HOLY MOLY and Happy Easter!!!
Sooooooooo...transfers are this week, Wednesday. This transfer was shortened just a week because of the MTC schedule was changed from 3 weeks to 2 weeks. I'M WHITEWASH TRAINING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy Cow! I'm training AND whitewashing. I feel so inadequate. When President called me to extend the calling of training, I was in shock. I was like, "Me?" I thought for sure the call was for Sister Allred, who's the senior companion. Nope, it was for me. President just laughed and said, "Yes, this call was for you, Sister Collins." Usually when you train, you stay in your area because it's a lot harder to train and be in a new area. Then my District Leader called me to say that not only was a training, but I was whitewashing. So I'm not going to be staying in my area. I'm going to be going in a completely different area with a newbie straight from the MTC. I'm still in shock. I couldn't fall asleep last night because the words, "whitewash training" were reverberating through my head. I finally had to take Night Quill to fall asleep. I wish the transfer calls didn't come so late at night (transfer calls can go until midnight. President calls all of the leadership first from about 9-10pm; zone leaders, district leaders, and trainers. My District Leader called at 11 to tell us all of the other transfer details of the zone.) My address will not be the same. You can change my address on the ward bulletin to the Tempe, AZ Mission Office so you don't have the possibility of having to keep switching it every 6 weeks.
It's bittersweet to have to be leaving this area. I've grown to love the people here in this area. I'm going to miss Sherry and Katie and all of those we're teaching. We've been having some great miracles in just the past couple of weeks and especially just yesterday. We've been working with some part member families in one of our wards. Our ward mission leader just asked the husband of one of the families if he wanted to take the lessons from us. He said yes! He's been coming to church with his wife since they got married in November. I'm so happy for him!
We're going with Michael is going to the Easter Pageant on Friday! I'm so happy for Sister Allred and her new companion who get to go!
Also another family, the husband is not a member and we're going to ask him if he'd like to take the lessons this week. They also said we could go to the Easter Pageant with them on Thursday. His parents from MN have been here, who aren't members also, who are going to be going to the Easter Pageant as well.
Another miracle was that the oldest daughter of the before mentioned family had married the neighbor across the street who's not a member. We were referred to this family and we asked them if they would like to learn more about the gospel. The mother said yes! We have a new investigator as of last night! So exciting! Things are starting to happen in the area and I couldn't be happier. It had it a long time coming. I just wish I could be here to see the fruits of my labors over the past 3.5 months, but the Lord knows better than I do. I have been telling this to myself since last night and I do believe it. I'm excited to see where my new area is and what it will bring. I'm sure there will be many MANY more adventures and I'm looking forward to them.
I am looking forward to my Easter package and letterS :] Happy Easter and may we remember the true meaning of Easter- Christ's Resurrection. Christ has been Resurrected and lives. I love the hymn "I Know My Redeemer Lives." One of my favorite scriptures of the Savior is Isaiah 1:18.
Love you all!! Thank you for your prayers and support.
Love,
Sister Collins
Sister Collins
(I will find out her new address on Wednesday and will send an email out to everyone.)
P.S. Here's the Arizona poem:
The devil wanted a place on earth,
Sort of a summer home;
A place to spend his vacation
Whenever he wanted to roam.
So he picked out Arizona,
A place both wretched and rough.
Here the climate was to his living
And the cowboys were hardened and tough.
He dried up the streams in the canyons
And ordered no rain to fall;
He dried up the lakes and the valleys,
Then baked and scorched it all.
Then over his barren desert
He transplanted shrubs from Hell;
The cactus, thistle, and prickly pear-
The climate suited them well.
Now, the home was much to his liking,
But animal life, he had non,
So he created crawling creatures
That all mankind would shun
First, he made the Rattlesnake
With its forked poisonous tongue;
Taught it to strike and rattle
And how to swallow its young.
Then he made Scorpions and Lizards
And the ugly old Horned Toad
He placed Spiders of every description
Under the rocks by the side of the road.
Then he ordered the sun to shine hotter,
Hotter and hotter still
Until even the cactus wilted
And the old Horned Toad looked ill.
Then he gazed on his earthly kingdom
As any creator would
He chuckled a little up his sleeve
And admitted that it was good.
"Twas summer now and Satan lay
By a prickly pear to rest.
The sweat rolled off his swarthy brow,
So he took off his coat and vest.
"By golly," he finally panted,
"I did my job too well.
I'm going back where I came from
Arizona is hotter than Hell."