The Lower Lights

Do you like church music, but not all the time? Are you a fan of Mumford & Sons? Enjoy some twangy folk music to rock out to? On a mission and have restricted music options? Then you'll love The Lower Lights!! Their song "Ye Elders of Israel" is AMAZING. I first heard in the MTC and found it the other night and me and one of the other sisters had a mini freak out when we heard it. Even Sis. Finnegan was feeling it. She was dancing and bouncing around and bringing it around town and feeling all Scottish or something. It was way funny. So that's my latest obsession with music.

We had a Sister's Conference this weekend. We all met in Tacoma on Friday night, had dinner, went down to a park by the Puget Sound, took pictures, watched the sunset, walked around, went back to the mission home and decorated Easter eggs and burned new cd's and watched a video about John Rowe Moyle then stayed up way too late with 25 sisters in one house and had a giant sleepover. Then in the morning we had breakfast and had some training from President and Sister Weaver and the AP's. It was some really great stuff. All of us had a chance to share an experience from our missions so far that has been a significant thing or a testimony builder for us. It was so awesome to hear everyone's testimonies and to see how the gospel and missionary work means so much to everyone in so many different ways. The spirit was so strong in that room. I loved it. It was such a good weekend. And, we have sunshine Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and today!! It's amazing how much that can affect your mood and other peoples' attitudes toward you. Everyone is so much nicer and I felt so much more motivated to go out and work. Awesome stuff.

Yesterday Mariah got confirmed! That was pretty cool to see. So she's official now and it's incredible to see how the gospel is blessing her life. It makes me really excited to see that and it makes me want it to happen for others even more.

On Wednesday we had interviews with President. Sis. Balmforth went in first and talked with him, then I went in and first thing he says is,

"Well you and your companion are setting a record."

"A record"

"For transfers together."

"Oh yeah!"

"How is that going?"

"It's great! I love her so much and we work so well together, etc. etc."

"Well, all good things must come to an end." My heart sank and I'm pretty sure I had a panicky look on my face, so he followed that with, "At some point, right?" And then he laughed it off.

So, pretty much, President stabbed me in the heart and it's looking like, barring some major revelation, Sis. Balmforth will be finishing her mission here and I will be transferred out this upcoming round. We won't know for sure for another few weeks, but I think that's most likely what will happen and I'm really sad that I'll have to leave Balmforth, it will be good. I still have a long way to go on my mission and I'm strangely excited for my next area, whenever I get there.

In other news, my companion is still not fully recovered (ATTENTION PARENTS: she is doing well, out working and smiling and laughing, just still not a hundred percent like we would like her to be, but we are doing our best to take care of her) so Sis. Weaver called on Wednesday night and basically told her she had to go back to the doctor the next day. So we had to go to the doctor on Thursday. She got blood drawn and they were going to look at how her thyroid was doing. The next day, the doctor called and said her blood work came back great, but Sis. Weaver wanted to do an ultrasound just in case. So we went and waited in a waiting room for an hour and then finally she got an ultrasound. Nerdy little me is sitting in the corner with my eyes glued to the monitor. I thought it was cool....Balmforth just wanted it to be over with. They told her right there that everything was fine and nothing was wrong with her thyroid. So, she just is waiting it out to go away. It will soon, cause Heavenly Father said so. The only variable is the word "soon" cause soon to Him might be 3 years to us....but probably (definitely) not.

Hmmmmmmm what else happened this week? Not much. We are focusing on finding new people to teach. It's kinda hard haha but we know we need to just suck it up and go knock on doors and be bold and ask people if they know anyone that wants to learn more. I was reading in the Doctrine and Covenants the other day and found the phrase "the laborer is worthy of his hire." Just thought it was an interesting phrase and how it can have multiple meanings. It was cool. My three favorite phrases lately have been:

-The evidence of your faith...

-The laborer is worthy of his hire....

-We are part of something greater...

My brain is too jumbled right now to try and go into detail about them, but they all work together and relate to missionary work...somehow haha. I love being here. It's such a blessing even though it's hard. Love you all!! I'm trying hard to catch up on my letter writing. Have a great week!!

Love,

Sara