I'M GETTING TRANSFERRED We got our transfer calls on Saturday night. I was actually on an exchange again (I can't even count how many exchanges I've been on, I think it's rather unusual. but it's because one of the missionaries went home so someone doesn't have a comp-anyways, we're always switching all around so on Saturday afternoon and then all day Sunday I was with 3 different comps). So my district leader called and said Sister Andelin, you're leaving. And I was like, haha, funny. And he's like, no, I'm serious. And I was like, WHAT? And he said, yep, I'm not joking.
SO I'm going to Huntington Beach 4th ward. And I'm on bike (yay!) and my new companion will be Sister Thompson. I don't know anything about her yet, but I'll let you know when I do :) We are going to be whitewashing into the area. They keep having to open up all these new areas because we have so many more missionaries. We get 7 more sisters tomorrow and then 12 the next transfer. Craziness. And tons more elders too. Oh yeah, and we'll be living with members. That will be fun. And we'll share the ward with some elders.
I knew I would hate transfers, but I'm trying not to hate them haha. I just felt like I had finally started to feel comfortable at my ward and was getting to know everyone and was feeling more comfortable around all the other missionaries in my district. But I guess that's why I'm getting moved! But my training will be split up. It has already been pretty random because I started on week 7 in the 12 week program because Sister Jessop was already training and then her trainee got switched, but Sister Youngberg was also still in training, so it's been all mixed up. But it's good. I know that things happen for a reason and I am supposed to learn from this. I just am praying that I'm learning the lessons Heavenly Father wants me to learn. I'm going to be really sad to switch companions, but I'm really excited for a new adventure ;) Especially since we're on bike. YES!
Oh, I bought a bike when I got here. I'm not sure if I told you already. It's a pretty nice one but it was waaay too expensive. Whatevs.
This week has been a bit hard for me. I've missed you all a whole lot. But something I'm really learning is how important it is to rely on the Lord. For everything. Including comfort and approval. Sometimes I feel like I can't talk to anyone about things that I really really care about. And then I remember that I can talk to my Heavenly Father. And He is the best one to talk to. I hope that my relationship with Him will continue to be strengthened throughout my mission.
This week we've stayed in a lot. It's been a little frustrating, but mostly I just feel bad for my comp. I hope that they can figure out soon how to help her. Sometimes I really just don't like doctors. But despite that, I was able to have some really neat experiences.
On Monday night I had such an amazing experience with prayer. I've been studying lots about prayer. You know how we are often taught to listen to the Spirit to know what to pray for? Well I never really understood that. But on Monday night I really felt like I needed to pray aloud and to pray for each of my family members individually. It's a little hard to do that because you're always with your comps and I still don't love praying aloud in the bathroom :) But this night both of my companions had gone to bed early, so I was able to pray aloud when it was really quiet. And as I prayed I felt so guided by the Spirit to know what to pray for. I was praying for all of you. And it was amazing how much I could feel Heavenly Father's love for each of you. I don't even really remember all the specific things I prayed for, but they were things I would never had known you needed. My testimony was definitely strengthened that He is so aware of all of us. And it was so beautiful for me to feel a little bit of His love for you, who I love so much already. Don't forget to turn to Him in everything, because He can give us answers for even the smallest of things :)
We taught Melvin again on Wednesday. As we were preparing our lesson I felt like we teach using songs where we could. We were teaching the Plan of Salvation and so we sang I Lived in Heaven for the first part, and then sang I am a Child of God to teach our purpose here on earth. I think he was really touched. However, he hadn't been reading the Book of Mormon. He feels like he needs to learn more background information. A member gave him the True to the Faith book and Gospel Principles, so he has been reading a little from those. But while those are good, they don't have the converting power of the Book of Mormon. I felt like I was begging him to read at the close of our lesson-just read a few minutes every day. And then pray about it. Sincerely! It will change your life. He said that he would, so I hope that he does. But if he hasn't done that we will have to drop him at our next lesson. Which I won't be at :(
I got in lots of Spanish study this week. I'm trying to learn it, but it's kind of hard when you have no one to practice with and you don't have a Spanish dictionary. But I'm reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish and then comparing to English Mom, I was reading 1 Nephi 8 and it was awesome because I didn't even have to read it in English because we memorized the whole thing already :) I just go out on our balcony and read aloud to myself and then sing a few hymns in Spanish. I keep feeling like I need to learn Spanish, but I'm not too good at it. So pray for me to have more motivation to study harder :)
This week I have been trying to contact people when I run in the mornings. Haha, they probably think I'm so weird. But it's okay. Salvation is worth it :) Sister Youngberg and Sister Jessop ride bikes, so I'm usually pretty far behind. Whoops!
