Jan. 5

Well I'm back in the boat! This last week was crazy. First of all, Monday night I was getting packed and ready to go when we got a mission-wide text telling us that transfers was being postponed! Say what? So I got an extra 2 days in Lakewood! Denver got hit with a pretty nasty blizzard and the roads were absolutely horrible. All the returning home missionaries still had to meet at the mission home on Tuesday though so Sister Hancock and I got to go pick up Sister Knecht because her comp, Sister Remington, was going home. Sister Hancock and I slid all over the roads on the way there. When we got there we said goodbye to Sister Remington and then headed out in our car. Our car is horrible on the roads and was fishtailing everywhere so we decided to go back and drive Sister Knecht's car instead. So we headed back for the mission home. When we got back there, Sister Murdock was in a tizzy. They didn't expect to have all the new missionaries still there (they should've been out with their comps) and all the returning home missionaries together. The returnees were supposed to go to the temple but they didn't have enough cars so we volunteered our car. Sister Murdock had to drive the hutterite mission van to the airport to take all her kids that had been visiting and so we stayed and changed all the sheets on the beds, did the laundry, and started making dinner. It was so much fun! And then we knew the reason why we needed to go back and switch our car otherwise we wouldn't have been there to help Sister Murdock! Inspired! 

The rest of Tuesday and Wednesday flew by! Sister Knecht is one of my favorite people and we all know how time flies when you're having fun. We shoveled driveways for 2 hours Wednesday morning (in our skirts!). We dined with the Gunthers. She sneakily tried to convince me that she had seen the transfer board and that I wasn't going to Steamboat anymore. I believed her for a bit and got kind of sad about it. It was a good lesson for me to learn though that God has a plan and He will always know what is best for me. New Year's Eve we spent with the Kneelands and the Decorias (both Senior couples). We shared the first lesson and they told us what a wonderful spirit we had! Woot! I thought it was so cold in Denver (this was before I came to Steamboat...) 

We also saw Andie that night with the Gunthers. We were all pretty nervous. When we found out transfers we postponed we sent her a text asking her if she would want to be baptized Wednesday night. She then sent us a really long text saying that she didn't need to be baptized to be a good person and all that kind of stuff. It broke our hearts. So that's why we were apprehensive when we went on Wednesday. Andie was just stressed. She still wants to get baptized and she knows it's the right thing to do! And she said the sooner, the better because she knows how important it is! What a wonderful blessing that she still has a desire. She has a lot on her plate right now and is figuring out how to handle it all. 

Thursday morning we headed to transfers at 6:40 a.m. I just wish I could've been with Sister Hancock and Sister Knecht forever. They are so great. Transfers always fly by and soon I was in the backseat of the hutterite van with sister Arnold and Sister Adair driving to Rifle. After a very long day, we finally made it Steamboat at 7:30 pm. We got tot each Pamela! She is on date for the 27th of January, her birthday. She is from Peru and has lived here for one month. Her family in Peru are members and while she was there she went to church regularly. She could only come to RS yesterday because of her work schedule but she came to our ward waffle party afterwards at our WML's house. She is so wonderful and expressed that she has a testimony that the Book of Mormon is the word of God! My espanol is muy malo pero yo se puedo improve con la ayuda de Dios. haha. Sister McRae is my new companion! She is going to have a hoot of a transfer with a comp who can't really speak the language. But in our lessons I have felt the spirit and that is what truly matters. I can testify that the gift of tongues is a real gift. In lessons, I have been able to share what I feel in not perfect Spanish but in a way that the investigator can understand. 

The very next day after I got here we had to drive all the way back to Vail for MLCs. It made for one tired Sister Turner. President Murdock shared with us his inspired goal for 2015 to baptize 1081 people. That's one person every month for every companionship PLUS ONE MORE, meaning that we are all about the one. I felt the spirit testify to me that this goal is inspired. We learned about faith. I am so excited for this next year to continue to strengthen my faith with the challenges I know will come. 

STEAMBOAT IS FREEZING. It was -22 when we left one day. Golly! Thankfully, it's warmed up quite a bit. 

Saturday we weekly planned and I got sick. I felt really badly for Sister McRae that she couldn't go out and work but I knew that I was not well enough to go. We did see Joel and taught him the first lesson with Francisco. 

Sunday was the best! It was so great to see all the people I love so much. One of my favourite parts was that Francisco blessed the sacrament, bore his testimony, and is the assistant ward mission leader. When I left Stmbt the first time, we had taught him twice. Now he is a member who holds the priesthood and magnifies his calling. Another convert, Esai, also bore his testimony, as well as Gaby! I love Gaby! I taught her a bit more but was not here when she was baptized. It was incredible to see the progression they have all made. On that note, I also bore my testimony. Afterwards, both Brother and Sister Burke commented to me how much I had changed since I was last here. So that was pretty neat. 

After church, we had waffles at Fred's house, just like old times. When I first called Fred on Thursday I told him the new sister was Sister Turner. He didn't say anything until about 5 minutes later when he exclaimed, "Sister Turner! I remember now!" It was such a classic Fred moment. Another classic Fred moment was when he was reunited with his dog, Nicha. Oh goodness I wish I could've videoed it for you. Waffles was insanity. There was so many people there. And I started to feel really really sick. So I kind of just sat there. But I got a blessing and some remedies from Don Ela. We went home so I could sleep for a little bit and we planned on going out to work later that night but I accidentally slept from 4 to 8:30 so apparently I really needed it. I'm feeling a little better today. 

I am so excited for the next 5 weeks to help the Lord in His work!  I love Steamboat and I know that the gospel is just as true here as it is any other place in the world!