Transfer 5, Week 6

First off, a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my lovely Sister, Alli. 22 already! I love you!

Quote of the week: "Sister Brock, you are the April of my eyes." -Sister Chen from Taiwan <3

Last week for P-day my zone went to the Bees game, that was pretty fun. Felt so weird doing something completely not related to missionary work. But lots of people were asking us questions, so it was easy to do missionary work. We got to see about half the game before we left home for planning, and surprisingly I made it home alive! Because for some reason, I always forget to turn my headlights on in our car... so we drove in the dark with no lights on. I still don't understand how I do that almost every time. Good thing we're being watched over from above!

Sunday we got the opportunity to go to Amir's confirmation!!! Hopefully you all read the story last week about how we found out he was getting baptized... and then you'll know how fired up I was. Both with excitement and anger towards his Elders who baptized him without me there. Well I went there fully expecting that I'd have to restrain myself, but there was no need. I didn't feel anything but complete love and contentment. I knew that it didn't matter if I was at his baptism, but I am glad that I was able to be there for his confirmation. Amir is amazing, he has made such an impact on my mission and my life. He has such great faith! Becoming a member of the church means that he will never be able to go back to his home country, Iran, but he also knows that this is the true church. And he was willing to sacrifice anything to be apart of it! Sunday was such a special day.

I went on a few Mandarin Motor-coaches (motor-coaches are tour groups over 50 people) this week! My first one I was on exchanges with Sister Wu from China, and they all just wanted to take pictures of me... but with my blonde hair I got 8 people to refer! Seriously, I don't know what it is about Asians and blondes... all the Sisters here beg me to go on Mandarin Motor-coaches with them because I am exactly what Asians love; Blonde, tall, skinny, and very white! And just yesterday we took another one and our group went crazy when I sang 'I am a Child of God" in Mandarin. I feel like a celebrity sometimes. It's awesome.

This week we have been trying to get everything ready for this upcoming transfer! We will have 200 sisters in the mission and we need to figure out the companionship's, apartments, zones/districts and assignments! We finally got it all together today, and are almost ready for next transfer! I can't say yet what I am doing next transfer, but I can tell you that I will have the same P-day! Woo. Excited about that one. But next transfer is going to be great, I am very excited!

Today I was re-reading through Elder Oaks talk in Priesthood session, entitled "The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood." And something that has always stuck out to me had a deeper and more personal meaning today. It was just last night that I found out what I will be doing next transfer. I am very excited, but in some ways also sad, because I will no longer be in the office. Which means that I won't be in the circle of trust won't have special privileges or opportunities, and I won't be in the loop. But this line that really struck a cord with me today was "We do not 'step down' when we are released, and we do not 'step up' when we are called. There is no 'up or down' in the service of the Lord. There is only 'forward or backward.'" I don't want to move backwards just because I feel like I've stepped down from a big assignment. I want to move forward because I know that the Lord has a great plan and purpose for me. I know that I was supposed to come here to Temple Square on my mission, it has been confirmed to me continuously throughout my mission. I know I was supposed to be an OA because it helped me become a MUCH better teacher. I have greater purpose and understanding of how I can help my investigators come closer to Jesus Christ.

Many times throughout my mission, and especially this week, I have been asked why I chose to be a member of the church. And there are several factors! But the biggest one being happiness. This Gospel is the ultimate source of my happiness. Everything that I greatly value and cherish comes because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Family is the utmost important thing to me, and because of this Gospel, my family has been brought together. We have been able to overcome conflict, adversity, and challenges that we face. In the church we are taught that we were put into a family to help support and love us, and that is exactly what I feel in my family. I am so glad that my family is together in this life, and will be together in the next.

I love you all! And I look forward to calling my family this Sunday for mothers day!

Sister Brock