Transfer Week

Transfer week. Always a stressful time as a missionary. The anticipation of the unknown builds throughout the week prior. Our preparation day is on a Tuesday this week which means we work all day Monday. We labor and try to stay focus on the work at hand. No letting ourselves speculate too much on what could be happening in just a few short days. Tuesday morning comes. We have our 2 hours of studies. We sit and try to stay focused on what we're reading. The thoughts of what could happen the very next day undoubtably roll into our minds. 10 o'clock hits and we close with a prayer. The phone buzzes. The news arrives. We read down the list of names of missionaries to be transferred in alphabetical order. We hit the bottom and there we see the name, "Tribe".

So there it is! I'm out of here! It's been a wonderful 3 months here in the Thunderbird Hills and the Stetson Valley wards! I've grown to love these people and this area. I can honestly say that the work in this area is moving forward much greater now than when I got here. Which is what I believe I was sent here to do. Elder Vanderplas will carry on what we started and do more grand things.

I'm excited to see where the Lord needs me next! I'll find out tomorrow where I'll end up and who I'm going to be with.

Elder Vanderplas got a Facebook this week! That was a huge step! He's come so far and it's incredible how much he's grown. It's been a great 3 months with this guy. He's still an awkward Georgia boy, but he's so much more confident and a lot less quiet! I feel like I was successful in my goal of helping him break out of his shell. He's a great missionary!

This week we had the opportunity to help other missionaries in their area. We went and contacted people and found them new people to teach. It was a really fun time! It was in an area more towards the city so we got a much larger diversity of people than in my current area. I saw a man standing on a street corner smoking a cigarette completely tatted up. I started talking to him. I bore my testimony to him because I felt like he need to hear it. He stopped and looked at me and said,"You guys don't allow smoking in your church huh?" I said we didn't. He then put out the cigarette he was smoking and threw the rest of the pack he had in the garbage. He then asked, "What time and where are your church services and how can I learn more?" So that was incredible! It was such a sweet experience. It reminded me of the power of pure and simple testimony. If we choose to open our mouths, the Lord will put the words there that need to be said. Then if we're honest with what we say, truly loving those we're talking to, miracles can happen in the hearts of men. I know this is true.

I love you all! I hope all is well back home. I hope you all have a dandy week!

-Elder Toph Tribe