Sister Breanne Metcalf- Boise, Idaho Mission: Monday, August 11th, 2014

"It's not where you serve but how you serve"

So it is transfers again all ready! It is crazy how quickly the time flys by here. So I am now serving in Eagle! ALL THE WAY OUT IN AFRICA hahah It is so crazy, it is polar opposite of where I just came from. People refer to this area as Africa because it is so far away from everyone else compared to all the other areas. I am excited and a little nervous as well. I know I will have to dig a little deeper and work hard to start finding those people that are ready to receive the Gospel. They won't be as humble as my last area, but I am excited to work hard. My new companion is Sister Haas!!! I am so stoked to be serving with her. She came out a transfer before me and seriously since day 1 of being out we have been wanting to serve together. She is a hard worker and a go getter, I know that she will be pushing me everyday to be better and to work harder. We both were shocked when we heard transfer calls, we never thought that it would happen. I know that the Lord has great things in store for us. It will take hard work but we can do it.

Not going to lie thought, leaving the Shoshone ward was really hard for me. I loved those people so much! Although it was a small ward I was so close to them and the work was really moving along. It was hard to say goodbye to all those people that I was working with and recent converts. It was even harder for me to say goodbye to Bishop Bates. He is such an amazing man, I loved working with him and he really helped me to love the people and area. He told me last night that he had called Mom and Dad and that just made me cry. When I told him earlier that day in his office that I was leaving we both just started to cry. He reminded me a lot of you Dad. He is a spiritual giant like you and loves watching baseball. I told him that when you all come up that I would have my family meet him. He has had a huge impact on my life and mission. After leaving my area for the last time last night and going to my apartment I just balled. I felt like I was leaving a piece of my heart there with those people. There are so many great people and so much potential there. Sometimes people just need to step outside their box to be touch or to influence those that are around them. It brought some comfort to know that I would be back to visit it, but it is different knowing that I won't ever be there again as a missionary. I know I will be back in the near future for the baptisms of Elvira's children(Aug. 30th) and for Anne(Sept. 6th). So that will be exciting, I hope to see Bishop Bates again when I go back for those. I just want to say that a good Bishop you truly cares for the people make a big difference! I know that he was called to serve there by the Lord.

This week though was a spiritual week this week. We had MLC, my favorite part of that whole meeting is the testimony meeting of all of the leaders in the mission. Talk about some powerhouse missionaries. The spirit is always there so strong. There was also Zone meeting this week as well, and that just was so well! It just inspired me to continue to dig a little deeper and to push a little harder. From this week of meetings something really stuck out to me this week. On exchanges I was talking with a sister about the people we work with and the less actives. We were just saying how some return missionaries just go home and go less active and how heart breaking it is. We talked about saying that your a RM means nothingtoday. People go and come back the same all the time, but that is not the point of it. We are out here to allow the mission to change us. I just have thought how important that is. As well as that we don't allow others or ourselves to undo what the Lord has done.

I want you all to know that I know without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is the Christ and He still lives today. His church has been restored again on the earth by Joesph Smith and will never be taken off the earth again. I know that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ and that They told him that the fullness of the Gospel was not on the earth, that the missing link was the authority or Priesthood. I know that Joesph Smith was called by God to be a Prophet and that he received the Priesthood Authority. And although the Book of Mormon is written by men, it is the word of God. I know that having the Gospel in my life is the best bet for surviving in this world today. But most importantly, I know that no one can take that away from me. My mission has been the best decision I have made in my life and it has changed me for the better. And when I go home I am not going to let anyone or myself undo the change that God has done in my life thus far.

I pray that all of you are doing those little things to strengthen your testimonies and to take that time to build that relationship with your Father in Heaven.

Sorry that this email is kind of short this week, things were crazy today with it being transfer day. I love you all and pray for you. Know that there is no other place I rather be than here. I want to continually work hard, but work even harder so that when I go home from my mission I am so tired.

Love

Sister Metcalf

" Don't cry because it is over, smile because it happened"- Dr. Seuss