Transfer to...

I’m going to the ISLE OF MAN!!

But here's the shocker: Sister Jack has gone to Manchester South! They
have taken Sisters out of Wigan and left just the Elders! You should
have seen our faces during that phone call! The last three days have
been a whirlwind as we have prepared everything to hand our teaching
pool off to the Elders. Luckily, our area book was in good shape but
there were a lot of goodbyes to say and thank you notes to write. I
can't tell you how heart-wrenching it is to go and not leave there the
connection of a previous companion who you know knows everything and
will take care of the area. I was joking with Elder Rogerson at
transfers that he would probably find tear stains all over the area
book as we were so sad to leave. I think that gave him even more
motivation to take care of the people we love so much! The good news
is that the Elders that will be moving to our flat really are good
Elders and I know they will work hard. These were the busiest days
Sister Jack and I have ever experienced together. We had so many new
investigators and saw progression with so many that have been
stalling. They really are in for a treat! The area is on the verge of
miracles!! I’m so excited for them I can’t even contain it! I so wish
that I could be there to see it!
I think the hardest parting was David and Elizabeth. Elizabeth was pretty
upset. I love that little girl. Her 6th birthday is on the 4th of December and she told us on Tuesday night that she "simply cannot wait until I am eight to be baptised. I
just don't see how that is fair." She is such a little lady! She wants
to be a missionary, too! Bless her.

I remember feeling just gutted to leave Manchester but it does not
even compare to how I feel leaving Wigan; and something tells me that
this parting will be nothing to compare with my longing when I leave
the Isle of Man. I’m detecting a pattern here… This has more to do
with how I’m developing than the areas where I’m serving. As my
ability to love grows the goodbyes seem more and more bitter; but I
suppose that is directly linked to the greater sweetness I feel each
day in the work as well. I really wanted to end my time with Sister
Jack in crescendo and I know that we did. We were running everywhere
those last days! The Elders already have seven new investigators from
contacts Sister Jack and I made those last two days (as well as four
or five progressing investigators since they've inherited our teaching
pool.) I include numbers not because the number means anything in
itself but merely because it is evidence of the Lord's ability to work
miracles. Heavenly Father was really allowing us to participate in
miracles there at the end.

We cleared our flat of all femininity and Sister Brown drove us to the
Manchester South chapel with our luggage. It was there that I met up
with my new companion, Sister Rothmund from Switzerland! Sister
Rothmund came out at the same time as Sister Lovell. We are staying
with the sisters in Swinton (on the outskirts of Manchester) until we
can get a ferry over to the Isle of Man (which was supposed to be
today but there are storm warnings so the ferry was cancelled.) This
time in Swinton has been fantastic as well. Sister Rothmund and I are
getting along really well and we are so optimistic about the work in
the Isle of Man. We, too, will see miracles. The ward sounds
wonderful!

This morning Sister Rothmund and I found a wonderful new investigator
for the Swinton Sisters. We were street contacting near her home and
after a quick conversation she just invited us in to teach her. Katherine
(age 30) has had a really tough life (she grew up in foster care and
ended up with a bad crowd. She's was almost murdered once and had a
near death experience. Just crazy the other horrible things she's been
through) but managed to keep faith through it all. She just moved here
from London and is trying to get a fresh start in her life. You lot
aren’t going to believe this but she invited herself to be baptised…in
the first five minutes! We were just mentioning about covenants and
baptism at the beginning (to prepare her for the invitation to be
baptised at the end) when she said, “Baptism sounds so nice. I’d
really like that. How do you do that?” Can you just see our faces? She
accepted the date of the 17th of December. What a miracle! She has a
strong relationship with God and was so excited to hear there is a
living prophet. We have a really good feeling about her. I hope the
Swinton sisters keep us updated.

The work rolls forward and I’m doing my best to open my heart wide to
receive the Isle of Man. It must be like having children: you wonder
how you could possibly love another one as much as the first. You
think there is not room in your heart for two, or three, or four. But
then they come (new areas) and somehow your heart grows to hold them.

The Isle of Man is a coveted area among the Elders and they were all
devastated when President took Elders out and put Sisters on the
island. So many Elders came up to me at transfers telling me of their
good experiences there. I know I have a lot to live up to since there
are so many missionaries that would love to be there and I'm
definitely going to work hard! I think Alex McKenzie served there as
well?