time to change

Well, transfer week has come again. Change wouldn't be unfamiliar if I hadn't spent so much time with Elder Argyle, but Elder Argyle flew home to Seattle this morning—it was inevitable—and I had to get a new companion (Elder Rands, not being a Zone Leader, wasn't going to stay with me, we knew that from the beginning).

This last transfer continued our trend of breaking records. We destroyed the zone baptism record and a few other ones also. In our area we also broke some significant records. It is proof of the dedicated service of the great missionaries that I serve with. I am honored to be with them every day.

Elder Argyle's last week turned out to be a really nice one. We had some great investigators show a lot of faith in the Lord and get baptized. It will be my blessing to be able to stay here a while longer and watch the heavens open up and pour blessings on them, because great blessings always come with great sacrifice and faith. I also found out how to buy a marriage license and we had a nice wedding for one of the couples that was baptized. On Sunday, the branch president asked Elder Argyle to come up at the end of sacrament meeting and share his testimony before leaving. Since he has been in this area quite some time, his testimony was emotional for him, and for most of the members and investigators and recent converts in the branch. We all cried. I've really been grateful to serve with Elder Argyle for so long. I learned new things from him every day.

So the transfer news. We have two awesome district leaders, one is the same from last transfer, and the other, Elder Owens (still in Mesa Zone) is the new district leader. I'm so excited, and he'll do great. Two of our junior companions went senior companion, and we have one brand new greenie and a few companionships staying together. Elder Rands was transferred down to San Luis, and he was so excited. As for my companion—the ridiculously unlikely has happened again and I am companions with new zone leader Elder Snyder, otra vez. All the missionaries in the transfer meeting expressed their awe in some great satisfactory "oohs" when our companionship was announced. I am ecstatic. The Lord has let me serve a long time with some really great people.

Right after transfer meeting, I had to announce loudly to a lobby-full of missionaries that "this is my grandma, nobody panic" before I hugged Grandma Jean. The Lunts took Elder Snyder and I to lunch and picked up another suitcase of things I won't need for the rest of my mission, as well as Elder Argyle's guitar. Elder Argyle will get all his things when I get home, just keep it all in my room for now.

I love you all. I am increasingly grateful for every new day in the mission field. Grandpa Terry asked if I had thought about extending—I wish I could. Each day is so rewarding, I would hate to miss any one of them. The friends I am making here mean so much to me, how can the Lord be so good?

I hope everything is well at home, viewing life through streak-free windows. Sometimes the view is great enough you just have to overlook some spots and appreciate what you see. Until next week!

-Elder Sam Bostwick