Week #53: Transfer Week = An Emotional Week

Saying Goodbye to Sister Wood

Hello my loves!

I don't even know where to begin this week! SO MANY THINGS HAPPENED. 

But first of all, HUGE shout out to by SI GUY! Happy Birthday buddy!!! :)

This week was FULL of miracles. One right after the other, and boy, am I overwhelmed with gratitude! And I am SO grateful they happened while I was still with Sister Wood!!!

Sister Evans... the new companion

This week we got six, yes SIX new investigators, and they are all EXTREMELY prepared. I have been blown away by the guidance of the spirit this week. 

Ferdinand is from the Ivory Coast and truly recognized us as representatives of Jesus Christ as we taught the restoration. As we testified and promised blessings, he thanked us multiple times. He is such a sweet heart, and I am thrilled to be working with him!

Gregory is incredible. He had a buddy that passed away in a car accident that they were in a few months back, and he has an incredible testimony of prayer. We are so excited to teach him about the Plan of Salvation. What a blessing that knowledge is!

Victor is hilarious. He reminds me of all my boys back home! We were laughin the whole time. (Don't worry, the spirit was there!) But we are way excited about him.

Willie.. Willie is AWESOME. As we taught him the restoration, and he was overcome with the spirit. We had waited on him to get to his lesson for 25 minutes, debating on if we should leave, when all of the sudden he walks into the library. He had forgotten about our appointment and was sitting on the bus, when his alarm went off to remind him to meet with us. He got off the bus and ran to the library! As we taught the restoration, he got very emotional, and said that he knew God needed him to hear this message. It was a very powerful experience!

Christina is a family history investigator, who we are positive will come to love the gospel. She is SO sweet.

Fred we met while walking down the street. He was dozing off on a chair across the street, but I felt prompted to go talk to him. As we did, he opened up about the trials he is facing and said that God had sent us to him. Wow! 

Derek is still doing extremely well. We started reading the Book of Mormon with him, and man. The spirit was so strong. He fell in LOVE! we only read 1 Nephi 1-3, but he didn't want to put it down. He kept asking if we could keep reading to see what happens next, but we left him on a cliff hanger to see for himself on his own! It was a really neat experience.

We also set a baptismal date with our investigator Andrew for November 7th! We are SO excited about that!!! Please, please keep him in your prayers!

We also were able to meet with a lot of our recent converts, and that was a huge blessing. 

Transfers were Wednesday. I've said it before, and I will say it again, and I'll probably say it the next time as well... but I HATE TRANSFERS. 

Emotions. SO MANY EMOTIONS.

It was SO hard to say goodbye to my sweet Sister Wood! I hated it. haha SO. MANY. TEARS.

that's the mission life for ya.

 My new companion is Sister Evans from Wallsburg, Utah! Don't worry, I didn't know where that was at either... haha but it's by Heber. She is SUPER athletic and very, very, VERY hard working! 

I think I MAY have about killed her yesterday. We walked ALL day. She was pretty exhausted last night. It was awesome! Hard work makes for the best sleep ;)

I'm overwhelmed to be leading the area and getting Sister Evans adjusted, but I know the Lord qualifies those he calls. 

For those of you who asked, I am still on TCC campus and I am still a sister training leader! Everything's the same except my companion!

I'm so blessed to be serving as a missionary at this time in the world. I can't thank my Heavenly Father enough for the life changing experiences and testimony building moments He has given me. I'm grateful for prayer and the spirit, and I know that they work hand in hand. 

I just want to leave ya'll with this quote from Elder Uctdorf's talk in the Women's General Broadcast.

"As you walk along your own bright path of discipleship, I pray that faith will fortify every footstep along your way; that hope will open your eyes to the glories Heavenly Father has in store for you; and that love for God and all His children will fill your hearts."

I love you all SO much, and I am so grateful for your prayers, letters, support and love!

Until next time, 

Sister Holmes :)

 

Wk# 41: Be Still My Soul

FSU Missionaries before transfers

Words cannot even begin to express my gratitude this week!!! Minus all of the stress and anxiety of transfers, I have never felt so happy. :)

Speaking of transfers..... 

Big News.....

Last night with Sister Rindlisbacher

I GOT TRANSFERRED!!! 

