Whitewash (Week 26)

District Preparation Day

Hi everyone,

President Berry called us up on Wednesday to let us know that our area is being whitewashed.  That means that both of the missionaries are leaving, and two new ones are coming in.  Typically, only one missionary leaves at a time, so the one who stays can introduce the new missionary to the area and the people.  President Berry told us that there are less Sister missionaries coming out than are going home, so some areas need to be shut down.  The Deltona Sisters' area is being closed.  That was an STL (Sister Training Leader) area.  They need a new STL area in our zone, and President has chosen our area, which means I'm getting the boot.

Elder Galindo loves his selfies!

I don't like it.  I want to stay.  I love this area and the Ward.  I really don't want to move.  I feel like I just got here, and now I have to leave.  What makes it harder is that I was positive that I was staying, since Sister Nelson is going home.  This is so unexpected that it makes it hard.  There are other things that make it hard.  When we told someone in the Ward he said, don't they only do that if there are problems in the area?  I know that isn't the reason, and we explained to him, but it still hurts.  He is a nice guy; he was just confused about why we would get whitewashed since he didn't see any problems.

Sister Nelson and I in our apartment at night

I think Sister Nelson feels like they are saying, "your area stinks so much, we are going to put STLs in to fix it up."  Sister Marsh says she feels the same way, since her area is getting shut down.  (By the way, she is an STL, so it doesn't mean anything.  She is a great missionary.  The reason is that there are less sisters coming in.)  I wasn't feeling angry about it, like Sister Nelson, but I have had a hard time with it.  The hardest time came when the STL who is coming to our area told Sister Nelson that there is a reason STLs are coming here.  She doesn't even know anything about our area or how hard we have worked.  I don't even know why she was told early that she was whitewashing.  Many people whitewash areas without advance knowledge.  I don't see why she needs special treatment.  I am still mad at her.  I am working to forgive her for her reckless comment.

By the way, I don't hate STLs, like a lot of sisters.  I am really close to some of them.  I just don't like STLs who think they are all high-and-mighty because of their leadership.  Frankly, I don't like any leader who is too caught up in himself.  District leader, zone leader, sister training leader, assistant to the president -- it doesn't matter.  Just because one is in a leadership position doesn't mean one is more righteous or better.  It means you have the opportunity and privilege to serve those who are in your stewardship.  I have decided that I don't need to be a trainer or STL to be a successful missionary.  Some missionaries feel that way.  However, if I am ever an STL, I promise to be a servant-leader.

I have prayed a lot about leaving New Smyrna Beach.  As I have said before, I don't want to leave.  However, I know this is what the Lord wants, and He sees the whole picture.  Things will work out for everyone's good.  There are two sentences in my patriarchal blessing that stood out to me when I recently re-read it.  It gave me some comfort.  I was also really stressed about having to pack, clean the apartment, leave notes for the new sisters, and still find new investigators.  I asked Brother Santana to give me a blessing.  It wasn't what I would have expected, but it was what I needed.  It didn't talk about what was going on now but addressed the bigger picture.  The blessing focused on "my mission here on earth."  That is more than just these 18 months; that is my life.  It talked about acquiring knowledge and wisdom and passing it onto others.  How others would seek me out when I am home from my mission.  It was really awesome.  What is totally cool and is proof that God is out there is that the blessing is very similar to what stood out to me in my patriarchal blessing.  God loves me and knows who I am, and he needs me in other places.

District P-Day Groupie

We are emailing at the church since we went there for district p-day.

Be the Book of Mormon!

Right now it is bike week in Daytona Beach and the surrounding areas.  There are a lot of bikers with their leather jackets.  It is cool to see them (and be seen by them).

Signs for Bikers and Passersby

Miracle: Even though neither of us are staying in the area we worked hard to find some new investigators.  We found Gavin, and he is awesome.  He was a former investigator, and we just dropped by one night.  His friend (Neil), who lives a few hours away, referred Gavin to the missionaries in the first place.  When we dropped by Neil was there.  He doesn't come very often to Port Orange, so I know it was the Lord guiding us all together.  We taught a short lesson that night, since we didn't have much time.  When we came back for the scheduled appointment, the spirit was super strong.  He said he would be baptized and that he would even give up smoking and coffee, which is why he wasn't baptized last time.  When we tried setting a baptismal date with him, we learned that he is going to Cuba for over a month for dental work.  He is leaving tomorrow, so he can't meet with the new sisters for a while.  That is too bad, but I know if the missionaries reach out to him when he gets back that he will be baptized.  He also came to church yesterday!  Gavin is awesome.

✨Sister Aurora Pack

P.S. Thanks for getting back to me and thanks for letting me know about Dad's job.  I think it was adding to my stress.  I think I could feel when I prayed that you would move.  I feel peace about it.

 

Hamming it up!