Changes

April 25, 2016

Well at this moment in time we know Sister Washburn is being transferred. :(

Heavenly Father has truly blessed me so much. Sister Washburn is one of my dearest friends and this transfer is going to be the hardest to say goodbye to my companion. We have butted heads a few times but who wouldn't if you lived together 24/7. We laugh way too much but it just shows how funny we are. We get called twins a lot but it pretty much is true (22 days a part born in the same hospital). We are unified when we teach and testify but there is always room for improvement. We are sad we have to wait 15 months to see each other again but we know it will all be worth it in the end! It truly is amazing the impact a unified, happy, and hard working companionship can have on a ward or individuals. I have never heard so many members say, "My heart is broken that one of you are leaving, nobody could replace your companionship." OR how many people asked for contact information from us or invited us to come back and stay with their families. Heavenly Father truly knows each of his children and exactly what they need. Anyway... enough of my sob story about transfers.

A few highlights from this last week:

BOWLING: This past week we went bowling with two districts. I didn't play very well. By game 2.5 I started getting bored. I decided to make it fun by taking a different missionary's glasses to bowl each turn. I fell a few times because I couldn't see a thing but for the most part I bowled better than I did before... I was also really sore for three days after but that's okay. It was a great work out!

GARDEN: We have still been doing service at a community garden. We do a lot of weeding and it is just fun to be outside, get to know other missionaries, and to serve. Plus you get to wear pants. BONUS.

CHALK: We tried to do a different creative finding idea each day of the week. One of the things we did was sidewalk chalk. We went to a nearby park and drew out the Plan of Salvation. It turned out really really good and we even saw people looking at it throughout the day!

BEACH: We did our weekly planning at the beach again this week... it is tradition and it is just getting so beautiful here. The weather (besides the last 3 days of nonstop downpour) has been SO nice. Sister Washburn is so tan... I'm still pastey as ever... I have been in WA for too long I think. Anyway, we see tons of seals and eagles... we are waiting to see a whale.

TEMPLE: Adolfo and Reymundo went to the temple this week to do baptisms for the dead! We couldn't get in contact with Maria at all last week but when we showed up on Wednesday (assuming the boys were not on the temple trip) she told us where the boys were AND that they had gotten they temple recommends two weeks prior. I love having great members who just take care of the recent converts. It is amazing to see the progress the boys have made. Letting us come over but not participating, feeling the spirit, deciding to get baptized, showing up to church in white shirts and ties, passing the sacrament, going home teaching, and now attending the temple. NEXT STOP: MISSIONS.

SINGING: Oh so Sister Peterson and Sister Washburn didn't want to waste all the practice we put into a song we were going to sing at stake conference as a companionship... so we sang it on Sunday in sacrament meeting. It was an elder’s farewell so it was nice because there were nonmembers there.

Change can be hard but it is SUCH a good thing. I know Heavenly Father truly does love each of his children. I know Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God. I know Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. I know the Book of Mormon is Another Testament of Him.  I know as we listen and heed to the counsel given to us by our prophet- Thomas S. Monson, Jesus Christ, and the holy scriptures we will be filled with guidance and direction from the Holy Spirit. 

I love you all.

Sister Rodda

PS: I had a Cafe Rio Salad (with sweet pork and black beans) for the first time in 17.5+ months this week. MIRACLEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.