Thursday, March 22

Life has been crazy since I last wrote! So many things have happened!  Well... I'm not in Liverpool anymore... yup. I'll talk about that in a minute.

Firstly, Last week we had our training for the newer missionaries (me and my MTC friends). And there was a couple there that had just come out as well. We talked and they said that they were in the MTC with Aunt Linda and Uncle Bill. They were Elder and Sister Forsythe. They said that they had talked a lot with BIll and Linda and knew they had to keep an eye out for me. So that was nice to talk with them.

So, we knew Sister Chuo was leaving so everyone was saying goodbye to her on Sunday and our schedule got packed with people wanting to have us over before she left. I was trying to get everything prepared to be taking over the area when she left, so I was setting up lots of appointments for after she left. Everyone expressed how much they would be willing to help me make adjustments in the area and help with the new sister... well, to our surprise Monday morning we got the transfer call that told us I also was leaving the area. I was shocked and just wanted to cry. I was so upset. I finally got adjusted and felt confident that they were having both of us leave. Then more of a shock came in the form of they were replacing us with elders. There would be no more sisters in Liverpool! So we had to get in contact with our 20+ investigators and let them know I was leaving as well and that they would have to be taught by elders. It didn't go over very well with the Chinese girls because they feel very uncomfortable with young men. Let's just say that there were lots of tears. We had "tea" with a member named Wendy on Tuesday.  We have been teaching her son Ben (he's 10) he wants to get baptized but they don't have the father's approval yet. We had coordination meeting on Tuesday night and they gave us a lift over to the church and we said our goodbyes. We went about our meeting and we walked out of the classroom and there was Ben absolutely sobbing standing in his pajamas and robe. Wendy also in tears said, "He wanted to say a proper goodbye." So I started crying and Sister Chuo "cried" and then we got others crying. It was just very sad. He said he "didn't know it was going to hurt so much." I was five seconds from calling President Preston and saying, "That's it, I'm staying." It was so sad. I am going to miss him so much, he was so sweet. Maggie gave us a banana as we said good bye. Ian had me sign the Dutch football flag.

So now I am in Moreton, just across the Mersey River from Liverpool. I can see Liverpool from my flat window, but I won't see them again unless I get called back there in the future. I am going to try to keep in touch with some of them if I can. And we got a car here in Moreton. So we get to drive everywhere. It is nice but now I'm paranoid about putting on weight. So yeah, lots of things have changed.

Also, we found out Monday morning that I was leaving right? Well, we didn't have time to pack Monday night so we figured we would pack Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. We got a phone call about 4 PM on Tuesday saying they want all the leaving missionaries and their companions to be at the temple by 7:30AM on Wednesday (meaning be in Chorley by 7 AM). So that was an extra stress. We then called the train station to find out times to get to Chorley by 7 and the only one that would get us there in time left at 3:30AM.... We were not too enthused by that prospect and so we phoned the assistants and told them of our predicament and they said they would figure something out. So at about 6 PM Tuesday they let us know we could stay the night with the sister closest to the temple... but we would have to be on a train at about 8 or 9 PM.... well that wasn't happening so we were considering just not going to the temple. And the assistants (being in such authority) used the guilt card so often used by parents and said, "Sister Orr, this is not mandatory... but it is an opportunity for you and your companion to attend the temple... most people would be jumping at this opportunity...." I was like yeah, yeah, yeah..... So we said we would catch the train at 3:30 in the morning... Well President heard that we were planning to catch that train and called the Zone leaders and told them it was nonsense for us to catch that train and he told them to give us a ride in the morning.... So we left at 6:30 in the morning instead, but I felt bad for making the Zone leaders have to do that. But we got to the temple. Not entirely stress free.... I still feel like I forgot something in my haste to pack....

My brain is fried.

We had a Chinese fireside last Saturday night. President asked me to do a write up on it for the mission letter. All I have written for notes thus far is "There were 48 there and.... they spoke a lot of Chinese...." yup, sums up my comprehension of the evening.

We have the Sisters Conference tomorrow which is for all the Sisters in the Manchester Mission at the Mission Home. It will be good, but I'm still not happy with President for transferring me.... yes, I am still a bit upset   It didn't help when he made us sing "I'll go where you want me to go" at transfers. I was like NO! I WILL NOT! Just kidding.... but seriously...

Well I am running short on time and I still have to write my weekly letter to President which will be filled with the stories of my Liverpudlians mourning at my leaving....

Our flat here is nice and big though! No complaints there... oh, and my new companion is Sister Hoffman, from California. She is nice.