Out With the Old, In With the....Wait...I Know These People!

Transfers! Always an exciting time to be a missionary. The excitement on Saturday night of finding out who is leaving and who is staying. Saying goodbye to members in the ward if you happen to be going. And finally saying goodbye to your old companion and saying hi to your new ones on Tuesday!

That is what this last week has been for me...except the saying goodbye to members part as I am still in the same ward. But on Tuesday I lost Elder Rupper and got a new companion. Elder Mickelsen! He is really awesome. And he was actually in Carlsbad when I was. I didn't know him very well then, but I recognized him when he got assigned to be my companion. And the other funny thing, Elder Call, one of the Elders in the other half of the ward, got a new companion as well, and who should it be, but Elder Skenandore! Yeah! One of those guys I was with for a day and a half! He is now serving in my ward! It's pretty awesome!

Some more Elders and Sisters got transferred in and out, and Elder Rupper actually ended up just moving to a different area in Temecula...and actually still lives in my ward boundaries! It was really funny when we realized this! So I'll still be seeing a bit of him over the next six weeks or more. I also knew some of the other missionaries, or at least recognized them, that got transferred into the zone. But it was still a very exciting time for us all!

The rest of this week has been pretty good. Elder Mickelsen and I have been visiting some of the members and I've been helping him get to know the area. But even though we have been together only a very short time, we got separated quickly...because we had exchanges this weekend! I got to spend the day with Elder Call, and Elder Mickelsen and Elder Skenandore got to work in the other half of the area. But since we exchanged over a Sunday we all saw each other most of the day, and actually did an exchange back for church so the ward would know whose companion was whose.

While with Elder Call we taught a lesson to one of the former investigators of the ward, who has since returned, and is really working hard towards changing their life for the better. It was really awesome!

So yeah, that was this week in the exciting life of me.

For my scripture thought I just want to focus on two words that are repeated a few times throughout the scriptures. "Prove me" (Malachi 3:8, Hebrews 3:9, etc.). These couple words are in my opinion very, very powerful, because it is the Lord talking to all of us. He is saying, "I give you commandments, and if you follow them, I promise to give you blessings. If you doubt it. Prove me and see." But this works both ways, not only can we prove the Lord in what he says, but He is also going to "Prove You" or "Prove Them" (D&C 98:14, Abraham 3:25). He will bless us and help us to "prove us" if we will show gratitude to him, and he will allow us to go through trials to "prove us" if we will be faithful.

Thank you all for all the support I receive! Talk to you all again soon!

Love,

Elder Wixom