Transfers WHAT!

Ho-ho-ho. Hi! 

So first of all I have some surprising news!!

I'm being transferred!! Yes. For my last 3 weeks!!! I did not see that one coming. But I am SO excited. So you're probably wondering where I'm being transferred to.. And that's a tricky question to answer. Because I will be traveling around the whole mission.. spending most of my time in Manhattan and at President Smiths house. Whaaaa!? Right?? Yeah. I was very surprised. President has asked me to be like a sister assistant for the last 3 weeks of my mission. I didn't even know that was a thing.. Well it's not.. A sister!? 

But WHAT AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY.  I will be focusing on the Christmas initiative. I won't be serving in a ward. I won't even have an areabook! I will be straight up FINDING and training the missionaries in the mission on how to better use this initiative. President also has asked me if I will teach his daughter's the missionary lessons. I'm so excited about that. He said he is going to have me over every Sunday for dinner. 

Haha I'm like is this real life...? What. I will definitely need some extra guidance from my Heavenly Father these last three weeks!! I will NEED the spirit so that I can fulfill this special assignment from President Smith. Eeee ! It will be so good for me.

Oh and my companion is going to be Sister Alexander! We both go home together. Good stuff. 

It was a busy week preparing to move and say goodbye to a few people!! 

Here are some highlights!!

Sister Johnson will be training a new missionary so we went to the "train the trainers" meeting in Scarsdale on Friday. So I got to be on a split with Sister Vassau in her area in Scarsdale. That was so good to be with her. We talk talk talked!!! We are weirdly similar. We will be friends after the mission we'd decided. Love her. 

When we went back to pick up Sister Johnson, President asked if he could talk to me. That's when he told me about my transfer news. My face was probs way astonished hahah. 

He told me to go home and ponder and pray about it and then to call him the next day and share my feelings with him. So I did! The next day I was on another split in a Spanish area. So I called President and we had a long conversation. I just have to say.. I love him. I'm so grateful for his example. I definitely feel peace about this new transfer. This is EXACTLY what I need to end my mission with. Going out with a bang. I am going to give it everything I have. Sharing this glad message with EVERYONE I SEE. Christmas is such a special time to share the gospel. I feel SO beyond blessed. 

So Sunday was another long Sunday. The last 8 months of my mission I've been going to about  6 hours of church and when you include meetings like ward council and PEC it ends up being 11 hours at the chapel for us. CRAZINESS. I don't even know if that's healthy. (I feel for the sweet sweet bishops that give all of their time.) Hahah. But Sunday was good. LOTS of goodbyes. And then we had dinner with one of my favorite families the Scott's! Since I am being transferred they gave me a special plate and then went around the table saying something they love about me. It was all 6 of us missionaries and their fam. I felt SO LOVED. People are so so nice. Goodness I feel so blessed. 

We also went to watch the Christmas devotional at a members house. That was AMAZING. Seriously. Elder Bednar's talk had my jaw on the floor. I loved it. The way he speaks just gets me so pumped. The members let us be all comfy on their couch and they gave us treats and it was just too good. I was a happy sister. And then after that I just wanted to go PREACH like a missionary. I have this crazy motivation at this point in my mission. I'm just super energized and ready for more miracles. 

We've been passing out cards to everyone we see. Every time we go to a store or anything we give cards to the workers and everyone there. Haha it's hilarious. We are crazies.

We've been tracting lots and sharing the video tons. Praying for someone who is ready. Please pray for the people here in my mission!! There are over 8 million people here. (Or somethin like that..) TOO MANY of them don't have the restored truth. I know this is God's work and somehow one day everyone will get to hear this message. I'm grateful I can be just a tiny part of His plan. 

I've been doing this brand new program that the church came out with for departing missionaries called "My Plan." We are the first group going home that gets to do it. Omg it's amazing. I've been doing so much reflecting and planning and pondering and praying and my heart is beyond full. I have a pretty good vision of what I want my life to be. But with that being said, I know that God has a vision for my life. And I know that I need to submit my will for His. All will work out. He knows my potential. I LOVED this quote from one of the sections in "My Plan." 

Ezra Taft Benson said:

"Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace. Whoever will lose his life in the service of God will find eternal life."

I know that when we choose to put Him first, blessings will come in abundance. 

I'm so excited for my last 3 weeks of being a missionary and testifying of my Savior at this wonderful time of year. I DON'T WANT TO BE ANYWHERE ELSE. 

I am HAPPY. 

I love you all. I hope you're having a Very Merry December!! 

Love Abbs!