Unexpected transfers!

Hey Family!!! How are you all doing???

:) Life in Ann Arbor is going great! But I have some BIG NEWS!!!!!
This last week has been pretty crazy with out trio and covering 2
wards, time seems to have flown by. We giggled, we told stories, we
worked hard, taught some powerful lessons, went on splits like crazy
and really had a great week. It was SO fun to have those few days to
be back in a family ward!! I honestly kind of forgot what it was like
to have a family!!! To have a Mom and a Dad and a whole table full of
chillens for dinner time, and all of the NOISE!!! Oh my goodness! I
couldn't believe how noisy all those adorable little kids were. But i
loved it so much!!! All week I kept thinking, "oh man! What would it
be like to be back in a family ward?? What would I do if I got to
teach FAMILIES and KIDS again?? Could I do that?" Well. . . . . we're
gonna find out real soon cause. . . . I'M BEING TRANSFERRED!!!!!!
President Holmes called us Thursday morning and said, "Hello Sisters!!
I just wanted to call and let you know what the plan is for Monday."
We didn't think anything of it, we knew we had to get another sister,
so we thought we would be prepared for what he was going to say next.
I definitely wasn't! "Sister Bishop. . . YOU ARE BEING TRANSFERRED!!!
You are going to Ann Arbor 2nd with S Evans!!!! And S Decker, your new
companion will be S Hoopes!!!" I couldn't believe it!!! I just kind of
sat there in shock for a few minutes while he explained the rest of
the details. Then finally he asked, "Alright, so Sister Bishop, Are
you okay??" Of course then I knew that he was really serious and that
I was leaving and i just burst into tears!! I managed in between my
tears to get out a, "Yeah, I'm okay." He talked to me for another
minute but then had to go. I hung up the phone and then the tears
really started!!! Ha ha, I have really come to LOVE the Hill St ward,
so much!! I love the people, the city, the campuses, my investigators,
our leaders. . ..  I just love it ALL!!! I thought that I would be
leaving a few weeks ago, and i was prepared for that then, but this
was so unexpected and sudden, it really caught me off guard. So, here
is the really amazing part of this whole dramatic story! :) Right
before President Holmes called us, we were doing our comp study and we
had just finished reading our white hand book where it talked about
respecting leaders and how they are called of God. We each talked a
little bit about how much we love President Holmes, how we could trust
anything that he tells us and how if he asked us to do anything (no
matter what it was or how hard it might be) we would get a spiritual
confirmation ourselves and then go to work to get it done!! Right as
we all agreed on that, the phone started ringing . . .when we all saw
it was President Holmes, we all just looked at each other and giggled
thinking "what a coincidence!!" Oh man, good timing President Holmes!!
;) The other really amazing thing about this was that we went to the
temple on Thursday, which happened right after we received that phone
call. What a better place to receive a spiritual confirmation than the
temple, right?!?!? As I was there, I felt such peace and comfort, I
knew that this is what needed to happen. Even though I would be
leaving the people that I love so much, I know that this is where I
need to be! It's funny though, we will still be close (I mean, we are
STILL in Ann Arbor!) So, we'll teach people at the institute every
once in a while, we go to Friday Forums, so I'll still get to see a
bunch of the people even if I'm not attending church with them. So
really, I get the BEST of both worlds! :) So, yes!! I am in a new
area!! I get to teach families and be around little kids again and
although I will really miss my old area, I am SO excited for this new
journey!!! It's amazing to see how God guides us in His work! This
week has definitely been a confirmation of that! :) I don't have a
mailing address yet. . . the office is still working on that! :) So,
for now you can keep sending stuff to the Hill St address and they
will bring it to the institute for me! Hopefully by next week, I will
have a real address to give you! So, I finally get to have this
Australian comp that I've dreamed of!! ;) S Evans is great!!! I just
know that we are going to have such an awesome time!! We are going to
be such a great team!

It was hard to say goodbye to some of the people that we are working
with though. Hunaid and Mike actually handled it pretty well. I think
the hardest person was Efren. (He is the less active guy that helps us
teach Bonifacio that I told you about last week. The one who said that
he doesn't believe in God anymore.) I think he was the hardest to say
goodbye to because I feel like I can really relate with him . . which
is weird, I've never been through the things that he described. But,
as we've met with him the last few weeks, I've had such powerful
spiritual experiences where I've felt the spirit working through me.
I've been able to say things, that I NEVER would have known on my own
and really listen and be able to discern his needs. It's been
incredible!! This last week we asked him to say the closing prayer and
for a while he refused, nothing we said would convince him. We finally
all just bowed our heads and told him that we would just wait for him.
..  he finally tapped my arm and asked, "Sister, PLEASE will you just
pray for me??" I looked him in the eye, not really knowing what to say
and when I opened my mouth the words that came were just, "I already
AM!!" He looked at me for a minute, kind of nodded his head and began
to pray. It was one of the most sincere prayers that I have ever
heard. It was amazing!!!! Efren still has a lot of doubts and
questions, but he is going to be okay! As long as he continues to read
his scriptures and pray, he will find the answers that he is searching
for! He text-ed us on Sunday and told us that he has been reading, and
praying and that he feels like it is helping! I kills me that he KNOWS
all of this! I think he even still has a testimony, he is just letting
his pride get in the way of his faith. But, that's okay! He has some
really great guides to help him find his way back to the real joy and
knowledge of the gospel.

This week has been pretty crazy, but I have loved seeing God's hand in
all of it! Sister Hoopes will be so wonderful for S Decker, they are
going to make the greatest team!!!! :) I just know that Hill St will
be so blessed with the two of them! Nothing is going to be able to
stop them!!! :) S Evans and I are super stoked for all the potential
in our ward also! Especially with the Holidays coming up, people are
kinder and happier, so I just know that God has so many miracles in
store for us!

Well family, it's getting to be late and we still have a TON of stuff
to do!! (You should have seen me packing up my apartment!!! Oh man!!
That's a story all on it's own! I'll see if i have time to work on a
tape. . .. ) I'm sure I won't have time to do any snail mail though,
sorry!!! Just know that I love you all SO much!!! Thanks for your
letters, your thoughts and all the prayers for my "missionary
strength!" ;) I need all of the help I can get!!! :) Have a WONDERFUL
week!!!

Love you guys THE BEST!!
Love,
Sister Bishop