My friends. Life is wacky, no?
I couldn't tell you what happened before last Wednesday if I tired, It's all a transfer madness blur.
Wednesday: Transfer week P-day. I didn't sleep remarkably well the night before, way too anxious. All the missionaries went to the church to play Minute to Win It as a Zone and wait for transfer calls. Me and Sister Garner were destroyed. I won one game, and it was pretty embarrassing. Apparently I have a talent for emptying a tissue box full of ping pong balls by shaking my hips. But, all is well. As a missionary you learn to #owntheawkwrd.
Finally the transfer calls came. President Daines started his first transfers with a BOMB. 13 of the 23 missionaries in my zone were transferred. 70% of the mission's companionships were affected. It was a madhouse. No one was safe, whether you'd been in your area for 6 weeks or 7 months.
We got the call that it was Sister Garner's time to move onward and upward. I am very happy for her. She has a chance to expand her horizons and grow some more. I'll miss her too.
In our ward we had us sisters, a trio made up of two Zone Leaders and Elder Mallory, and the Whitehall Elders. We expected some change since Elder Doermann was finishing his last transfer, and sister Garner had been here for 7 1/2 months. What we didn't expect was the trio/zone leaders to be TRIPLED OUT. They're all gone. That's pretty rare. Out of the 7 missionaries in our ward only I and Whitehall stayed. Then... Elder Pyt in Whitehall got a text at 2:30 in the morning that he would actually be transferred anyways. Anarchy. Now It's just I and Elder Carroll.
The rest of the day was chaos as we tried to say goodbye to every heart that Sister Garner had won over her 7 1/2 months here. It was an emotional night.
Thursday I received my new companion Sister Loder. She is 19 years old and from South Jordan Utah. Sis Lola has been out for 9 months, and was in one area that whole time. That's as rare as a two-horned unicorn. I'm only her third companion as well. I think she's digging the change.
I love having Sister Loder here. She is super chill and has the same priorities and goals as I do. We're both passionate about not only classic missionary work but reactivation as well. Have you heard about the new refocus the first presidency put out for missionaries and less active work? If not, look it up. It's time to go to the rescue of our lost brothers and sisters.
Moral of the story: Change is hard. That is the best part of it. sometimes God asks us to step out of our habits and comfort zones. I know that in the past I would get so obsessed with understanding why things needed to change and what it meant for me, that I missed the sweet tender mercies that come when you trust God and follow him willingly down any path he leads you. Sometimes those paths don't make sense. Sometimes nothing seems to come from our sacrifices. But I assure you, if God has asked you to do it, It is only for your benefit. he loves us so much more than we can understand.
Everyday I fall short. Everyday I mess up and do something ridiculous.
Everyday I improve. I am stronger every time I fall, and rise from knees in prayer. I am so grateful.
The work is hastening here in Gahanna. The hastening is working on me. How about you?
Much Love from Ohio!!!!
Mary mary
Mary's new companion...Sister Loder :)
Sister G and Mary's friend from home, Amy.
No comments:
Post a Comment