What an exciting week! We had
transfer meeting, where all the missionaries in the Mission that are changing
companions or areas, along with the 37 new missionaries, all come together for
a meeting! This was the biggest transfer meeting in history in the Mesa
Mission! Almost everyone had at least some sort of major change!
The mission is now 47% sisters, and half of the 220 missionaries have been out
3 months or less!
It was a wonderful transfer
meeting, but full of confusion! Not only did most people change areas and
companions, but they also had every single companionship change cars, for no
apparent reason! We had to say goodbye to our girly Toyota Corollas, and
say hello to our week-old, 2014 Chevy Cruze! Bahh. It is such a man car!
It took us 20 minutes to find the unlock button for goodness sake!!! But we won’t
complain. We are SO blessed here in this mission! I am the driver
this transfer, after a very rough first day while I was a passenger with a
far-too-strong engine revving up not only the car, but my nausea!
So about my new companion, my new
area, and my new apartment!!!!!
Sister Beaudette is so
wonderful! I have felt my anxiety just dissipate as we have been together
these 5 days. Its great to have someone bright, fun, and cheerful with
me. She is soooo cute! We speak in british accents more than half the
time together, and we LOVE Jane Austen! We also both miss the
beautiful and classy East Coast terribly at times! She has 5 siblings as
well (4 sisters and 1 younger brother). She was homeschooled, and her
family lives in a historic home an hour north of Boston.
Full field was rough the first few
days. We felt like we were leaving home for the second time, we just felt
so empty without our VC family.... but it has dissipated in the past few days
as we have been getting to know the wards!
My new area is a very small area --
just 1/2 mile square mile! We cover two wards, and we have come to find
out that our area is very well off! I only crossed one street from my old
area (you can see it from our church building).
The people are also great!
The wards may not have too much faith that there is much missionary work to be
done here right now, but the members are very active, and they have already
expressed such excitement since we got to meet them all during church!
Sister Beaudette and I got to speak
in church yesterday about members and missionary work. It was a good way
for the ward to get to know me, and it really broke the ice that had been
there. Everyone is now inviting us
to all their block parties and to meet their friends, and it is just
wonderful! The people here are so active in their neighborhoods and there
is so much unity! It is only 30% LDS here (or less), but the LDS people
are always throwing blockl parties and all the nonmember friends attend!
We can’t wait to go and meet everyone. Also, there are not many
less-actives here, so most of the work to do is with the non-members! The
activity rate in these wards is actually close to 95% (says the bishops!) WE
feel so much love here already, and I know that there will be miracles! I
truly felt God guide me as I prepared for my talk, and I feel strongly that the
message I shared was received openly into so many hearts in the
congregation. ( as I watched half the audience wiping their eyes! :)
I love this work. We are
teaching a little 9 year old girl with an inactive mom (becoming active again),
named Lexi. She is planning on getting baptized in November, and she is
so excited! We had the most amazing lesson with her yesterday about the
plan of salvation, where her inactive grandpa participated fully! This
will be sister Beaudette's first baptism, so excited!!!
Sister Beaudette had been praying
that we would find a member with a gym we could use to make it easier to
exercise. Friday, we had dinner in a member’s home. We didn’t even ask, but rather the couple just
mentioned a gym they had and asked us to come tour it after dinner! They
gave us the key code, and we now have an amazing gym (steam room and all!) to
go to in someone's basement each morning! Prayers are answered!
Our apartment is roomy! It is
also always cold! I was in sweats, sweatshirt, slippers, and had a
blanket and was still shivering the whole day the other day! I will tell
you about our "corned beef" bed / princess and the pea bed next week,
just remind me! I have to go!
I love you all so much!! Its
finally feeling wonderful outside here! :) Happy-making!
Mwah!
Stay strong! I hope all of
you will study the GC talks like they are your new scriptures from now
on! I love you!!!
Sister Becca Younce
ps. Adam and Jacob -- you are
superstars!!!
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