TRANSFERS!! March 29, 2010

Oh my goodness! Holly overflow of e-mails! I had 12 in my box this morning. It totally made up for last week. There is so much that went on this week and I don't know where to begin so I'm sending you a tape. lol

First things first, TRANSFERS. So we all put in our votes and we think that elder Bishop and Sister Johnson are being transferred, and we were all right except for the fact that I'm being transferred too. Sister Johnson and I are being white washed out, which means we are both leaving! I could hardly believe it. I felt like our area was being taken away from us because we weren't baptizing anyone but through prayer I know that that is not true but that's what it felt like. Then we got a call telling us that we needed to find a ride to Jacksonville that has a boy and a girl in the car, a girl for us and a boy on the way back. That means that they are white washing elders into our area and the sisters are being taken out. Then we got another call this morning from the President and Sister Johnson is training again! She is freaking out and she keeps asking me if she screwed me up and I reassured her that she did a perfect job and I couldn't have a had a better trainer. Honestly I couldn't! I love my companion so much. I don't know what I'm going to do without her but we have cell phones so I can call her. (That's allowed if it's under 10-20 min.) So I'll call her and we will get through this together, lol but i know everything happens for a reason. Elders will be good in our area, but most of our investigators are male so we'll see if they really wanted to get baptized or if they just wanted to talk to girls.

We have this one investigator who has two kids a boy and a girl. Her name is Ranae, she is in her 40's and she is a single mom with a fiancé out to sea. She was sad when we told her one of us was transferring soon but we promised her that at least one of us would be here for her support; Bad idea. In church yesterday the Bishop announced it in sacrament meeting on her fist time coming to church. She looked at me and said "you promised you both wouldn't leave." I could have screamed at the bishop. We were going to sit her down and  explain to her why this happens and how she is not being punished by God. But it all worked out. All of the missionaries got up and bore there testimonies and I think she is starting to understand. We met with her tonight to talk with her and help her stay close to the church. We also told one of our recent converts Melissa and she lost it. Sister Johnson has been here for 3 months and people love her to death here. There were so many people crying over her. They were so cute. People really haven't gotten to know me in the ward so it's more of a bummer for them than sad.

We have another investigator here that I'm worried about leaving. Her name is Jennifer, she has two kids, one with a man she doesn't know and one from her "husband" that she is living with. Come to find out she has another daughter with her real husband who will not divorce her so she is forced to live with her Husband/Boyfriend. She wants to get married and be baptized but she first has to stop smoking, get divorced and then get married. The kids think that their parents are married. The husband/boyfriend is illegal, so it's really a mess. So needless to say she won't be getting baptized for awhile but she is so awesome and amazing and I love her to death! We haven't told her yet that we are both leaving but we asked her what she would do if that happened and she asked if she could come visit us wherever we went. She is so cute. So I'm nervous about her but i know the Lord will take care of her. I just hope our investigators that need more working with wont be dropped or fall through the cracks.

So that is one thing that is crazy~ the other is that we got to go to the temple on Saturday!!!!!!!!! It was so amazing and we got to help out at the baptismal font. It was so great. We got to go because this will be Donte' Sass's First time at the temple! He was so cute. I have lots of pictures! He was the boy that was homeless. I talked about him in my first letter home. It was a big hassle getting him to the temple but we got him there!

Oh and matt didn't end up getting baptized on Sunday but he will on Tuesday before we leave on Thursday. He decided to go visit his sister for the weekend, the weekend he was supposed to be baptized!!!!! I couldn't believe it but at the same time i really didn't feel disappointed in myself because we have done everything in our power to help him and others we are teaching and the fact that I haven't baptized anyone this transfer does not mean that I'm a bad missionary. It just means I have been preparing people to hear so that someone else can do the rest. I also think God is trying to teach me some things; Patience, love, support, hard work, and a lot of understanding. There is a lot more than that but I would have a page if I listed them all.

This transfer has been the hardest most wonderful couple of weeks I have had in my entire life. I have cried for the past three days, not for myself but for the people that I'm surrounded by. I do this all for them and it kills me to see them not take the gift that I'm trying to give them. Some take it and then reject it and some take the gift use it and then give it to a Goodwill store. I have seen so much more in a month in a half than ever in my life. I have learned more about people and how much I love them no matter how much wrong they do to me. I love my mission with all of my heart and although I'm sad to leave this area I know that God has prepared another promise land for me to help prepare the children there and bring them back to the fold. There is nothing greater than this, nothing. I don't want to be anywhere else doing anything other than this. If they had a major in school for missionary work I would change my major and never leave school.

I'm so happy for you Christopher and Kenny your on her way. Don't let one thing get in the way of you going on your mission. The only thing that can get in your way is you. You make your own choices and decisions; no one makes them for you. Choose the right and stay out of the way of Satan. Don't even go there. We have two teams; Satan's team and God's team. We already know whose team is going to win, all you have to decide is whose team you're playing for. There is no in-between. There is not, (it's only kind of bad or it only has this part in it). If it is not of God it is of Satan. Stay away from his team. If you end up on his team you will break your leg, you will sit on the bench or you may find yourself fighting your brother by playing for Satan. Please stay on God's team and don't let anyone or anything drag you over to the other side, not even yourself. This mission is worth everything you have to offer and I would give my life in order to serve and preserve it. You will never regret the things you gave up to come on a mission. So don't wait to give them up till you're on a mission start to give them up now so that you can give yourself to the Lord the moment you step off that plane. I love you all so much and i can feel your prayers all the time. I have gotten through this tough week because of your prayers and because I have put all my trust and support in God. I love him with all of my heart and I'm trying so hard so that I can be worthy to wear his name over my heart. That is where he should always belong; over my heart. This is a wonderful work!

Mom I love the wall! My companion is jealous and I cried when I read Christopher's mission letter and saw our picture together. I'm so excited for him!

Because of transfers just send mail and packages to the office. I won't know where I'm going or who my companion will be until Thursday afternoon. I love you all so much!

Your missionary
Sister Pedersen~