Big News from Colorado

From 5/31/16 email:

So a lot has happened this last week...

So last Monday at about 5:30pm I got a phone call from President Mendenhall. He asked me about the tail light I accidentally broke on our truck (haha long story), and asked me if I broke the other one. Haha. He then asked me to take it off speaker phone and I honestly thought he was going to chew me out for breaking the tail light! He then told me that he and Sister Mendenhall (his wife) were on the phone and calling to talk to me about something. Sister Mendenhall then said, "Elder Takis, we've been fighting and praying about this for a long time!" I was really kind of confused, but I wondered about what President was going to say. He then said, "Elder Takis, would you be willing to accept the assignment to be the next Assistant to the President...?"

My heart about leapt out of my chest!! Haha I didn't really know what to say. The previous transfer I thought I got out of it, I only have 2 transfers left!!! It's pretty RARE to call a missionary this late into his mission to be an Assistant.  I REALLY didn't want to be assigned to be an Assistant, but of course I would accept anything my mission president asked. I accepted the assignment and they then told me what I was up against the next week and a half. I needed to help out with transfers and on top of that I need to prepare for a training for MLC's and prepare trainings for zone conference next week!!! I tell you what, I have never been more exhausted in my ENTIRE life!!! In order to have transfer information ready in time for the missionaries to see, we had to be up to about 2:00 am every night this last week, updating changes to transfers. Haha I was so tired, it was all I could do just to not fall over walking into appointments!!

I'm pretty nervous, but not as nervous as I could be! This is quite a shock to everyone here in the Colorado Denver North Mission, including me and my companion! My companion is ELDER SEKONA!!!!!!! Hahahaha we are comps for a 3rd time!!!! :D And he is killing me off!! President told me this is where I'm dying and Elder Sekona would see me to the end! I picked him up, and he's taking me home!! It's like a dream come true!!! :D I have been in a trio the last week with Elder Sekona, and Elder Brinkerhoff (he's been the Assistant for ages), it's been so much fun!!! So that is the big news from over here in Colorado.

Elder Sekona, President Mendenhall, Elder Brinkerhoff, Elder Takis
working on transfer doctrine

Hope all is well!! Love you all!!

Elder Takis

(P.S. from the mom--the family has been wondering what the first thing Elder Takis is going to do when he gets home, so I told him our suppositions and asked him.  His reply, "Haha, honestly I'm not sure what the first thing I'm going to do is...go bonkers being away from the mission, probably!")