new transfer

Time passes quickly here in San Luis. All too suddenly, we received transfer calls and Elder Mitchell was moved out. It was not unexpected to have him leave as he had been here for two months. Transfers are a bit different for those who aren't being transferred in the Yuma Zone. We all slept over together on Tuesday night, with all of the luggage and chaos from the elders leaving. We sent them off in the morning for Tempe and then just tried to pass the P-Day as normally as possible. But the whole day had the anxiety of waiting for the new elders to arrive, or any call from anybody letting us know who our companions are. It was a long day.

In the end, my new companion is a friend I already knew from Queen Creek. When I had been moved from one Queen Creek area to the other, Elder Snyder came in as a "greenie" with Elder Robinaugh. He has been in Queen Creek ever since and now has come to be my companion. I was excited, and I think he is too, to be serving together, and also to be in such a foreign part of the mission. I've had, or lived with, all the companions he's had and we know all the same people from Queen Creek. We just seem to talk and talk. He is from Cleveland, Ohio, the wonderful Midwest.

As for the other new missionaries in the zone, I already knew everybody who came. At first I thought it was a coincidence, or happenstance that I had served around all the others already, but then I realized that it is expected at this point to know many of the missionaries in the mission. And indeed, I do know a lot of them, or at least I know about them. The social organization of a mission was a surprise to me.

I am excited for the new change in blood around here. When a missionary is in one spot for a while, they become so familiar with an area that they rely on their own knowledge of the people, members and non-members, rather than faith in how things could be or should be. It will be good to work with Elder Snyder and just have the highest hopes for everything. I learned a lot from Elder Mitchell and am really appreciating the divine purpose of mission companions. Each one shapes you so much, and teaches in profound ways. I have high hopes for a good transfer with Elder Snyder.

I know, it seems like I say the same kind of things every six weeks when transfers come, but it is what seems most interesting. At least it changes things up for me more than any other daily passing. The work continues and we are doing well with our investigators. I haven't baptized multitudes, but people are learning about the gospel and feeling the Spirit. It is amazing to see people come to Christ, and as we continue, they will be baptized, they will receive the blessings of the Gospel, and they will have their hearts changed. I have faith.

-Elder Sam Bostwick