Third Transfer - Week 16

Dear family,

It's good to hear from you guys. Transfers was last week and I'm now
in my third transfer. My companion is Sister Taggart. She's from
Layton. She has curly hair like me so therefore everyone tells us that
we look alike even though we really don't. I was really excited when I
found out Tuesday night that she was going to be my companion. I had
narrowed down who I thought it would be to her and another sister but
she was the one I wanted so I was thrilled. She's been out for 9
months and so far I think we've been working well together.

She has a GPS which has been so nice. I wasn't allowed to drive until
this transfer and I hadn't really paid attention to directions when
Sister Johnson drove us everywhere so I've been a little lost a couple
times. I haven't driven since January so I was a little jerky the
first couple days and changing lanes on the freeway and also talking
while driving stressed me out a bit. But I'm good, no car accidents
yet.

It's weird not having Sister Johnson here. I feel like we broke up
because she moved out and I saw her once last Saturday and I gave her
a couple of her things she forgot and then we left. I miss having her
around and I was so used to her so now I have to adjust to a new
companion. Sister Taggart is great but even Sister Johnson and I took
a couple weeks to really get comfortable with each other but we're
getting there. I realize how much I really have learned from her. My
first couple weeks with Sister Johnson I had no clue what was going on
and I just did whatever she told me and I would watch her and wonder
if I would ever get to that point where I would know what to do. But
with Sister Taggart I've had to take over since she's new to the area
and I'm the one who knows everyone and what needs to be done so it's
been interesting but kind of fun. I definitely don't feel like a
greenie anymore. I was relying on Sister Johnson too much because that
was what I was used to so it's nice that now Sister Taggart and I feel
more equal in our companionship. It's like when I live at home I still
rely on mom even though I'm an adult just because I'm used to it but
when I'm at college I actually can do everything on my own when
there's no one there to tell me what to do. Btw, Sister Johnson got
transferred to Lexington Park with a temple square Sister from Hong
Kong. Lexington park is about 2 hours away on the coast and is full
pros so she's not at the Visitors Center at all.

Monday night we helped a member move for a couple hours and taught the
Velasquez, Tuesday we spent most of the night seeing some of the
members and investigators so Sister Johnson could say goodbye, and
then Wednesday was transfers. We went to the Visitors Center, Sister
Johnson and I said goodbye, then I found Sister Taggart and we sat
next to each other and then we went home together after transfer
meeting.

Thursday night we had our family history class at the library. Three
nonmembers, four members, and Elder and Sister Kendrick all came and I
think it went pretty well. I was feeling stressed because I'd been
planning it with Sister Johnson for a couple months and then the day
before she got transferred and Sister Taggart doesn't know much family
history. Right before, we taught Dee and in her closing prayer she
prayed about our family history class and it was so sweet so by the
time we went to the library to start the class I wasn't as nervous. We
gave them a basic overview of the difference between genealogy and
family history and then showed them how to make a familysearch account
and how to start finding and adding people. It's a three week course
so we'll teach them more next week.

On Saturday we had mission conference with the DC South and Baltimore
missions at the stake center right next to the temple. Elder M.
Russell Ballard came and spoke to is which was super good. I took a
ton of notes. It was nice having an apostle speak directly to
missionaries of a certain area and give us direct guidance and advice.
General Conference is awesome but I liked having him give a talk and
receive revelation specifically for us. I think we all really enjoyed
it. Also, apparently he's the one who sealed President and Sister
Cooke. Pretty cool. He went a little over time and he knew that he was
stressing a couple of the other general authorities there with him out
but he said "the best thing about being a General Authority is that
you have general authority." He was pretty funny.

I've discovered that I have a hard time sitting still lately. During
church and a Visitors Center vent last night I was so restless and
fidgety. Even as a mature, all mighty missionary and disciple of The
Lord Jesus Christ, I still get bored during church and meetings.

Investigators are doing well (some of them). Brother Velasquez met
with the bishop and is going to work to receive the priesthood so he
can baptize Leticia and Abby hopefully on June 22nd. Dee is recovering
from surgery and will be getting baptized next month after she
recovers. She's already Mormon anyway, she just hasn't been dunked
(said Sister Cooke to her). Tina is home from the hospital but she's
being elusive and still has problems that make her difficult to teach
so we decided that if we still can't contact her this week we'll drop
her for now. Candy might be moving soon which is sad and she doesn't
want to come to church anymore. Super. We weren't able to meet with
Laura because she was sick. We have a lot more people that we're
teaching but those are the main ones. We're gonna invite another
investigator to be baptized when we see him tonight so hopefully that
goes well.

That's about it. Or about all I feel like typing/tapping on this iPad.
I love you all and hope you have a great week! Read Romans 8:35-39.

Love,

Sister Black

P.S. I made a list the other night of why being a missionary is better
than real life. Feel free to share:

No stress about work
No stress about school
No homework
8 hours of sleep every day
Car given to you
Phone given to you
iPad given to you
Debit card with food money given to you
No rent, utilities, insurance, bills, gas
We have a purpose
No relationship/dating problems
No family fights or problems
Free meals with members
Constant BFF
More emails from friends and parents than texts I get in a week (which
means 3 haha)
Everyone from home automatically loves you and thinks you're the bomb dot com
Get more mail than usual
Scheduled time for meals every day
Broken cars and houses are fixed or replaced for you
Bed time is before 11 every night
Plenty of interaction with other people your age
Sweet senior couples spoil you
Given time to exercise every day
Pay $400 a month to have ALL expenses paid for
Members buy things for you
You grow in the process
Turns you into a hot RM

Pictures: last zone meeting serious and funny (3 of the missionaries
were transferred), quick 30 second to 3 minute gesture drawings of
Sister Johnson while she was trying to pack, and lightning from one of
the crazy thunderstorms we've been getting lately (lots of flash
floods).