...Since Easters

Can I just call this week CRAZY! So Monday was just full of a lot of goodbyes as well as Tuesday. It was go go go. I only cried once and that was saying goodbye to the Stolls. That was rough. He of course says the closing prayer and he is crying so of course I start crying. Dang it all! Then I saaid bye to a lot of families in the ward. I also spent quite a bit of time packing. But I can proudly say I did not have to send one thing home! And I dare you to find another missionary here that can say the same! Granted, I need to send some things home. But it isn't because I got too many packages, because there is no such thing and I will take all the packages one desires to send me. But because members have given me a few gifts and I just have a ton of books which are not mission approved. I think one suitcase was mostly books. But I fit everything including bedding into my suitcases. So bravo to me! Transfers were super easy. So everyone who is going to be transferred in the zone meets at the same building then members drive missionaries to 1 of 5 transfer buildings and you just go from there. Because janesville is still in the Madison zone We drove to the building, talked a bit then I got in Sister Homan's car and went home! left at 8:30 from Sun Prairie and got to Janesville by 10. Our apartment is HUGE! Apparently the Sun Prairie apartment is one of the smallest apartments. I didn't know any better so I thought it was perfect. You could fit my old apartment into this one twice. We have a big living room and a whole kitchen and a spacious bathroom that you have to walk across to get to places. Two bedrooms. We sleep in the same one. The other room is Sister Homan's closet because she lives out of her suit case, the real closet in there is the community closet with a bunch of free clothes. Everyone who has passed through here though has been like a size 0. So no free clothes for me. And I already have all of my stuff unpacked and put away ever so nicely. Folded in the drawers and hung up in our bedroom closet. It is kind of nice that Sister Homan doesn't use the closet or the dresser because I get to use all of it. I can be organized and I am not cramped on space. The closet is about 4x as big as my old one. And I love our new car! It doesn't feel like a big bulky, jerky brick. But nice and sleek! I keep going on about our apartment because it is sick. I told Sister Homan she is just going to have to deal with me talking about it for another week. 

Let me tell you, replacing Sister Elkington is some hard shoes to fill! She was here for almost 8 months, the people love her. They work with a lot of less actives here. Wednesday night we teach a BOM class with the Elders at the church for parents waiting for their kids at mutual, at least that is what I assume it is for. That is who goes. Oh and I hit my 6 month mark! Wahoo! I thought it was the 8th so I didn't realize that I had hit it :) But whatever. Way to fast, I still feel like a newbie. Sister Homan has been out 13 months and she feels like a newbie. I will always feel like one. Sister Homan came out with Sister Morales AND was her comp in Gresham! How cool is that! She has been comps with the 2 people I know! 

Friday we went to a less active and she taught me how to knit! That was fun! Most less actives just need a friend, thats it. Someone to take interest in them. It's kind of sad that that is all it would take for someone to come back to church but no one will be their friend. Then coolest thing ever! We are teaching a less active in the ward who is deaf! And Sister Homan signs! So we can understand each other! And he is starting to come back to church (hopefully) he says he will. We are going to work on starting a signing class in the ward so he can have some people who will understand him. AND Sister Homan is teaching me ASL. And I must say I am doing pretty well. Let's see what she has to say. She says "You are doing great and you are learning very fast" So there you have it. I can fingerspell and sing a couple songs and say families can be together forever. Also to help me learn, I am learning our missionary scriptures in ASL. I have D&C 30:27 and the missionary purpose done. It was neat to teach Kevin because you could feel the spirit so strong! And I could understand him! Granted not communicate with him, I got kind of nervous. But next time I will have more to say to him! 

We are helping the Elders plan a wedding for their investigators so they can get baptized. It is pretty funny helping them. They are clueless. We went and raked for a really long time and we have blisters and sore hands. It is great though because it will prep us for shoveling this winter! I would much rather build up racking then shoveling heavy snow! It was great to have my first Sunday here be fast Sunday! They asked me and the new spanish elder in the ward to bear our testimonies and introduce ourselves. It is always the weirdest feeling for me to be in a new ward, It feels weird that I am the missionary. That I am the one the little kids look up to and sing about. I hope I can live up to their expectations. 

I love Janesville! I love the people here! I am excited to serve the Lord here! I hope to be a part of building up his kingdom here and finding prepared people to be strong valiant servants of his. The Millers in the Sun Prairie ward said something amazing before I left. They said they were talking about downsizing. We of course said oh thats a good idea, a lot of people do that. Then they said no, we want to so we are spending as much time on the house and cleaning as we could be serving and doing missionary work. Wow! That took me aback. I hope I can be that dedicated when I get home. To keep this relationship I have with my Savior and always strive to put him first!

I love y'all and hope you have a great week!

I love you more then leaves we've raked!
Anne