Oh. I can't even explain the great devastation I felt to be leaving my FSU home. Tears, LOTS of tears for days. Not only to be leaving FSU, but to leave Sister Rindlisbacher! Pure devastation was going down in apartment 113. I felt like my heart had just been ripped out! BUT, Heavenly Father's plan is absolutely perfect, and I was very willing to go wherever my next calling was.

Hump Day! Transfer Day (Sis Rindlisbacher, Lexa, Sister Dillon, Sister Wood)

Sister Charles on her way home!

Interestingly enough, I had told Sister Rindlisbacher on Saturday that I was conflicted because when I was serving in Callaway, I KNEW that the work I was sent there to do had been completed. So, I knew I was going to get transferred, and I did. But, this time around I had so many mixed feelings. I felt like I wasn't the missionary that was supposed to be working with the investigators that we had (which broke my heart, because we had some INCREDIBLE people we were working with), but at the same time I didn't feel like I was supposed to leave the area. I wanted so so badly to stay in the ward and the district I was in. Then Sunday came and we received the dreaded transfer call.

Love Woody from Callaway! Saw him at the transfers location.

So, after some tears, I began packing my things (which I loathe by the way.... how do you accumulate so much junk!?) We had a crazy two days full of lessons and goodbyes, and more tears.... and then, it was wednesday. We left bright and early to head over to the church for the training meeting since cute Sister Rindlisbacher was going to be training (told ya she was pre-trained!) then after meeting all of the new missionaries (which by the way, I met Elder Andersen! Blake and Sue's son!) Sister Wood and I (the head sister training leader who was also on of the other sisters in my district) made the 2 hour trek over to Crestview for transfers. Her companion was getting transferred as well. Now, my anxiety level was about a 99.6 on a scale from 1-10. It was awesome. We waited and waited as the companionships were being announced, and then, all of the sudden....

Kimberly

FHE... 'We are CHAMPS!'

Sister Holmes, you will be serving with SISTER WOOD on TCC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU GUYS!!!! I'm still a campus sister! Serving on Tallahassee Community College! Which MEANS.... I'm still in my same district, still in Tally, still around FSU's investigators, with Sister Wood who I have adored for two transfers now, and A HEAD SISTER TRAINING LEADER. Talk about an overwhelming calling and one I am extremely humbled by! And, talk about the greatest blessing EVER!!! I get to go on exchanges with the sisters serving on FSU! I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY!! And yes, I have still been full of tears! Grateful tears!!! Heavenly Father is definitely aware of us! I'm extremely nervous about my new calling because I haven't even been a sister training leader, let alone a head STL. But I am looking forward to the challenges and growth that come along with it!

Xavier

And to make transfer day even greater... It was HUMP DAY!!!!! I can't believe I have been out nine whole months already! I feel like this is still my first transfer out. It was super fun though because in Crestview at transfers, All of my MTC sisters were there! So we got to celebrate our 9 month birthday together! We took a picture... but I have to wait for it to be emailed to me. I was SO happy though! Sister Wood and I also celebrated with some Panera for lunch :) 

Thickest southern accent award goes to Ryan

TCC is quite the adjustment, but I like it already. It's about a sixteenth of the size of FSU, so that's weird. I did get to chase some geese yesterday on the field though! My poor companion. hahaha I am super excited for this transfer and everything it has to bring!!! 

Also, it's the weirdest thing being in a place that doesn't celebrate Pioneer Day. 

That's all of the exciting news I have, but I'll leave ya'll with this:

"If you can’t be a pine on the top of the hill,

Be a scrub in the valley—but be

The best little scrub by the side of the rill;

Investigators & Therese at Institute

Be a bush if you can’t be a tree.

If you can’t be a highway then just be a trail,

If you can’t be the sun be a star;

It isn’t by size that you win or you fail—

Be the best of whatever you are!

I give you my witness that I know by personal experience that, the more you serve the Lord, the greater are his blessings to you. There is no greater joy than being a builder in his kingdom. I challenge you with all of the great power and potential that is within you to be the best of whatever you are, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen."

Elder L. Tom Perry

I love you all SO much! and I love THE MISSION!

Peace and Blessins,

Sister Holmes :)