December 31, 2012

Hello Family!!

First off I wanted to mention that our mission was able to achieve the goal of 400 baptisms that was set for 2012! It was very close and this last week there were 23 who were baptized. We are all so excited for the mission and that with the help of the Lord, that we were able to bring 400 souls to Christ. Our goal for 2013 is 550 and we have been praying everyday to find those that are being prepared to receive the gospel.

Wednesday was our P-day and I spent much time packing up my things and sending off some packages back home.

Thursday we had transfers and I hadn't figured out where I was going. One Sister mentioned that maybe I could go to Cedar Falls because it would only be an hour away and so if I needed to go back early to Ankeny, then I could. After she said that, I mentioned that that thought had crossed my mind at one point. Sure enough at transfer meeting I found out that I would be serving in a tri with Sister Little and Sister Babbitt in Cedar Falls. I have heard so much about Sister Little as she served in Iowa City before me. So many of the ward members adore her. Sister Babbitt was my companion in the MTC. These two sisters have been serving in Cedar Falls for 12 weeks and they both came to the area at the same time. They white washed it.

Apparently President Jergensen forgot to inform them that they would be in a tri and so they didn't come to transfers. When Sister Babbitt got a call from their district leader saying they had their new sister with them, she didn't believe him and asked to speak to the sister (me). So other than a rocky start at the beginning, things are going well. Both of these sisters are very obedient to the rules and have a fun easy going personality, so things are going to go well.

We live with a woman, Sister Ducharme, in her basement. Her husband passed away last year. We share the kitchen with her and we are able to use the upstairs bathroom if needed, which will greatly help as we get ready in the mornings. She even has an exercise room with a treadmill, weights and a mini trampoline. I'm so excited to use the treadmill and I've already used it twice! She's been visiting her daughter so I haven't met her yet. I hear she is a great seamstress and will alter anything for us. We've informed the ward that we were in need of a twin bed and the bishop is letting us borrow their twin air mattress. Sister Babbitt has volunteered to sleep on it.

There is one investigator that they have been working with for a while. We'll be doing a lot of finding in order to increase our teaching pool. I'm so thankful for the warm hat, headbands, scarfs and gloves I received because it will come in handy greatly as we do lots of tracking.

At transfer meeting, President Jergensen told the story of a new sister who just came to our mission. She is from Georgia and she was baptized a little over a year ago. She is 29 years old and at first she wasn't very receptive when the elders came knocking on her door. She seems super sweet and we are grateful to have her serving her in this mission.

I'm not quite over my cold yet. I really wonder if I will ever be well again :)

I love you all so much and hope you have a great New Year!! We have a lesson at 5 and then we have to be in at 6. Unfortunately we can't stay up till 12:00, but I may set my alarm for that time, wake up, bang a few things and then go back to bed :) Today we may work on companion shirts. We are the BLT sisters :)

Love,
Sister Tucker

PS it was so good to see everyone on Christmas!!