Leaving MTC and Hello Iowa!

Hello everyone!

I am in Iowa!!! Woohoo! It is beautiful here. Hot, but beautiful. Haha.

We left the MTC at 4AM on Wednesday morning to get to our 7:30 am flight in salt lake nice and early. We had an hour layover in Denver, then landed in Iowa about 1pm, I think. president and Sister Jensen were there to greet us, and were so kind and loving. We gathered all of our luggage, took pictures, and drove to the mission home. At the mission home we had some training, dinner, testimony meeting, and interviews. We slept there and got up early to get ready for and drive to transfer meeting in Iowa city. Transfer meeting was awesome.

Everyone is so happy to meet their companions and get reassigned, and president Jensen kept making jokes about taking longer to add to the suspense. As companionship's were read off, it warmed my heart as the members of my mtc district were paired up with their trainers. My MTC district was divinely organized. I will miss each one of them so much. I was assigned to train with Sister Oman, who just finished her training in Cedar Falls, she's only been out three months. We are very different people, she loves cats, sci-fi books, and doesn't wear make-up. Nevertheless, we get along great. She is very sweet, I know the Lord has called her to be my trainer, and I love her for that. Oh yeah, we have been assigned to OPEN A NEW AREA, Dubuque 1st West. This is exciting, but both a blessing and a curse. We have an empty area book, and lots of souls to find. We are serving in the Dubuque 1st ward (it's the northern one, mom) , which we share with a tri-panionship of elders. We serve the West area while they serve the east, downtown near the river. We live with some amazing members, the Reynolds family. They have six kids, two dogs, and a cat. Quite the family we've inherited. They even made us a nice dinner our first night, featuring delicious locally grown sweet corn! :) They are the best. We have a nice big room, full beds with bedding (I won't be using my bedding until next transfer, Haha.) and a walk-in closet. We are seriously spoiled. They actually left for a 3-week vacation the day after we came, so we currently have the house to ourselves, which is nice, so we can get settled in and adjusted. We have a teaching appointment tonight with the Armstong family. They have been investigating since '08, and the wife, Shannon, has always been the one reason they don't all get baptized. She is super sweet, but refuses to read the Book or Mormon for herself, so she doesn't have her own testimony. She is very open though, and I think things are about to change for her. Shannon has had 3 miscarriages in the last year, the most recent being 16 weeks along with a girl. She was crushed, because she has 3 boys and they are just trying for one more baby. Basically, she has been mad at God the last few months, and hasn't let anyone in. She did let us in when we dropped by the other day though, to tell us she didn't want us to come back. But, then we talked to her for a half hour about her trials and faith and trusting in god, and she invited us back. We left her a chapter to read in Mosiah, and she said she would. Please pray for her heart to be softened. She is in a very rough place, but she's definitely humbled, and we are the first pair of Sisters to teach her, which has already made a difference. I think she's ready, she just has to read the book!!!

Oh, and mom- I got the bedding and greeen package. I loved it. :) I love you all so much. I will be writing physical letters! Thank you for everyone's support.