25 - And It Came to Pass

Before we go any further, no, the title is not about the kidney stone I had (though it DID pass). That's all over and done with. You'll see the reason behind the title later. 

AND before I go any further again, here is my new address.

Sister Hannah Sanderson

6300 S Avalon Ave #121

Sioux Falls, SD 57108

Bismarck Ward Sisters and Families

My last hours in Bismarck were fantastic. The women of the ward are so awesome. I was saying goodbye on Sunday and one of the women said that she would love to feed us lunch the day following and that other women could come too and I could say goodbye to all of them at once. It was such a fun gathering. I feel such a sisterhood to these women, a special connection with all of them and I am going to miss them all dearly. I'm so happy to have met and gotten to know them.

Lots to Pack

I'll Miss You, Sister Gray!

But alas, I had to leave. It's good though, I felt that I needed a change of scenery pretty soon.

Stuffed everything into suitcases and headed to the church on Tuesday at 2:00pm.

 

The Four Bismarck Sisters

I will miss all the dear Sisters I lived with. It was a blast. Sister Christiansen's actually been transferred to Brookings though, so we're both in South Dakota, so that's cool. 

And another crazy thing is the area that I'm in, it was her old area, and her first area at that. I feel so privileged to be literally walking in her footsteps, someone whom I know and respect so much, picking up and working with an area that she's worked in before. So neat! I'm living in the same apartment and everything it turns out!

Hamlet's Ready! All Aboard the Transfer Train!

Well, it was time. 

We boarded the transfer train, or in other-words the big van with the trailer behind it with all our luggage, and we hit the road.

The Transfer Train goes around the mission on a clockwise route starting in Rapid City, heading north then east across North Dakota.  From Bismarck we continued our eastward journey. 

Sister Devey, from the same MTC District!

Our next stop was Jamestown.  

I would never have thought that SISTER DEVEY would get on the train!!!

We were in the MTC six months ago together and I haven't seen her since! AH! I love her so much! It's so nice to reunite with people who you've bonded so closely with! She's going to Rapid City, South Dakota, so exciting!

Fargo N. Dakota Chapel

Next stop:  Fargo, North Dakota.

When we stopped at Fargo I thought of my trainer, Sister Easter, because she served in Fargo for nine months! Her first area! 

So, had to take a picture of the church for her.

It was dark as we rolled into Sioux Falls

We arrived at Sioux Falls, which is the biggest city in the mission by the way, late at night, around 10:00pm.

My New Companion, Sister Burt!

There I met my new companion, Sister Burt. 

She's great. 
A great companion to work with. We've been getting along just fine! 
And this, THIS is where you will find meaning in the title of this blog entree title:

And we, ourselves, also, through the infinite goodness of God, and the manifestations of his Spirit, have great views of the which is to come; and were it expedient, we could prophesy of all things, (Mosiah 5:3).

We were driving over to the other sister's apartment to drop some sisters off to spend the night. Sister Burt was talking to her previous companion... using bits of sign language? And Burt turned to me and said, "oh, by the way, you're basically serving in the deaf ward."

My heart LEAPT up in sheer joy and excitement!!

The Sister's "Digs" in Sioux Falls

"OH! YES! THANK YOU! OOOOH YES!!"

See, I knew, I just KNEW that I would at some point in my mission work with someone who was deaf in some way shape or form, even if I wasn't called to a deaf speaking mission. I just knew it would happen. There was no denying it. With my previous exposure to the deaf community and to ASL, my mom being an interpreter and my youngest brother Marshall "being deaf" (or mute rather) for the first five years of his life and going to a deaf school for a couple years? I just knew I would work with someone who was deaf. 

And here it was. Confirmed. This was it. And this, this wasn't just one person spontaneously. It is a ward that has multiple deaf people in it, that has people who have been called as interpreters in the ward, FOUR interpreters at that. What a special confirmation. It came to pass.

We went back home to our not so humble apartment and slept. 

The reason I say "not so humble" is because it's one of the best apartments with the most conveniences in the mission. 

We have our own washer and dryer and we even have an outside building that has an exercise room in it. We are very blessed here.

(My new bed and the bathroom...complete with washer and dryer!)

We have taught a deaf women here already this week. 

She's a less active, also a recent convert, and she came to church on Sunday! Which was stake conference here... which was great but... I haven't taken the sacrament consequently for four weeks in a row... Not ideal... 

BUT SHE CAME TO CHURCH! Yay! I'm praying for the gift of tongues! I need it as much as anyone! Goodness. But, her speech is very very good and she can read lips. So communicating isn't too bad at all. And Sister Burt has gotten pretty good at ASL over the three months that she's been here.

It's also really nice being in Sioux Falls because it's like I jumped backward a month. 

I flew South for the winter! 

Super grateful for that. 



So we are just starting fall here.

The weather is a tiny bit more mild.

It's SO nice!

The people here in the ward are great! 

I love it here! I am so so so grateful to be here and I am excited to give a report of next weeks' happenings! 

I love you all! 

Till next week!!