Hasta la Vista Hemet :(

Well the time has come. Transfers rolled around and I'm leaving Hemet and my angel companion :(

Gosh I am super bummed. SUPER.

So as a missionary, we get really used to living life on a spiritual high. Ya know, going into people's houses, sharing scriptures, bearing testimony, leaving prayers. All that. All day. All the time. It becomes a part of life, that's just the way things are and how they always will be. So we don't realize that that is a different opportunity that doesn't happen all day all the time for the people that we are teaching. We don't realize the impact that we have on people.... until transfers.

Yesterday was probably one of the most spiritually and emotionally exhausting days of my mission.

Ya know, these last 2 transfers with Sister Allen have been really difficult, teaching wise. We haven't had any solid investigators and that part has been really hard. We have struggled finding people who are interested the whole time we have been together. When that happens, it just naturally happens that you start to get down on yourself and think something is wrong with you or the way you are doing things, you get discouraged and frustrated, especially when baptism is shoved down our throats and drilled into our minds. So when that baptism doesn't happen you feel like a failure and that you haven't fulfilled your purpose as a missionary. But yesterday changed my mind completely.

I literally cried all day long yesterday. Keep in mind, I have NEVER reacted this way when being transferred. After ward council, a man came up to us that we haven't really had much interaction with and he told us how much he appreciated us and how much we have changed the Ward and helped his testimony grow. He had tears in his eyes as he was saying how much he loved us and how grateful he was for our service. Then in sacrament meeting, Bishop Jergensen had me and the other Elder that has served here the longest bear our testimonies. As he called us up and invited us to do so, he got choked up and began to cry. Now, this man has become very dear to my heart, and I see him almost as a father figure in my life. His family said that he never gets choked up or reacts that way, so to see him react that way about me was very tender to me. I blubbered my way through my testimony, expressing my gratitude for being able to serve in this Ward, I actually don't even know what I said haha. But throughout the whole time we were at church we had mobs of people swarm us thanking us with tears in their eyes. I have never had that reaction from so many people and here I was thinking I hadn't done much in this ward because we didn't have "baptisms." One lady that we have reactivated said that we were the reason she came back to church. Melted my heart. THAT made it all worth it. THAT is fulfilling my purpose. We just had person after person tell us how we changed their life and strengthened their testimony. I was so overwhelmed with LOVE and gratitude that I literally did not stop crying all day long. It was probably one of the best days of my mission so far. I have never felt this kind of love or this much love or appreciation in my entire life. And it feels real good :) I am just so grateful that I get to be here on a mission. That Heavenly Father trusts me enough to do His work. Goodness I am lucky!

So I am getting transferred to Moreno Valley. Despite what I just said I am excited to go :) I wanted to serve there sometime so I got my wish! I will be with Sister Staker and my past companion Sister Cho trained her so it should be interesting :) But really I am excited :)

So yes this has been the best Ward I have served in and my favorite area by far. But I knew it would come to an end sometime! They took both Sister Allen and I out (she is going to Menifee back to the first ward she served in!) And they took both the elders out so President Mullen did a clean sweep! He basically did that to the whole mission though. Pretty interesting.

Speaking of interesting.... This man in the parking lot this week.. Probably about 40 years old told me that he would take a chance to be Mormon if he could be my husband......... Hahahaha I died laughing.

Gosh these were great transfers here, but I am ready and excited for new adventures to come. I will know more deets about the area and the comp next week.. But for now that's about it. We stayed up until 1 the past two nights packing and we are still not done, so I am a zombie today. That was not a good idea :) Oh yeah.. I don't have a tumor in my brain :) CT scan was negative!

I love you all and hope you have a good week!

Sister Anderson :)

p.s. Remember my friend Auzzy? He was serving in Mexico and Chandler told me he just came home early this week because they found out he has testicular cancer and he has a tumor on his lung from the cancer that is making it hard to breathe.. Super scary. We are fasting for him Tuesday so if you want to also that would be awesome.

p.s. 1. Irma and the girls

2. The Leightons (ward mission leader AKA the BOMB)