23 days to Minnesota !!!!!

 

So. Yeah I can't believe it.... 23 DAYS!!!! Ooft. I am excited. Also scared. It's funny because all my friends here are always checking on me and giving me advice... it's like I'm dying. Haha.... but really. I am. But in a good way. President Clark always says "All good things must come to a change." So I'm hugely supported out here by all my missionaries and members and investigators, and then all of you back home... And I fasted for peace throughout this transition and to just live it up my best so that I don't check out early, and I really do feel good. I hope it just stays this way.

So life is good. The area is progressing. The branch is getting crazy about me leaving... they all talk to me about it all the time. It was really funny because at ward counsel, they all literally spent the first ten minutes or so talking about what they were going to do about me leaving. President Ambriz (the branch President) is sooooo super awesome, and really under control. He just said that it isn't a good idea to do a big farewell and things (I totally agree!) but the members all want to do something because it's not just another missionary leaving, I'm the missionary that's served there the longest in pretty much the history of the branch and I'm not just getting transferred, I'm going home. Haha, so they just kept going on about it.... I was so uncomfortable because it is NOT about ME at all. It's all about the Lord, that's who I'm serving, I don't want a celebration for me at all. Although it is very sweet because I love them all dearly.

Lots of musicals going on lately, we put one on for a baptism of a member's daughter yesterday. They wanted Hermana Maw and I to do "A Child's Prayer" in Spanish so we said yes... later I realized that I am the only one who plays piano. So I relearned the words in Spanish with a slightly different rhythm while playing a part that didn't carry the notes that I was singing.... all in an hour and a half. It was amazing. BUT. For the actual production we asked Elder Jones to sing my part because I couldn't do all that and sing loud enough. But it was still really fun.... it's amazing how God has multiplied those gifts. I could hardly play in front of people before my mission because I was so nervous and now I can sight read anything, play and sing different melodies at the same time! HAHA! And then I just found out I'm singing in zone conference, volunteered by the assistants apparently. And then someone asked me to play piano for them while they sing in our farewell the night before I leave, and then of course for one of the 12 Apostles! So. I'm happy and working on lots of projects. 

My last zone conference is this Thursday. All the home-bound missionaries have the opportunity at the end to give their testimonies. So I'm trying really hard to ponder about what I can say to hopefully help someone live their mission a little more fully. 

As for help with getting stuff home... I'm thinking about sending home a box or two. Other than that, all flight expenses are paid by the mission, except what I eat at the airport. I'm also planning on calling you during my layover, just so you know. Besides that, if you could just pray for all the missionaries in the world.... that is all haha.

I think that's everything. Let me know if I missed something.

I love you so much, I'm super excited about coming home! I guess one other thing you could do is study Preach My Gospel Ch. 8 about using time wisely. I've been advised by a few people that I should make a schedule that fits as closely to that one as possible so it's not such a hard transition for me, so if you were just familiar with it that would be cool so you can help me find a way to incorporate those kinds of things into my daily life or find substitutes. It will also help you see where I'm coming from. Thanks!

Hey I love you all so much! 

Hermana Zollinger