It's Transfer Time!!

Ross was transferred to a new district two weeks ago but we weren't able to find out where until one week ago. Here are the past couple of week's emails....

May 24, 2011

Well....its come to an end.....

As you can see, my ministry in Sweetwater has come to an end. After 10 1/2 months here in Bonita 3, I have to pack my bags. I guess we will find out tomorrow where I am going.

Well, I guess I'm not surprised that I'm leaving, I've known it was coming since last Thursday. We had a meeting with our stake president and Pres Donaldson on Thursday to talk about the stake missionary plan/work. I had planned on talking to Pres Donaldson after because of a feeling I had been having for awhile. For the past couple of weeks, I have been feeling "detached" from my investigators. I love them and I taught them with the Spirit, but I didn't feel like that is where I needed to be anymore. It was a terrible feeling, but I guess you could say I was kind of feeling like I needed to leave and go somewhere else. So after the meeting on Thursday I talked with Pres Donaldson and told him how I was feeling. He asked me why I thought I was having those kind of feelings and I said I wasn't sure. He then asked how long I had been in Sweetwater and I said, "10 1/2 months." he said, "That's a long time. That's probably why. But, you don't have to worry about it anymore." And then he smiled and gave me that look like I was being transferred. So yeah, I've had an idea that I was leaving, but my name on the letter confirms it. Its a weird feeling to leave, but oh well. Its nice to know that I'm on the same age as the Lord.

My birthday was awesome! It was basically like any other day. I went to church, everyone there wished me happy birthday (No one said it in Spanish, they all said it in English to me ha-ha) then my WML invited me and my comp over to his house for lunch so we ate there. Then we went to my favorite family's house and they threw me a party and we had Chinese food and cake. (When yall come pick me up we will definitely come back to see this family. I love them so much) and then another member made me a cake. So yeah, it was pretty awesome! A lot of love. It definitely will make leaving that much harder.

Please tell everyone thanks for everything and I will start working on sending out thank you notes!

Well that is about it. I guess we will find out tomorrow where I go. Thanks again for everything! I LOVE YALL!!!!

Ross


May 31, 2011

Ross has been serving in the Bonita Third Ward in the City Heights area of San Diego for the past 10 1/2 months, a very long time for a missionary to stay in one area. He has been expecting a transfer for quite some time and we found out last week that the transfer letter came and had his name on it. So, that's all we knew for a week. He was gone, but we didn't know where. I am including part of my email to Ross this week to help you understand some of his response (~Martha)

Hi Buddy!

I saw you at 7-11...ok, maybe it wasn't you, but I did see the 7-11 Store on Kettner where you made a purchase with your debit card. Ok, what does it all mean?

Questions:

WHERE ARE YOU, What is it like, Do you like it there, How about your new companion? What ward and stake are you in? What are your responsibilities?

These past few days not knowing where you are have been some of the hardest--I think more so on dad. He has been obsessing--checking your bank account several times a day looking for transactions!!! Most of the time we can't get you to slow down in using your debit card and this week you have hardly used it at all--go figure! I suggested calling the mission office to ask where you are serving now and he said that you would be mortified if I did--haha! I didn't really think you would, but I figured I could wait until Tuesday. Dad woke me up at 11:30 Saturday night saying "I found him, I found him" (I know you are laughing). The pending transaction posted to your account and just said 7-11 in San Diego with no store number or address. YOUR dad called Chase Bank Customer Service and had the poor lady track down the address of the store and then he mapquested it and used the 360 viewer to see the area. He then spent the next 2 hours analyzing what ward, stake, etc. this store is in. He tracked this location to your previous areas, the mission home, and the mission office. He was just all over this piece of information!!!! (Now, I know you are really laughing). Hey what can I say, he makes his living analyzing! He has decided that you are in the San Diego Stake--is he right?



Ross' Reply:

Ha Wow...

Yes dad, your prediction was right. I am back in the SD stake. This time I am in Barrio Logan in the Logan Heights branch. I am a ZL here again with a new ZL, Elder Celment from Washington.

Hahaha well I'm glad to hear that dad cares about me. hahaha The 7-11 I stopped at was near our Branch President's house. I figured that I would throw you for a loop because that is nowhere near my area haha. He lives way out. Talk about an amazing priesthood leader. He knows all the members, less actives, inactives, and recent converts by name and face and has their addresses memorized. He runs the branch to perfection. He is way good. We went to branch council on Sunday (first time I have been to one since my first transfer) and I was impressed. He holds all the elders accountable to their visits and is always grateful but never satisfied. He is a little intimidating sometimes, but we went to his house my first full day in the area and got to know him and told him that I was all in. He trusts me already, I think, because he has been giving us a lot of people to go take care of and we have been having some success with those people. Its been good.

It was definitely hard to leave Sweetwater. I miss it still, but I have so much work to do I don't have a lot of time to miss anything. The Rodriguezes are supposed to get baptized at the end of the month, so I will go back for that. But other than that, I don't think I'll go back to Sweetwater a lot. The members in my area now are just as good, if not better than in Bonita. The branch is in the top 15 in the nation in baptizing. That's some pressure, but the success is coming along nicely.

So yeah, that's been my week. Just trying to get the area going again. The ZL before left us with nothing so its like white washing again, but it will come along. Actually, Pte Lopez (the branch pres) called Pres Donaldson and asked him about me. He already knew me when I got there and met him haha. It was kind of weird. He is pretty intense.

Well that is about it for this week. I've got a lot of stuff on my mind with the new area and everything so sorry if this email is jumbled. I LOVE YALL!!

Ross