An email lost in the web

(On Memorial Day last week, Sister Girvin had to send her email from her phone. Unfortunately it was lost somewhere. Sister Rath posted this on Facebook:
"The new trio for the Story City branch is hitting the ground running!! I can't wait to serve with these awesome sisters: Sister Dalton and Sister Girvin.) 

So, last Monday was not p-day, as it was transfer week!! So, we went about doing our good old missionary work :)

But, Tuesday was transfer calls. Sister Back and I woke up early and headed to the STL land of Perry, where we waited anxiously for everyone to receive their calls... And, as some may know, I was transferred out of the blessed land of Osceola, and into the great Story City! But, don't let the name deceive you. Story is not by any means a city - population of 2050, and probably more accurately classified as a village, but it just didn't have a good ring to it I guess XD

I am in a trio with Sister Rath and Sister Dalton! They are the greatest. In a mission sense, I am the 'middle child', but in real life I am the youngest of the 3 by 5 months.

So, companions. Sister Dalton just finished training, so I am a transfer older than her. She is a hoot! We have found that we have one big thing in common... We are both inexplainably weird! ​

Sister Rath is a little quieter. But we all have so much in common. I was scared to leave Osceola, but this is a grand new adventure. We are a lot closer to other missionaries now than we were in Osceola - Ames is 15 minutes away, rather than the 45 minutes we were from Indianola. So, our p-days here are a lot more exciting, hanging out with all the missionaries in our zone and playing basketball... JK Sister Dalton and I usually just sit up on the stage and commentate on the elders playing.

But I am so excited for this adventure! I don't know many people yet, but I will definitely update you on investigators once I do!

So here are some pictures! Quick fun fact, I am in fact the shortest in my trio! FYI, the shortest in my district and zone as well haha!

Also, Story City has a festival every summer called 'Scandinavian Days' So, we went on a 'ride', AKA, the carousel haha!

And just us messing around in the truck! (Yes, we have a truck... 2018 Subaru to a 2015 Nissan Frontier haha!) 

District Funeral

Transfers are this week. We find out tomorrow where we go. I know I am leaving, and Sister Back is staying. We got hints last week, so we have been trying to guess... Last transfer everyone's guess for me was WAY off... But I think I got it this time! My hints were 'blue hair and baptisms' and 'now and later'. So, I think that I am going to go pinkwash an area, probably near Cedar Rapids.

The traditional 'death picture'... When someone is about to 'die', or go home, we have a district funeral...

Elder Steed, me, Hermana Weaver, Elderes Barrett and Lovin, Sister Back, Elder Housholder, in the front is Elders Clayson and Fuller, and Hermana Tolson :) and Hermana Esplin on the table.

Amish, ZC, Nauvoo, and Baptism :)

Oh man has this week been insane! It feels like it has been happening for eternity.

But it has been a fun week. After emailing on Monday, we went to Lamoni to have District P-Day. We toured the Amish Store down there, and then headed to the infamous site of Mt. Pisgah to go 'witching'.

me at the Amish store

​Then, on Tuesday we went North to the Des Moines Zone Conference! It was fantastic and we got to see so many long lost friends from the mission :)

Hna Esplin, me, Hermanas Weaver, Tolson, Neff, Davis, and Sister Bird

Elders Carver, Steed, Cline, Clayson, Lovin, Housholder, Barney, Fuller, Sisters Harmon, me, Hermana Esplin, Sister Norwood, Back, (Front) Elder Jensen, Barrett, Hermana Weaver and Tolson #zone

​Sister Harmon, Weaver, Esplin, me, and Tolson

me looking very very short....

Me and Hermana Esplin

​

Wednesday through Friday continued on to be just fantastic, normal missionary days, full of lessons with our fantastic investigators, tracting, and visiting many many people :)

Saturday, though, was fantastic! We got to go to Nauvoo!! Sister Back had a recent convert that was going to do baptisms for the first time, so we got the gift of going with him. We met with the beautiful Waukee Sisters and took many many pictures!

Me and Sister Norwood :)

Then, after we had finally made it home, we went to bed! And then, bright and early Sunday morning, Roy got baptized!!!!!!! It is a day that I have been waiting for since I met him in January!! We were super happy and super excited! Then, in church, both he and Hannah (who was baptized last week) got confirmed members of the church. The both of them were so happy and excited, and it has been such a blessing to work with them these last few months.

Me and Roy with 'Sister Short'​​

Me, Roy, Brother Davis, and Sister Back

Transfers are coming up in 10 days, and I have a strong feeling that I will be leaving the amazing town of Osceola... It is my birthplace, and has been my home for the past 4 months. I'm trying not to think too much about it, or else I just might cry...

only Iowa has a parking spot for buggys...

Storms and Another Baptism!!

Oh man has this week been intense and full of scares! 

So, because it is Iowa, tornadoes are a thing. Anyway, Wednesday we were heading back from Leon when we got a text from a lovely member, concerned for our well-being. We were confused, as it was about 70 degrees outside, why was she asking if we needed to take cover? She informed us that a storm was about to hit, and that Southern Iowa had been receiving tornado warnings all afternoon. We told her that we were about 15 minutes away still, but that we would hurry before it hit and hide in our apartment, but didn't take it too seriously, because we hadn't received any warnings...

So we continued, and pretty soon, a wall of rain hit us. Literally the scariest moment of my life, seeing swirling clouds and there is pounding rain and it is suddenly super dark at 6 pm. So, we prayed. Asked that we make it home safely, and that no harm will come to us. And, obviously, God answered our prayer, as He does for all who faithfully ask Him. No sooner had we run into our apartment, the storm picked back up. But, from inside the apartment, it was no longer scary :) And I witnessed the largest and loudest thunderstorm I have ever seen.

