Wednesday, July 3, 2013

July 2, 2013

Greetings from the Irvine Mission!

Well it's offical. I am no longer an Anaheim sister. It is bittersweet. But in the end the friends I left behind will always be there and now I have the opportunity to make new friends. I am sure all of you are wondering why there was no email yesterday. There have already been a number of changes announced. All of which are not bad but not maybe what I would have hoped for. I think by now you all know that I am not the biggest fan of change and we are all experiencing a whole lot of that now. With a new mission president comes a new vision and a different way of doing things. Again not bad, it will just take some adjustment and getting used to. Our pday was switched to Tuesday this week. We are hoping that it will go back to Monday after the zone leaders and AP's meet with President O tomorrow. Our zone leaders announced that the truck elders (the ones assigned to move missionaries in and out of appartments) would be taking away one of our beds and replacing it with bunkbeds. When they said this Sister T's face lit up, "I LOVE BUNKBEDS." On the otherhand I stood there straight faced. She quickly realized that this meant that we would be getting another companion. We will be trio training a new sister at the end of this transfer. It is always scary to add in a new person, especially when you have a good thing going with your companion. But we know that there is a reason for it. The zone leaders quickly added in their predictions that after I finish training Sister T she will finish the second half of training with the new sister and I will become a coordinating sister (sister leadpership). My heart started racing. This was the second time this week someone had told me that. I felt so unqualified for responsibility like that. Especially in a new mission. I mean it's not for sure but definitely got me thinking. It is flattering that my own leaders see that potential in me but scary to consider. I still feel so young in the mission. I honestly don't know too much more right now. We meet the new AP from Carlsbad later today at zone activity. Then we meet President and Sister O on Thursday. The whole mission will be there. I am excited to see us all together and meet the stranger missionaries that will hopefully become quick friends. I will have a lot more information about everything next week. I am still in the dark about most things.

We had an awesome last week in the Anaheim mission. We went on exchanges with Sister S1 and Sister S2 (ASL sisters serving in the deaf branch) on Tuesday. Sister S1 came to Costa Mesa to spend the day with me and Sister T when to Fullerton to be with Sister S2. We had an awesome day. We had a blast together and found 3 new investigators and taught each of those individuals almost the entire first lesson. One was at the door, one in the laundry room of an apartment complex, and one out on the front steps. It was such a testimony that missionary opportunities are EVERYWHERE! Sister T is progressing super well but she is still new and timid. It was nice to go out with another expereinced sister and just go all out with little to no fear. Sister S1 is so awesome. As we were walking out to the parking lot after dinner Sister S1 just kind of stopped at the car and said,"Sister Kimball I don't think you know how much the Anaheim mission is going to miss you." It was so unexpected and out of the blue. I felt tears start to well up in my eyes. She continued, "You have no idea the influence you have been on the sisters, especially Sister M (my second cousin), Sister S2, and Sister S (my mtc companion) and how sad they are to see you go. You are an angel. I hope you know that you are going to be called as a coordinating sister super quick. They need your strength." I am tearing up as I type this now. I have grown to care about those sisters so much in the short time I have known them. Along with many others in the mission. It was a blessing to hear Sister S1 say those things. I was just going along doing my thing and little did I know being an example. It made me so much more aware of myself and how I want to be the best that I can be for whoever is watching. Especially as a trainer and to the other missionaries in the new mission. This is true for all of us. We never know who is watching. We all need to be diciples of Christ at all times and in all things. The gospel should be who we are. Needless to say it was a pretty emotional week. But in the end I am happy. I have the deepest testimony that Heavenly Father is aware of each and everyone of us and our personal situations. I love being a missionary so much. I think back to the days not so long ago when I thought my life was heading in a pretty good direction and I was happy but a mission is helping me become the person I have always longed to be. It is challenging but it is rewarding. We all have such incredible potential. We just must have a desire to work for it.

Change is in the air. Oh and whoever said Southern California isn't humid is a lier. :) It has been super muggy and hot this past week but it's supposed to cool down in the next few days. I know that all things are possible as we put our faith in Jesus Christ.

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!

NEW MISSION OFFICE ADDRESS:
23 Lake Road
Irvine, CA 92604


Sister Kimball

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