Happy 2014!

So I have had one heck of a week! Right after we changed companions at Euston station on Friday, Sister Hymas and I headed off to Hyde Park and we were there all day for mission leadership council. Thats apparently a thing I get to do as a sister training leader. Its a big meeting with all 20 zone leaders, 6 sister training leaders, and President and Sister Jordan. It was the longest meeting I have ever been to, and it was just a huge spiritual feast. We set a mission goal for how many baptisms we will have in 2014. I felt so privileged to get to participate in that, and it makes me a lot more comitted to the goal because I helped set it.

I love my new area and my new ward. The ward is full of Africans, so needless to say I love it. I am walking in the footsteps of some really flippin good missionaries here in this ward, so expectations on me are high and thats scary. Like seriously, very recently the best sisters in the mission have served in this ward. That does make me happy though, because they left a lot of good investigators behind. I'm so excited to be working here, I already love this area so much. And its in the same stake/zone, so I don't feel like I went too far.

I LOVE SISTER HYMAS SO MUCH! I am seriously so happy with my life right now. We have been dying to be companions for the last 9 months, and now that we actually are, it doesnt seem real. We are having way too much fun. And on top of being one of my best friends, she is just a ridiculously good missionary! I'm so excited to be working with her and learning from her. I have loved my mission so far, but I am seriously happier than I've ever been right here, right now.

So last night, New Year's Eve, we were commanded to be in our flat no later than 7. And when you don't go to sleep until 10:30, thats a lot of time to just sit around. So we had a grand old time last night. We made ourselves a delicious dinner. Then we sat around, read some articles, quoted a million movies, and laughed our heads off. And then we went to bed. And then at midnight I was woken up by a barrage of fireworks. They were SO LOUD. And they went off like 5 every second for 10 minutes straight. I couldnt see any from the window, but thats ok because I wanted to go back to bed anyway. Happy New Year everyone!

So, to kind of explain my new calling of being sister training leader, because I had no idea what it was before I came out. So basically, me and Sister Hymas are over 4 zones, 12 companionships, 24 sisters. We do an exchange with each companionship every transfer cycle. Meaning for the next 6 weeks, I will be spending half my week on an exchange, away from my companion and my area. (One of the areas we are over is Bedford, so I am beyond pleased that I get to go back). So we do these exchanges and train the sisters in the things President wants us to focus on and helping them improve their teaching and finding and whatever. And giving moral support, basically helping with anything at all they need help with. I'm so excited for the opportunity to serve the other sisters in the mission, because I seriously love all of them. I am extremely nervous and not very sure of my capabilities, however, of my job to train people and be an example in finding and teaching. I know I wouldn't have been called to this position if Heavenly Father and President Jordan didn't think I could do it, but I am still a little shaky on my conviction that I'm the right sister for the job. One thing I am excited for is that I get to see a bunch of different areas in the mission. I start tomorrow in Canterbury, which is at the top of my list of places I really want to go to, so yay! It is sad though, because that means for half of the week I don't get to work in my area and help the people we are teaching to progress, and I have to spend a lot of time away from Sister Hymas, who as you all know, I adore. This is an exciting new chapter in my mission, and I feel really humbled and excited to be called to help the mission in this way.

Anyway, that's it from me. I can't wait to tell you all about my first exchange experience next week!