Goodbye to Rio Vista, Hello Woodland (6 months old and a 4th of July!)

Dear Family and Friends,

So surprise!
Guess who is getting transferred again! Sister Miller!
I cried, long and hard. But now I'm at peace with it. The Mighty Power
of Prayer our mission does to close our fasts really helped. What I
was left with is gratitude.

The past few days have been rough, knowing that I will be leaving. The
news of the transfers came as a shock to me, but after much prayer and
fasting I feel at peace. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan. I'm
sad to leave my little exile to paradise, but it truly has been
amazing. I love Sister Warnock and she has helped me to be more kind
and she also has a way of being bold about the gospel. She doesn't
complain or make a fuss. She has a testimony, and she is also very
smart. It's been very good to serve around her.

I love Hermana Bryant like an older sister. Funny enough, she reminds
me a lot of Darah, and even that makes it harder to leave. I know that
I needed to serve with her. It has filled my soul with hope. I've
learned so much from her about time management, setting up lessons,
contacting, being obedient, and probably most importantly: being
yourself. She is so accepting of others and she loves others, yet she
is so bold and not awkward. She is also one of those people that march
to the beat of their own drum. Wow. I've enjoyed learning and growing
with these sisters. It's flown by.

The Lord has taught me out here in Rio Vista to love others, and to
let them into your heart. I've grown close to the members,
investigators, and my companions. I also learned a lot about families
and how important families are and more about the type of person I
want to marry, and what kind of mother I want to be. I don't know what
the Lord's original plan was for me, but I'm glad that He saw fit to
let me serve in a Rio Vista. It's amazing what can happen in just six
weeks. This place will forever hold a special place in my heart. I
love the people here. They've still got some good missionaries here,
who are going to take good care of them.

I'll go where He wants me to go! :)

I guess Woodland it is. :)

Because I trust Him, and I know that He loves me.

Rio Vista is doing amazing. I can't wait to hear about future
miracles. The Lord has some great plans for that tiny branch, I'll
tell you that much.

I'm excited to go to Woodland and be with a Sister Carter. Scared, I
will admit, but I guess it always come down to trust. That's what it
always comes down to. Do you trust The Lord? I guess another thing
that Hermana Bryant has taught me is that all you have to do it trust
The Lord that He will help you do your part, and then get out and make
it happen. Every time we've contacted, people come out of nowhere. I
want to keep that up. The Lord has shown me that I don't need to be
frustrated with myself. After all, I am imperfect. Heavenly Father
doesn't want me to feel guilty or angry. He wants me to be humble and
trust Him. I am His daughter, after all, not an employee. He doesn't
stop watching out for me at 9:00. He is there for me 24/7. He is not
interested only in how many numbers I can whip out, but the hearts
that I can touch.

I'm ready to take this to Woodland. I know that someone out there
needs me. I'm sad to leave Rio Vista, and I don't completely
understand, but that's okay. I feel it in my heart, that support...
those hands holding my heart, those armies of angels round about me.

But this week was a lot of fun. Jamal is coming along. We watched the
Restoration on his doorstep on couch cushions for an hour. It was
great. Jamal is having trouble because he doesn't want to get married
to his girlfriend that he is living with and has daughters with. I
don't fully understand, but you could see the wheels turning in his
head as he watched the example of Joseph Smith. I've never realized
how good of a husband and father he was. There's this little portion
in the long version that is all about Joseph and Emma's love story and
their children. The next time we went to see Jamal he has only smoked
a half a cigarette the day before, and none yet that day. Wow. He also
had deep questions about the priesthood and about temples and about
families, and they weren't defensive questions, but things he really
wanted to know. We also talked about the current prophets and
apostles, specifically Thomas S. Monson and how the Lord can help us
become better people than we are right now. Jamal kept smiling as we
showed him pictures of the temple. When we asked him if he believes
that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, he said yes. When Hermana
Bryant excitedly asked him if he loved Joseph Smith, he said "I don't
know him like that!"

Sounds a lot funnier in person. :) I promise. Jamal is this 30 year
old black man who acts like he is 19 still... Sarcastic and loves to
play devil's advocate.  We meet with him again tomorrow. Probably my
last time ever seeing him. Hopefully not. But probably.

Rio Vista! It's breaking my heart! I just might move here after I
retire. I love it here.

Well. We also had a good fourth. We went to Fairfield and the three of
us started off a flash mob singing the Star-Spangled Banner. It was
great. Seriously one of the coolest things that has happened to me. We
contacted 100 people that day. We also taught some lessons on
Facebook, as usual. We then went to our branch BBQ. I walked around
and got to know a lot of the members more. I love them. We also had a
member's cousin come. She is a non member and had had dinner with us a
few night previous when we had invited her to come. It was great so
fun. It was a wonderful fourth, even with the news of Transfer
Doctrine. Holidays on hype mission are the best, but I will say that I
miss all of my family. The members out in California Santa Rosa
Mission take us under their wings though. :)

Some pics. Nursery kids who absolutely love me :)

Sister Miller