Transfer Number SIX!

Sister Fitzgerald, my Relief Society President and Sister Imazeki

Welcome to my sixth transfer! On Monday we had to be on the Square at 6:50am so that they could tell us what our new assignments would be and then have transfer conference before we needed to be on the square at 9:00am. Drum roll...my new companion is Sister Imazeki from Tokyo, Japan! She is an absolutely wonderful companion! We've only been companions for two days now, but we work so well together. On our first day on the job we took eleven people on tours! That is a ton of people for just one day. We also had some really great moments with members that were about to drop off their sons at the MTC. I also got a new assignment. I'm not at the Humanitarian Center anymore, but I'm at Welfare Square. That means that we get free lunch on the days that we are there. I don't mind free food at all. We also get to show people how the church welfare program works: there is a Bishops' storehouse, warehouse, bakery, cannery, employment center, Deseret Industries, and a Dairy there where they make cheese. It's going to be pretty fun.

 

Oh! I'm also staying in the same apartment! That means that I will be in this apartment for at least four transfers and I don't have to move.

 

Sister Wilson is going outbound to Indianapolis, Indiana! That is actually where she grew up for the first 14 years of her life and her grandparents and most of her extended family still lives there. It would be a little funny if she served in her home ward.There were a lot of sisters that went outbound this transfer--40 sisters. Since General Conference is this weekend, all of the departing sisters and all of the outbound sisters are staying for an extra five days so that they can be for that. It's quite the ordeal because they had to find places for everyone to stay. Some sisters are sleeping on the floor. I don't have to, though.

 

Do you remember Mark who we met at the Humanitarian Center? Well, we called him yesterday and he was driving his truck in New Jersey. We got to tell him about the apostasy and the restoration to try to explain how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is different from other Christian churches. I'm not sure he completely got it because we have to explain it all in about 5 minutes, but he reads the Book of Mormon every day. That is a miracle because he doesn't even like to read very much. Hopefully we can help him meet with the missionaries somewhere along the line.

 

We also talked to Hector yesterday. Sister Imazeki took Hector on a tour of Temple Square with her previous companion. He hasn't been able to meet with the missionaries yet, but we got to explain to him about General Conference. We shared with him Amos 3:7 -- "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." From that he understood what the role of a prophet is--to convey God's word for the whole world to us. After that he was so excited to listen to General Conference. He said that he is looking for direction in his life as to how to help his family and keep up his job. We promised him that he would find an answer to his question in General Conference. We're going to be calling him back next week to see how it went for him.

 

Duane hadn't met with missionaries yet...he said that he was going to call them, though, so hopefully something worked out this week.

 

Sister Wilson called Grant and Stephanie and they have met with missionaries THREE times now! I'm going to have to keep following up on them so that I don't miss their baptism ... :)

 

Also, someone that Sister Wilson and I were teaching in Rwanda finally met with the missionaries there. I guess there is a senior couple there to teach people and they were finally able to coordinate.

 

General Conference is tomorrow! Hopefully the weather is good. Sister Imazeki and I get to go to the Sunday afternoon session of conference. The rest of the time we are on the square talking with people. We get two 20-minute meals on Saturday and Sunday and both are provided by President Holmes. President and Sister Holmes are so thoughtful. I think we'll have sandwiches for lunch and pizza for dinner. There are going to be so many people to talk to and hopefully so many lives to touch. I love being able to hear the testimonies that members have and how they are sharing what they love with their friends.