Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! I got to FaceTime the family yesterday and that was great!

I figure it appropriate for me to give my mom a shout out. She deserves one every week of the year, but especially on this Mother's Day week. My mom is truly the greatest. She's the reason I'm out here on a mission. If it wasn't for her persistently reading me the Book of Mormon every morning, lovingly correcting me when I was a dumb teenager, and constantly encouraging me to do good, I wouldn't be out here today. I owe all of this happiness and joy that I'm able to experience out here on my mission to her. I'll be forever indebted to her for everything she has done for me. She's truly an angel given to me to guide me and help me along the way. I love her dearly. She's truly the best!

This week I got transferred. I'm now in the Stetson Valley/Thunderbird Hills wards. 2 wards and still on bike. It's slowly warming up and not looking like its wanting to turn back anytime soon.. 120 degrees on bike coving 2 wards... This is going to be a sweaty summer! It'll be great though! I'm still a district leader, but now over a new district in the Glendale North Stake. There is a Sister in my new district who has been in my district since she came out on her mission a month after I did! Kind of crazy! Really cool though. We joke that president kept us together so that we have one friend in this new environment. I can bike to the edge of the area I cover now and look into my last area so I didn't move too far away haha. Completely different demographic of people though. I'm now in the rich area. No apartment buildings. My companion is Elder Vanderplas. He's from Warner Robins Georgia. He's a quiet guy. Real quiet. He's super nice though! It's my goal to break him out of his quiet shell! He came out with Elder Peterson my last companion that I trained, so he's still just a new guy.

My churches start at 9 and 1. So I'm at church from 8 to 4:30 every Sunday... That's a long time to be at church. In the Stetson Valley Ward I was asked to give a talk 5 minutes before I was going to give it. I was to replace the youth speaker because she got mono. It went surprisingly well for being on the spot.

Moving to this new area has been hard for me. It was sad leaving the people that I've grown to love over the past 7 1/2 months in my last area. It was hard coming here and having to be the senior companion in a place I don't even know, especially with a companion that is super quiet and doesn't know the area very well either. It's been through a lot of prayer that I've been able to stay positive. It's truly incredible how much the Lord will bless you when you ask. I've had to pray just for the mental strength to keep a smile going while I knock on doors. And He blesses me with that boost I need :) There have been times since I've been in my new area where I have no clue where I am. My companion doesn't know where we are. And I've prayed and then a map that I never loaded on my iPad will pull up. I was able to navigate our way to where we needed to go. It's astounding. I know for a fact that God hears and answers my prayers, and I love that!

Well I hope you all had a great Mother's Day! I love you all and hope that this week is a delightful one!

-Elder Toph Tribe

Elder Vanderplas doesn't want to take any pictures....so I sneakily

took one from my bed.