Hello
everyone! Big news … I got transferred from Hospitalet! When I found out I was
leaving, my heart just shattered. It hurts to leave and I am sad. Not only did
I leave an area that I have really come to know and love over the past 4 ½ months,
but I left one of my new best friends, Hermana Steinfeldt. We hit it off from
day one and have just soared these past two transfers together. I love that
hermana so much, and I will miss her even more. She has taught me way more than
I could ever tell her; she is a machine missionary and a truly disciplined
disciple of Jesus Christ. I look up to her more than she will ever know! She's
the best, and it was really hard saying goodbye to that place and those people,
but I know I'll see them soon.
Changes in
life give us a good opportunity to reflect and really soak up more of our
surroundings than we do on a daily basis. I have never had a more humbling
experience in my life than moving to a new city and area, simply doing my job
there for a few months, and then leaving and having people say goodbye to me
with tear-filled eyes not wanting me to leave simply because they feel I have
been an angel to them, wearing a name tag with the name of Jesus Christ on it.
It fills me with a tremendous feeling of inadequacy, humility … and gratitude to
my Savior, Jesus Christ. It reminds me of what happened when the resurrected
Christ went to visit the people in the ancient America and was about to leave,
but the people wanted him to stay longer with them.
"3 Therefore, go ye unto
your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the
Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the
morrow, and I come unto you again.
4 But now I go unto the Father,
and also to show myself unto the lost tribes of Israel, for they are not lost
unto the Father, for he knoweth whither he hath taken them.
5 And it came to pass that when
Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and
beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would
ask him to tarry a little longer with them." (3 Nephi 17:3-5)
As a 20 year
old kid, who am I to deserve that kind of response? Who are we, as 90,000
missionaries worldwide, to deserve such an outpouring of love? Why does the Lord trust us with this, the most
important work in the whole world? We are just kids, but we are God’s kids, and
He has called us at this time and to this place … to go, search and find his
other children, and bring them back to the fold. I am eternally grateful for every
moment I have out here, many of which can't be expressed with words.
I can testify
that this is all true … the gospel, this church … all of it. When the gospel is
more freely applied in our lives, it will bring us more happiness than anything
else we find in life.
Now I have
stepped into a completely new chapter of my mission, and I am so excited!
Change is always difficult, especially for me because I get so attached, but I
always end up loving it! My new companion is Hermana Gutoff. She is from Utah,
but her parents are from Argentina! She is just the cutest and reminds me of
Gabriela from a High School Musical. She just got out of training, and has been
in the mission for about four months! She is so excited about the work and is
just like a breath of fresh air, something I definitely wanted and needed at
this point in my mission. I really love the ward and the members here; they are
so loving and nice. We are kind of starting over with some of the people we had
been working with here. We know that there are prepared people out there
waiting to hear this life-changing message. We have a friend from Morocco named
Mohamed who really is searching for the truth. He has come to church before and
has read in the Book of Mormon, and he just needs to receive an answer to know
that it's true. He is going to be praying a lot this week. Please pray for him;
I know God is listening, and He wants us to know for ourselves.
I love you
all, and thank you for all the love and support you have given me. I am excited
and love this work! I hope you all have a great week!
Love,
b
