In life, to see the Rainbows, we have to endure a little Rain :)

Beautiful CO Rainbow

"Stop. It's Rainbow Time."  K, that was cheesy, sorry

A view from Kenzie's front door.

Pappa Bear, 

 

Wow! What a great week you've had! SO many cool things going on! Im soooooo happy to hear how well the branch is doing already! THAT'S SO COOL! I have been praying for you and the branch all week, you've been in my thoughts too. Yesterday when we were in sacrament meeting I thought, hey its the branches first Sunday today! I am so excited for all the neat experiences you'll have and how much the family is going to grow! 

So I don't know if I told you already but I am NOT serving in the YSA ward. So.... this is what happened. So on Monday I was prepared to be transferred to the Northridge YSA branch, I showed up to the stake center, met my new companionS, Sister Durphee and Sister Claros and we decided to go out to lunch then e-mail. I was at the end of emailing and Elder Whipfler called and said that he was really sorry but that my assignment had been changed from the YSA to the Broadlands Ward in the Westminster Stake. A new missionary didn't make it out of the MTC due to health concerns and so Sister Courtney, who was supposed to train, didn't have a companion. Since we were the only Sister trio and Sister Claros had just left that area, I was assigned. Elder Whipfler told me how excited Sister Courtney was to train her new missionary and that she had taken the news really hard. So I needed to be very excited and very happy to be her companion and that we would make this transfer the best ever. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. So I went back to the stake center and met up with Sister Courtney. I told her I was very sorry that her trainee didn't show up but that I was excited to serve with her and that I knew it'd be great. So we loaded my stuff and headed to Broadlands. The last week has been quite the experience to say the least. 

This area is struggling A LOT. Apparently missionaries have been in and out of this ward like no other. Its hard for members to depend on the missionaries because there is no consistency. So.... In essence Sister Courtney and I are opening this area, maybe not according to the area book but with investigators, members and less actives... Its really difficult. I have been so humbled in the last week. In East Lake it was so easy to find people to teach, to reach the standard of excellence the President has set and to baptize. In this area the challenge will be the build this ward up enough to allow the previous things to happen. Sister Courtney and I were only able to teach 2 lessons this past week and we spent 30 hours of pure finding and contacting. I have never worked so hard and been so tired in my life and wanted to teach SO BADLY. In our weekly planning session we set goals and made plans to teach 10 lessons, in order to start building up our teaching pool, our member involvement and come closer to the standards of the mission president. We dont have the support of our bishop as much as I have experienced in the past so we have decided to meet with all the auxiliary leaders this week, ask them what their vision is for their auxiliary and what we can do as missionaries to help them accomplish this. We know that this is the first step the Lord wants us to take in this area and by doing this the rest will follow. Wards are as much investigators as an investigator is. Are they progressing? No. Why not? Lets fix that. I am still hopeful and enthusiastic about the upcoming things that we have planned and we know the Lord is backing us up 100%.  Thank you for your prayers, they have strengthened me for sure and at some points are the only thing that keeps me going.

 I have learned a lot about praying with FAITH this week and having an eye SINGLE to the glory of God. I know for sure that our Heavenly Father has blessed us with specific talents that allow us to touch and bless the lives of others. We were all able to have interviews with President this week, this was on Tuesday so I had only been here for a day, he told me about the situation from his point of view, he told me that he placed me in the YSA to help strengthen the companionship of the sisters that are there now and then when the ordeal happened that he knew I needed to be the one in Broadlands, that there was a lot more good that I needed to do here. At that point I really didn't understand what he meant, but as the week went on I caught on. It's been the hardest week of my mission but I think just knowing that Heavenly Father put me here for a reason is really comforting. I really hope this e-mail doesn't sound negative, I am really trying to be optimistic and hopeful. I just wanted you to know what the situation here is. Sister Courtney has been promised by President that she will train next transfer so I think I will probably be here a while so I am trying not to be discouraged or pessimistic. I have already learned a lot this week from the challenges, and I know Heavenly Father has great things in store. I love you so much Dad, thank you for your example of perseverance and selfless service. You mean the world to me. 

 

Yours Truly, 

 

Sister Hoopes.