The Salem Missionary Triumphs : Goodbye Woodburn

Week #61

You know you really love your district when you attempt to learn "God be with you till we meet again" in Marshallese to sing for Elder Baxter who is going home.

It was really fun. Kind of a flashback to the beginning of my mission when I knew no Spanish and was trying to speak.

I won't be writing much today because transfer days are always very busy. Yup transfers. I am moving. McMinnville here I come. It is so hard to leave. I naively thought that there was no way that I could love the people here as much as I love those in Forest Grove. Heavenly Father truly has expanded my heart and my ability to love.

This week we had a lot of miracles. Amazing lessons and funny moments. I feel we are always laughing. In the last couple of weeks, we have met amazing new people and we have 10 progressing investigators! I am so blessed to have been able to work with these people. One cool thing is that I will have updates on their progress because guess who is coming to Woodburn? Hermana Hunt! I am so excited for Hermanas Karren and Hunt to be companions. I get emails from both of them so I will undoubtedly hear little tidbits of the people that I love so much. That is definitely a tender mercy.

"Vas estar bien" That is what I have been told multiple times recently. I cry so easily. This week we were in a lesson and I was overwhelmed by the spirit and the realization that I am so blessed. So blessed to be able to meet and teach so many wonderful children of our Heavenly Father. We were teaching a cute little abuelita when I started tearing up and she reached across the table and said: "vas estar bien". I quickly explained to her that I was not sad, but so happy and grateful to be a missionary and to visiting her. She is so special and I can't wait to see a picture of her in baptismal clothes. She is also our investigator who when she saw a picture of the prophet Isaiah said in all seriousness, "Wow! que quapo!" My companion promptly laughed and then reached for her water bottle as she tried to act like she was coughing so that abuelita wouldn't be offended.

We saw the miracles of prayer this week multiple times. One time we got locked out of our apartement and could not open the door no matter how hard we tried. We decided to say a prayer to ask for help or if we could find someone to help us. The next time Hermana Karren tried, the door opened. It is something so small, but because of that experience, we were able to share our strengthened testimonies of prayer with some new investigators just an hour later. Heavenly Father even cares about us getting into our apartment. Maybe He knew that our investigator would need to hear about prayer that night so He held the door closed for a while so we would learn to turn to Him. :)

We tried to stay positive this week as we met quite a few closed doors. Our favorite thing we said this week when an investigator wasn't opening the door (though we knew she was home) "She's taking a long time . . . it's okay, she's probably just changing into her baptismal clothes." We think we are funny.

Transfer calls were fun. We acted like we weren't worried, but we really wanted to stay together. This companionship could only last so long though because we get along so well. Though I am sad, I feel such a sense of peace that this is what needs to happen. I will miss the people and especially Hermana Karren, but I am ready to see the blessings that come from a new area and new people and a new companion.

A piece of wisdom from Hermana Dickson before she leaves Woodburn. If a man knocks on your door at 10 p.m. selling mangos . . . well, at least say "No gracias" through the door. We literally just peeked out the peep hole (which he saw) while he held up a tray of mangos and said "Mangos?" I will forever feel guilty because I know how he feels when people don't answer their doors.

Les quiero,

Hermana Dickson