Tttttransfers!? (Week 56)

"Yep. real transfers this time. I actually won't be staying in the Bothell ward. It's so sad. :( I've been called as a Sister Training Leader and will be transferred to a city called Redmond. It's a different zone! I don't even know what to do with myself because I have ALWAYS been in the Bothell zone. This is a new adventure, and somehow I just feel completely calm. I'm excited! I know I'll come back to Russian work eventually, so it's not a good-bye, only a see ya later! I'm going to go and visit Brother Slava (my favorite Russian grandpa!) one last time tonight, though. It's almost like I am leaving home again.

Missionary work is the same work, no matter the ward or the city, we still have to trust in the Lord and serve with all our heart, might, mind, and strength.

Cool story:
One of my old investigators who was supposed to get baptized a while ago, came back from his trip to Ukraine this past week, and he was at church on Sunday! It was awesome to see him already building more relationships with members of our ward and with Sister Piddubba. While he was in Ukraine, Sister Piddubna and Elder Karpunkno's (an elder in the mission) parents were able to help him attend church and to see the temple there. It's so evident that there is a network of people just waiting to help each other in the church, and that's what the church is all about. I cannot wait to go to his baptism!

With the close of another transfer, I try to reminisce on some things that I have learned.  Something that I learned about Jesus Christ this transfer was how when we have experiences that are from our past, and then we meet people with a similar struggle, we are able to sympathize with them. Because we somewhat understand what they are going through, we can grow closer to them and also help them to overcome whatever it may be.

The cool part is that Jesus Christ understands everything completely perfectly. He had every experience. He experienced temptation, pain, suffering, joy, love, peace, and many other emotions. He was a human, physically, but he was also the only Begotten Son of God. It's something that never has nor ever will nor ever can be replicated...the Atonement and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I feel like I can taste a little bit of what it must be like for him to see people from God's perspective.

To see them as something bigger than just this little trial they are going through right now...because I've been through it too and there is an end! There is always, always an end. There is always hope for something better. God places people in our lives for specific reasons, and we are placed in theirs for specific reasons.

With love,
Sister Jenne"