Cambios (transfers)

Last Sunday we were eating lunch and we got a call. I answered and it was a man that said “who am I talking to?” I said, “Hermana Ball” and then I asked, “and who am I talking to?”

“Presedente Agazzani”. 

“ What!!!” haha

 He told me to leave my companion so I could talk to him in private. He told me that I wouldn’t be finishing Hermana Paredes’ training. I was going to be a Sister Training Leader. I don’t know if you are familiar with this, so I will explain. There are only 6 Sister Training Leaders in the mission. Basically, we are kind of like Zone Leaders but for the sisters. We go on splits with them and we study with them. Anyway I was kind of freaking out and immediately began to cry because I didn’t want to leave Hermana Paredes. President told me that for a while he had been feeling like I needed to be a Sister Leader and he said that he thought, no, she is training, but the thought kept coming back so finally accepted the thought. Then he told me I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone: my family, my converts, my companion, no one until Tuesday in the night. Then he said Hermana Ball, I love you and I know you can do this. Ugh So then, of course, my companion was like “What did President say!!?” I’m like, uhhh nothing really. We finished lunch and went home to study and I was literally just crying during my whole personal study time and so she kind of caught on and said tell me the truth, haha, so I told her, I’m not so good at lying, but I didn’t tell anyone else and it was way hard. We basically just cried forever, ahah Monday we had family home evening like always but it was so sad because I knew it was my last one. They didn’t know and I hugged each one so tight and just said “I love you” and they were like “I love you too, Hermana Ball”. Ya, it was so sad. The longest three days of my life, I was just so nervous the whole time. But I read Moroni 7:33 which basically says if we have faith we can do anything God asks of us. So I just started to have more faith and that helped a little. But pretty much up until I was at the terminal I didn’t believe that I was really going to be a sister leader. But I guess that’s what Heavenly Father wants.

My new companion is named Hermana Austin from Springville, UTAH!!! POR FIN!!! (finally)  I’m with an American and we are assigned to labor in San Lorenzo. Right now we have 7 companionships of hermanas that we are in charge of, but we think that may change. We will probably get more this week.

So basically President doesn’t want to hear the problems the sisters are having, he wants us to find them and then find the solution and then we tell him that there was a problem but we fixed it. I don’t know if that makes sense, but basically we are like counselors, haha.

Anyway our life is so freaking crazy. I never really understood what the sister leaders did, but basically every Wednesday and Friday and Saturday we go to other areas and one of us stays with one sister and the other comes back to our area to work. we went to Ytororo Saturday to have studies with a sister from my group, hermana richards. She is in training right now, so it was super fun. I studied with her. I had been praying super hard to know what she needed and how we could help her. This was my first official act as a sister leader and I talked to her about the authority that she has and the responsibility. We both cried. haha I think I said what she needed, but it was the best seeing her. I just kept thinking how much we have grown these past months that we have been apart. Anyway, when we left their house we got a call saying that an hermana had sprained her ankle and they need us to have splits with them. so Saturday I sat at the house with her all day while my companion and her companion worked in both of our areas. It was loco. It was so hard just being in the house all day. I haven’t had so much free time in a long time. It was nice. I slept a little because honestly I haven’t really slept much since I got transferred. We always have to get up early for some reason or other and stay up late.  Sunday I went back to our area and worked and my comp stayed home but this time I was with a member and the other sister was with a member. The good news is my member knows our area super well so it was no big deal ahah. Hopefully this sister gets better soon because hermana austin really doesn’t like doing this ahah.

Hermana Austin and I are already super amigas, like from the first second I was with her. We were like, this is going to be the best. haha But we have been super good and we really don’t ever speak English, so that’s good. I’m really excited to be in this area. It’s way more city then my last area, but I have a lot of hope.

The last thing I wanted to share is we have a super miracle. Our area is the sister leaders’ right, so you would think it has tons of converts. The past 5 months there hasn’t been any baptisms. so the last Sunday hermana austin and her comp were praying way hard because it was raining and they just wanted a miracle in the church. They got there and there was a man and woman in the front row. Come to find out she is a member from Brazil. They just got married and guess what … he isn’t a member!!!! His name is Pablo. The sisters passed by his house the last Sunday and put him on a date. Then Thursday I went and we taught him for the first time together. Oh my gosh, he is seriously the most prepared person ever!!!!!! He said he prayed about Jose Smith with his wife and then he was just waiting for the answer. He opened his wife’s Book of Mormon in Portuguese  and he opened toAalma 5:38. Seriously, you should read it. I opened my Book of Mormon and I was like, oh my gosh. Basically it says that God is calling your name and if you don’t follow you’re not the sheep of God. Pablo didn’t understand in Portuguese because he is Paraguayo so he looked up the translation and he was like wow thanks. haha He said he got his answer and he knows that everything we share is true. We were like what!ª!! We gave him his own Book of Mormon and he was like, thank you hermanas!!! He is so great. Aanyway we had an appointment with him Sunday and hermana austin was like ahhh you get to go to the appointment without me. ahhh ahah I felt bad, but we made him a present for Father’s day because he doesn’t have kids. We wrote him a note and gave him a picture of the temple. He literally almost started crying. He was like, thank you so much. This is our goal, hermana, we want to be a family forever!!!! What! Really, our lessons with him are like the lessons from the district. He asks all the right questions and doesn’t have any problems. He is married and follows the law of chastity. He is just golden, really golden. So ya, he is going to be baptized Saturday, no big deal. We are super stoked!!!! Also, his wife’s son has his mission call. He is going to go to Argentina, but ya, We are super happy about Pablo. We also have some other really awesome people that I feel will get baptized. 

So ya, my life is a little different right now. We have a little more responsibility than before, but basically it’s the same. haha I don’t know what I’m doing, but we have a manual of how to be a sister leader and inside it says our main purpose is to love the sisters and serve by example. I know I’m not like the best missionary, but I know I can love the sisters and I’m just going to try and serve them. I loved being hermana paredes momma, but now I get to be the mom of like 14 sisters. So I guess that’s cool.

Love you all oxoxooxoxoxoxo enjoy your week and give a hug to your dad’s because I can’t hug men. It’s way sad. Pablo’s wife’s name is Wanilda and in her city there are only elder.s haha She said she always wanted to hug them and it was terrible, but now she can hug us and she loves it. Pablo said, but I can. haha He was so sad. Sunday he just wanted to give me a big hug. I feel so blessed I have so many wonderful men in my life. I love ya Daddy, Grandpa Ogden, Blake, Cade, Sterling, Bran, Dan, Mar, and Ethan. ok I think that’s all in my family haha but I have so many. Really, I’m so blessed. 

xooxoxo

Hermana Ball 

Hermana Austin