I had been working hard to prep Sister Platt to take over the area and impart everything that I had learned about the people in the area. There's been A LOT of work done, and I've been notating rosters and more or less writing essays for the other sisters who serve the ward as well as the ward mission leaders, RS president and clerks and everyone else. WE report on the work every week and have always worked closely with them, but we want to make sure nothing/no one falls through the cracks. THe curve ball is that Sister Platt will not be serving in the ward anymore. She is staying in the apartment, and will be companions with our roommate who serves a ward meeting in the same building in a TRIO. Another sister will be transferred in and join them. CRAZY. That threw us all for a loop and I hardly got a wink of sleep that night thinking about how the investigators and others we work with will take being handed over to completely new sisters. A member of the high council joined us for correlation and suggested a genius idea. Throw a going away party so that they can meet the sisters who will be teaching them as well as members. A member volunteered their home, and all of our investigators are planning on coming, as well as several less active families and many of the active families. It will be great for them all to mix and mingle as we say goodbye.
I am excited to get to serve in a new area. This area and these people will always hold a special place in my heart. It means so much more to me that I got to come in with absolutely nothing and work to build it up. The work is exploding! The members are growing more and more courageous, the investigators are changing and progressing, and the community is seeing more and more of us. I don't fear anything coming with transfers because after being double transferred and training simultaneously, I know that with God, we can do anything! He's in charge of where we go, and if we let Him mold us, He allows to fulfill our purposes.
So crazy that Kevin is going to Boise State. Nick is moving to Snow on Friday, but he has a summer job at BOISE STATE!!! Those two have GOT to get together. Nick is phenomenal.
It snowed a lot one night, and our neighbor we helped move pounded on our door and invited us to come play in the snow. Epic snow battles ensued with my roommates, I was still in bed feeling lousy. The next day we went out to work and it was beautiful! WE had a few members see us walk through the neighborhood and start some snowball fights. Fun stuff. Sister Platt was pretty entertained at my amusement by the snow. I was pretty enthusiastic since I never really play in snow. The day after, all the snow men looked like they were from the walking dead (not that I've watched that), and the city generally looked like one of those Armageddon movie scenes. So bleak and dirty, hahaha. Everything is back to normal now.
Valentine;s Day was fun, we got to visit all the single ladies with chocolates and flowers. I bought a little stuffed animal for a single lady in the ward who has a collection. She cried and started kissing it, best feeling ever. We had extra chocolate, and I remembered some random people I had talked to the past couple months, and we just knocked their door and gave them chocolate (these were nice people who weren't interested in our message). It was good to keep good relationships. Sister Platt and I have made friends with employees at every corner store in in our Madison area. It's cool that even though they aren't interested in the gospel now, they like missionaries and have good associations with members. Someday they'll come around.
One new investigator I'm pretty excited about is Paris. We were biking by a gas station, and I thought that it was cartoons on her shirt, so I stopped and complimented it and asked if I could see better. Turns out it was actually cartoon scantily clad women on a motorcycle. Oops. Anyhow, conversation ensued and she's super cool, 23 yr old. She told us about her church, pretty much non-denominational, as she said it was so hard to choose and figure out which church was actually true. I excitedly told her about her connection with Joseph Smith and the Restoration. New investigator for the other sisters.
I'm sure going to miss all our investigators. Jackie Cobb is progressing, as are Thor and Mary who were super sweet in checking up on us during all the crazy weather. The teenage girls love the church. Peggy was released from the hospital and we have a good relationship with her daughter who cared for her. They're still trying to understand the Book of Mormon as the language is difficult for them, but they love the messages. The work is rolling, and the other sisters get to roll with it.
Sister Platt and I trained at our District Mtg, it was pretty cool. We trained on listening and having the image of God engraven upon our countenances (Alma 5:19). We shared part of our training with a ward member who shared part of it in sacrament meeting and then it was shared in RS. Pretty cool stuff. The scriptures are amazing. I got so excited during my personal study this morning that I was literally shaking. They make me so excited. I know I need to be so much better, but as I read about these prophets who are so insecure about their own weakness, I know the Lord can make powerful things happen from the small and weak. He can work with us, and use even our weakness to make miracles.
i'll update y'all with my new address and companion Wednesday, unless my comp is crazy and we don't do it until Monday. No worrying necessary if that's the case.
Love y'all!
Sister Sheffer
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