Week 54

Some highlights from this week. We were tracting out in Walkerton earlier in the week and this woman named Ocatavia let us in right away. We taught her the Restoration, she asked to keep the pamphlet and we got a return appointment. Those kind of things don't happen very often, but when they do they are the best!

Thursday we had appointments almost all day but most of them fell through. So what we'd do??? TRACTED! I can officially smell a Mexican house, I'm pretty proud of myself being able to do that. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning I'm really tired and don't super excited and happy. However, it's been a long time since I haven't gone to bed happy. As we have experiences throughout the day and see miracles I can't help but go to bed with a smile on my face. 

Saturday was quite the day! That morning we went out tracting in a "town" called Donaldson! I had to before I left. No one was interested, sometimes I think country folk are a little....less open to talking with missionaries. Brother Schieber was baptized last May and was deployed four days later. His wife was then baptized the following month. Well he flew in on Saturday and we got permission from President Cleveland to go up to South Bend and be part of the welcoming home party. Sister Schieber wanted as many people there as possible. There was quite a group and even a couple of tv stations showed up. We kept joking around about holding up our tags in front of the cameras. They have three little boys and it was such a precious thing to watch! When he came around the corner, Brother Schieber broke into a run and then they all huddled together in a hug for several minutes. One of the elders said you couldn't help but get a little trunky watching it. The best was seeing complete strangers start clapping along with us. We went out to eat afterwards and then to the church to have a welcome home/birthday party for two of the boys. 

President Cleveland told me six weeks ago that I would be getting transferred this time. So members knew and they kind of guessed it since I've been here a little while. President Kelly asked both Elder Oram and I to bear our testimonies. I only got a little tiered eyed! However the closing song was "Count Your Many Blessings" and I had been asked to give the closing prayer. I was doing everything I could to not break down. Sister Kelly was leading the music and we made eye contact and we both started crying. I just felt sick knowing this was probably the last time I was going to be in this branch....as a missionary. I've made promises to several individuals that I will come back and visit though. After sacrament meeting was over a sister came up to me. She lives here in the Plymouth and is lesser active. Over the months we've stopped by her house several times but have never been able to go in and teach her. She said that as I was bearing my testimony she started to cry and that she was going to miss me. I've always been frustrated because I didn't think those brief visits outside just checking up were doing anything. Well, I guess I was wrong!

We had dinner with the Richhart's....again haha. It was hard to say goodbye to them as well. Luckily we didn't have to wait long for the call. One of the assistants called at 9:20 while we were still planning. I'll be leaving, luckily I didn't start crying last night. I haven't slept the past two days. I call it week 6 week 1 syndrome. I'm very relieved to not be in a leadership position. This area will always be the place I consider when I became a missionary. I still have so much to learn, but I feel like I've become much more diligent and I want to be here. I keep having what I call nightmares, dreams of me going home. In one of them this week I refused to call President Pringle once I got home because I didn't want to be released. When dad handed me the phone I just started crying. I haven't seen a lot of success here as far as investigators go. We've found some and then they just fall off. I'm leaving the area with no progressing investigators, but I've seen a change in the branch. They didn't know what to do with sisters when I first got here. That's starting to change. I feel like I'm going to be leaving home. I'm VERY nervous for next transfer. I don't think that will ever go away. You finally get to the point where you feel like you have an idea of what you are doing and then you get snatched away. I wish I could adequately describe all the lessons that I have learned in this area, but I can't. All I know is that the Plymouth Branch has helped me to become a missionary. 

Welcoming home Brother Schieber and the district!