June 23, 2018 -- Chameleons and Campus Adventures

Hey All!!

I think it is safe to say that getting transferred to TCC is the best thing that has ever happened to me. The amount of joy I feel serving here is something that I could not begin to explain. The constant teaching and testifying to people that I can relate with well is what I always envisioned missionary work to be like. Here, at almost 14 months into my mission, I am finally becoming the missionary I have always wanted to be. To give you an idea of how campus work goes, we found 20 new investigators this week, and we weren't even on campus on Tuesday! Friday was really slow as well, because it is summer semester and no one wants to take Friday classes. So on Friday we walked around for 2 hours and found 4 people to talk to. But we talked to them all! We made a video that I'll show y'all one day. 

This week has been a busy one. Tuesday was zone conference. and that was really wonderful. We had to do an impromptu role-play for the wife of the First Counselor in our Mission Presidency. It made me anxious, but afterwards Sister Austin told Sister Boyce and I that we taught really well together and she could tell that we have been companions for a long time. It was funny because at that point, we hadn't even been companions for a week!! I also got to see Sister Case again, and my goodness I miss being in her district and seeing her more often. At least we are still in the same zone, so I get to see her sometimes. Like at the car wash we do every Friday. Now if Sister Paulk and Sister Shumway could also get transferred here, that would be perfect! Also on Tuesday we had Institute and a guy brought his pet Chameleon and let me hold it and it was awesome.

Besides Zone Conference, we have been teaching and contacting our hearts out! This week on campus we contacted a transgender boy and a lesbian. (Not that the same time). They were both shocked that religious people would even approach them to talk about Christ. We explained to them both that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone, and that we believe that everyone should have a chance to hear it and accept it if they feel that it is true. They were touched by the sentiment, and the lesbian told us that she wants to come to our church, because most people just condemn her. We were able to testify of God's love as well as our belief of the sanctity of marriage being between a man and a woman. It was an incredible conversation. She then told us that she wants to bring her girlfriend to our church as well. So, adventures are happening everywhere and God loves us all! These were certainly not experiences I had in family wards. ;)

Also. I forgot to tell y'all last week about where I am living now! There is a group of little apartments in Tallahassee were three sets of missionaries live on a little plot of land. It is affectionately nicknamed "The Compound" around the mission. There is a duplex that holds the FSU Sisters' Apartment (The Head Sister Training Leaders) and the FAMU Sister's apartment. Then in the back is a little apartment where the TCC Sisters, (that's me!) live. There are only three rooms in there total, a bathroom, a kitchen, and our bedroom. It is the littlest housing situation in our mission, and I love it! It's adorable and the perfect size for two people. There is almost nothing to clean, and we spend no time in our apartment anyway, so why would we need more space? I have been converted to small houses! Our little place has many nicknames around the mission as well, including, but not limited to, "The Love Shack", "The Shack", and "The Cottage". My personal favorite is The Cottage, so that is what I call it. We don't offically have an address, because technically our house is 1332 1/2 Charlotte St. We are so small we don't even have a mailbox! That doesn't mean you can't send me things though. If you do, address things to 1332 Charlotte St, Tallahassee, Fl, 32304.

And the other Sisters will get it to me when they check their mail. The Cottage also has an outdoor shower with a covering around the sides. I've used it, and it is actually really nice. The water pressure is good. I'd recommend it! 

Also, I love Sister Boyce so much. She really likes to talk about doctrinal mysteries and questions of the soul, and we have such good conversions that last for hours! Every night once pros time is over, we end up having the greatest, most spiritual conversations that last for hours. It makes me miss Sister Adams, because I know she would be all over this stuff too. I have also been teaching Sister Boyce how to do Rubix Cubes, which is fun! She is picking it up really quickly. Sister Shumway taught me, now I am teaching Sister Boyce... it's an amazing metaphor for missionary work if you think about it. :D

That's all for this week folks! Until next time, keep the faith and look towards Christ. You never know when God will send you unexpected blessings, like getting transferred to the very LAST area you ever wanted to go, and having it end up wonderful! Write again soon, and hey- make sure to read the Book of Mormon!