9-27-10

Dear family!

Well, I'm getting transferred! Noooo!!! It is really good to be moving to a new area but I am really sad to be leaving Hermana Reed and leaving all those I love so much. I must first apologize because I have a lot in my mind right now so I hope this letter will be alright. Hermana Reed and I have worked so well together the last two transfers, 3 months.

A lot has happened this week. Na* was not baptized despite the faith we exerted. She will be baptized someday. When I was saying good bye to her I told her that I would come back for her baptism when ever she gets baptized. We've had some really good teaching apt with her this last week though. She will be baptized some day. Hopefully it is just sooner than later. As a missionary I invite people to be baptized because of the joy, love, comfort, and salvation they can receive. When I remember how much Heavenly Father loves these people and want them to return and live with him once again I feel like inviting everyone I see.

That was one of the messages Hna Reed and I gave as we visited 9...NINE different people yesterday to say good bye to and set up apt for next week. I expressed my love for those we have worked with so much. They have progressed and I will miss all of them very much. However, I found that I haven't been as sad with leaving because all of us have the opportunity to see one another when we return and live with our Father in Heaven. We invited all to live there lives in such a way, applying the Atonement of Christ so that we will all be able to live together again as a family. What a blessing the Gospel of Jesus Christ is in our lives. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church of Christ and it has the Authority of Jesus Christ.

There are so many things that I could say about this last week but instead I think I'll send some pictures. This will probably be the last time I have e-mail for more than an hour. So just so everyone knows, try to e-mail early, before I get online on Monday and hopefully my e-mails wont be to scatter brained.

The work here has improved so much. It has been incredible to me to see the difference in the area, the members, the less-actives, the investigators. Oh! We had two investigators come to church yesterday and some less-actives as well. I really feeling like I'm leaving this area on a good note. Is* is still doing really well. She should be baptized pretty soon and I'm hoping to come back to see it. Her ex-boy friend, which is her ex now because she is committed to living the law of chastity, called on on Tuesday night. He is from Columbia, one of my FAV places, their food is so good. He called us and told us he wanted to be baptized! What?! Where did this man come from? He hasn't lived the greatest live so I was pretty hesitant about his desire to be baptized. After talking to him for a while on the phone and answering his questions about the Plan of Salvation and if we could live with our families after this life he told us again that he wanted to be baptized. What? Well, he was serious. He had been taught a little by the missionaries in Columbia before he came to the USA and watch General Conference there before moving. When he saw and read Is*'s pamphlets that we had given her he called us saying he wanted to be baptized. He asked when we had church serves and on Sunday our Ward Mission Leader picked him up and came to church! Woot!!!

Ok, I need to go. Hermana Reed is already done with e-mail and is waiting for me to get done. The area here has improved so much. Honestly the key to anything is work. That is one thing I've really learned here. Work is the solution as we also apply faith. Work is the application of Faith.

I love all of you so much. Have a wonderful week! This next will be interesting but I know that I need to serve in another area and I will do so with all of my heart.

I love you!

Hermana Banaszewski