Transfer Time Transportation!

I had about an hour visit via telephone with my parents and younger brother on Sunday (Mother's Day).  I told them about how they transport the missionaries to all the different areas at transfer time.  My dad asked me to write it all down in my next letter.  It is as follows:

There are two vans. One is the north loop, the other drives the south loop.

These are the places they go.

N1/S5: Joplin, Missouri

N2/S4: Mt. Vernon, Missouri

N3/S3: Rogers, Arkansas

N4/S2: Van Buren, Arkansas

N5/S1 I don't remember.... Probably Oklahoma

N6/S6: Tulsa, Oklahoma

We mark our bags N or S-something, depending on which loop we're on and where we're headed. First transfer I marked my bags N2, then N4 second time, then S3 last week.

Transfers...New Area Information

My companion is being transferred to serve near our mission headquarters.

I'm being transferred to a ward in a city directly east of our mission headquarters. I'm replacing one of the elders who was in the MTC (Missionary Training Center) with me.  My new ward covers a very tiny area because the church is really strong in that city.  I'm also excited because it is more likely to get tornadoes.

My new companion and I graduated from the same high school, but in different years.  He is about a year ahead of me in the mission.  His mom and grandma have worked alongside my mom in community and/or church responsibilities.  (It is a small world!)

Transfers...Final Happenings in "Old" Area

Both my companion and I are being transferred.  We are being replaced by sisters.  My companion and I don't have the car yet, so we're freaking out because the sisters NEED a car since they don't have bikes. So, it is going to be pretty stressful because we're doing a TON to prepare for the sisters.

I'm going to miss our area/branch and the people here. We've been taking pictures with the members and investigators.

Our "golden" investigator, along with his girlfriend, are progressing in the gospel.  They have a baptismal date and are going to get married before the end of the month. It is going to be absolutely amazing. I wish I could be there. They're so awesome.

Almost Heaven On Earth!

I love this place.  It is beautiful. It has a ton of lakes everywhere, and beautiful hills. My former area had a ton of caves everywhere. There are a couple of bike trails just outside of town that I really want to go to some p-day, if I'm not transferred. There is a train track that runs through the middle of the town. It is amazing.

There are raccoons, opossums, armadillos, deer, etc. It is the closest you can get to Heaven without being in a temple on earth. All this town needs to be translated is a temple here.  It's that beautiful.

Our town has an extremely amazing investigator.   The guy that stopped us while we were riding our bikes? Well, his family is amazing! They felt the Holy Ghost, they believe that our church is the best way to help their family, they want to change, etc. They are INCREDIBLE. It's exactly what our area needs right now. I'm so excited for them. They are going to go far.

The Oklahoma Tulsa Mission held mini zone-conferences. We went to a nearby city for ours, where I saw many of my friends in the mission. President and Sister Shumway also held a Stake/Zone Conference a couple of days later. That was awesome.

The youth in this area are amazing! They do a ton of missionary work. They're almost out of school, so we're planning on going on a ton of exchanges with them, since 75% of them have a mission call. They also find a lot of freaky stuff. They found a small, very dark cave.  They also found a house that looks like it has been set up for an apocalyptic world recently.

One of the missionaries serving from our branch is coming back from his mission on Transfer day! I may not be able to meet him, if I am transferred.

Mosquitoes, Ticks, and Chiggers! Oh, My!

There are a ton of mosquitoes. So far I haven't been bitten yet, so that's good. There are cicadas in the summer, and I haven't seen fireflies yet. It's becoming tick season, and chigger season, but I haven't been bitten by one of them. No walking sticks that I have seen. This place kinda reminds me of Nauvoo mixed with the town where I attended high school. It's awesome.

It Amazes Me...!

It amazes me how many churches there are here. It is interesting when we meet pastors and ministers of the different churches.  

It also amazes me how close we are to Texas, which, according to our zone leaders, is the rival mission. It's funny.

Going to Wisconsin and Speaking Hmong!

One of the youth in the branch received his mission call! He's going to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and he is speaking Hmong. He's the first youth to leave. We have a couple of less actives in an adjoining town who speak Hmong, so when he comes back, it's going to help.