22 September 2014
I have some big scary
news. I don't know who my new companion is because she's still in the MTC right
now. I just finished my training and I'm going to train a new missionary! I
don't know if she will be gringa or latina. I don't know how old she will be.
I'll meet her tomorrow and find out. Prayers needed.
I can't even explain
how I'm feeling. The APs called on Friday and told me I had to be in Santiago
for a meeting, training for the trainers. They told me I would be training at
some point, not necessarily right away, but that the President wanted me to be
prepared to train as soon as possible. I went to this meeting kind of expecting
to train later, when I have more experience in the mission.
On Sunday morning we
were in a colectivo on the way to church when the district leader called with
the transfers, as usual. "Hermana Dodds, you're being transferred to
Paguitch, Utah. Hermana VanCott, you're going to stay in your sector and train
a new sister."
About an hour ago I
said goodbye to Hermana Dodds. That was so hard. We have had such a good time
together and part of me believed that I was just going to spend 18 months with
her in Calle Larga. I was happy with that. She has become a wonderful friend.
We wake up every morning at 6:30 and while we do our exercises we tell each
other about the wacky dreams we had. We listen to awful EFY style music and I
know which songs she absolutely hates, so we end up listening to the handful of
decent ones over and over. We tell stories about our families and friends at
home. We make up bedtime stories.
Last night we were up
late sorting and packing all of her things and trying to clean up the house a
little bit to welcome the new missionary. When we finally went to bed I
couldn't fall asleep and I started to cry. She said she has never seen me cry.
I realized it's true. I haven't cried since the day I arrived in the MTC. But I
was imagining being in this sector later without her and I was imagining being
with a new sister in that house. I trust Hermana Dodds so much. For fourteen
weeks I have followed her around Calle Larga, copying everything she does. Now
a new sister will be arriving here and I will be the senior companion. She's
going to think I know what I'm doing. She's going to think I know how to take
public transportation here. She's going to think I speak Spanish. I can barely
teach basic gospel principles in Spanish. I'm becoming comfortable asking for
directions. But now I have to teach someone else how.
In the training I
went to we were told that we would have an impact not just on our new
companion's whole mission, but on their lives. I'm in charge of my sector,
responsible to introduce those who live there to the path that leads to the
Celestial Kingdom. We are the only missionaries in my sector and no one else
has the responsibility and the authority to do that. I will also have an effect
on my new companion as she begins her mission and therefore have an effect on
everyone she will teach in the future. I'm feeling a lot of responsibility.
I'll do what is in my
reach, which is all that is expected of me. A while ago Mom sent me a pinterest
quote which I printed at a photo place and put on the cover of my planner last
transfer. Elder Holland said, "Imperfect people are all God has had to
work with. That must be terribly frustrating to him but he works with it."
That thought has been the theme of my last transfer and I think I will see it
even more in the transfer to come.
This morning Hermana
Dodds got on a bus to Santiago and I am here in Calle Larga with Hermana Clark
for the day. We flew on the plane to Chile together and hoped we would get to
be companions some day. I am super excited to be Hermana Clark's companion for
the second time this week. On Wednesday we worked together in her sector in San
Felipe because Hermana Dodds and Hermana Pascual (Hermana Clark's companion)
got to visit the Santiago temple one more time before going home. Today we are
companions again in my sector. We are going to decorate and laminate some
missionary planners for our new companions. I hope to organize the house a
little bit as well.
My last week with
Hermana Dodds was full of visits to members and investigators who wanted to say
goodbye. That combined with the 18th holdiay, which actually lasted all
weekend, meant we ate a lot of food and didn't teach very many lessons.
Yesterday, for example, we had five meals. One of those meals should have
counted as two. It seemed like everywhere we went someone had planned a
surprise party for Hermana Dodds. On
the 18th we celebrated the holiday with the Cortez family. On the 19th we had
lunch with the bishop and his wife. The 20th, Saturday, was the training in
Santiago. The 21st we had church and a lot of visiting. And today Hermana Clark
and I are in limbo.
Tomorrow Hermana
Clark and I will go to Santiago. The new missionaries will have a meeting with
the President and lunch together and then they will bring us in. The president
will announce who our companions are and we will take a picture with them and
then get on a bus with all of her suitcases. We will arrive in Calle Larga and
I will show her our house, which will be clean by then. If we get back early
enough we can go grocery shopping and I will pray she isn't picky and doesn't
have any food allergies because that could make lunches with easily offended
members kind of difficult. On Wednesday we will go to district class and I will
pretend I know where to get off the bus. I will probably be taking bags of
things Hermana Dodds left to send to people or to the office. It might take
several weeks of district class to send them all, sorry Hermana Dodds. Thursday
will be a normal schedule, the first normal day with my companion. We will plan
and study together and I will pretend I know where I am going, who to visit, what
we need to teach, and how to teach. The only thing I really feel confident
about is studying. Friday I assume we will have training for the new
missionaries with the President. I will pretend I know how to get to the
mission office in Santiago and how to get home.
Prayers.
Love,
Hermana Eva VanCott
Hermana Eva VanCott
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