February 17

Hey!!!

 

This has been a very bitter sweet week for me. I have known for about five weeks that I was going to be transferred and it really happened. Tualatin was the hardest area for me to leave. I loved it there. Our Saturday and Sunday were dedicated to visiting and saying good  bye to members that I was really close to. It was really hard. There were so many members that I didn't know how close to them I was until I was leaving. On Sunday we had Stake Conference and President and Sister Morby came and President came up to me before the meeting and told me that I needed to relax and that everything would be fine. After the meeting he came up to me and said that he sensed some anxiety. I will admit that I did want to know where I was going, who I would be with, would I have a car etc. but more than being anxious I was really just sad to be leaving. There were times during the meeting that I actually had tears in my eyes (I did manage to keep it to only one that fell and Elder Byam was very impressed:). But I guess that is how missions go... We come into an area and love the people we serve them and then when we are needed else where we leave. The work in Hedges Creek will continue. Elder Byam is a good missionary and he knows what needs to be done. He just got a new missionary in and that will be really good for that ward.

 

I am now out in the Forest Grove Zone in the Council Creek Ward. This is a very exciting because of all the wards in the mission this one, according to President Morby, has by far the best Ward Mission Process. The Mission Standard is 20 lessons a week but the Bishop here expects us to teach 30. I am all for it. I love to teach and to spend time really crying repentance to all the world. I am with Elder Whollaben (sp?). He is 26 and from Germany. He will be good for me because he is a very rigid person and I think that I might need a little bit more of that in my life. I don't want too much though because I like me the way that I am. The funny thing about being his companion is that when President hinted at me being transferred I figured that I would probably go to an area and send another missionary home and then train in March so I went to my mission year book to see who would be going home. I looked and I guessed that I would be here and with Elder Whollaben. So I would be that in five weeks (because this transfer is one week shorter because of the MTC time being shortened) I will probably train again.

 

That is SOOOO exciting to hear about Krystal. She will do really well. There is something that Sisters are able to do that we as Elders just are not able to do. There are hearts that the are able to touch that we can't. The only problem that we are going to have now is that Krystal is probably going to become a Tennessee fan so football season might get interesting. Friday was a very exciting day not only did Krystal get her call but there were also two 18 year olds in the Hedges Creek Ward (one of them was Brayden Schoonmaker) that got their calls. No matter how you look at it the Lord is hastening his work and!

 

Thanks for all that you do for me! I love you all very much!!!

 

Dustin