Smiling Faces, Beautiful Places: Week 68 - Latta, SC

Hey y'all!

Oh my goodness. Can I just tell you how crazy slash great of a week it was? It's weird because the beginning of the week was not all that eventful but the end of the week - BAM! All kind of great things were happening! I'll really just touch on three of the main events from this week though!

First of all, we had the Fall Festival this week! We had an amazing turn out! We had 93 people there! I know that may not sound like a lot compared to a Utah ward... But when we typically have 40-50 people at church every Sunday, it's amazing! Sister Parker and I decided to dress up but you can't really do much to dress up as a sister missionary... So we dressed up as each other! It was so much fun! We also decorated our trunk with copies of the Book of Mormon #MissionaryStatus. The best part about it is that John and Faye Csondor came to it and also Melissa McCoy came with her mom, step-dad, and niece! We were so happy! They all really enjoyed themselves so that's a plus right?

This weekend was Stake Conference! It was amazing! The Saturday Night session focused a lot on missionary work. Two recently returned sister missionaries spoke and President and Sister Turner spoke as well! It was great! The Sunday Morning session was just as great too! It talked a lot about being in the world but not of it and gaining charity. I got a lot out of both conferences! Want to know the best part? Yesterday, Ricky Bourgoin and Brother Josh got the Melchizedek Priesthood! Want to know an even better part about it? Our branch mission leader pulled some strings so that Sister Parker and I could attend the ordinations (That usually doesn't happen here, I guess)! It was the best Sunday I've had in a while!

Now the moment you've all been waiting for - transfer calls! Drum roll please! ... I will be staying in Marion and Sister Parker is off to a new area! But here's some more news for you! Saturday morning, I was in the middle of sharing what I learned in our companion study, when all the sudden, our phone rings. It was a call from President Turner. I stop talking and start panicking! I answered the phone and President wanted to talk to me! So the news is ... I've been called to train yet again! My third and final daughter in the mission field!

Wow. I'm just amazed. Partially because I've been praying to train my last two transfers. I know that training will help me keep my mind in the mission field in this time when most missionaries get "trunky". It just amazes me about how the Lord hears and answers our prayers! It happens with anything from us needing to get rides to stake conference (which we got a ride to both sessions when we weren't expecting one to either) to us wanting to get milkshakes (we didn't actually pray about that... But we both really wanted one when we were in Florence and our member bought us some) to me training. There are so many simple ways that the Lord expresses His love for us. I'd like to invite all y'all to look for those little tender mercies in your lives. I know that as I've looked for the blessings in the little (and big) things, I've been a happier person!

Unfortunately I won't know who my trainee is until Wednesday but we'll be heading to Irmo for the trainers meeting tomorrow. I'll keep y'all posted next week on my new adventures here in Marion! Thanks for all your support! I love y'all! Have a blessed week and happy Halloween :)

- Sister Amy Christensen