For those who don't know, missionaries are in one are for their whole mission, but we don't stay in one city the whole 2 years or 18 months. Every six weeks we get a call called 'transfer calls'. These are exciting and greatly anticipated, almost as exciting as when we get our first letter to tell us where we'll be serving our mission.
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| Transfer 2 District |
This last transfer call we were all anticipating change. Change. Change can be exciting, and scary. We knew it was going to happen, something was going to change, someone would be leaving. Was I going to get my visa? Usually visa waiters get their visas around transfer calls, or they stay in the same area, or are moved to a new area. If your zone leaders call you, then you know that everything's going to be the same, and they call in the morning. If the mission president calls you, then you know that somebody's leaving. And he calls sometime before noon. Well, we were sitting down for weekly planning and trying not to notice the hours moving slowly by. 10am came and left, which meant that the zone leaders probably weren't going to call us. 11am came and went, we were down the list... By the time noon came around, we couldn't focus very well anymore, the anticipation was killing us.
For me, I had received a peace for whatever would happen. Either I'd get my visa and head out on a grander adventure than in Grand Ledge, or I'd stay and get to help and be with the people I've come to truly love. I just wanted to know! When the phone finally rang a little after 12, and of course it was President Hess. We had been last on the list of course.
He first started talking about my visa, and my heart quickened- but it was only that my visa hadn't come yet... So... "We're sending you to Midland."
Huh?
No no no. That wasn't one of the choices. In my mind slow motion, nooooooo. But at the same time there was a familiarity about Midland, when he said it. I knew it was right, I knew it was where I was going. But at the same time a sadness came to me- because that meant I'd be leaving all the people here in Grand Ledge and that I wouldn't be in Brazil. That's what I WANTED, but you see, that's what happens when you limit the choices and give Heavenly Father a fan of cards to choose from. "These cards I'm okay, choose randomly, I'm good with them all!" And then He, being all knowing, smiles at the naivety, and chooses from the deck of cards, not even the top- from the middle! We don't get to choose, but that's part of submitting ourselves to the Father's will. Christ was the perfect example of that in the garden of gethsemane.
Yup! I'm going more north and they tell me it's very beautiful! And I'll be in a WARD instead of a BRANCH! It'll be weird, being in a congregation of 50 or less people has become normal for me. I'm very excited though. And from the sounds of it, my papers are on their way anyways! What!
So, for the next week, don't send anything to the Grand Ledge address, though it can always be forwarded. As soon as I have it I'll send a letter home with my new address- I'll get there tomorrow.
One night I was trying to get to sleep and couldn't, I had to write my thoughts down before I was able to sleep. In the morning I read the sticky note, "the world doesn't need world peace, it needs a smile." I laughed at myself, but then I remembered my thoughts. And it's true, wishful prayers of world peace- as long as man has the agency to choose right from wrong, there will never be world peace. In a sense, when Satan wanted everyone to return to God, everyone to be happy- he just wanted world peace, with him as king of course. But we can start with the peace within ourselves, and smile, and spread peace in the bubble in which we live, our bubble of influence.
I'm so excited for Michigan in the fall- Brazil will be nice too, but while Oregon is green- we have a lot of pines. So I'm excited to see all the colors!!! Of course, if it be God's will.
(:
I love you all! Thank you for your love, prayers, letters, emails- today is going to be crazy! Packing took longer than we thought and last minute run arounds.
Have hope! I read this scripture this morning, it's my favorite scripture today: Alma 13: 28-29 "But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, andawatch and pray continually, that ye may not be btempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be cled by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, dmeek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering; aHaving faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the blove of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his crest.
With Love,
Sister Duncan
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