This week had many adventures, but not nearly as many crazy stories as last week haha!!! So here are the highlights of my week:
On Monday Sister Webb and another Sister at my apartment (Sister Parker) wanted to color their hair, but they didn't want me and Sister Parker's companion (Sister Bowman) to have to sit there forever so we had a temporary exchange haha! It was fun to spend the day with Sister Bowman, but it was great when my companion came home haha!
On Wednesday we got a call from one of our investigators, C. (Her husband is the one that Sister Webb has been doing pushups for) She's not really been that solid of an investigator, but on Wednesday she called us up and asked for a church tour! We were thrilled and all our appointments for that day had fallen through, so we were available! Wahoo!!! While there she talked about how she felt peacful and relaxed, which she didn't at other churches. In the Chapel Sister Webb and I played the piano and sang for her. It was really cool to see how much that music brought the Spirit. C. was really touched, which was awesome!
On Thursday we went with the Senior couple that serves on Fort Jackson to a basic training graduation ceremony! That was really cool to see! Especially since the soldiers under one of the people in our ward were the ones graduating! So that was fun to see him in action! We went to that with the Lake Murray Sisters as well so that was kinda crazy to spend half the day with Sister Ward haha!
Another exciting thing that happened was the we finished putting all of our information from our area books into the iPads! yay!!! Also exciting is that this past week was the last week of my training, so now I am a full trained, ready to go missionary! haha :)
Here's where the week got crazy, and also where the subject line comes in! So Friday morning during studies the phone starts to vibrate and I see it is President Turner calling. Which only means one thing the Friday before transfers. That Sister Webb was getting a leadership calling. My heart broke as he told her she was being called as a Sister Training Leader, which would mean that Sister Webb would be leaving me all too soon. I spent the rest of the day worrying about remembering enough information to "take over" the area. But little did I know I didn't have to worry about that for much longer. After dinner we saw we had a missed call from one of the AP's and a text asking for us to call them back. We did and they calmly informed us that Columbia was being whitewashed. For those of you who don't know what that is, it means that both missionaries in the companionship are leaving the area and being replaced by two new sisters. They told us how we would need to do a few extra things to prepare our area for that. Then the informed me that I will be whitewashing my new area. So I'm being whitewashed to whitewash!!! On Saturdays the zone leaders sent out a voicemail saying which of the missionaries in the zone are being transferred. After each name they said a funny little saying. For mine they said, "Sister Bennett, you're one and done." Referring to the fact that this is will be my third area for my third transfer haha! It gave me a good laugh! So I'm sure next week I will have all sorts of stories about where I am, who am I with, how clueless we both are haha! So look forward to that ;)
As for a little spiritual thought, the past couple days I have felt a little discouraged about how I've only stayed in each area 6 weeks. Being in an area that short is hard because I feel like I am finally getting to know the area and the people when I leave. I was feeling like I wasn't really able to be making a difference when I was there so short. This morning I was reading the September Ensign. I was reading an article about Joseph Smith while he lived in Harmony, Pennsylvania. At the end it says,
"While Joseph and Emma lived at Harmony for only a brief time, their experiences in this valley were crucial to God's plan for the unfolding restoration of His gospel."
After reading that I realized that I didn't need to be somewhere for a long time to make a difference. That the Lord really does know what He is doing and where I need to be. That it doesn't matter if I am in an area for 6 weeks, or 6 months. As long as I am working hard and by the Spirit, I'll make a difference.
So that was a cool experience that highlighted not only how the time spend in one area isn't what matters. But it also showed me how when we take time to study the scriptures or words from the living prophets, that something will touch us that will apply to our life right then. I know that can happen for all of us if we honestly search the scriptures and are open for an answer.
I love y'all so much and hope y'all have a blessed week!
Love always,
Sister Amy Bennett
Ft. Jackson
Ft. Jackson group
