Hola de Hermana, 4-3-12

Hola mi familia asombrosa!

I´m being transfered!  It´s not a huge surprise.  Hermana W is going to train, and I found out that I´m being transfered back to Xela!  In the other stake, Xela Oueste, in Los Jardines.  Its a big ward with it´s own chapel, and it´s a lot like Calvario in that it´s mostly houses and city.  Before my mission I used to think I was going to serve in farmland, and a lot of times I still crave fresh pure air, but now I know I´m grateful to work in areas where we can work efficiently in smallish areas.  I´ve heard Jardines is bigger, but I still will be able to travel in the area efficiently whereas in rural areas sometimes you have to visit the areas in parts, one day here and another day there.  Both my current District Leader and one of my Zone Leaders just rave about my new zone, so I look forward to going there.  

I´ve also found out that I´ll be in a trio again!  I´ll be joining Hermana S from Argentina, who two weeks ago started training a sister missionary who is here temporarily waiting for her visa so she can serve in Mexico.  I´ll be the senior companion and we´ll be training her together.  It is also weird to think that I won’t be starting from scratch, that there is already a foundation to work from because we aren’t opening the area.  

I was stressed about how I would be able to do what is necessary in just six weeks.  And then I realized that Jesus Christ, after his resurrection, was only in Jerusalem for six weeks with all the rest of his mission in Israel before his ascension to Heaven and ministry to the Americas.  That gave me hope and peace that I´ll be able to do what I need to in Xela in the six weeks I´ll have there.  

The baptism with Kevin fell through.  But we´ve put the baptismal fecha for him for this Saturday.  And we pray Carmencita will be ready too.  I know God loves this family very very much.  And I hope I can come back to Guate when they go through the temple a year from now.  We also saw a lot of tender mercies in the work and I know Hermana W is going to have a great start with her mission daughter.  

It has been such a privilege to serve here!  I feel so close to many of the people, and know I´ve made a difference.  And they don’t know just how much of a difference they have made in me.  Serve missions!  Share your light and testimonies of our Lord and Savior!  And the heavens will open and you will be blessed with the strength and peace and happiness that your souls are seeking and the sustenance that your earthly tabernacles of clay are needing.  

I testify that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ lives! Our earthly missions are so precious and short.  Use every moment!  And I´ll see you before you all know it!

LOVE YOU TONS!

Hermana Ivy [-]