March 24, 2014

Greetings!

This has been the fastest transfer of my entire life. I cannot believe that it is practically over. I say how fast time flies every week, but I'm not exaggerating how quickly these past 6 week have gone by. I felt like I just barely blinked and it's already gone!

Transfer news!! I'm staying in Vista Peaks!! And I'm getting TWO companions! Yes, I will be in a trio! Sister Sacher and Sister Hartley are my new companions. We're also getting another ward, the Preston ward. I'm still a solo Sister Training Leader. Crazy stuff.

Well, transfer news was a definite surprise. It caught me off guard actually. First, it was different having it come from the assistants (that was different) and second.... I don't know. I'm just in shock really. I have a lot of mixed feelings that are confusing me and making me scared and nervous. I've never felt the way I'm feeling before and I'm working to make them go away and be replaced with hope and happiness, but it's been hard. The reading schedule on the Atonement that President and Sister Jenkins gave the mission has helped me tremendously. The talks have helped make the Atonement... more graspable... if that's even a word. I feel that I am learning how to really apply the Atonement and grasp onto it for dear life.... literally!

I'm a bit leery for this next transfer. I've never been in a companionship where I'm not being trained/training (the possibility of training this transfer was slim since there are only 3 missionaries coming in and they're all elders.... ;P). I was scared and very uncertain after getting my news. During Sacrament Meeting yesterday our opening song was "Be Thou Humble." Boy did I need to be humbled! The second verse really stood out to me. It says, "Be thou humble in thy calling, and the Lord thy God shall teach thee to serve his children gladly with a pure and gentle love." My fears were in the way of me being humble and being able to accept the callings that the Lord has given me here in the Mesa Mission. I learned how valuable humility is. I wish that I was always humble and that I wouldn't have a problem accepting the Lord's will 110% and all the time, but I'm grateful and humbled that I was humbled when I was. Better late than never, right? I know that the Lord trusts me and that He has a plan for me and a specific work for me to do. I just hope that I can remain humble enough to pay attention to the subtle whisperings of the Spirit telling me what the Lord needs me to do. The thing that I'm going to do to be humble and build unity in the companionship is to acknowledge that Christ is the center of our world and that as we're humble He will show us where to go to find those that are seeking the truth and He will teach us to serve our wards, other missionaries, and each other. This transfer I'm going to work extra hard to devote everything that I have to the Lord and not get distracted by the little insignificant things. Here's to next transfer!

As I look back over this past week, it went by really fast (a HUGE blessing) but I feel we didn't get much done or were able to see many people (not so much a blessing). Everyone that we are actively teaching left for spring break along with their fellowshippers. It was really weird to plan because there wasn't a whole lot of planning to do. We actually spent a lot of time in our assisted living center (Legacy) where a few of our members live. It's here in Legacy where I experienced an amazing miracle from the Lord. We were in a commons area talking to one of our members, Shirley Jensen, and a couple of her non-member friends. Well, the last time we were there her friend Jean was present for a short lesson on the Plan of Salvation and loved the message of it. We invited her to learn more but she declined. This time Shirley, Jean, and another lady named Polly were there and we got to teach and testify of the Book of Mormon. As we bore simple testimony of the power of the Book of Mormon you could see the countenance, especially Jean's, change and they lit up like their spirits were remembering something that they'd forgotten. Both Jean and Polly took a Book of Mormon and committed to read it. The Spirit was so strong and these ladies truly wanted the book because they felt that they wanted it. Afterward we were getting ready to leave and we gave them both invitations to the Easter Pageant and this was Jean's response: "Oh no, Honey I'm not interested in going at all." As I reflected on this I was amazed at how the Spirit works. As we bore simple and bold testimony about the Book of Mormon the Spirit helped these sweet ladies accept it and have a desire to read it but when we simply invited them to the Easter Pageant they both declined. The Spirit testifies of pure truth! That was such an amazing experience! In Legacy we also have a very missionary-minded member who also invited Jean to sacrament meeting and said that she would come. Miracles!! Miracles in abundance!

It was really hard trying to see everyone else that we are teaching, but we worked hard to keep in contact with them via text, Facebook, etc.. Despite this week being transfers, there's going to be a lot of work done in both the Vista Peaks and Preston wards. I'm scared, excited, anxious, and humbled to begin this transfer and to be working in the wards with these two sisters. 

I had a wonderful birthday! I received TWO cakes, ONE cheesecake, TWO pies, and TWO cinnamon rolls and a bunch of muffins. Needless to say I got fed well on my birthday. The members showed so much love and I feel so blessed to be serving them. I also got to plant cantaloupe at some investigator's home! It was a blast. Here's the best part of my birthday..... I GOT A DOCTOR WHO SHIRT!!!! FINALLY!!!!!!! WHY DID I NEVER HAVE ONE BEFORE!?!?!?!?!?!? My life is now more complete. End of story.

-Sister Dunn

Saguaro Zone Temple Trip