One-derful week :)

This has been another impactful week, but not in a physical way like last time :)  Like I said last week, last Monday was Zone Conference (a week ago yesterday).  After the Conference President always stays at the building until everyone who wants to talk with him has had the opportunity to.  Boy was I surprised when he called me to come and talk with him for a minute.  He told me that they were going to give me the assignment this next transfer of being a Sister Training Leader (STL).

For those of you who don't know what a Sister Training Leader is, it's a new leadership position they started in the past couple of years since the flood of sister missionaries came out.  We go on exchanges with all of the sisters within a given area each transfer, kind of like zone leaders.  There are five sets of STL's in our mission, so we cover a pretty large area, but I'm not sure exactly how many sets of sisters....at least 6, but I'll find out :)  We also go to a missionary leadership meeting each month where all of the STL's, Zone Leaders, and Assistants to the President meet with President McDonough in Mississippi.  As STL's our "job" is to take care of the sister missionaries and make sure they have the help, support, and love that they need as they carry out their missionary service.

I am excited for this new assignment, and feel very humbled.  I know that the Lord has been giving me experiences to help me with it, and I hope that I will have the strength to do His will, His way.  I know that all of the craziness that I have gone through the past few transfers dealing with scheduling and being busy has been in prep for this assignment.  I feel confident that I have been prepared and that the Lord will be with me, and I am humbled that He is allowing me to serve in this way. :)

The good news that comes with this new assignment is that I am actually staying in Shreveport!  The STL's for our area have been staying in Minden, about a 45 minute drive from us, but President has been wanting to move them to Shreveport for a little while.  So I will be staying here and Sister Giddins will be joining me.  She was already an STL, so she will be "training" me in all that we do.  She is from Orem, UT, so not too far from my home! :)

So that means that Sister Boehula is being transferred.  :(  I am so sad to be losing her as a companion.  She has taught me so much, and it is more tender because I trained her.  I even got the privilege of helping her learn how to ride a bike, better learn the language, and be there when she received her patriarchal blessing this last Thursday.  Since I was her companion the patriarch felt strongly that I should be in the room with them when he gave it.  I felt so blessed.  I received some personal revelation as I listened, and felt that in a special way I was able to be there in place of her Mother since she couldn't be there.  It was a special time.



Training really does remind me of having kids....You "raise" them and teach them what you know (spiritually, mentally, physically), and do your very best to help them have all that they need so that they can confidently go out and serve.  When the time draws near for them to go (or sometimes in the mission you go), you think back and wonder if you've really done all you could to "raise them right" and put them on a path that will lead them to greater happiness and strength and success.  You hope that your efforts have been enough, and that your weaknesses haven't gotten in the way.  And now as I watch her go, I feel a peace that I have done what I needed to do.  She bore her testimony on Sunday, and it was so powerful.  So many people in our ward had never heard her voice before, but that day so many of them did and it was powerful.  Many of us were crying - including me.  She has a quiet strength and power and hits your heart and warms your soul.  She will do great things. :)

The good news about Sister Boehula is that she is only going to Minden!  So she won't be that far, and she will be in the group of sisters I look over! :) She will be companions with Sister Cottrell and Sister Harr - both awesome sisters!  So they will be in a trio!  Sister Anderson and Sister Barrow are both staying, so that means Sister Barrow will be "dying" here in Shreveport...meaning she will finish her 18-month mission here. :)

With all of that hovering in my mind this last week, it was hard not to tell anyone, but I kept my mouth closed until transfer calls on Friday. :)  It's been a week of much pondering and preparation.

Other good news, [one of our investigators] is going to be baptized this Saturday!  He is fantastic.  I haven't had a more dedicated investigator.  He is committed and already lives a very Christ-like life.  We are so excited for him!  The cool thing too, is we actually first found him when I was on exchanges with Sister Giddins, and now she will be here for his baptism!  It's also possible that Sister Boehula will get to come because they live less than an hour away.  Hopefully she does!  But we are so excited for [this wonderful man]! :)

I also realized that I didn't say anything about [the woman investigator that was supposed to be baptized] last week.  We have had to push her date out for some personal reasons, but she is still on board and still going strong. :)  Her date is now August 2nd and we are so excited for her :)  Sister Boehula has had a great impact on her.  It's awesome to see people you love come closer to their Savior, especially when you get to see the Lord work through you.  It feels so good...it is true happiness. :)

[Our couple investigators] are also making some progress.  And we are starting to teach a referral from the Gladys Knight Devotional! . . . She is also fantastic.  A member here is her friend and the one who invited her to attend the devotional.  She has been so good at inviting [this woman] to things (Relief Society activity, linger longer, and church).  She is the one coordinating our meetings and helping [this investigator] along!  It's wonderful!

There are also many other potentials, and I know there are more people we haven't found yet.  I feel that they are out there, and that I still have a job to do here in Shreveport.  I'm so glad to be staying another transfer and pray that I will have the strength to work hard and find the ones - the ones that need the gospel and are ready to listen and live it.  I love what Elder Bednar said.  In an article in the March 2014 Ensign it said, "During a visit to England in 2011, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said when members of the Quorum of the Twelve minister, they seek individuals, following the 'one by one' principle found in the Book of Mormon (see 3 Nephi 11:15; 17:21) and helping 'to lift, to bless, to do something to help an individual or a family.'  Elder Bednar added: 'While I’m in England, the Lord sent me to find a one, and along the way I get to participate in a bunch of meetings, and maybe some good will be done. But the keys of the kingdom were sent here to find a one. You don’t talk to a congregation; you talk to assembled ones.'”

I love that last part..."You don't talk to a congregation; you talk to assembled ones."  That is one of my new goals - to minister to the one; to find the one.  I know Heavenly Father loves each one of us, and has sent His son, Jesus Christ, to atone for us that we might live again and be with Him.

May you all have a One-derful week as you remember your Savior!  I love you!