Thank you for the
emails and love, I sure do love you guys!
Craziest thing
happened today; today is the first day of my LAST TRANSFER!!! Also, sadly, it’s
my last day in Plainview Staten Island . Who knows, maybe I
will be back in Queens ! Maybe I will get to
speak Spanish again :)
It is hard to express my feelings about Long Island and the people that I have come to know and
love here. In reality, I am trying really hard not to think about it because it
is just so painful. I LOVE the YSA branch. I really will miss the entertaining
ward councils, munch and mingle volleyball (I have gotten pretty good at
playing in a skirt!) and the POWERFUL sacrament meetings and lessons. Most of
all, I am grateful for all of the challenges that have come. The past 4
transfers have personally been probably the hardest 6 months of my life, but
these challenges have just been opposition to the INCREDIBLE blessings and joys
that have been out poured upon me. I still may feel really sick, but I have
been surrounded by people I love, been filled with the spirit, and been able to
do a work that I love with my entire soul. This area has become almost a Temple
Do you want to know how I knew I was about to get transferred? This happened before president told me. Sis Mortensen had the stomach flu, and despite my diligent efforts to avoid it, I ended up with it, and was in bed for a few days! EVERY time I have been transferred, I get the stomach flu the week before....Don't want to know what will happen the week before I go home! When president released me as Sister Training Leader and told me I would be leaving. I laughed and told him I already knew that because I got "the bug." He laughed and told me to call him next time because it seems to be a pretty reliable indicator of whether or not I need to be transferred. Thankfully he follows the Spirit too :)
I learned an
important lesson this week, the power of healing. We were able to go to the
"Rockaways Rising" yesterday. All of us missionaries who could,
traveled back down to the rockaway beach (BEAUTIFUL white sand beach btw), put
back on the yellow vests and participated in an enormous human chain with the
residents of the Rockaways. We all held hands and cheered, cried and celebrated
the amazing resiliency of the people of the area. Yesterday marked the 1 year
anniversary of Hurricane sandy. It was a sacred opportunity to be one of the
missionaries who were here and participated in the clean-up. The streets were
clean, unfogged cars lined the streets. People had beautiful lawns and children
were outside playing where moldy, soaking piles of stuff used to lie.
Boys were playing basketball where army vehicles used to be parked. There were
still eerie scars of boarded up houses, empty lots where a burnt houses used to
be, and that unforgettable smell as you drive by certain places. But if
anything those scars stand as a testimony of the healing that has occurred
here. We all came to the beach as strangers, but celebrated as friends. It was
incredible, and I can’t thank my Heavenly Father for blessing me enough to come
to know and love the people of that peninsula.
Also, don’t pass
out! But I decided not to hide my talent and love for singing anymore and sang
a whole solo yesterday in church! I sang Sweet Hour of Prayer. Sis
Mortensen and I switched spots. I sang and she played the piano. I really
didn't care how well it sounded, I just prayed that God would flood the chapel
with his spirit and my voice could be a vehicle for that. He answered my
prayer, it was powerful. After I sat down, I swore never again to hide my
talent for singing under a bushel, even if other people's talents shine
brighter!
I love and miss you
all! Keep up the great work chipper!
Till next week,
Megan
News story of the "Rockaways Rising":
http://pix11.com/2013/10/27/rockaway-residents-form-human-chain-to-show-solidarity-on-sandy-anniversary/#5DIpLpWxuP7deDXX.01
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