Goodbye Harmony! - April 13, 2015

So, I'm being transferred! President called on Saturday to tell Sister Bush that she would be training a brand new greenie. So, that means I will be leaving my first area and moving on to who knows where. Won't know until tomorrow. Eek! Elder Black is moving to be the Zone Leader in the Louisville Zone and we were joking about me moving under his leadership...again. Sister Bush thinks I'll go to Clarksville, Indiana. I'm excited and almost a little relieved to be leaving. There comes a point when you want to try new things and see new things. But, I will miss everyone here. The S's, the K's, A P (recent convert), and D are on my top list.  

I loved the talk that was given by Elder Packer when he said,
"Many years ago, after World War II, I was attending college. There I met Donna Smith. About that time I read that two essential ingredients to a successful marriage are a cookie and a kiss. I thought that was a pretty good balance." 

Speaking of the temple, yesterday Kh and V came to temple grounds with us. It was so beautiful and full of sunshine that day. It was perfect. The Spirit there was so profound it was like a huge pressure of peace and love. Kh kept saying how peaceful and how wonderful it felt. We taught them about eternal families and the blessing of temples. Brother L, who came with us, gave them a little statue with three family members interlocked in a ring that he had bought from Africa. It was so perfect and symbolic. 

We then felt impressed to give them a tour of the church building next door. We showed them the different rooms and stopped at the chapel. It was so quit you could have heard a pin drop. There, we talked about the sacrament and testified of Jesus Christ. The Spirit was so strong that nobody for a little while wanted to speak. We then walked to our last destination, the baptismal font. We showed them it and talked about our first covenant and how it is the first step to reaching the temple and feeling the same Spirit all the time if we are worthy. 

Although I may be gone, I am more than certain that Sister Bush and whoever will be serving with her are going to baptize them. We took a picture outside the temple together and someday we'll take another one and they'll be dressed in white.   

Guess what? We're getting iPads! We have a training on May 21st so that is coming up. Also, Mother's Day is in my planner! Yes! 

So, Churchill Downs was AMAZING! I loved it! We spent a few hours there looking at the museum and having so much fun. Pictures to come! We tried on Derby hats and learned all about the horses, jockeys, and the general spirit and traditions of Derby. Thunder Over Louisville is going to kick off the Derby craziness this Saturday. I'm sad we don't get to go, but it's supposed to be awesome. We watched a few of the film clips of the Derby's from certain years. I watched my birth year. 1995's winner was Thunder Gulch. We also watch Secretariat. I had no idea that that horse's heart weighed so much more than the average thoroughbred. Crazy! My favorite horse name though had to be Behave Yourself. 

So, remember in conference when Elder Nielsen talked about the man from Taiwan named Satid who was paralyzed? Yea, Brother Lowe, who's in my branch, baptized him. Crazy! 

We had an awesome Zone Meeting this transfer. We were taught on the three types of missionaries. The bum, The Convenient Softie, and the Fearless Inconvenient Hunter of Men. Needless to say, I want to be number three, but sometimes I am number two. I had some repenting to do. Repenting is my favorite thing because it helps me to change and become better. It's so great! In one part of the training we were asked to pray privately somewhere in the church building to repent and ask Heavenly Father what we could do to become better. I have never in my life felt such peace and gratitude for the enabling power of the Atonement in my life. I even got a little teary eyed because of how I felt. 

Becoming is so awesome! I can't wait to keep doing it. 

Story time! So, after the training we went out to work and we did until late in the evening. We had about five minutes before we were supposed to start traveling the twenty minutes home and we felt impressed to knock on the door of a former. We did and there was no answer. But, I knew we were supposed to be there for a reason and when we turned around we saw this man grilling on is driveway. So, we put on our Inconvenient Fearless Hunter of Men boots and went to talk to him. His name is Di and he was happy to pray with us. We talked to him for about 10 minutes about the Book of Mormon and he gladly accepted one and wanted us to come back and teach him more. 

Talking with everyone is the best thing ever. Heavenly Father is definitely helping me to become braver and better at conversation. Who knew that I could be good at that! 

Elder Langford told us a story this week. One of the investigator's in our mission had this dream. This was at the time when he wasn't sure about being baptized and was kind of on the fence about it. One night, he had a dream where he was in a big field and was happily sitting on a white fence. On one side was God and Jesus Christ waving at him with smiling faces and beckoning him to come to them. It was bright and beautiful. On the other side was Satan and he was surrounded by coldness and darkness. He wasn't moving or speaking, but was just smiling. The man asked, "Satan, why aren't you asking me to come on your side?" Satan replied, "You're siting on my fence." 

Boom. Powerful ain't it? It is impossible to not be on one side. We have to put our whole selves on Heavenly Father's side. There is no middle ground. I'm either trying with all my might and strength or I'm not. I will definitely make mistakes, but that's what the Atonement is for. 

I love you all so much and miss you terribly!! 

Can't wait until May 10th!! I get to see your faces! 

I LOVE YOU!!! 

Raye :)  

P.S. I got you something pretty from the Downs, Mom. Get excited. :) 

 Pictures 

#1 - Sister Briggs (we were on Blitz) me, and A (he's a recent convert whom I adore! He was so so sad to hear I was leaving. Cool kid. Going to be an apostle later in life.) 

#2 - Derby hats that are worth 75 bucks. Nope. 

#3 - The closest I will get to the track without paying to sit there. You can see the winner's circle behind me. It's the little white tower with the green roof. 

#4 - The K's and us at the temple. 

#5 - Do I look like I want to put on a jockey uniform and goggles and get on the plastic horse? Yes.

#6 - Churchill Downs. The horse statue is of Barbaro.