Survived my 1st Transfer

This past week I went to ... for a missionary training. It was funny because it was only for 2 hours long and my district had to travel for around 6 hours total to there and back. Those kind of meetings happen once a month and switches from training to conference each month. So, every 2 months I'll have the same kind of meeting. Anyway, when we got back, after an hour I think, I got a call from President Wilstead telling me about Grandma. That was a rough night, and the following night was rough to just because that's the only time we really have time to relax for a little bit after doing everything throughout the day. I can't believe it happened. I have to admit, if there was anything that made me want to home the most it would be that. That's not going to happen, but it's just hard because I really want to be with the family. Life is challenging, especially if you can't be there but God has a plan for us and everything will end up the way it should. My companion gave me a priesthood blessing and it helped a lot.

The funny thing about your email about the Plan of Salvation, I found out through personal study is that the Plan of Salvation is the coolest part of the gospel. I can't remember what scripture it was but it talked about how the planets are is prove that God is God. Everything that we have and the way things are part of Gods plan. It's amazing, and the best part of that plan is that it's a perfect plan, made by a perfect being. No flaws or anything, just we need to do our part on trying to accept it and act on it. Life is so complicated but yet it's so simple. It's very interesting to think about and is a great concept to know that there is a life after this and having eternal life. This life on earth is just the beginning and the start of eternity, but also living for eternity before. We truly can't comprehend how eternity truly is. It's just amazing.

This week has been busy. For the Elders in ..., no one got moved at all. Transfers are every 6 weeks by the way, but from what I've heard, President Wilstead usually keep Elders/Sisters in the same zone for a long time. That usually unless he receives revelation and believes you should be somewhere else. I do love President Wilstead. Everything he does I agree with. Sister Wilstead is from Burley, Idaho too. I think you might have already known that but just mentioning it again.

... returned back to Turkey for 1 week. We have been meeting him pretty often but now can't for a week. He said he'll call us once he gets back, and he's one of those people that actually do what he says. He's such a cool guy and I love him. 

When tracking during the night time, the town is really confusing to me. It's hard to keep track where we have been and where we haven't. My companion has a great memory but I feel like a lost puppy. Since the city is built on a hill, there is a lot of walking up and down and lots and lots of stairs. Most building or apartment buildings don't have an elevator so that just adds to the stairs we climb during the day. We also did a lot of tracking this week, with not much success :(, but the work still continues.

It's cool to see how the church is run here. Before, it's just sacrament meeting and then a talk and then combined class for an hour and that's it. We started a priesthood and a relief society for the last 15 minutes of church and also just other things that we were doing but are doing better. I feel like I'm seeing a church starting up for the first time even though it isn't. The reason for the changes because the group is trying to act more like a branch. To be a branch we need 15 active members for 3 months I believe and we're at 8 right now. I just wish it was a branch already, and hopefully I can help with that change. 

I don't know if I mentioned this already but transfers are 6 weeks total. My two companions at the MTC got different companions but stayed in the same city. I just thought it was funny because the only people that changed from my group was only my companions. Also, Elder ... (from Finland) is in my zone, so when I got to go to ... I get to see him and talk to him. It's nice talking to him and catching up. He sounds just as lost as me in the mission and the language. It makes me feel like I'm not the only one. My companion Elder ... (pronounced ... , not ... because of where his name originated from I guess) said he had full conversation in country for 3 weeks. He loves learning languages and plan on learning I think 5ish languages. He actually was writing sentences in french and Bulgarian for fun one time. Yea, I wish I could do that for English and Bulgarian. It will come everyone says, but it's coming a lot later than what I want, but every missionary (except my companion) goes through this language gap until it starts clicking I guess.

Some days are long, maybe a lot of days, but I like it here. I'm so happy to be a missionary and just want to learn how to connect with people and the language to be able to share with people this great gospel and things like the Plan of Salvation that can bring such joy and peace in those hard times in life. I know like I said earlier that God has a plan for each one of us whether we know it or not. I love you all and hope that the funeral goes good. I wish I could be there but will pray for it.

Love Elder Green