Okay... what a crazy craze week! Even though I talked with the family just a few days ago... SO MUCH has happened... so get ready for a super long email! Oh man... here it goes!
So I kinda talked about this with my family a little, but for the rest of you. The story of the miracle of Christmas Eve...
The Stake President had all of the missionaries over for dinner and an evening at his home, only we didn't have the miles to drive all the way to Lafayette... (turns out later that we did and could have gone... but we didn't.) The day before a member invites us to come to her place for Christmas Eve. She is a single lady without family around, so we assumed it would just be the three of us, maybe playing games and not doing too much... and we had dinner with our investigators before that. So our night goes like this:
-We go to the Bontragers for dinner. (Have I mentioned how much I LOVE this family!?) We then watched Joy to the World. That movie is the best because it doesn't just talk about the story of Christ's birth, it also talks about the signs of his birth in the Americas, teaches all about the Book of Mormon and teaches about prophets and Joesph Smith. Oh its the best! So we watched that with them and asked what she thought of it. She enjoyed it... and then I don't even remember what question we asked but she just came out and said she wanted to be baptized!!! This is the same women who for the last month kept telling us that she's been baptized before and doesn't need to do it again! We choose a day for her to be baptized and that day is February 15th. The best part of it is that they are snowbirds who go to Arizona every winter. They are planning on going soon... so we gave the date far off enough for them to meet the missioanries there and finish the lessons so get baptized in an AZ ward. And guess what else... they invited me to come because they knew I would be in AZ at that time! I get to go to a baptism my first weekend back in Arizona!!!! That could not have worked out any better! What a great way to go home!
So then after that miraculous appointment, we go to Sister Krol's house. And to our huge surprise there is a party going on. She had her daughter over and her daughters in laws and neighbors and it was a huge Christmas eve party! We got some food and sat by some of her neighbors. (PS, we can learn a lot from Sister Krol on missionary work. We come into her home and she welcomes us and introduces us to EVERY nonmember there by saying, these are the sister missionaries for my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!) So we sat by her neighbors and strike up a conversation... turns out these people are the most prepared by the Lord people I have ever met on my whole mission. They just started going to church again, they both quit smoking recently, they got married after being together for 8 years... and they are living so many commandments that they don't even know about right now! We had the best conversation with them and they just changed my life! We had a return appointment with them this last Saturday and they just told us how much of a miracle it was to meet us and how things in their life are just falling in place. We gave them the Book of Mormon and they are reading and praying about it as we speak! (At least I think they are!) They are incredible!!!
Christmas day was super fun. We went to the members home and had dinner (Stake and potatoes). We played with their kids and called our families...
Then we had a leadership meeting on Friday which was super fun. We came back that night and had a sweet lesson with a new investigator from China, John, who wants to be baptized but needs to understand more. So we are teaching him very simply and gave him a Book of Mormon in Chinese... it was so sweet!
Saturday was one of those days were the Spirit just led us the whole day long, and we just saw miracle after miracle as we found new people to talk to and went to the less actives homes at the moment we needed to be there! It was just a great day to be alive and to be on God's errand.
And then Sunday... Sister Bontrager drove John to church! Investigators brining investigators! Its the best! The Spirit was so strong and I just knew that I LOVED Rochester and I knew I was supposed to be here. Maybe it took me all transfer but I can say that I LOVE it here and that I'm so happy I was called to come to the cornfield to teach the wonderful prepared people here... and then... the night ended.
Our district leader called and he knew before us what was going to happen with transfers. As he told us we started to fall apart... and then President called. Both Sister Barrett and I are getting transfered out of Rochester!!! We just got double transfered in 6 weeks ago... but we are in the Lafayette Stake driving to the other stakes to do exchanges, and Lafayette already had STL's on Campus... so they are moving Sister Training Leaders to another area. So we are leaving... and then President just like that told me that I was going to be going to the White River ward to open it up to sisters. White River is in DOWNTOWN Indy. Like downtown downtown. I've been to that building on exchanges, across the street from the church is the zoo and the Indianapolis Skyline! I LOVE downtown so much. I've been there a few times on exchanges or for service projects. Its kinda sketchy being so in the ghetto, and I heard people say my whole mission how sisters wil never serve there... but now they are!!! And I get to open it! The best part is that I am being released as a Sister Training Leader and I will be put with another sister who President didn't tell me who she was but that I have worked with her before (either an old companion or someone I've gone on exchanges before.) He said she was amazing and that I will be able to help her a lot in my last transfer. The best part is that he is making her my senior companion!!! I cannot wait to go and open an area and be a jr. companion! I've never been a normal missionary my entire mission and the idea of not having to plan exchanges, go to extra meetings, and train is blowing my mind! There is zone training next week... and guess what! I don't have to do anything but show up and feel the Spirit! I haven't done that since March! I could not be more excited. I'm sad to leave Rochester because I FINALLY fell in love, but its going to be such a fun adventure. They call this a 6 week bullet, when you only have 6 weeks left in your mission and you just go and open a new area to die in it! But it will be great, and I cannot wait!!! I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!
*Sorry for the long email, it was just the best week of my whole life!!!*
Love you all,
Sister Cordner
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