was our p-day… or was it? I was woken up to another AP call needing Ubers called for more emergency transfers. 30 minutes later there was a delivery at the office that we weren't expecting. It wasn't even 8am, already two office runs. Crazy. We went to brunch with Bishop but in the middle of it I got multiple calls needing bus tickets purchased for the emergency transfer. I got back that handled and I left to try to have a little P-Day just to get another phone call about someones internet not being activated hahaha and spent an hour trying to resolve that. I am telling you, we hear about everything. I want y'all to know that I am not complaining. I love this hectic life, yes I am exhausted but I love the work I have been called to do.
Random
We went to Liberdade, Japan in Brazil today
Got hung up on by firefighters
Took a side quest to our mission borders
My best friends got married?!?!? Shout-out Bella and Daniel!
We had a family night in our senior couple's house! We brought so many friends it was so nice.
Worked more on P-Day than any other day
Quotes
“Esses assistentes… (Translation: These assistants)” [Presidente Andrade, 5/4/2026]
God's Hand
Loving friends
Seeing my best friends in the mission yet again
Emails
Smiles
Answered prayers
A moment of reflection in the chapel
Hearing my favorite song on guitar
Spiritual Thoughts
I loved this week and the work I got to do but when I wasn't doing things I felt pretty down. I was worried about a lot of things, thinking a lot about friends, families, school, work, a bunch of different situations and it all got to my head. That feeling does not mix well with being physically, mentally, and socially exhausted. As I had a few minutes to myself in the chapel I prayed and reflected. “Why, with all the good I have been doing, do I feel down?” One thought came to mind, I was forgetting my Savior. I was trying to do everything myself, I was not looking to Him for help or strength. I will be honest I am still struggling with it, every now and then I have to remind myself to look for Him in every moment. It's not easy sometimes but I do know that I will feel lighter and happier as I continue to look to Him because I have felt that happiness before.
In his October 2023 General Conference talk Elder Alan T. Phillips quoted President Russell M. Nelson saying, “You come unto Christ to be yoked with Him and with His power, so that you’re not pulling life’s load alone” (God Knows and Loves You). I know this to be true and it will be something that I focus on this week and invite you to focus on as well.
I am sorry if this email was hard to follow or wasn't very entertaining. It was lowkey a rough p-day (hence the late email), it really didn't even feel like p-day, I did so much work but hey I survived and you did too. That being said I also didn't get to respond to any of you which I feel really bad about. Please forgive me. I will try my best to get back to you next week! I love you all! Send me your favorite hymns!
Até logo,
Elder Urbano
