Big News, Guys.

Holy cheez muffins, I'm getting transferred, and Sister Rivera is getting transferred as well! My heck.

 

Sister Rivera is going to the Beach Lake ward in Eagle River (30 min away) and I am going to Petersburg (an island over in the bottom of Alaska). I'm going BUSH! It's in the Juneau zone. I'm gonna be companions with Sister Petersen, my MTC companion, and SHE is going to be senior companion, which means I need to humble myself and realize I have a lot to learn!! Hahha. I am happy. I am happy for her to be senior, that will be so good for her. She has already been on Petersburg for one transfer.

 

Holy heck, I was so shocked when Pres Beesley told me I was gonna be transferred. Sister Rivera has never been anywhere longer than two transfers so he prepped her with a "I hate to have to do this to you, but.." HHAHAHA wouldn't that make anyone's heart freeze. Hahaha. So she is a gypsy and has gone from Fairbanks to Kenai to Palmer and now to Eagle River.

 

She went downstairs to get ready and I put my head on my desk and cried for ten minutes. Then I wiped my eyes and stared out the window for another ten minutes. Then I tried to get some personal study done. It was Mosiah 2 and all I got was I NEED TO SERVE THE LORD. I need to serve my companion. I need to let go of pride. I need to be humble. I owe EVERYTHING to the Lord, even the fact that he lets me BREATHE every day. He supports me from moment to moment. All he asks is that I keep his commandments. Now, I feel ready and prepared to leave. I've completely buried my emotions so I didn't cry at all during church yesterday....and they released our bishop, which is a fulfillment of prophecy I think, I think he said something along the lines once upon a time like this: "I won't ever let you leave as long as I'm bishop..."

 

HAHA.

 

We went over to my bishop's house and that was the first time I ALMOST cried, cuz I just felt so I dunno, I just remember going there my first night in Decemebr, with Sister Brown, and it was all dark, and it was lovely, and they made me feel so welcome, and I promised to serve well in this area, and now I am leaving, and i hope I have.

 

I need to know Norwegian things. Someone looked up Petersburg for me on their ipad and told me it is LIttle Norway.

 

We have been running around with our heads cut off trying to say goodbye to everybody.

 

Somehow, I have to pack everything I have so that I can take it with me on an airplane. Luckily, it is Alaska Airlines, so I'm allowed 3 suitcases (I'll check my temple bag). And luckily, Sister Beesley said I could leave stuff at the mission home. Haha. Cuz I prob won't be there long, they like to have sisters there only in summer cuz all the men leave to go do Alaskan things and there are a whole bunch of women on the island, so they'll prob put elders back in.

 

Someone told me there's about 3000 people on Peterburg....

 

Sister Beesley told me there isn't set housing for us on Petersburg at the moment, the sisters have been kinda passed around the ward,hahaha, at one point they were living out of an RV....

 

I'm so excited.

 

We have so many people left to see and take a picture with .THe Woman In THe Store and Her Husband, the Woman with Two Kids Who Also Runs A Store, La mexicana (we have a lesson with her tonight), and we still need to get a picture with the Quakers....we need to call about twenty people today and let 'em know we're leaving....

 

I am excited for the next new phase in mah life, I'm excited to learn a lot of things, I'm excited to share the gospel with those on that lil island, I'm excited to work harder than I ever have before. I'm totally bummed to be leaving Sister Rivera, we wrote in each other's mission journals this morning, it was a grandiose affair. Lots of cutting out paper and gluing and stuff. hahah.

 

I wonder how I'll adjust to never seeing other missionaries? We'll call in for district meetings....

 

Sister Beesley said if I leave stuff at the mission home and end up needing it, she'll send it to me. Isn't she lovely. I love SIster Beesley.

 

It rains a lot there. I will have to find a rain coat. Hopefully there is one in the mission home closet.

 

It is Alaska, but a totally different Alaska than the one I've been accustomed to for the past seven months.

 

I don't really know what to say right now.

 

I'm kinda overwhelmed. Haha.

 

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! I know the gospel is true! I know that it is by the Spirit we gain our testimony, and that the Spirit DOES give us feelings of love and joy and peace. And that we CAN rely on those feelings to know they are from God. I know that the Book of Mormon really is fulfillment of prophecies made in the Bible about Joseph. I know that God loves us.

 

I'm counting all the names by which God is referred to in the BofM. I hit the 62nd name today, Father of all things, in Mosiah 7 or something like that. Isn't that crazy. So far, there have been 62 different references to God. Some are similar, like the Lord Omnipotent and the Lord God Omnipotent. But others. Maker, Creator, Savior, Redeemer, Prince of Peace, Lamb of God (my favorite), Only Begotten of the Father, etc. That is our Savior Jesus Christ. I am so happy to be serving him here in Alaska, I have a testimony that he lives and loves and guides us.

 

LOVE YALLL

 

sister ashbrook of the islands