Dear Family!
Last night we had to teach the assistants how to do call in
numbers, since we do that and they are taking it over. Well the Monad
Sisters were at the office for a second and I was talking to Sister
Taylor about who my new companion would be, her name is Sister Harwood.
Sister Taylor Told me what an amazing Sister she is and that we will
have a great companionship :) so that's good to hear. She also told me
that she has been serving in Helena, so when we were teaching the
assistants about numbers I decided to look at the mission directory and
sure enough she is in Helena...so I am pretty sure I am being doubled in
also. Crazy stuff. I really do hope that we are doubled in because I
like being doubled it..it's hard, but it's a fresh start and me and my
companion are on the same level. I feel like this is going to be a huge
adventure haha, I am very excited for it though. Doubled out and Doubled
in...I don't even know what to think. I used to think being double out
only happened to bad missionaries, but I have met some that are amazing,
so I know that is not true, and I know it is the same for me. I can
honestly say that I put my heart and soul into this area. I have done my
best and worked my hardest. I love Billings Montana.
On our drive out to Lockwood to see Jared and Luke a
thought poped into my head and it was "could you have ever imagined
being here, so happy in Billings Montana, when about a year and a half
ago I opened my call and cried thinking Billings Montana, that does not
even sound nice" Wow...how dumb was I. I can truly say I know God has a
plan that is so much greater and will bring us so much more joy than the
best plan we could come up with on our own. Billings Montana, as well
as my other areas have become home. I have learned to rely on the one
constant I have which is the Gospel. I have gained a love for my Savior
that I never knew I could have. The gospel is my life, with out it I
could not do anything. The Book of Mormon makes me happy, it helps my
day, and is just joyful to study. The Montana Billings Mission is the
plan God has for me and it is so much better than anything I could have
imagined. I was thinking about happiness I feel here, I never want it to
end. I don't want to leave this mission. I am going to work my hardest
and enjoy every minute I have.
So of course when we got to Luke and Jared's we told them
and it was just hard. We shared our favorite scriptures with them. I
shared Alma 38:3-5 cause well its my favorite. I then related it to
them. We talked specifically to Jared about how he followed God's will
by coming home, that his mission never ended, he just had to serve here
and reactivate his best friend, and now he can go back out. I have
never seen Jared cry. Luke his best friend has never seen him cry, and
the are like me and Alexa, known each other forever! Jared broke down,
and just bore his testimony and told us how excited he is to go back
out. I think he has felt ashamed for coming home, and it was a wonderful
opportunity to tell him that he is not shameful, that he listened to
God. He is so excited. Luke and Jared are a modern day Alma and Amulek.
Alma was told to go back, he had to have amulek with him, then they
together went out and served the Lord. Though Luke and Jared may not
serve in the same mission, they bother will be serving missions and
sharing the Gospel together...though far apart haha. Luke and Jared are
the best!
We had a fireside last night with the ward about trek
because they just came back from it, and about an hour before the
fireside Josh the elders quorum president asked us to bear our
testimonies. That was such a tender mercy I am so thankful that i was
able to bear my testimony to the ward :) I have noticed in all my areas I
always get asked to bear my testimony before I am transferred. That is
usually how I know I am being transferred, but this time it came right
after, even though no one knew I was leaving yet haha. I bawled the
whole time bearing my testimony, because the spirit was so strong in the
chapel after watching the little video of their trek experience. The
trek is so powerful. Oh that reminds me :) At church we saw Natasha come
in and she just looked different, it was a good different though. We
asked how trek was and told us her testimony was strengthened so much.
She loved every moment of it. She has great ways to describe things and
so she described it in her own words "For most people the trek is a
spiritual experience, but for me I see it as a door opening, and
goodness just came through that door, so much goodness that my soul
could not contain all of it, so I had to shed a layer of my soul so that
it could grow and fit all the goodness" yes this is her description and
I love it! I just love Natasha so much! She is wonderful! Yesterday at
the fireside we were talking to her, and we had not yet told her we were
leaving, we wanted to save it for a better time with not as many people
around, but Brother Jones in our bishopric came up and said "I hear you
both are leaving" and we talked for a minute, she just slumped in her
seat. We explained we were waiting to tell her and told her how much we
love her and that we will stay in contact and everything, and the only
words that came out of her mouth were "everyone leaves me" Poor girl she
has had such a hard life and has finally found where she fits in and
has found that Heavenly Father loves her, and now we are leaving, and
not only that earlier she found out that all of the people she has
gotten close to in the ward..literally everyone, they are all leaving to
go back to school this week. She feels so alone and I am so worried
about her. Luckily we have technology and I will be able to Facebook,
and I will be able to talk to her in a couple months and really stay in
contact with her even more.
Well, ok what has happened besides transfers? Ummm well
Ben dropped us..that sucked. I love Ben so much and I know people have
been getting to him. He loves coming to church and he loves the
activities, but he told us he wanted to swim and not meet with us or go
to church until he could not swim anymore. So he does want to meet again
eventually. I know people are talking to him cause he has been just so
happy lately until this. The amazing this is he has a straight shot to
the celestial kingdom, he innocent and pure. He does not need baptism
cause he is so pure, but he does need it to be watched over so he is
never lost. He feels loved in this ward, he has never felt that before,
we have had so many lessons about that with him, and he finally feels
loved here, and now people are getting to him, gah!!!! its ok though, he
is fine :)
This week we had this huge steak dinner at brother Zabawas house, who is in our bishopric. We were suppose to get as many Less actives and non members there as we could. We alone got over 12 people there, which is a ton, and the other missionaries, cause they were all invited to come and bring someone with them, so we got like 15 more people there that way, and then our ward was there, there was over 150 people there! It was such a tremendous success. It was so cool! Well I love all of you and have a fantastic week :) I will send more pictures next week, after I get all my good bye photos..but I will send some in another email today also :)
-Love Andrea
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| Getting my tooth filled. |
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| With Courtnie Brodus who is going on a mission! |
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| Me and Ben |
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| With Luke and Jared |
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| Dallas one of our investigators. |
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