​(The twirling clouds... Can't see it that well in the picture)

Then, Thursday. We had our fantastic District Meeting with our fantastic district, and afterwards the Perry Hermanas stayed to help us with some of our appointments. Well, while heading back from Truro with the Amazing Hermana Tolson, we got a text from our zone leaders, forwarded from President Badger - GO INSIDE!!! Apparently, Mother Nature decided that we needed more storms, and a tornado touched down in the Hermana's area. So, we took cover in a member's home and helped them make waffles. Then, in a window of clear, we went home to Osceola, and the Hermanas stayed the night :) So, there is your delayed weather forecast for Osceola, Iowa!! Don't worry, everyone is safe!

Then Saturday finally came!! And along with it, Hannah's baptism! She is just the sweetest girl, who has been waiting for this day! We are so proud of her!!

Tanner Olsen, me, Hannah (holding 'Sister Short'), and Sister Back

Me and 'Sister Short'

MY FIRST BAPTISM!!!!!!

This has been one of the busiest of my mission!!! But also one of the best.

So, Monday we headed up to Waukee for Zone p-day! It was pretty awesome. Sometimes, Osceola gets a little lonely, sitting in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do. But we got to go hang out with 15 other missionaries and play basketball and even some soccer! The weather has finally started looking up! (knock on wood)

After p-day ended, Sister Back and I went on exchanges with the lovely Waukee sisters, and I got to spend the day with Sister Norwood! But, she is new in the area, and had no idea where she was going, so we ended up driving around town telling funny stories :) But, we headed back to their house and played games with Sister Harmon till almost 11.

The next morning we got up early and took a journey to Indianola for interviews with President Badger, and for district meeting. Because our interviews were earlier, we had to wait for the other district to finish before lunch. So, one of the elders pulled out a game they brought - coup. For those who don't know the game, you basically lie to each other and try to get the most tokens haha! Good missionary game! Then we played ping pong as a zone. It got intense!!

Then we finally headed back to Osceola... Until 9 am Wednesday, when we traveled north to the land of the Hermanas - Perry. I went on exchanges with the beautiful Hermana Esplin!

We snuck into the guys yard cuz there were like 100 lawn mowers just lined up on the grass, and we thought it was funny!

Awesome camera filter that reminded us of snapchat!!

Anyway, we had a lot of fun, and it was hard to say goodbye when we left Thursday morning. But, we made it back to our area just in time to prepare Rita for her baptismal interview! As you can tell... SHE PASSED!!!  

Friday we finally got a normal day! Just full of awesome missionary work and sharing the light of Christ with all we met :) 

Saturday was a day of preparation! But, it finally happened - Rita was baptized.

​It took 5 tries, but it happened!! She was glowing! What made it better was that Sister Short got to come all the way from Clinton (4 hours away). We taught the Restoration together at the baptism, and I wanted to cry. I have missed her so much!

The little girl on the end by me is Hannah. Sister Short and I started teaching her back in February, and her baptism is this Saturday (May 5th)!

Can't think of a name...

Hmm... Trying to think if anything exciting happened this week....

OF COURSE!!! Rita agreed to be baptized, even without Roy! They have been investigating for a year now, but Roy has had a Word of Wisdom problem, so it kept getting postponed. But, she decided that enough is enough, and is getting baptized Saturday at 5 pm!

Something else completely amazing, our 10 year old investigator, Hannah. Her mom, Aleshia, is a Less Active member, who hasn't been to church since she was about 10. But, due to Hannah's excitement of being taught, Aleshia has decided that she wants to go to church with Hannah! I couldn't have been happier!

I love love love Osceola! Sister Back said that she would talk to President Badger about keeping me here my entire mission... Fine by me! It is an hour away from the 'big city' of Des Moines, and the closet missionaries are still 45 minutes away haha! But, the people and the ward are amazing. Pro life tip, help missionaries! Whether it is a referral, or feeding them, WE APPRECIATE IT!! Just thought I'd put that out there!

Picture I didn't realize I hadn't sent... Me and Sister Short reenacting the Book of Mormon!

Transfers!

This week has been insane!! So, I was correct in my guesses of hints! Sister Short took her journey to Clinton to be a Sister Training Leader, on the opposite side of the mission, and I got a new companion, Sister Back! She's from Eagle Mountain, Utah and about 5'11'' and so I feel... Very Short. (Haha, sorry, I just thought that was punny) But Osceola is still good!! We have four people on date for baptism! Roy and Rita are trying for April 28th this time, and our 10 year old investigators, Lexy and Hannah, are on date for Cinco de Mayo!! We are super excited for them!

Iowa reached it record low for April this past week. Weather has been all over the place! On Friday, it was pouring rain like no other, and then that night there were tornado warnings. Of course, us missionaries were 'grounded' to our towns. Thankfully, Osceola was just windy. But, in Truro, a town just 20 minutes North, the roof got blown off of a Casey's... Scary, but cool at the same time!!

Then, just because it is Iowa, it snowed on Sunday. We only got a couple inches, then it was sunny this morning so it all melted. This week is supposed to be in the 30-40s though, so we are excited! Maybe it'll warm up!

But, before transfers, Sister Short had a bucket list item... To pet a cow. In my opinion, it's not too exciting, but to each her own I guess. But, we went with a member, Sister Graves, to her pasture to see a little calf. And, well, that was exactly what I expected Iowa to be like. She had a 50s pickup (I think. It could be older...) and we drove down dirt roads and saw cows. Intense.