Week 10 in Florida

So.... I'M OFFICIALLY A TRAINED MISSIONARY!!!!! Pretty much all that means is that I'll have an extra hour every day to go do work! It's awesome! 

Also, I forgot my planner, so I don't remember everything I wanted to tell you all. But that should be ok, because mostly I'll just let you know about the transfer.

Here in the Florida Tampa Mission, we get a call the Saturday before transfers and the Zone Leader tells us if we're transferring or staying. He doesn't say where we're going or who we'll be with. That way we don't have too much time to call other missionaries and learn about our new companions or areas. We just go into it with a fresh view, the best way to do anything! But it also can cause some extra stress and worry! Which also leads to lots of time to learn how to trust the Lord and remember this is His work, and He won't let us screw anything up. At least not for eternity.

BUT!!! Our worries started Tuesday. We got a call from the Assistants, and they told us that our apartment was being CLOSED!!! So we were to take some extra time and pack up the WHOLE apartment!!! There have been lots of things being said about what's going to happen in this next transfer, so we started thinking of worst cases, and freaking out. Just a little. Then on Saturday we got a call from our Zone Leader, who told us we were both being transferred, and our area is CLOSING!!! What does that mean!?!? Well, we'll find out tomorrow at the transfer meeting, where 2/3 of the missionaries will be, because pretty much the whole mission is changing! President Cusick is not wasting any time in cleaning up this mission, and it's awesome!!! Based on all the info we have between us and other missionaries, all the areas in the city of Tampa will be zebra areas, meaning there will be an English missionary (or 2) and a Spanish missionary. That way no matter who you find in the street, no matter what language they speak, or if the kids speak English, but the parents speak Spanish, you can teach them. That means that is very possible that even though both Hna. Russell and I are being transferred, we could be coming back to the same area, but with 1 or 2 English sisters. Which would be great! We have about 8 people who are SO close to being baptized, and we don't want them to have to start all over with brand new missionaries. But, then we remember that it's the Lord's work, and He has a plan. 

And so, we didn't really know what to tell people. So we just both said goodbye to everyone, got pictures, and bore our final testimonies, with the hope that one of us will be back. It was really hard! You get so attached to people here!

Here's the other bit - Hna. Russell has been in this area her whole mission, 7 months. SO! It's very likely that she'll be leaving, and I'll be staying. As a solo Spanish missionary. With 1 or 2 sisters that don't speak or understand Spanish. That will definitely be a learning and growing experience! I'm trying really hard to not freak out!!!

But seriously, I've learned so much about trusting God, and knowing that all will be fine. Yes, I do need to do my best, and learn Spanish as fast as I can. But He's going to be with me the WHOLE time, cheering me on, picking me up when I fall. And not only is He here for me, He's there for every single one of us. Don't ever forget that! Dios es nuestro Padre Celestial. El es un padre PERFECTO!!! Nunca va a dejarnos solos. Siempre Dios estara con nosotros. Solo necesitamos estar mirando por El en nuestras vidas. Porque El esta alli. Se eso.

Thanks for everything! Thanks for reading my emails, even if it's only every now and then. It means a lot to have people in my life that have my back :)

Les quiero!

Hermana Despain

his Bernardo! He's 91, but acts like he's 70, maybe! He can't come to church because of health problems, so we visit him every week. He's so sweet! I just want to adopt him or something!

Luz Ortiz! She also came to church yesterday, and she hasn't been in almost 2 years!!! She's been telling us she'd come for almost 6 weeks now, but she finally came!!! Just in time ;D

This is Jorge Noda, my first mission miracle! He came to church yesterday, so we were able to say goodbye to him. He was almost crying! But I'll see him again :)