An Update From Bluefield

I got a letter from Elizabeth today with a little information about her new area. "Adjusting to this area has been kind of hard. . .but I know I'm supposed to be here." She spent 2 days organizing the maps, area books, materials with her new companion and now they have a lot of good things happening. They have 2 people on date for baptism on March 8th and they had 3 investigators at church on Sunday. They've made contact with a few "long-lost" less active members and the work is moving forward. They share the ward with the zone leaders and another set of elders.

This is a direct quote from her letter about her new living quarters. "Our apartment is a duplex. Living room, kitchen are downstairs; bedroom, bathroom, and spare 'dressing room' are upstairs. We also have a creepy cold basement where the washer & dryer are. This duplex is kind of older, so in the basement we have a coal & furnace room. Basically it looks like part of the Holocaust Museum or something. I've only been down there once & it was in broad daylight. Creepy basement."

Maybe Next Week

Well, she is in Bluefield, WV but I don't know anything else. She had time to email me and ask for a list of things to be sent but didn't have time to give me any details about her new area. If she writes a letter, I'll update the blog.

Alive and Well in Bluefield, WV

"So, just thought ya'll should know that I am still alive, hahah...what a crazy 2 weeks it's been. So transfer news. After 12 INCREDIBLE weeks with the Bedford 4, I was the only one transferred from Bedford. I am in Bluefield VA/WV. I "boarder hop" daily (: you will NEVER guess who I am serving with...I am serving with Sister E again. What a treat!" (She served with her in Charleston and finished up Sister E's training.)

"So some news about this weather/transfer fiasco. So transfers were originally supposed to be last Thursday. Tuesday night we were supposed to get transfer calls, but because of the snow forewarning, they postponed it. Wednesday wasn't terrible, but then that afternoon about 3ish it started to just come down, and it snowed for hours. Before transfer calls happened Wednesday night, the four of us had a really nice lasagna dinner and had our "this transfer rocked" discussion. After dinner we got phone calls and we all sat around the table as they told me that I was going to be with Sister E. I was excited to be with her, and to be in a new place...but leaving Bedford was one of the hardest things I have had to do on my mission. Serving in a branch changed me. So Wednesday night to commemorate our time as the Bedford four, we all pulled our mattresses into the other sisters' apartment and had a "sleepover". We had ice cream and told transfer miracle stories, and funny stories that happened, and it was so wonderful. The next morning we woke up and we were literally snowed in. We had to push our storm door to open it. It was snowed shut. We got a call that transfers were moved from Friday to Saturday morning, so Heavenly Father blessed me with two extra days in Bedford."

"I love Bluefield! I went on an exchange here when I was in Christiansburg, so I knew a little of what to expect. They canceled church because of the weather, so I have met 2 ward members so far. The snow is starting to melt, and its supposed to be in the 50s all week."

No News is Good News, I Hope

This is transfer week and normally they have P-day on Wednesday when it is transfer week but we still haven't heard from her. I'm guessing that the big winter storm has them stuck in their apartment. Yesterday the internet said it was 20 degrees and they were expecting 10-14 inches of snow in Roanoke. She is about 30 miles from Roanoke. I'll update the blog when I hear from her.

Miracles and swimming with whales

"Boy has it been a week! So much to share!! Best, birthday, EVAH. I got the chance to swim with whales for my 20th birthday"

"One of our sister training leaders was on exchanges with Sister M. The morning of my birthday during work out time, Sister M distracted me, and we went into her apartment and played volleyball against the wall. We were totally into it, it was so hilarious. Meanwhile, Sister H (who said she wasn't feeling well) had shut herself in the bathroom. After I went into the other apartment with Sister M, Sister S (our leader staying with us)

slipped into the bathroom with Sister H...and they painted a giant ocean scene with washable finger paint on the tile walls of the shower. It's totally my dream to swim with whales one day, so that's what they got me for my birthday (: It was so neat! But alas, the whale named WALLter had to migrate, so we have a white tile shower again. It's so boring. It was so neat. Sister H has been hired to do that to my shower when I have a house of my own haha- she is so talented! So that's the picture of the whale on the wall. It was enormous!!" 

"We picked H's boyfriend up as a new investigator. The branch is having a temple trip this weekend and they want to go up with them to see the visitors center and the temple.We are totally teaching a family. It makes me cry- I've only taught couples and individuals, so this family is a huge miracle for me. This family is SO ELECT. I am so grateful for it. They all came to church yesterday, so we had 2 investigators at sacrament meeting- the most I have had since Christiansburg. We also picked up someone the day after my birthday, so not only did I see miracles on my birthday, but this whole week has just been the biggest miracle ever!! (Which probably means, that since everything has picked up in this area, I will most likely be transferred...that's how it always seems to work with me...)"

"Piano lessons are going well. I have one of the sisters I am teaching in the branch playing one of the Primary songs this week. They are working perfectly."

"I love you all!! Remember that miracles happen everyday- we have to be worthy to understand and notice them...always be worthy to experience miracles in your life! (:"