On Saturday I was able to sing at a baptism! It was awesome. The Elders in our area baptized a girl named Anna. Her story is pretty incredible. She was in the library one day and she found a book called Mormonism for Dummies. So she checked it out and read it, and then found the institute class and signed up, and then started meeting with the missionaries. Who would have thought? The Lord is so involved in this work, because it is His work. I sang with Sister Hyatt and Sister Scott-I Stand All Amazed. I was struck with how simple baptism is. We work so hard to get people to make this commitment. And it is so simple. It is such a sweet, simple ordinance. I was surprised how happy it made me to see someone I didn't even know take this step.
Then on Sunday I got to play a piano duet with Sister Bradshaw (who I was on splits with) in Sacrament meeting. It was such a pretty arrangement I Know Heavenly Father Loves Me by Sally DeFord. You should look it up. And then I was able to sing in the Departing Fireside last night. (Thankfully all of these were in different places!) Sister Hyatt and I sang Jesus Lover of My Soul. I put a picture with me and Sister Hyatt. She's awesome.
This week I have really learned so much about faith. About how my faith will impact the people I serve. I have always thought of my faith impacting me, and other people's faith impacting them. Our progress was dependent upon our own faith. And while that is true to an extent, I have learned so much about how my faith impacts other people. If my faith is week, I won't be able to help them change. But if my faith is strong, it can bring about "a mighty change of heart."
Here are some of my favorite references from my personal study this week:
Alma 15:10-He is healed because of his faith. Wow. What a miracle.
Ether 12:12-15-The miracles wrought among the people were a result of the missionaries faith.
Hebrews 11
And then so many others. Mosiah was promised that his sons would be protected according to his faith-not according to the faith of his sons, but his faith. He must have had incredible faith because they were protected and their lives were spared. The Spirit was poured out upon the people according to the faith of Alma-the missionary-not according to the faith of the people. It is such an amazing concept to me.
Something else that I have thought a lot about this week is scripture study:
"Set aside time each day to read the scriptures as a family. This effort may be difficult, but it will yield wonderful, eternal results ..Do not be afraid to reading the scriptures to small children. The language of those sacred records has power to touch even the very young" (True to the Faith, p. 157).
That is amazing. It will yield wonderful, eternal results. What an awesome promise. Being on a mission has really changed my perspective on how important these things are. They seem small (and yet so many people have SUCH a hard time doing them) but they yield amazing results that you can't get by doing anything else. Dad and Mom, thank you so much for always having scripture class with us. I never realized how unusual and how important that was. It is by small and simple things that great things are brought to pass. Isn't eternal life worth spending a few minutes each day in the scriptures? Personally and as a family? If you knew that it would bring more happiness and peace than all the other activities planned for the day, wouldn't you want to spend a little more effort and time doing it? Because that is what scripture study is.
So my challenge for each of you is this:
Set aside time EVERY DAY (even when life is hectic and crazy) to have personal AND family scripture study. Take scripture class more seriously. Don't just do it to hurry and get done. It will yield eternal results-and immediate results in the relationships we have with our loved ones.
Please do this! This is what we ask our investigators to do. Because it is vital to maintaining and building your testimony of Christ. Do it with your families! I love that promise that the language of the scriptures can touch even the very young.
Okay, I need to be done. I love you! Thank you for being the best family ever. Pray for me in this transfer. It's going to be awesome!!
Love,
Sister Andelin
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| Rebekah and Sister Parsons |
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| Rebekah, Sister Parsons, Sister Mack, and Sister Russell |
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| All the missionaries going to Long Beach |
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| The whole district (MTC) |
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| The whole district (first area) |
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| Rebekah and Sister Hyatt |
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