Opening a new area in Rockingham Zone

This was an incredibly fast week! Oh my goodness where does the time go?! I hit my 6-month mark this week. CRAZY. It's going by WAY too fast.

So we got our transfer calls this morning! Sister Lee-lo and I are both leaving Busselton. She is going to be a Sister Training Leader in Southern River Zone, serving in the Thornlie ward (with Elder Cook). I am going to be opening a new area in the Rockingham Zone, and will also be a Sister Training Leader for that zone and possibly for Bunbury as well. My new companion is Sister Chou-Lee. SHE IS AMAZING. Okay if I could have personally chosen my next companion, it probably would have been her! She is such, SUCH a good missionary! She's been out for over a year and she seriously knows her stuff...we went on exchanges two weeks ago and it was incredible. Seriously this next transfer is going to be AMAZING!!! Ah I am so excited!!! I know that I have so much to learn from Sister Chou-lee. I'm going to grow a lot this transfer.

One thing that is really cool...before we got our transfer calls, Sister Lee-Lo had a dream she was companions with Sister Arnold - who is her new companion. And about a week or so ago, I had a dream that we got our transfer calls and we were both leaving and both still Sister Training Leaders...and bam. Happened. Revelatory dreams people.

I am so sad to leave Sister Lee-Lo, we have gotten really really close. She is amazing and I know we will be friends for life. She is going to come to Utah after the mission and stay with me and I'm going to go to her wedding in New Zealand in a few years. (:

Okay so this week we went out to Kalgoorlie!! We drove up to Perth with the A.P.s Tuesday night and spent the night in Perth with Sister Beckstrand and Sister Kennar, whom I adore. Actually I adore all the sisters in this mission. The next morning, we hopped on a train at seven a.m. and trained seven hours to Kalgoorlie. It was so cool, we got to see a lot of the Australian Outback. It's definitely the bush. It is very beautiful and unique to every other area in the world, I think.

On the way to Kalgoorlie!

I know it's really dark...but this is me sitting on the train listening to someone bash America and not turning around and arguing with them about. Family, I have grown so much. You would not believe my new-found ability to keep my mouth shut when people start talking politics. It's superhuman.

Training to Kalgoorlie.

This was our reaction when we got off the train from Kalgoorlie and the Elders weren't there to pick us up. (:

Kalgoorlie was amazing. It has kind of a St. George-y look - a lot of red dirt. The sun is very harsh. I was with Sister Atkinson, who is amazing! She is seriously so funny, and a wonderful missionary. We taught a great lesson to two African men, which was really neat. Exchanges are always fun, it's so good to get to know other sisters and to see other people's teaching styles. I always learn so much.

While we were in Kalgoorlie we stopped by this massive gold mine. Holy smokes. It's amazing the lengths mankind will go to to get a little bit of shiny rock. Seriously, how many schools and hospitals and churches could have been built with all that labor?! It was really neat to see though.

Sister Atkinson

Sister Atkinson

Us standing in a massive dirt scooper at the Gold Mine.

Exchanges in Kalgoorlie with Sister Atkinson, Sister Lee-lo, me and Sister Donaldson.

I am definitely sad to leave Busselton. It's paradise. Its always scary to leave an area, especially when your companion is leaving as well. What about our investigators?! Elders are getting doubled in. We are leaving the salvation of our investigators in the hands of 19 year old boys?! Nah they'll be awesome I'm sure. It's really the Lord's hands that they are in.

Tracting in the Bush.

Our last Sunday at our little Busselton Chapel/old Catholic Nunnery

I'm definitely going to miss making pancakes with Sister Lee-Lo!

Yeah the MLX's have been great!! We've gotten to work a lot more closely with the members. We won't be able to see much of the long-term results since we are both leaving, but it is definitely working. The branch is becoming more involved in missionary work. I'm sure the Elders will keep it up. We have two set baptismal dates coming up, so I am anxious to hear what happens with them.

Well family, it's been real. Sorry this was brief; we have a lot to do before transfers. I love you all! Keep choosing the right and stop getting injured!

I am really going to miss Sister Lee-Lo. I hope we get to serve together again. It happens!