Sunday, March 4, 2012

Sister Fitch: February 27, 2012

oh boy oh boy do I have things to report this week.

E.T. does not only stand for Extra Terrestrial, but also Emergency Transfer...

So, here we are a week and a half into the new transfer, and my companion is having a bit of an anxiety attack so she asks President for a blessing, and he comes to our apartment to give her one.  But, before he gives it to her, he says, "I want to talk to you about transfers." I'm thinking, President, they just happened, and won't happen again for 4 more weeks.  Au contraire.  One of the other sisters decided her mission was done, and she left this Saturday.  So, we found out Tuesday we would be transfered, and it all went down Friday night.  Kind of crazy!  So, for the moment there will be no sisters in YSA in Montreal, which is sad, but I don't think it will stay that way for too long.  Sister Limburg is joining a companionship in an English family ward, so she'll be in a trio, and I am now serving in a branch called Hochelaga, replacing the sister that went home.  It's families, and French.  My companion is Soeur Pierache, and she is so great.  She's from France, pretty far north I think.  She is super, and we're getting along really well so far.  So, we had wednesday and thursday pretty much to not only close our area, but close our apartment.  Packing, cleaning, organizing, phone calls, jeepers.  We didn't get to do a lot of teaching, and we only got to visit one member before leaving.  At normal transfers, you have sunday and monday to see people.  Church and FHE.  Not so this time.  At first I was kind of upset because I felt like Sister Limburg and I were just getting into our groove.  I'm sorry, but you've thrown off the missionary's groove.  Friday was crazy.  Winter decided to come back in full force, and it has been snowy and freezing again ever since.  So, winter part II begins, the exact same day I have to start driving in Montreal and figure out these crazy Quebecois rules (or rather lack thereof).  After we dropped the sister who left off at the mission home, we had to go back to my apartment to get my luggage.  When we got there, the kitchen sink was basically exploding.  Water was bubbling up from the drain and was all over the floor and the counters, geyser-style.  The week was so crazy and I've been so uptight lately, that that was just...too much.  I fell on the floor and laughed and laughed and laughed and couldn't do anything about it for several minutes before I pulled myself together.  We found the concierge, he tried plunging it, a pipe broke, and he's going to have to call a plumber.  Good thing we moved out just in time!  Then we had to drag all of my luggage about four blocks to the car, up hill, through the 5 or so inches of new snow.  It took three trips, because we had to take all of our groceries and such too.  Absolutely ridiculous.  It has been lots of laughter since.  Soeur Pierache is really great.  I don't know anything about this area or the people we are teaching or any of the members, or how to get anywhere or anything like that, but I am loving it.  My last two companions were really great, but there was something missing in our relationship, hard to put my finger on exactly what.  Whatever it is, it's not missing here, so I am super grateful for that.  I still haven't unpacked yet, but I'm sure I'll get around to it some time.  We will still be teaching the people I had in YSA, as well as in Hochelaga, but we will only be tracting for Hochelaga.  I love speaking so much French, I love hearing a FRENCH accent from my companion, not yucky Quebecois.  Okay, not yucky but not so nice as French.  Life is super, super crazy but it just feels like a big adventure.  I feel really good in this new area.  It's still in Montreal, maybe 5 or 6 kilometers east of where I was before, but its still pretty different.  Family, French, car.  Anyway, probably one of my more eventful weeks on the mission so far.  I love you all so much, it was fun to laugh with my companion because it reminded me of how much we laugh as a family.  It's good for the soul :) Send warm thoughts my way, please.  I was pretty crushed about this weather, I was so sure I had escaped and spring was on its way!!  Something I learned this week, or maybe just re-learned, is that it really is possible to have fun and be happy even when everything seems to be going wrong.  This week someone reminded me that when God gives us a little shove, we shouldn't take it too hard and get discouraged or depressed.  Use the momentum to drive you to the next level.  Afterall, men ARE that they might have joy.  People are the most important thing, and I get to interact with so many so often and I love it.  I love you all lots and lots and lots.

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