"Sister Alley, you're leaving!"

My dear dear family and friends(if you've been reading my emails this whole time you're champs),

   For the first time in my whole mission I heard the words "Sister Alley, you're leaving!" in Saturday night transfer calls. Wow, this past weekend has been nuts. Actually this whole past week has felt like it was worth two weeks. I have so many mixed feelings right now. I'm excited but also nervous, and I definitely cried a lot in church yesterday about leaving the people I have been serving for the seven and a half months I've been in the mission field. Our bishop decided it was a good idea to have me and the other Elder leaving our ward bear our testimonies in sacrament meeting. I was grateful for it, but I was also a bit of a mess. I testified about how God takes raw materials and refines them. I have seen that happen with me! And how my work may be done in this area but the work of the members of course continues. Stay tuned to see if I go to Wyoming or something crazy! 

  The craziness continued today when I got the call right before writing to be a Sister Training Leader! I told my President that wow I have faith that this call comes from the Lord but I will definitely need to grow into it! Certainly the Lord qualifies who he calls.

  The Lord's hand is so completely definitely in our lives. Cool experiences this week. We didn't work as much in our area because of being at the temple a lot. Fun to make connections and see some people I know, like my Book of Mormon professor from BYU and one of my sister's mission companions! And we were in on Friday because of Sister Garbett having a fever. But we studied and she got a blessing, so there was actually probably a reason for that too. But one night when we were in our area, Sister Garbett and I had set a goal of finding two new investigators every day. We had found one earlier in the day and it was almost time to go home. We both had to go to the bathroom and so I suggested we pray about where to ask to use the bano haha. A family came to mind, and we went to knock and found that this member's non member's husband had recently got to town and we were able to have a lesson with them! Odd moment with a language barrier because he's from Croatia haha. Another quick experience, the other day we showed up for a lesson and the husband was home instead of the wife, and he had been having a hard time that day so he ended up opening up to us about his life right there on the doorstep. It was amazing to testify to him that the gospel of Jesus Christ would help heal his family. He talked about how he feels like he needs God and wants to stop feeling bad influences. He was so sincere and told us several times "I want to learn!" It made my heart to happy to find someone who is so willing to open their heart to what God has for them. It makes missionary work worth it.   

  It was very interesting to say goodbye to some investigators and recent converts and hear what impact we have been able to make in their lives. Wow it was a payday to know that we have touched people hearts in an eternal way.      

  I'm sorry if my letters lately have been kind of downish. I learned a ton this week about joy and rising up to my calling! About not thinking about my own imperfections but looking for the ways God touches mine and others lives! One quote that stuck out to me from President Nelson's "Joy and Spiritual Survival", was "Saints can be happy in every circumstance. We can feel joy even while having a bad day, a bad week, or even a bad year! My dear brothers and sisters, the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives." 

  I testify that when the focus of our life is Jesus Christ, then we can always have joy! I am definitely feeling more happy! I am anxious to see what growth and experiences God has in store for me with the new challenges ahead.

Lots of love,

Hermana Adison Alley

Easter package from Mom