Week 30: Bare Bones

This is being written a day in advance.

Now, this isn’t a big deal on its own. Most people try to write their weekly emails ahead of time, so it’s not exactly strange. But I always write my weekly day of, which raises the question: What’s caused me to change my ways?

All of us hugging Hermana Likes while I cry

But before we get into that crazy news, let’s address the saddest fact, which is that we had to drop Hermana Likes off at the mission office, and it was so hard, and I’ll be crying about the whole endeavor for a while. She’s somebody I’m so grateful I came to Tennessee to meet. She has helped me to become more of the person I want to be, and I’ll love her forever.

Me hugging Hermana Likes and crying

Because Hermana Likes is leaving, the quad is a temporary trio (for only a day), and because of that, Hermana Stevenson planned with Hermana Fellars this morning while Hermana Likes finished packing. As we sat in the STLs room talking about our day, one of the office elders called Hermana Stevenson. We were little confused, and it turned out he was asking her if she’d be willing to train! That’s such happy news because it’s something Hermana Stevenson has wanted so badly, and this transfer will be her last one. As we were congratulating Hermana Stevenson, the elder called back, and we assumed it was because had forgotten some information, but then he asked to talk to me, and it turns out that I’m training too! In an entirely new area called Bowling Green, which is in Kentucky. So that will be an absolute trip. I need many, many prayers. So does this hermana I’ll be training!

This moment of us just laughing at each other was 87% of our time together

But, something stressful: Normally, transfers happen the morning after P-Day, or Thursday. That way, there’s time to pack. But for some reason, transfers are happening ON P-Day at 3:00. I’ll have half the time people normally do to pack. Suffice it to say I’m more than a little bit terrified. I won’t know the members, our teaching pool, the most effective finding methods for the area. I'm going into this area with only the Lord to rely on. Which might be what I'm supposed to learn.

In Doctrine and Covenants Section 11, it says:

12 And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit.

How true this is, especially about missionary work! There is little that I can do on my own. It's pretty embarrassing. But if I'm accomplishing anything out here, it is only through God. And it takes being stripped down to the most bare of bones to accomplish that.

My bones might be bare. They feel battered and broken and buried under centuries of sedimentary deposits. But I know that Heavenly Father will make something useful out of them. And He will do that with you, too. He is our Maker.

We watched “Coco” en español with the people we’re teaching!

— In the making,

Hermana Newton