Indy first ward

Wow!! I still can't believe I am in Indiana some mornings. The MTC flew by!! After traveling all day on Tuesday, and staying in the mission home overnight (17 sisters in the basement- they shipped the 20 some elders out with other missionaries for the night) we had training until about 3 on Wednesday. All of us were so nervous to see who our companions would be. Especially since they started a twelve week training program a few weeks ago and we found out we would be with these companions for 12 weeks. We were also nervous because we knew that the Muncie and the Fort Wayne zones would become part of the Ohio mission effective July 1^st.  So, if you got put in one of those zones you would be changing missions. So drum roll please-- just kidding :) I am in the Indy South Zone, Indy 1st Ward, so no Ohio here!! (not that Ohio would have been bad- but now I get President Cleveland in July)!

Me and my Mission President. 

Since there were so many of us, President Collins wasn't able to interview all of us individually. We met with other members of the mission presidency. I feel awful now, because I don't remember the name of the brother who interviewed me, but I do remember what I said. He actually sat down and read to me what Bishop Eddy and my Stake President at BYU wrote about me in my mission papers. He said he would read them to me because they were nothing like what he had seen before. I don't remember exactly what they said. He pointed out that I would be an example to those around me and would be a good leader.  Then he also pointed out that it said that I carried myself with dignity and modesty- which distinguished me from others. The stake president said close to the same things.  The brother interviewing me went on and  said that he knew from meeting me that I would train several sisters and that I would for sure be a sister trainer leader. Knowing this (I mean besides making my head big) let me know that I have a lot ahead of me. I mean I need to learn enough that I will be able to train other people how to be a missionary.... kind of intimidating....

Turns out that my companion is a Sister Trainer Leader! So far she is super fun and a good trainer. I can tell that she works hard and that she understands what it takes to be a good missionary. For some reason she loves tracting... I don't yet. As Sister Trainer Leader she is over 2 zones and has to go on exchanges with all of the sisters in these zones every transfer (which is 6 weeks). Which is 10 sisters, so 10 exchanges in the next 10 weeks. So tomorrow and Wednesday of this week I will not be in my area because I will be on exchanges with the companion of the sister she goes with. I am actually really excited!!! I will get to know a lot of the sisters and I will learn how they do missionary work. Only scary part is sometimes I will exchange with sisters who have been out the same amount of time as I have... which is not very long....... 

You know what is super de duper exciting!!!!! We had 2 baptisms yesterday!!!! It was Wanda and one of her sons Andrew. I taught them once, haha, but they were so ready to be baptized. It was really cool to experience this goal for investigators so soon in my mission. The baptism was super sweet and the spirit was really strong. I just hope they will be "accepted" into the ward. From what I can tell so far, the ward is not super strong. Over half of the ward members are currently not active. There are about 6 young women and about that many young men. The primary consists of about 3 families’ kids. Other than that it is older people. There are so many older people they have an "empty nester FHE". Not much like my home ward where there are tons of youth and a huge primary and only a handful of retired members. It will be different from what I have experienced so far.

I am so excited to work hard! I don't love knocking on doors, but it is getting better. I am so grateful for such a wonderful companion. I have noticed a change in myself. A lot of things that were really important to me before seem less important. I love teaching and I am so grateful that I came on a mission! I am so excited to find more people to teach and share this amazing message of the gospel with them!! I had a cute picture of me and my companion and one of the baptism yesterday, but I forgot my camera cord :( So next week!!! 

Love, 

Sarah