Week 6

So it is officially the end of my first transfer! It went by so quickly, and things are really changing around here. My companion is being transfered to the Dry Creek ward, which is in our zone so she is not going very far. She is taking Sister Kents place and Sister Kent is going North to Yuba. I am getting a new companion, Sister Silva. I guess it is a sign that my mission president trusts me because she doesn't have a license which means that I AM DRIVING!! It hardly ever happens that they let someone who has only been in the field for one transfer drive, so it is quite the compliment that I don't have to back up the car any more:) We are all pretty sad that our zone is being split up but the missionaries coming are really great too, so I sure that I will love them just as much. So last Monday our zone had fun getting together at the stake center. We ate food and played games and just relaxed, it was really pretty nice. Tie trading is a big thing around here and the sisters even get involved. Elder Jordan gave me my first tie and it is actually a really nice tie! I might even send it home so Dude can take it with him on his mission. This past week was crazy! I experienced my first exchange and served with Sister Kent for a day. SHE IS AMAZING!!! She is from Malad, Idaho and we have pretty much become best friends. We had a blast on our exchange, we did some service wednesday morning and worked all the rest of the day. I know the lord was blessing me becuase Sister Lytle is amazing, but she has had a really rough mission and it has been a serious emotional drain serving with her. Sister Kent filled me in on a little of what has happened with Sister Lytle and it helped me to understand why she is the way she is. Anyway, so the days have really run together this week and I forgot my planner again. Our new investigator, Tammy, expressed her desire to quit smoking so that she can be baptized on the 19th. We were supposed to start today but of course Satan is working extra hard on her and we are starting tomorrow instead. Tammy came to church for the first time yesterday and we are hoping that she had a wonderful experience. She was a little overwhelmed so we didn't really get a chance to gage what she was feeling. Our Bishop has asked us to speak on Sunday and poor Sister Silva is going to have to speak now. Bishop specifically gave me the subject of speaking on the importance of testimonies. There is a girl in the library that is freaking out because she didn't know she needed to reserve a computer. Anyway, our investigator Andrey was supposed to come to church with us yesterday but that didn't work out so well either. First he was going to be late, and then he called and said he was going to be later and then he called and said he wasn't going to make it. It was interesting how it all worked out in the first place becuase as I told you later week he started reading the BOM from the back starting with the index. We had to re comit him to read from the beginning. We had set up an appointment to see him on Saturday but he called and said he had read some of the book and wanted to come to church. Satan is a really bad guy, I can now see that we are going to have to work pretty hard to get our investigators to church and to keep their comitments. We were given a specific assignment to ask the Bishop for 10 names from the ward of people that we could go visit. We have a lot of work to do because we now have like 20 families to go visit and then we have the 15 families that the ward is working with and then we have all of our investigators and all the people that we are trying to get in to teach. The days never seem to have enough time to get everything done that we want.

So the notebook that Ren and his family gave me before I left has already come in handy but I realized once I got here that I was in need of a whole different notebook for what we call signing journals. The missionaries trade these journals and take up PAGES of them to put in pictures and things from the transfers that they have spent together. I got a seperate journal for that and I only have had three people sign in it but these elders took up 7 pages. The notebook the Hansen's gave me is PERFECT for the missionaries that refuse to sign journals and for the ward members and the senior couples that are serving in the mission. THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR THE JOURNAL!!! We love the senior couples here. They are so sweet and nice and they love seeing us so that makes it nice too:)

Deric, DUDE YOU ARE GRADUATING TODAY!!! I have been thinking about you all day. I am pretty bummed that I am missing such a great day in your life, but I know that you all will survive somehow without me there. Dad told me about the prank you guys came up with...that was pretty sweet!! Do you have a job yet? You are lucky and already have a car to drive so you better get to working so that you can pay for school! Nice work on the scholarship by the way!! You are going to have such a great time at school, I am really excited for you! Don't forget to call Mom often, she already can't talk to me so I am pretty sure that she was die slowly if you didn't call her all the time. I have been slaking major in the letter department due to extremely busy days and not enough time at night. I am repenting and will try my hardest to get out some letters soon!

Please tell Justin that his letter will be one of the first and that I am SOOO excited for him!! He is really amazing and I know that the people in Chile are waiting for him to bless their lives. Mom I got your letter and was devestated to hear about the Ramsey's. I am so glad that Manda was willing to help with letting Erica borrow her dress. There is a girl in our ward that went to high school with Erica and she and I had a fun conversation about home. Her Mom came up to me at church yesterday and asked if I had heard the news. It is a really small world around here. Kirk is another one on the very top of my list to write but I don't have his address so I think I am going to have to send it to the house. I have been praying my guts out for them and know that they will get through this in a safe and timely manner. If you see them anytime soon tell them I said Hello and that I am praying for them.

I feel bad because this letter is pretty darn lame. There is soooo much we have to do today. Sister Lytle has been clothes hoarding for the past six months and she is going to need a lot of help packing. This week has been extremely stressful and I am so glad that transfers will be overwith tomorrow. I can't even begin to tell you of the experiances that I have been having that have solidified my decision to come on a mission. I love it here, it is not home, but I love it here. I can't even begin to tell you how much our Heavenly Father truely does love us. As he does all of his children. It is SOO important to remember to be an example of Christ every second. People do see and watch what we do. I love the gospel and know that Jesus Christ restored his church to the earth through Joseph Smith. Never lose your testimonies and remember to share them often. People need to hear them, especially those who are not members of the church! I miss you all with all my heart and love you ten times more!! I am sorry that this letter is lame I promise to do better next week!! I LOVE YOU!!!

Love,

Heidi